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glazed chocolate donut holes made in an air fryer in white bowl

Air Fryer Chocolate Donut Holes

Becky Hardin

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Updated: March 26, 2026
4.20 from 25 votes

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Instead of driving to Dunkin for those delicious little glazed chocolate munchkins that my kids love so much, I can whip up a batch of these Air Fryer donut holes right at home. This 20-minute chocolate donut holes recipe has all the flavor and texture of a cakey donut, without having to actually make donuts!

glazed chocolate donut holes made in an air fryer in white bowl

Glazed Chocolate Donut Holes

These donut holes are the most delicious balls of cakey chocolate dough, cooked fast in my Air Fryer then coated in a simple glaze. This recipe is very similar to Dunkin Donuts’ crave-worthy chocolate munchkins, which is my favorite sneaky treat to enjoy with coffee (French Crullers are my second favorite).

Air-frying donut holes is so much easier than deep-frying, because it avoids all that oil and mess. I use a silicone mold to help the dough keep its shape while they cook, and it works perfectly. This is the best breakfast treat, and my kids can’t get enough of them!

glazed chocolate donut holes made in an air fryer on parchment

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One Simple Tip!

To get these donut holes perfectly round, I air-fried mine in a silicone half-sphere mold. You can scoop them with a cookie or ice cream scoop instead, but keep in mind that the bottoms will likely turn out flat and they may spread a bit.

Air Fryer chocolate donut holes.
4.20 from 25 votes

Air Fryer Chocolate Donut Holes Recipe

Make chocolate donut holes in the Air Fryer in just 20 minutes. These glazed cakey donut holes tastes just like chocolate munchkins!
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 10 minutes mins
Total Time: 20 minutes mins
Print Pin

Equipment

  • Kitchen Scale (optional)
  • Air Fryer
  • Silicone Half-Sphere Mold (optional)
Serves 12 donut holes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder *
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 4 tablespoons salted butter melted (½ stick)**
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream divided
  • ¼ cup chocolate chips
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
US Customary | Metric

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl, stir the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and baking powder together.
    1 cup all-purpose flour, ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder
    Dry ingredient mixture in a bowl.
  • Add the vanilla extract, salted butter, and ⅔ cup heavy whipping cream. Whisk until the batter is smooth.
    1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 4 tablespoons salted butter, 1 cup heavy whipping cream
    Pouring melted butter into a dry ingredient mixture.
  • Fold in the chocolate chips.
    ¼ cup chocolate chips
    Chocolate donut dough in a mixing bowl.
  • Pour the batter to a silicone mold, filling up ¾ of the way. Place into the air fryer and set to 350°F. Cook for 10 minutes.
    Chocolate donut holes in a silicone mold, in the basket of an Air Fryer.
  • While the donut holes are cooking, prepare the glaze. Add the powdered sugar and ⅓ cup of heavy whipping cream to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
    ½ cup powdered sugar
  • Let the donuts cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove donut holes from the mold, toss in the glaze, and place on a wire cooling rack to allow excess glaze to drip off. Let set for 5 minutes and serve.
    Glazed chocolate donut holes on a cooling rack.

Notes

*While you can use any unsweetened cocoa powder you prefer, I like to use Dutch-process cocoa powder here because there isn’t any baking soda to neutralize the acidity of natural cocoa powder.
**You can use unsalted, but add in ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt for the best flavor.
Tips:
  • The dough for these donut holes is meant to be quite thick and scoopable. This keeps it from melting into a blob in the air fryer!
  • The molds are to help the dough keep a round shape as it cooks, but I recommend mounding the dough into the molds with a cookie scoop for the roundest shape.
  • I tested this recipe without a mold and it still worked, but the donuts lost their cylindrical shape and were flat on the bottom.
  • If you plan to have leftovers, wait to glaze them until just before serving.
Frying Instructions: Heat canola or vegetable oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven. Carefully drop balls of dough into the hot oil to deep fry for about 3-5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove them from the oil, and set on paper towels to drain off excess oil before glazing.
Oven Instructions: Place balls of dough on a lined baking tray. Bake them at 325°F for around 15 minutes. Let them cool slightly before glazing.
Storage: Store donut holes in an airtight container for 2 days at room temperature or 1 week in the refrigerator. 
Nutrition Facts
Air Fryer Chocolate Donut Holes Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 donut hole)
Calories 215 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 33mg11%
Sodium 73mg3%
Potassium 105mg3%
Carbohydrates 26g9%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 15g17%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 408IU8%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 42mg4%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Author: Becky Hardin
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
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How to Store

Store chocolate donut holes in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, or in the refrigerator for 1 week. Enjoy them at room temperature, or reheat them in Air Fryer at 350°F for 3-4 minutes.

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Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin has been blogging since 2012 and founded Easy Dessert Recipes in 2020. We love creating recipes that make putting desserts and sweets on the table faster and tastier for busy families. Becky has been featured in The Kitchn, People Magazine, Home and Family, The Today Show, and more.
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4.20 from 25 votes (22 ratings without comment)

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10 responses

  1. MJ kennedy
    September 11, 2022

    This recipe didn’t work for me. The batter was so thick there was no pouring it into the molds. I used a cookie scoop to put them in to the molds but they just didn’t cook up right.

    Reply
    1. Becky Hardin
      September 12, 2022

      We’re sorry this recipe didn’t work out for you! If the batter seems too thick, try adding more heavy cream until it reaches a thick, but pourable consistency!

      Reply
  2. Gus
    December 29, 2022

    It doesn’t work, they’re dry and don’t hold a shape1 star

    Reply
    1. Becky Hardin
      January 2, 2023

      We’re sorry this recipe didn’t work out for you! Baked goods can be finicky! It sounds like your kitchen may have been a bit dry, in which case we would recommend adding more liquid to the batter to help them bind together better! We hope you’ll give this recipe another try!

      Reply
  3. Pam
    March 22, 2023

    There is an error in the instructions “add 2/3 cup cream” should be 1 cup…..very confusing and that is why the comments state too dry……

    Reply
    1. Becky Hardin
      March 22, 2023

      Hi Pam, the remaining heavy cream is used in step 5 to make the glaze! Hope this helps!

      Reply
  4. Tiffany
    April 14, 2023

    I really want to leave a positive review because I know how disappointing it is to get a review that isn’t positive. However, I had the same issue as other people the batter was way too thick. I have owned a dessert company and am known for my baking skills. That’s not too brag, but rather to say that I know how to follow a recipe (baking does tend to be a science) and when trying a recipe for the first time I always follow it precisely. When doing that with this recipe, the batter was so thick that I couldn’t get a whisk through it and even after adding more whipping cream there were still dry bits with no liquid. I ultimately ended up adding a total of about 1 1/3 cup whipping cream and 1/3 cup half and half and a tablespoon of oil just to get it mixed. Even then it was a really thick (not pourable at all). I went ahead and made them and they were okay (not dense, but fell apart) and tasted more like a cake mix cake (which I actually enjoy as cake, but not as a donut). That being said, I really liked the layout of the recipe and how the measurements were included down in the instructions as well as in the ingredients section.2 stars

    Reply
    1. Darcy Fesmire
      August 17, 2024

      Agreed on the layout. The ingredients with instructions is GREAT!

      But same problem of dryness

      Reply
  5. David Wo
    May 1, 2025

    Recipe does not work. Why post fake recipes.1 star

    Reply
    1. Samantha Marceau
      May 1, 2025

      Hi David, we rigorously test all of our recipes before they go to print. If you can provide a little more info as to what went wrong, I’d be happy to help you troubleshoot!

      Reply
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