Home → Recipes → Breakfast → Donuts → Air Fryer Cherry Pie Donuts

Air Fryer Cherry Pie Donuts

Name: Air Fryer Cherry Pie Donuts
Prep time: 70 min
Cook time: 4 min
Total time: 74 min
Ingredients: 1 cup milk (warm); 2 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast; 1/4 cup granulated sugar (plus 1 teaspoon); 1 large egg; 1/4 cup butter (unsalted, and melted); 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 14 ounces cherry pie filling

Jump to recipe

Air Fryer Cherry Pie Donuts — This recipe is for a delicious dessert that will be the perfect addition to your holiday menu. These donuts are loaded with juicy cherries and topped off with a delicious coating. This recipe is so simple and easy; you’ll have no problem whipping up these cherry pie donuts in no time at all!

Air Fryer Cherry Pie Donuts –Gooey, tart cherries ooze out of every luscious bite of these spongy cherry pie air fryer donuts. These easy-to-make pie-inspired donuts make the perfect back-to-school treat or Thanksgiving delicacy.

Simple baking ingredients such as flour, sugar, milk, eggs, butter, yeast, vanilla, and premade cherry pie filling are all you need to create these fun cherry donuts. Whip up a batch of these chewy, gooey cherry pie donuts on a crisp September Saturday morning or as a fun after-school snack. The simple ingredients shine in this fan-favorite recipe and are sure to put a smile on the face of anyone who tries one of these delectable-filled donuts.

One of the best things about these cherry pie donuts is made in an air fryer!

This not only means that they’re super easy to make but also that they’re healthier than your average donut. Since air fryers use rapidly circulating hot air to “fry” food, you can use far less oil than traditional frying and still get a crispy exterior. This makes the air fryer the perfect appliance for making homemade donuts. The resulting lower fat content in your homemade donuts means that you can feel good about serving these cherry pie air fryer donuts to your family and friends!

If you are looking for even more Air Fryer Donuts Recipes, some of my favorites recipes are AIR FRYER BANANA DONUTS, AIR FRYER POWDERED SUGAR DONUTS, AIR FRYER BACON SALTED CARAMEL DONUTS.

Ingredients Needed For Air Fryer Cherry Pie Donuts

Cherry Pie Filling—I love using a can of store-bought cherry pie filling in this recipe; it’s delicious and easy to use. However, if you have a favorite homemade cherry pie filling, you can also use that to fill these donuts.
All-Purpose Flour—flour acts as the base of your donut dough. I would recommend avoiding any flours you’re not personally familiar with—you never quite know how they might alter the recipe.
Granulated Sugar—granulated white sugar is used to sweeten your donut dough.
Milk—you’ll use warm milk in this recipe as the liquid base of your donut dough. The natural sugars in the milk make it a great liquid in which to bloom your yeast.
Egg—the yolky richness of an egg helps to add elasticity and flavor to your donut dough.
Butter—a splash of melted butter is used to add richness and depth of flavor to your dough.
Active Dry Yeast—yeast is the leavening agent of choice in this cherry pie donut recipe. If you don’t have active dry yeast, you can use instant yeast instead.
Vanilla Extract—a small amount of vanilla extract adds sweetness and complements the other tart flavors in these donuts.

How To Make Air Fryer Cherry Pie Donuts

Begin making your cherry pie air fryer donuts by blooming your yeast. To do this, combine your warm milk, yeast, and 1 tsp of sugar. Mix gently, then let the mixture sit for 5 minutes or until bubbly.

Next, make your dough by combining the rest of your sugar, flour, yeast mixture, egg, melted butter, and vanilla. Once uniform in appearance, knead the mixture on a lightly floured surface until no longer sticky.

Place your kneaded dough into a clean bowl, cover it with a lightweight dishcloth and allow it to rise for 20 minutes.

Once the 20 minutes have elapsed, roll the dough into a ½”-thick sheet. Using a circle cutter, cut out 4″ circles from your dough. Allow your shaped dough to rise for an additional 20 minutes.

Preheat your air fryer to 350°F for 4 minutes. Once your air fryer is hot, place your donuts into your air fryer basket and fry them for 3-5 minutes at 350°F.

While your donuts are frying, take a fork and roughly mash your cherry pie filling. Using a piping bag, fill each of your warm donuts with the mashed filling. Allow the filled cherry pie donuts to cool slightly before dusting with powdered sugar and enjoying!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I blend the cherry pie filling instead of mashing it?

No! To fill your cherry pie air fryer donuts appropriately, you’ll need to break down any big chunks of cherry in your premade pie filling; however, don’t be tempted to chuck the filling into the blender.

Blending your pie filling will make it far too runny to pipe into your donuts. Instead, take a fork and roughly mash your filling to break up any big chunks of cherry.

Can I use cherry jelly instead of cherry pie filling?

Of course! If you’re a big fan of jelly-filled donuts, you can pipe cherry jelly into the center of each of your air fryer donuts instead of cherry pie filling. The resulting donuts will be very similar in flavor to the original recipe, and the texture will be slightly different.

Can I make cherry pie air fryer donuts ahead of time?

Absolutely! You can easily make these cherry pie donuts ahead of time by preparing your dough the night before you want to serve these delicious donuts. Make your dough as standard, allowing it to go through the first rise and shaping process.

Once you’ve cut out your doughnut shapes, place them onto a greased cookie sheet and cover lightly with plastic wrap. Rise your uncooked donuts in the fridge overnight. In the morning, pop your cold donuts into the preheated air fryer and fry for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown and no longer gooey in the center.

More Air Fryer Donut Recipes:

Don’t Forget To Pin: