These 2-Ingredient Donuts are easy, air fryer donuts made with yogurt and flour. They are very tasty, not fried, yeast-free, and therefore, a little healthier to quickly fix your donut cravings.
I really enjoy healthier donuts, like my Vegan Apple Cider Donuts, Lemon Donuts, Protein Donuts, or Baked Vegan Blueberry Donuts, but I love them even more if they are easy, like my 2-ingredient banana donut holes. Here, I created a very similar recipe, but instead of using mashed banana, I used Vanilla yogurt to create a fluffy vanilla-flavored donut.
They have a sweet taste, the classic delicate texture of fried donuts, and the same crispy outside as my Air Fryer Churros or Vegan Beignets.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Self-Rising Flour – This mix of all-purpose flour and baking powder is very convenient for creating quick-baking recipes that rise without having to measure baking powder. But if you don’t have this ingredient available where you live, you can make your own. Stir 2 teaspoons of baking powder per cup of all-purpose flour to make a batch of homemade self-rising flour. I didn’t try all-purpose gluten-free flour for this recipe.
- Vanilla Yogurt – I use dairy-free yogurt in all my recipes. For these 2-ingredient donuts I use vanilla bean cashew yogurt, but coconut Greek Yogurt also works. Feel free to use any of your favorite yogurts. I highly recommend vanilla yogurt to add flavor to the dough.
To roll the donuts, you will need a few extra ingredients. You can cover the donuts with sugar or ice with my vegan royal icing recipe. I did use cinnamon sugar for this recipe using the following ingredients.
- Plant-Based Butter – melt and cool the butter. I recommend coconut oil or avocado oil as a swap.
- Granulated Sweetener – You can use sugar, sugar-free Monk fruit blend, or coconut sugar.
- Cinnamon – for flavor
How To Make 2-Ingredient Donuts
- In a large mixing bowl, add the self-rising flour and plant-based vanilla yogurt. Stir with a silicone spatula at first, then knead the dough. It will be a bit sticky, so I recommend oiling your hands before.
- Knead until it forms a nice dough. If it is too dry, add a bit more yogurt.
- Oil your hands again with coconut oil or melted plant-based butter to rub the dough ball.
- Then, divide the donut dough into 8 balls of the same size. To make air fryer donut holes, you would make a ball and leave it as is. But we’ll turn them into donuts!
- Again rub each ball with your oil hand then push the center with your thumb to form a hole.
- Swirl the donuts to extend the hole in the center – it shrinks back a lot in the air fryer, so make the hole bigger than you think it should be.
- Grease the air fryer basket, and release each oiled donut in the basket – I added a max of 4 as they expand a lot as they air fry.
- Air fry at 350°F (180°C) for 8 to 9 minutes until golden brown and dry. Cook time depends on the size of your donuts, watch them carefully.
- Cool down for a few minutes on a cooling rack then brush generously with melted butter on both sides.
- Finally, roll in a bowl filled with sugar and cinnamon to coat. You can also make a donut glaze using my vegan royal icing recipe, vegan ganache, or simply dip them in to melted chocolate.
Storage
You can store the donuts in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze them in zip-lock bags for up to 1 month. Thaw the day before at room temperature.
Expert Tips for Perfect 2-Ingredients Donuts
- Oil your hands generously. The 2-ingredient donut dough is not smooth. It looks rough on the sides and it needs to be kneaded with oiled hands to get elastic, smooth, and taste like a classic donut recipe.
- Brush the baked donuts with melted butter. These donuts are not fried and what makes donuts taste like donuts is the oily outer edges of the baked dough, otherwise they would simply taste like bagels. Brush nicely and sprinkle some powdered sugar or roll them into cinnamon sugar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can bake the donuts on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Oil the paper, spray oil on the shape donuts, and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C). Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown.
You can use plain yogurt, but the dough is flavorless. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract for flavor or a pinch of cinnamon.
No, this recipe requires self-rising flour or all-purpose flour and baking powder.
More Donut Recipes
If you like donuts, you’ll love these:
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2-Ingredient Donuts
Ingredients
2-Ingredient Dough
- 1 ¾ cup Self-Rising Flour - (note 1)
- 1 cup Vanilla Plant-Based Yogurt - (note 2)
To coat the donuts
- 3 tablespoons Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ cup Dairy-Free Butter (Unsalted)
To work the dough
- 1-2 tablespoons Melted Coconut Oil - (note 3)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add self-rising flour and vanilla yogurt.
- Stir with a silicone spatula at first, then oil your hands generously with melted plant-based butter or coconut oil and knead the dough until it forms a soft and elastic ball.
- Divide the dough into 8 even portions. Grease your hands with coconut oil and rub each ball nicely with oil to smooth out the edges.
- Dig your thumb in the center of each dough ball to form the donut hole, and swirl to extend them to the max. The hole shrinks back a lot in the air fryer, so make it wider.
- Grease the air fryer basket with oil spray and place 4 donuts in the basket, far from each other, as they expand a lot (see note for baking the donuts). I place one donut on each corner of the basket. Spray oil on the donuts. Keep the remaining donuts on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper at room temperature to air fry later.
- Air fry the first batch at 350°F (180°C) for 8-9 minutes or until they puff, get golden brown, and dry. They should look like little bread/bagels.
- Meanwhile, fill a bowl with sugar and cinnamon. Stir to combine. Set aside. In another bowl, add plant-based butter and melt in the microwave in 20-second bursts. Set aside at room temperature.
- Remove the cooked donuts from the air fryer, and air fry the second batch following the same instructions as above.
- Place the warm donuts on a cooling rack and immediately brush with melted plant-based butter and then, roll into a bowl filled with cinnamon and sugar.
if my cashew yogurt is unsweetened do I need to add sweetener? ty
Yes, you can add a touch of sugar or maple syrup.
Can I bake these in the oven or in Oil on top of the stove as well ?
I just made these donuts for my husband and myself. Totally impressed and will make them again for sure! Thank you!
Thank you so much!
Do you have any donut gluten and sugar free!
Not yet I am sorry
Can you also make these in a donut pan?
Yes, I have the baking instructions in the F.A.Q.!
I don’t have an air fryer
Have a look at the recipe card, I’ve added an oven option!
Can I use Regular flower
Yes, have a look in the notes, I explain how to make your own self-raising flour with regular flour and baking powder.
I like your recipes! Thanks
Thank you
Can you add protein powder to this
The best is to use this protein donut recipe instead.
If my cashew yogurt is unsweetened do I need to add sweetener or is that meant to be unsweetened? Ty
It depends, I found the sugar coating on the donuts enough to sweetened mine. But, it’s totally fine to stir in sugar in the donut batter from 1//4 cup to 1/3 cup to make sweeter donuts as well. Enjoy.
Hi Carine.. Can I use normal (dairy) yogurt? I tried with yogurt and another time with greek yogurt, poured it little by little but at the end both were so sticky. I can’t even shape it though I already use coconut oil on my hands. Look much difference from yours. What could be wrong?
I haven’t tried with dairy products are we only use dairy-free ingredients.