You know when you want to eat donuts and then your mind starts saying, "OH NO!" They're too greasy, they're deep-fried, they're not healthy and you also realized that we're still in January of the new year!
Well, don't worry because I'm going to show you how to make healthier soft, and fluffy donuts that are made with wholesome real ingredients and are not deep-fried.
They're equally delicious and you'd feel better eating them, you wouldn't believe that these are healthier donuts!
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Recipe Highlights
Texture and flavour - Crispy skin donuts, soft and fluffy, not overly sweet, and definitely not greasy at all.
Size - 9 donuts, they cook in 5 minutes.
Level - Easy. Brief 5 minutes kneading by hands.
Lets Talk Ingredients
Whole wheat flour - The fact that we're using whole wheat flour, that only has already made these donuts way healthier. Rich in fiber, we get all the nutrients from the kernels.
Honey - Acts as a sweetener and also helps with the soft and fluffy texture.
Instant yeast - There's no need to activate it first, it makes making yeasted dough way easier and faster. Just throw it in with the rest of the ingredients.
SUBSTITUTIONS:
Active yeast: use 25% more which will be around 1 ½ teaspoon (5g)
Fresh yeast: use double which will be around 2 ½ teaspoon (8g)
*they both need to be activated prior to using
Milk - You can use whichever you prefer. I've used skimmed and whole milk and they both worked great.
Coconut oil - If you have it in solid-state, then melt it first. Any other type of fat works great also like extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil.
Why You Should Make This Recipe
Easy. Because of these 2 main healthier reasons:
Wholesome ingredients - We're using wholesome ingredients which have more nutrient benefits for you. There's no refined sugar or white flour. I want you to have a donut recipe that doesn't make you feel bad, crappy, and guilty after eating them. These donuts will make you feel good, I promise!
No deep fry - No greasy excessive oil seeping into the donuts, no deep fry smell lingering in the kitchen, no oil splatters to clean up.
On top of those, these donuts taste equally delicious with that crispy skin!
Watch How To Make Them
📖 Recipe
Whole wheat air-fryer donuts
Video
Equipment
- 1 Big bowl
- 1 Rolling Pin
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 ¼ cup whole wheat flour (160 g), use spoon and level method
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg , room temperature
- 2 tablespoon melted coconut oil
- 2 tablespoon honey (30 g)
- 2 tablespoon warm milk
- 1 ¼ teaspoon instant yeast (4 g)
Topping
- some oil , for brushing
- some erythritol , to roll in
Instructions
Dough
- Add all ingredients into a bowl and using a wooden spoon, mix everything until you get a lumpy mixture. Pour on a working surface and knead for 5 minutes. The dough will be sticky. Use a metal scraper to help.
- Form into a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Cover tightly with a cling film and leave to rise until double its size.
Assembling
- Roughly form risen dough into a ball. Use a rolling pin and roll into ½ inch thickness. Use a 2 inch cookie cutter and something round of ½ inch, like a bottle cap to cut out the donuts. Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the balance of dough until you get total of 9 donuts.
- Cover with cling film and leave until they rise double their size.
Cooking
- Spray the air fryer inner rack with some oil. Gently place donuts on it. Use "Air fry" setting, set temperature at 340ºF (170ºC) and cook for 5 minutes.
- Remove from air fryer and lightly brush the top and side with some oil, and then roll in erythritol. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Use spoon and level method for cup measurement to avoid using more flour than intended for this recipe
- Brushing some oil on cooked donuts will help the sugar stick on them
- Skip that step if you want to dip them into other toppings like healthy chocolate peanut butter spread (yum!)
Nutrition Facts
The nutrition facts provided are an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
SR Madhumithaa says
Hi,
Can I add more honey to make it sweeter, I'm not coating it with sugar or glaze? How much honey can I increase in this recipe? Will it not affect the texture?
Dyianne Merla says
We loved them!
They were not sweet without the sugar topping.
I dipped half with melted chocolate and the kids devoured everything!!
Thanks for this recipe!
Bea says
Oh that's awesome, Dyianne! I've tried with chocolate peanut butter spread and oh la la! Haha! Happy that you loved them, do check out for more real ingredients recipes here. Thank you!