Fall donut season is here, and every recipe on this list comes out of the air fryer, so there is no pot of oil and no mess. Apple cider, pumpkin, maple, and cinnamon sugar are all covered, and most are ready in under 30 minutes.
Some use a donut pan, some use canned biscuit dough, and a few are drop-and-go fritters. Pick the one that matches the time you have, then click through for the full ingredient list, step-by-step photos, and printable recipe card.
1. Easy Air Fryer Apple Cider Donuts
The donut that defines October. Real apple cider goes right into the batter, and the finished donuts get dipped in melted butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar while they are still warm. They bake in a donut pan at 320°F in about 10 minutes, so you can have a batch on the table before the coffee is done.
Get the Recipe: Easy Air Fryer Apple Cider Donuts
2. Easy Air Fryer Pumpkin Donuts
Canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice make a soft, cakey donut that stays moist for days. Finish them with a simple glaze, cream cheese frosting, or cinnamon sugar. If you keep one can of pumpkin in the pantry all fall, this is what to use it on.
Get the Recipe: Easy Air Fryer Pumpkin Donuts
3. Air Fryer Apple Fritters
Crisp and golden outside, packed with cinnamon apples inside, and finished with a vanilla glaze. There is no rolling or cutting, just scoop the batter onto parchment and air fry. Start to finish in about 20 minutes.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Apple Fritters
4. Air Fryer Maple Frosted Donuts
Maple extract plus real maple syrup in both the donut and the glaze gives these a flavor that plain syrup alone cannot. They bake in a donut pan until springy, then get dipped in a warm maple glaze that sets into a glossy shell.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Maple Frosted Donuts
5. Air Fryer Pumpkin Fritters
If you loved the apple fritters, these are the pumpkin version: spiced pumpkin dough air fried until crisp, then dusted with cinnamon sugar or drizzled with glaze. A good one for a crowd since the batter stretches further than a donut pan does.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Pumpkin Fritters
6. Air Fryer Cinnamon Crumb Donuts
A soft buttermilk donut topped with a buttery brown sugar crumb, like the top of a coffee cake. These are the ones to make for a weekend brunch when you want something that looks like it came from a bakery.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Cinnamon Crumb Donuts
7. Easy Air Fryer Apple Pie Bombs
Biscuit dough wrapped around apple pie filling, air fried until golden, then rolled in cinnamon sugar. They taste like a stuffed apple donut and take about 10 minutes of hands-on time. Kids can help fill and seal them.
Get the Recipe: Easy Air Fryer Apple Pie Bombs
8. Air Fryer Pumpkin Cream Donuts
Pillowy donuts filled with a sweet pumpkin cream. They look like a bakery splurge but take only a few minutes in the air fryer. Make these when you want something a little more special than a glazed donut.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Pumpkin Cream Donuts
9. Easy, Homemade Air Fryer Cinnamon Sugar Donut Holes
Made from scratch in nine steps and ready in minutes. Roll the warm donut holes in cinnamon sugar, or skip the coating and dip them in maple glaze. These disappear fast at tailgates and after-school snack time.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Cinnamon Sugar Donut Holes
10. Air Fryer Sour Cream Donuts
The old-fashioned cake donut: dense, tender, and crackly on top under a sweet vanilla glaze. Sour cream keeps them from drying out. If you want a classic donut to serve alongside the pumpkin and apple ones, this is it.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Sour Cream Donuts
Fall Donut FAQ
Do I need a donut pan for air fryer donuts? Only for the pan-style recipes (apple cider, pumpkin, maple, cinnamon crumb, sour cream). A silicone donut mold that fits your basket works well. The fritters, apple pie bombs, and donut holes need no pan at all.
What temperature do you air fry donuts? Most of these recipes cook at 320°F to 350°F. Lower temperatures give pan donuts time to cook through; higher ones crisp up fritters and biscuit dough. Each recipe lists its exact setting.
Can I make these ahead? Yes. Cool completely, store airtight at room temperature for 2 days, or freeze unglazed for up to 2 months. Reheat in the air fryer for 2 to 3 minutes at 300°F and glaze after.
Can I make these in the oven instead? Pan donuts bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. Fritters and donut holes bake at 375°F for 12 to 15 minutes on a parchment-lined sheet. The texture is softer than the air fryer version.
Start With the Apple Cider Donuts
If you only make one recipe this fall, make the Easy Air Fryer Apple Cider Donuts. They are the fastest route to that orchard-stand flavor, and they use ingredients you probably already have. When you want something different, the Air Fryer Apple Fritters are the reader favorite.
Made one of these? Leave a comment and tell us which recipe you tried. Pin this post to save all ten for the season, and browse the full Air Fryer Donuts collection for dozens more.
