Air Fryer Recipe
Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts
These pumpkin spice doughnuts are a delightful autumn treat, perfect for making in an air fryer.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Set aside.
- In another bowl, combine the melted butter, granulated and brown sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth and well-blended.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring gently until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Preheat your air fryer to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease the air fryer basket or line it with parchment paper.
- Spoon the batter into a piping bag or a zip-top bag with a corner snipped off, then pipe the batter into doughnut-shaped molds or directly onto the parchment paper in the air fryer.
- Air fry the doughnuts for about 8-10 minutes until they are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Carefully remove the doughnuts from the air fryer and let them cool on a wire rack.
Why this works in an air fryer
Air-fryer convection sets the outside of the pumpkin batter quickly, while the mould supports its soft, cake-style crumb. Pumpkin purée adds water and pectin, keeping the doughnuts moist; gentle mixing limits gluten so they rise tender rather than bready. A lightly greased surface helps browning where the batter contacts the hot mould.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 5–6 litre basket holding 6 standard silicone doughnut moulds in one layer. In a single-drawer air fryer, cook one layer only and rotate the moulds halfway if the rear browns faster; in a dual-zone model, split the batch between drawers and check 1–2 minutes early, as smaller zones often run hotter.
Common pitfalls
- Doughnuts look domed but collapse as they cool: the centres were under-set; return them to the air fryer for 2 minutes and test with a skewer coming out clean, not wet with batter.
- Edges are dark while the middle is sticky: the moulds are too close to the heating element or the air fryer runs hot; reduce to 165°C and add 2–3 minutes.
- Ragged rings or batter spreading on parchment: the batter was piped without mould support or the parchment lifted in the fan; use silicone doughnut moulds or weight parchment corners with moulds, never loose paper alone.
- Dense, rubbery crumb with tunnels: the batter was overmixed after adding flour; stop as soon as no dry streaks remain and pipe rather than stirring again to fill the bag.
Variations & substitutions
- Use wholemeal plain flour for up to half the flour; the doughnuts will brown faster and need checking 1 minute early because bran absorbs moisture unevenly.
- Swap melted butter for neutral oil in the same volume; the crumb stays softer after cooling but the exterior browns slightly less, so give it the full cooking time.
- Add 60g finely chopped pecans or walnuts; fill moulds no more than two-thirds full because the pieces interrupt the rise and can make overfilled rings split.
- Use a cinnamon-sugar finish after cooking by brushing warm doughnuts lightly with melted butter; do this after air frying, as sugar in the basket can scorch and smoke.
Storage & reheating
Keep cooled doughnuts in an airtight container for 2 days at room temperature or 4 days chilled, then reheat in the air fryer at 150°C for 2–3 minutes to refresh the crumb.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
