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–+ servings
Air Fryer chocolate donut holes.

Air Fryer Chocolate Donut Holes Recipe

Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 12 donut holes
Calories: 215kcal
Author: Becky Hardin
Make chocolate donut holes in the Air Fryer in just 20 minutes. These glazed cakey donut holes tastes just like chocolate munchkins!
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US Customary - Metric

Equipment

  • Kitchen Scale (optional)
  • Air Fryer
  • Silicone Half-Sphere Mold (optional)

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

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

Serving: 1donut hole | Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 73mg | Potassium: 105mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 408IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg