Flaky Air Fryer Donuts a.k.a Cronuts

These puff pastry air fryer donuts are wonderfully flaky and delicious! They are so quick and easy to make in the air fryer and require just five ingredients. Be warned, they are going to disappear quickly!

 

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Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the 
recipe card at the bottom of the post. 
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.

There is nothing quite like homemade donuts, but these are truly out of the world! Made with puff pastry, they are so wonderfully fluffy and flaky, and because they are cooked in the air fryer, they don’t require any oil.

Rolled in cinnamon sugar, these flaky donuts are even more amazing when topped with my blueberry compote and whipped cream. You could also add a glaze. Depending on the day, we rotate through all kinds of toppings.

Ingredients You Will Need

• Puff Pastry Sheets
• Egg
• Melted Butter
• White Sugar
• Cinnamon

How To Make Flaky Air Fryer Donuts

Roll out puff pastry on a lightly floured countertop and brush egg on one side of each pastry.

Lay the sheets of puff pastry on top of each other, making sure the sides brushed with egg are together.

Place in the freezer for 15 minutes. This step will make your donuts rise high while they cook.

After 15 minutes, remove the pastry from the freezer and use a donut cutter, or two cookie cutters to cut out donut shapes. I left some donuts without holes. There is no particular reason; I just like variety.

Then, place in an air fryer basket and cook at 330 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes until the pastry has risen and is browned a bit.

• While the pastry is cooking, combine white sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.
• Once the pastry is finished cooking, brush it with melted butter and dip it in the cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Why make donuts with puff pastry?

Puff pastry is known to “puff up” into beautiful flakey layers. Store-bought pastry does a great job making these flaky cronuts with minimum work and prep. You could also use other dough, such as store-bought biscuit dough, but I found those to be a little saltier than puff pastry dough.

Can you make them ahead of time?

I like to serve these while they are still warm so that the texture is at its best. The cooled donuts can be kept in an airtight container for about two or three days.
You can cut out the donut shapes and keep them covered in the fridge on a baking tray for up to 24 hours until ready to air fry them.

Why make donuts in an air fryer?

My air fryer has become a kitchen staple, and I’m thrilled with its versatility. These donuts are a perfect example of its capabilities. The results are truly amazing!

Recipe Notes and Tips

• Be sure to freeze the pastry together for at least 15 minutes. Only cut the donut shapes after freezing the pastry.
• A large air fryer can hold about six donuts at a time. If using a smaller one, place the remaining cut donuts in the refrigerator or freezer to remain cold while the donuts are air-fried. The dough needs to be cold to rise properly in the air fryer.
• Preheat the air fryer for the most flakey donuts.
• The donuts should be placed in a single layer in the basket and not touching.

More Easy Air Fryer Recipes

• Air Fryer S’mores
• Homemade Churros
• Air Fryer Biscuits
• Apple Chips
• Air Fryer Beet Chips

Watch this video tutorial and see how I make flaky air fryer donuts from start to finish.

This recipe was originally published on May 8, 2020. It has been updated with additional helpful information.