
Yes, you read that correctly! Air fryer donuts are real! Plus, it’s not just any donut, it’s a glazed FRENCH CRULLER!
As can be seen from the many donut recipes on our blog, we sure do LOVE them. The lemon poppyseed is one of our favorites, followed closely by the mini turtle variation. The chocolate mint is also a classic that never gets old.
This is the FIRST to be air fried in our CUISINART ARY FRYER however and I literally could NOT be more pleased with them! No deep frying involved which also eqautes to less mess and no pan of oil to deal with after! Not to worry, you can also bake them in the oven! Needless to say there may be more air fryer donuts coming soon!
You can scroll down past the recipe to see what a traditionally fried cruller will look like. Still so very delicous and fun to make.

For an added challenge, I thought, “why not try making a mini traditional French cruller?” These are the daintiest of donuts and making a “Paleo” gluten free variety seemed like a fun kitchen adenture.
There is some prep time involved, brace yourself. The finesse with a pastry bag is actually easier than you’d think to make. They are the funnest little donut you finally get to enjoy again!
Links to our favorite items used in this recipe:
air fryer Paleo French cruller
Course: dessertDifficulty: moderate20
servings30
minutesa gluten free donut sure to delight your taste buds
Ingredients
1 cup water
½ c grass fed butter
2 tsp maple sugar
½ tsp Redmond Real Salt
1 cup Otto’s Cassava Flour, sifted
4 large eggs, room temperature
*if frying traditionally, you’ll need avocado oil
- glaze
1½ cups organic powdered maple sugar
3-4 tbls water
- special equipment needed
• AIR FRYER for that method, or your oven
• stand mixer with a paddle attachment
• wire rack to remove hot crullers to
• large pastry bag & large star tip, we used #1M
• heavy bottomed dutch oven/cast iron pan for FRYING
• wire spider strainer, or skimmer for removing crullers from hot oil
• metal tongs to also use during the frying
- Prepare ahead of time
• sift your flour, and place in a small bowl
• prepare your large pastry bag, fitted with a large star tip
• you’ll need 24 x 3″ squares of cut parchment paper
• crack your eggs into a bowl
• if frying, place paper towels under wire rack to catch oil as it drip off of crullers
Directions
- AIR FRYER METHOD:
- In a 3 quart saucepan, add water, butter, maple sugar and salt. Bring to a rapid boil, remove from heat and add flour all at once. With a wooden spoon, stir quickly to incorporate all the flour until all the dough cleans the sides of the pan and is a round ball, roughly 30-45 seconds.
- Scrape dough into the bowl of a stand mixer, fixed with a paddle attachment, turn on low and let it cool dough slightly for about 30 seconds.
- Begin adding eggs one at a time, mixing initially at a low speed and then a medium speed to incorporate completely, repeat with remaining eggs, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Finished dough should be thick and glossy and fall slowly from the paddle.
- Place dough in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and increase the heat on your oil to bring it to temperature.
- Pipe a 2-2½” round circle of dough onto parchment squares. Place up to maybe 5 in your air fryer basket, making sure not to let them touch. (amount will vary depending on your brand) Air fry at 375° for 6-8 minutes or until edges become golden brown. Remove them from the basket & repeat with remaining crullers. You should get 20-24 depending on size. Don’t make them too large or the outside will get overdone before the inside has a chance to finish cooking. FOR OVEN BAKING: Place parchment squares in a preheated 375° oven and bake for 18-22 minutes until edges are golden brown, this may vary depending on your oven so keep an eye on them.
- While crullers are cooling, combine powdered sugar and water in a small bowl and whisk until well combined. This is a thin glaze so that it will coat the crueller and give it a nice shine as it sets.
- Place a wire rack over a piece of clean parchment paper, so that as the glaze drips off the cruller, it’s on a clean surface that you can scrape back into the bowl and reuse. Once cooled, dip the cruller into glaze (top first) letting excess glaze drip off, then place on the wire rack. Repeat with remaining crullers. Glaze is set once it’s dry to touch.
- TRADITIONAL FRYING METHOD
- In a 5 quart dutch oven, begin warming avocado oil over low heat while dough is being prepped. You’ll want it to be at 350°-375°
- Pipe a 2-2½” round circle of dough onto two to three parchment squares. One at a time up, place 2-3 crullers upside down into hot oil so that parchment paper is on top. As the cruller begins to fry the parchment paper will release itself. With the tongs, carefully remove the parchment and allow the crueller to fry upside down until you see a nice golden color on the sides. Carefully flip the cruller over with the strainer and let the bottom get a nice golden brown as well. Remove to a wire rack and repeat with remaining dough. You should get 20-24 depending on size. Don’t make them too large or the outside will get overdone before the inside has a chance to finish cooking.
- While crullers are cooling, combine powdered sugar and water in a small bowl and whisk until well combined. This is a thin glaze so that it will coat the crueller and give it a nice shine as it sets.
- Place a wire rack over a piece of clean parchment paper, so that as the glaze drips off the cruller, it’s on a clean surface that you can scrape back into the bowl and reuse. Once cooled, dip the cruller into glaze (top first) letting excess glaze drip off, then place on the wire rack. Repeat with remaining crullers. Glaze is set once it’s dry to touch.
Making paleo donuts became an obession after we added a Babycakes mini donut maker to our list of kitchen gadgets. While our particular model is often out of stock there are several models available. A great option as well is a silicon mini donut trays.
Always up for a fun new flavor profile, so please leave a comment if you have a particular variety in mind!
Pictured below is what a traditioanlly deep fried French cruller will look like. They are very yummy but the coloring is much different. Your taste buds will still love them, promise!

Do you have a version without cassava flour? I’ve tried cassava three times now and have definitely determined that my IBS tummy does not like the stuff — it gives me a really awful tummy ache. Thanks!
Hi Irene, gosh I’m so sorry cassava flour doesn’t work for you. Unfortunately this recipe was developed with cassava flour & we’ve not tested it using any other gf flour. Thanks for checking & best of luck! ~Michelle