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Air Fryer Jelly Donuts (Easy Strawberry-Filled Recipe)

Name: Air Fryer Jelly Donuts
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 17 min
Ingredients: 8 refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (8-count refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (not flaky-layer)); ¼ cup granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted); 6 tablespoons seedless strawberry jam (or raspberry)

Author: Laurie Fleming
Published: January 27, 2021

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These air fryer jelly donuts turn a can of refrigerated biscuits into warm, strawberry-filled donuts in about 17 minutes — no deep frying, no oil splatter, no special dough. Each one gets rolled in melted butter and cinnamon sugar, then injected with jam until it oozes. It’s the bakery-counter treat with a fraction of the effort.

Stack of air fryer jelly donuts with strawberry jam oozing from the center, coated in cinnamon sugar

I started making these on slow weekend mornings when my kids wanted donuts but I didn’t want to babysit a pot of hot oil. The air fryer does the work, and the canned-biscuit shortcut means I can have a plate of jelly donuts on the table before the coffee finishes brewing.

Why You’ll Love These Air Fryer Jelly Donuts

Kid-friendly assembly — filling the donuts with an injector is the part my kids fight over. to Make Air Fryer Donuts with Biscuits
Ready in about 17 minutes from can to plate — faster than a coffee-shop run.
No deep frying. You skip the oil, the mess, and the heavy greasiness, but keep the pillowy texture.
Just 5 ingredients, all of which you probably already have.
Totally customizable — swap in raspberry, blueberry, or even lemon curd, and trade cinnamon sugar for powdered sugar.

Air fryer jelly donuts filled with strawberry jam on a white plate

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients for air fryer jelly donuts: canned biscuits, strawberry jam, butter, sugar, cinnamon.

Refrigerated biscuits: Use the standard buttermilk or Southern Homestyle kind — not the flaky-layer variety, which pulls apart when you fill them. Grands work great for jumbo donuts.
Strawberry jam: Seedless is easiest to pipe. Raspberry, blueberry, or apricot all work beautifully.
Unsalted butter: This is the “glue” that helps the cinnamon sugar stick.
Granulated sugar: For the classic sweet coating.
Ground cinnamon: Warm and cozy. Leave it out and use powdered sugar instead if you want a more traditional sufganiyot-style donut.

How to Make Air Fryer Jelly Donuts

Raw biscuits arranged in an air fryer basket.

Step 1 — Air fry the biscuits. Spray the air fryer basket generously with cooking spray. Separate the biscuits and lay them in a single layer with space between each. Air fry at 350°F for 5–7 minutes, until puffed and golden.

Cinnamon and sugar mixed in a bowl beside melted butter.

Step 2 — Make the coating. While the donuts cook, stir the granulated sugar and cinnamon together in a shallow bowl. Melt the butter in a second bowl and let it cool slightly so it’s warm, not scalding.

Step 3 — Coat and fill. As each donut comes out, roll it in the melted butter, then toss it in the cinnamon sugar until fully coated. Load your injector (or a zip-top bag with a snipped corner) with jam and pipe a generous amount into the side of each donut.

Step 4 — Serve. These are best warm and fresh, so plate them up and dig in!

Side view of stacked air fryer jelly donuts showing strawberry filling and cinnamon-sugar coating

Pro Tips for the Best Results

Be generous with cooking spray, or line the basket with parchment, so nothing sticks.
Let the butter cool slightly before dipping — too hot and the cinnamon sugar slides right off.
No injector? No problem. A zip-top bag with the corner cut off pipes jam just fine.
Don’t overcrowd the basket. Air needs to circulate, so cook in batches if needed.
Reheat in the air fryer at 320°F for 2–3 minutes to revive day-old donuts.

Storage

Jelly donuts are at their best the day they’re made. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat before serving for the freshest texture. I don’t recommend freezing — the filling makes them soggy on thaw.

Close-up of a strawberry-filled air fryer jelly donut split open to show the jam

Variations

Chocolate-hazelnut: fill with Nutella instead of jam.
Raspberry or blueberry jam for a different berry note.
Lemon curd filling with a powdered-sugar finish.
Sufganiyot-style: skip the cinnamon and dust with powdered sugar — perfect for Hanukkah.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use flaky-layer biscuits? It’s best not to. The layers separate when you inject the filling. Reach for standard buttermilk or homestyle biscuits instead.

What jam works best in jelly donuts? Any smooth jam or preserve. Strawberry and raspberry are classics; seedless versions pipe most easily through an injector.

Are jelly donuts the same as sufganiyot? They’re close cousins. Sufganiyot are the Jewish jam-filled donuts traditionally eaten at Hanukkah, finished with powdered sugar rather than cinnamon sugar. Use this recipe and swap the coating to make them.

Are air fryer donuts healthier than deep-fried? They use no added frying oil, so they’re lighter, though the texture is slightly different from deep-fried. Many people (me included) prefer the lighter bite.

Can I make these ahead? You can air fry the biscuits ahead and fill them just before serving for the best texture. Fully assembled donuts soften over time.

More Air Fryer Donut Recipes to Try

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