I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Donuts are a weekly staple in my house. And sometimes, especially these days, I’d much rather make them myself than go out and get them from somewhere. Baked donuts have their place in this world, but being as I’ve fallen in love with my air fryer, I thought I would give donuts a try in it!
These Cinnamon Sugar Donut Twists are every bit as good as ones you’ll get from any local donut place. But, they’re a lot better-for-you being made with far less sugar and oil. They’re sort of a cross between baked donuts and fried donuts. A perfect mix of the two.
I used my bread machine to make the dough for these donuts, but you can make it without a bread machine too! For the cinnamon sugar, I used a natural sweetener instead of sugar. And even at that, I used maybe half of what I made, so these really have a few less calories than in the count below.
Making a full dozen donuts, I had breakfast on hand for not one, but two mornings!
TheSkinnyFork.com A delicious homemade twist donut that's made easily in an air-fryer for a more healthy way to enjoy a donut! Tossed in cinnamon sugar goodness. Prep Time: 2 Hours • Cook Time: 6 Minutes
Servings: • Serving Size: 1 Donut • Calories: 229 • Fat: 7 g • Saturated Fat: 4 g • Carb: 44 g • Fiber: 2 g • Protein:6 g • Sugar: 3 g • Sodium: 223 mg
• 1 1/2 C. Hot Unsweetened Almond Milk
• 6 Tbsp. Butter, Cubed
• 1 Whole Large Egg
• 2 Tsp. Salt
• 3 Tbsp. Sugar
• 4 C. Flour
• 1 Tbsp. Active Dry Yeast
• 1/2 C. Natural Sweetener
• 1 1/2 Tsp. Ground Cinnamon
Directions:
Bread Machine:
Place all of the ingredients for the donut dough into the base of the bread machine in the order listed (unless otherwise indicated by your specific bread machine.)
Set to the ‘dough’ cycle.
No Bread Machine:
In the bowl of stand mixer, combine 1 1/2 C. hot almond milk, 1 Tbsp. yeast, and 3 Tbsp. sugar. Allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes.
Whisk in 1 egg until incorporated.
In a large bowl, whisk together 4 C. flour and 2 Tsp. salt.
With the dough hook attachment on a stand mixer, add 1/3 of flour mixture and mix on low speed.
Once dough starts to come together, add another 1/3 of flour mixture.
Add the 6 tbsp. softened butter one tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Scrape down bowl as needed to ensure thorough mixing and add remaining 1/3 of flour mixture.
Once dough starts to form, increase mixer speed to medium.
Knead for 3-5 minutes until dough is smooth and soft.
Dough may still stick to the sides of the bowl, but it should be easy to scrape using a spatula.
Transfer dough to a large greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or kitchen towel and allow dough to rest for 30-45 minutes at room temperature until dough has doubled in volume.
Once the dough has risen, gently punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.
Divide evenly into 12 pieces and cover gently with a tea towel.
Working with one piece at a time, roll a piece of the dough out into one long strip.
Twist it around carefully and then twist again to loop and make your twisted twists!
Rinse and repeat for the remaining pieces of dough.
Set in a warm place for 15-20 minutes to rise a second time.
Set the air fryer to 350/360 and lightly coat the inside of the basket with non-stick cooking spray. Place 2-3 donut twists into the basket and lightly coat them with some oil as well.
Cook in the air-fryer for about 6 minutes.
While the donuts are cooking, whisk together the 1/2 C. sweetener and 1 1/2 Tsp. cinnamon together in a shallow dish.
Once done, toss the donuts carefully in the cinnamon sugar mixture and set aside on a wire rack to cool completely.
Rinse and repeat to cook the remaining donuts.
Enjoy right away or store in in a container on the counter for up to 3 days.
Step-by-Step Photos:
Nutritional Claims: Sugar Conscious • Low Potassium • Kidney Friendly • Vegetarian • Pescatarian • Peanut Free • Soy Free • Fish Free • Shellfish Free • Pork Free • Red Meat Free • Crustacean Free • Celery Free • Mustard Free • Sesame Free • Lupine Free • Mollusk Free • Alcohol Free • Kosher