These 2-Ingredient Banana Donut Holes are easy air fryer banana bread treats perfect to fix your banana bread craving in less than 15 minutes.
In my house, we are big fans of my eggless banana bread recipe, but sometimes, I don’t feel like waiting an hour to enjoy banana bread. So I created this air fryer donut hole with just two ingredients.
It’s a similar recipe to my vegan baked blueberry donuts, except that these donut holes don’t require a pan, just like my Lemon Donuts or my Air Fryer Churros, but unlike my Vegan Beignets. The idea is to enjoy healthier donuts that are baked, not fried, and vegan.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy – ready in 15 minutes
- Healthier
- Yeast-free
- Not fried and low in saturated fat
- Egg-free
- Dairy-free
- Vegan
- Made with 2 ingredients like my Air Fryer Donut Holes
Ingredients and Substitutions
For this recipe, I am using two main ingredients:
- Self-Raising Flour – It’s essentially all-purpose flour that already contains baking powder. If you don’t have this ingredient available, swap the cup of self-raising flour for 1 cup of all-purpose flour, to which you add two teaspoons of baking powder. I didn’t try gluten-free all-purpose flour, but I assume most brands should work in this recipe.
- Ripe Banana– You need a large banana, and my expert tip for success is first to mash the banana, then measure the amount by packing the mashed banana in a cup. You need 1/2 cup, not less, not more, or the ratio of flour will be different.
Optional Ingredients Suggested
For a boost of flavor, stir in the dough some of the following:
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon of salt
- 2-3 tablespoons of brown sugar or coconut sugar for a sweeter donut recipe.
Preparation
It’s faster to make the banana donut dough in a stand mixer, but it also works well in a large bowl using a fork and spoon.
- Mash the banana into fine puree using a fork, measure 1/2 cup, and then stir the cup of flour using the paddle attachment or a silicone spatula. If you work the dough by hand, you will have to knead the dough and grease your hand as it can be a bit sticky. The dough should resemble pizza dough: elastic, a bit moist and sticky but easy to shape into balls.
- Grease your hand with avocado oil, roll small golf-size balls of dough then release on the air fryer basket, leaving a thumb space between each. You should make 8 donut holes. Spray with more oil then air fry at 350°F (180°C) for 7 minutes.
- After being air-fried, the banana donut holes look a bit rocky on the edge and dry, and that’s normal. Now, the balls reassemble dry balls of banana bread.
- To make them taste like donuts, melt butter or coconut oil. First, brush the warm donut hole with avocado oil or melted vegan butter until all sides are covered. Then, add sugar or sugar-free Monk fruit blend and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Roll the warm donut hole in the dry ingredients to coat evenly.
Dipping or Glazing Donut Holes
The best way to serve these banana donut holes is with some dipping sauce, try:
- Date Caramel
- Chia seed jam
- Vegan ganache
- Vegan Lemon curd
- Melted dark chocolate
Or simply glaze the doughnut holes with my vegan royal icing recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can place each ball of dough in a mini muffin pan. grease the muffin pan with cooking spray before placing a ball in each cavity. Bake them in an oven preheated to 350°F (180°C) for about 15 minutes or until golden brown and baked in the center.
The oil, or melted plant-based butter, allows the cinnamon sugar to stick to the warm donuts. You can brush the donut holes with maple syrup and sprinkle cinnamon for an oil-free and refined sugar-free option.
Protein powder is highly liquid absorbent, and adding some will impact the flour you need. You must reduce flour, resulting in denser, packed dough holes. There’s an alternative though, you can make my Peanut Butter Protein Donuts for a protein powder-free version!
More Vegan Treats
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Banana Donut Holes
Ingredients
- ½ cup Banana - 1 large banana
- ¾ cup Self-Rising Flour - (note 2)
Coating – to make them taste like donuts!
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ cup Sugar - (note 3)
- 2 tablespoons Coconut Oil - melted, or melted vegan butter
To work the dough/knead
- 2-3 teaspoon Melted Coconut Oil
Instructions
- Mash the banana into a smooth puree, make sure you get 1/2 cup or the donut batter won't come together with the same ratio of flour.
- Add in the flour and stir with a rubber spatula at first, until it starts to form lumps. Now, oil your hands and knead with your slightly oiled hands to form a dough ball. The dough is sticky and moist, but that's normal don't over-add flour! If it sticks to the finger, keep kneading, using a bit of oil to smooth the dough and form a ball. Eventually, if it's really too moist add up to a max of 2-3 tablespoons or the dough turns bready. You should work this dough like foccacia, using oil to avoid sticking to finges and shape, but the dough should stay moist and elastic, not saturated by flour.
- Grease your hand with melted coconut oil, grab about a tablespoon of dough, roll it into a ball, and place it on a plate covered with parchment paper. Repeat until all the dough has been turned into balls. Spray avocado oil on top of the balls.
- Spray oil in the air fryer basket and place the oiled donut holes in the basket, leaving 1 inch (3 cm) apart as they expand.
- Air fry at 350°F (180°C) for 6-7 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. They will have a rocky shape and be dry outside, and some will not be as round as balls; that's normal.
- To make these banana bread balls taste like donuts, brush each warm ball with melted coconut oil using a pastry brush. Then, roll the warm, oiled balls into cinnamon sugar to coat evenly.
- Serve warm immediately.
I didn’t see the FAQ it came out raw after 20 minutes of baking so I coated them with sugar anyways and then I tasted it and decided to put it in for another 20 minutes and they taste cooked now. Also I’m 12 years old so that’s why I made these mistakes. (I don’t usually check the FAQ or the comments)
Thanks for your lovely feedback! I am impressed that you bake at such a young age, it’s amazing !
Can you freeze them after cooking?
Sure, thaw them the day before eating at room temperature.
I love the idea of this recipe and tried it. I think it would be helpful to see what the dough looks like. Just want to make sure we’re getting the consistency right.
You can see the video on my Instagram account
They were super delicious! I made them this evening.
Past tense, of course. There is none left! Thank you Carine!
Can these be made in a normal oven?We’re on holiday and there is no air fryer here
Yes, look in the FAQ section, I explain how to bake them
So quick and easy. 3 kids loved it. Thanks for the add 2 t of baking powder adjustment. Worked like a dream with butter and cinnamon and sugar coating. Did half a batch too because low on bananas and worked great with same ratios. Thank you!!
It says they last two days in the fridge but they didn’t even last two minutes here, my family devoured them. They are amazing. We opened them up and added jam and they were so good! Thanks for the recipe
Haha, I know, right? There are recipes for which leftovers don’t exist
These are amazing ! Soft, tasty , so easy and quick to make.
Thank you!!
Can you use any other oil or even melted butter for kneading?
Absolutely, any vegetable oil work or vegan melted butter.
This worked exactly as written, thanks!