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    Home » Vegan recipes

    Easy Churro-Style Air Fryer Donut Holes (Chonut Holes!)

    Last Modified: Apr 18, 2019 by Becky Striepe

    Disclosure: This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See my Privacy Policy for more details.

    Recipe Video Print

    These churro-inspired Air Fryer Donut Holes deliver doughnutty goodness, churro flavors, and a portmanteau. Chonut Holes trule have it all!

    plate of air fryer donut holes on a slate table with cinnamon sticks

    Just like those Air Fryer Falafel Balls, this recipe is another reader request. Ask for air fryer donut holes, and ye shall receive!

    I was kind of waffling about what kind of donut holes to make, then I watched the episode of Broad City where Abbi waits all day for a Churron. I'm not a big macaron person, but that episode got churros on my brain.

    Clearly, I needed to make Chonut Holes a reality!

    taking a bite of a churro donut hole

    Churros are also total nostalgia food for me. That crunchy, cinnamon-sugar coating transports me back to the ice skating rink where my friends and I liked to hang out in middle school. That's where I had my first churro.

    The air fryer gives these the crunchy-on-the-outside, cakey-on-the-inside texture I remember from back in the day, but without deep frying.

    collage of Chonut Holes from different angles

    How to Make Donut Holes in the Air Fryer

    The base for these Chonut Holes is a cake donut with just a little touch of cinnamon. Then, they're rolled in plenty of cinnamon sugar just before air frying.

    They're very simple to make! Just mix up the dough, roll into balls, coat in that cinnamon-sugar goodness, and air fry to perfection.

    There is a bit of technique involved in this recipe, but it's all simple stuff. First of all, you definitely need to line your air fryer basket with parchment paper. I must have made these six different times, trying to keep them from sticking, and parchment paper is the answer. Don't skip it.

    yellow plate of churro donut holes on a table with cinnamon sticks

    It's also critical that you do NOT shake these. The dough is not runny, but it is soft. If you shake during cooking, your Chonut Holes will lose their cute, round shape.

    The not-shaking is part of the reason that you need the parchment paper. It's all that's preventing these vegan donut holes from sticking to the air fryer basket.

    You can see the recipe video here, and scroll further down for written instructions.

    Chonut Holes deliver so many of my favorite things: doughnutty goodness, churro flavors, and a portmanteau. These churro doughnut holes have it all!

    Easy Churro-Style Air Fryer Donut Holes (Chonut Holes!)

    Chonut Holes deliver so many of my favorite things: doughnutty goodness, churro flavors, and a portmanteau. These air fryer donut holes have it all!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Air Fryer, Vegan
    Keyword: air fryer donut holes
    Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 6 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 21 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 146kcal
    Author: Becky Striepe

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup white all purpose flour
    • ¼ cup organic sugar
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 2 tablespoons aquafaba - I have used white bean and chickpea to make these, and both worked great!
    • 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
    • ¼ cup soy or almond milk
    • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
    • 2 tablespoons sugar

    Instructions

    • In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Mix well.
    • Add the aquafaba, coconut oil, and soy milk. Mix well. I had the best results when I mixed with a fork, then got in with my hands and kneaded the dough together for a few seconds when it got too stiff to beat with a fork. When you’re done, you should have a ball of slightly sticky dough.
    • Stick the bowl of dough into the refrigerator for at least an hour. You can even make the dough the night before. If you do this, store in an airtight container.
    • In a shallow bowl, mix together the cinnamon and remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Set this aside.
    • Cut a piece of parchment paper so it covers some of the bottom of your air fryer but doesn’t cover it completely. I use a square and cut it about 1" smaller than the bottom, leaving plenty of room for air to circulate.
    • Remove the dough from the fridge, and give it a quick knead. Divide into 12 pieces, forming the pieces into balls. Dredge each ball in cinnamon sugar, and arrange into a single layer on the parchment paper, leaving at least 1? of room around each ball. I air fried mine in 2 batches of 6 Chonut Holes each.
    • Air fry at 370F for 6 minutes. DO NOT SHAKE. Shaking these is a disaster. Trust me.
    • Let them cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from the basket. You want these cooled completely, and the total cooling time depends on how many you fried at once and the size of your basket.

    Equipment

    • Air Fryer

    Video

    Notes

    Seriously, do not shake these. Shaking them is a disaster, and you’ll end up with misshappen Chonut Holes. Also, don’t try to fill your basket with chonut holes to save time. They will plump as they cook, and they’ll end up overcrowded and stuck together or to the bottom of the fryer. Better to do this in 2-3 batches than to end up with stuck-together Chonut Holes. Learn from my mistakes!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 146kcal
    Tried this recipe? Share your photo!Mention @GlueAndGlitter on Instagram or Twitter!
    « Breakfast Kale Salad
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    About Becky Striepe

    Headshot of Becky Striepe in front of a teal wall

    Hi there! I'm Becky Striepe (rhymes with sleepy), and I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here.

    Learn more about me >>>

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lauren Wright

      June 27, 2021 at 3:48 am

      These were so delicious! So easy and fast to make. Everyone loved them, including all my non vegan family!!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        June 28, 2021 at 11:15 am

        Oh I love to hear that, Lauren! Thank you for coming back to leave a comment!

        Reply
    2. Ming

      February 22, 2021 at 7:33 pm

      Thanks for the recipe. Quick question. My batter wouldn’t stay roundish. Any tips?

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        February 23, 2021 at 8:16 am

        I'd add more flour by the teaspoon until you get a cohesive dough.

        Reply
    3. Sylvia

      August 23, 2020 at 12:33 pm

      5 stars
      I really love Churros but I don’t have Aquafaba doe I use one egg.

      Reply
      • Melody

        September 11, 2020 at 7:57 pm

        5 stars
        These are amazing! I used flax seed in place of aquafaba and it worked fine! Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe!

        Reply
        • Becky Striepe

          September 14, 2020 at 8:22 am

          Awesome! Thank you for coming back to share your experience. I definitely get asked about whether you can use other egg subs in place of aquafaba.

          Reply
    4. ANNA CASEY

      September 26, 2019 at 6:49 am

      Hello - please tell me what brand/model of air fryer you use. I want to buy one but afraid it won't work as well as most people say!
      Thank you.

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        September 26, 2019 at 11:39 am

        Of course! I use the ZenChef Pro XXL. Here's an affiliate link to this one on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2mToD6P

        Reply
    5. Lisa

      January 27, 2018 at 2:27 am

      5 stars
      I made the dough tonight. It was so easy, and dodn't even have to shop. Making a test batch before making it for a potluck.

      Thank you!

      Reply
    6. Robin

      June 24, 2017 at 9:19 am

      Hi:

      I was on the fence about buying an air fryer and your recipes have inspired me to get one ASAP!!

      This will be one of my first recipes to try. I would like to make these gluten free. Is it possible? If so, any tips?

      As a newbie, I appreciate any insights and really look forward to trying all your recipes.

      Thank you,
      Robin

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        June 24, 2017 at 9:25 am

        Hi! Congratulations on the new air fryer. I have not tested this recipe with gf flours, so I can't say whether it will work out. I'm sorry about that! I have lots of other air fryer recipes that are naturally gf, so you may want to peruse my air fryer archives and see what appeals. :)

        Reply
      • Renee

        August 28, 2019 at 7:49 pm

        Did anyone use gluten free flour yet? My air fryer is scheduled to be delivered Friday. Super excited.

        Reply
    7. Sophia | Veggies Don't Bite

      September 27, 2016 at 7:47 pm

      I'd gladly shove these delicious things in my mouth as fast as possible.

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        September 27, 2016 at 7:49 pm

        Lol yessss!

        Reply
    8. Nicole Dawson

      September 26, 2016 at 11:38 pm

      Those look awesome! I use to love churros but I love this healthier option.

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        September 27, 2016 at 7:48 pm

        I did, too! They'll forever remind me of the ice skating rink, where we'd dip them in cocoa when we got too cold.

        Reply
    9. Aimee | Wallflower Kitchen

      September 26, 2016 at 5:56 pm

      I LOVE these "Chonuts"! I mean, how could I not?

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        September 26, 2016 at 6:08 pm

        Haha thank you, Aimee!

        Reply
    10. Dianne

      September 26, 2016 at 10:15 am

      These look like the perfect little snack!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        September 26, 2016 at 10:37 am

        Thank you, Dianne!

        Reply

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    Glue and Glitter
    Hi! My name is Becky Striepe (rhymes with “sleepy”). I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here. → READ MORE

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