Mini Boston Cream Donut Holes (Air Fryer + Canned Biscuits)

These air fryer Boston cream donut holes are mini Boston cream donuts made from a can of refrigerated biscuits. Each bite-size hole is air fried until golden, filled with cold vanilla pudding and dipped in a glossy chocolate glaze. They take about 30 minutes start to finish, with no deep fryer and no yeast dough.

If you love the classic bakery donut but want it in two-bite form, these are for you. They’re a fun weekend breakfast, an easy party dessert, and a great first filled-donut project. When you want the big version, my full-size air fryer Boston cream donuts use the same filling and glaze.

Why You’ll Love These Mini Boston Cream Donuts

• Easy to customize. Swap the filling or the topping to make a whole tray of different flavors.
• Canned biscuit shortcut. No mixing, rising or rolling dough.
• Real Boston cream flavor. Cool vanilla filling and a rich chocolate top in every bite.
• No deep frying. The air fryer turns biscuit dough golden and fluffy with just a spritz of oil.
• Party-friendly. One can makes 32 donut holes.

What Is a Boston Cream Donut?

A Boston cream donut is a round, filled yeast donut with a vanilla custard or pastry cream center and a chocolate icing on top. It’s modeled after Boston cream pie, the official dessert of Massachusetts, which pairs sponge cake, custard and chocolate glaze.

It’s often confused with a Bavarian cream donut. Both are custard-filled, but a Bavarian cream donut is usually finished with powdered sugar or plain glaze instead of chocolate. If you want to try that one too, here’s my recipe for air fryer Bavarian cream donuts.

Ingredients for Boston Cream Donut Holes

For the donut holes

• Refrigerated biscuits: Use a can of large, regular (not flaky-layer) biscuits. Flaky biscuits separate as they cook and won’t hold a filling. It’s the same dough I use for my air fryer biscuit donut holes.
• Cooking spray: A light coat keeps the dough from sticking and helps it brown.

For the vanilla cream filling

• Instant vanilla pudding mix: A 3.4-ounce box. French vanilla works too.
• Cold milk: Use about ½ cup less than the box calls for. A thicker pudding pipes cleanly and won’t leak out.

For the chocolate glaze

• Powdered sugar: Sift it if it’s lumpy for a smooth glaze.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder: Gives a deep chocolate flavor that balances the sweet filling.
• Butter: Melted, for a glossy finish.
• Milk: Thins the glaze to dipping consistency.
• Pure vanilla extract: Rounds out the chocolate.

How to Make Boston Cream Donut Holes in the Air Fryer

Step 1: Make the filling first. Whisk the pudding mix with the cold milk for 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate while you make the donut holes so it can set.

Step 2: Cut and shape the dough. Separate the biscuits and cut each one into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball, pinching any seams closed.

Step 3: Prep the air fryer. Spray the basket with cooking spray or line it with a parchment liner. Arrange the dough balls in a single layer with space between them.

Step 4: Air fry. Air fry at 350°F for 5 to 6 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden brown and cooked through. Work in batches so the holes aren’t crowded.

Step 5: Cool slightly. Let the donut holes cool for about 5 minutes. Filling them while they’re very hot will melt the pudding.

Step 6: Make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, melted butter, milk and vanilla until smooth. Add more milk ½ teaspoon at a time if it’s too thick to dip.

Step 7: Fill the donut holes. Poke a hole in the side of each donut hole with a chopstick or skewer. Spoon the chilled pudding into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip, then pipe filling into each hole until you feel light resistance.

Step 8: Dip in chocolate. Dip the top of each filled donut hole in the chocolate glaze, let the excess drip off, and set it hole-side down on a plate or wire rack. Let the glaze set for 5 minutes, then serve.

How to Fill Donut Holes (With or Without a Piping Bag)

A piping bag with a small round or long “Bismarck” tip is the easiest way to fill donut holes neatly. No piping bag? Spoon the pudding into a zip-top bag, push it into one corner and snip off a tiny tip. A clean squeeze bottle or a flavor injector also works. I use the same method for my jelly filled air fryer biscuit donuts.

Tips for the Best Air Fryer Donut Holes

• Fill and glaze close to serving so the outsides stay soft, not soggy.
• Keep the balls the same size so every batch cooks in the same amount of time.
• Don’t crowd the basket. Air needs to move around each ball for even browning.
• Flip halfway. Basket air fryers brown the tops faster than the bottoms.
• Check your first batch. Every air fryer runs a little differently. If the outsides brown before the centers are done, lower the heat to 330°F and add a minute.
• Chill the filling. Cold, thick pudding stays put; warm pudding runs out the side.

Variations

• Chocolate cream: Use chocolate pudding for a double-chocolate donut hole.
• Homemade pastry cream: Swap the instant pudding for your favorite vanilla pastry cream.
• Jelly-filled: Pipe in strawberry jam and roll in powdered sugar, like my air fryer strawberry donut holes.
• From-scratch dough: Skip the canned biscuits and use the dough from my homemade cinnamon sugar donut holes, then fill and glaze as directed.
• Cinnamon sugar finish: Skip the glaze, brush with butter and roll in cinnamon sugar for a Boston cream–churro mashup inspired by my air fryer churro donut holes.

Make Ahead and Storage

• Make ahead: Air fry the donut holes up to 4 hours ahead and keep them covered at room temperature. Make the pudding the night before and refrigerate. Fill and glaze within 2 hours of serving.
• Refrigerate: Store filled, glazed donut holes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. The pudding filling needs to stay cold.
• Reheat: These are best served cool or at room temperature. If you want to warm them, warm the unfilled donut holes and fill after. Filled donuts can get very hot inside. My guide on how to reheat donuts in the air fryer covers times and temperatures.
• Freeze: Freeze the air fried, unfilled donut holes for up to 2 months. Thaw, re-crisp in the air fryer at 300°F for 2 minutes, then fill and glaze.

Boston Cream Donut Holes FAQ

Can I use flaky biscuits? You can, but they tend to pull apart and leak filling. Regular large biscuits give a rounder, sturdier donut hole.

What temperature do you air fry donut holes? Air fry biscuit donut holes at 350°F for 5 to 6 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden brown.

Do I need to preheat the air fryer? It isn’t required. If your air fryer has a preheat setting, a 3-minute preheat helps the first batch brown evenly.

How many donut holes does one can of biscuits make? A can of 8 large biscuits makes 32 donut holes when each biscuit is cut into quarters.

Can I use store-bought custard or pastry cream? Yes. Any thick, cold vanilla custard works, as long as it’s firm enough to pipe.

What’s the difference between Boston cream and Bavarian cream donuts? Both are filled with vanilla custard. Boston cream is topped with chocolate icing; Bavarian cream is usually dusted with powdered sugar or plain glaze.

More Air Fryer Donut Recipes

If you love these, try my classic air fryer glazed biscuit donuts, cozy air fryer apple pie bombs, air fryer maple frosted donuts, and my air fryer copycat Krispy Kreme donuts.