Reheat Donuts In The Air Fryer To Warm, Crispy Results

Unless you live near a Krispy Kreme, which helpfully turns on the "Hot Light" when the donuts are hot and fresh, it's hard to know exactly when to hit up your local donut shop for a treat that's in peak form. Lots of shops don't even bake their donuts on site these days, and while a cool donut is still delicious, it could be a whole lot better if you take it home and heat it up in the air fryer. Yes, everybody's favorite countertop appliance is more than just a place to heat up tater tots and fish sticks — it's perfect for getting warm, crispy donuts anytime.

There is no actual frying involved with air frying a donut, so don't worry about any oil splatter or extra fat and calories. These kitchen gadgets are actually small convection ovens that circulate superheated air all around the food, which crisps up the outside edges. All you have to do is pop them in the drawer for a couple of minutes and you'll get donut shop results.

Donuts are really only meant to be eaten fresh. With just three or four minutes in an air fryer, however, an old donut can be made whole again. Simply preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, stick the donut inside and let it heat up for 2 to 3 minutes. Because the dough is very light, it doesn't take long to heat a standard-sized donut all the way through, so check the drawer at least once during the process so you don't burn the edges.

You can reheat both cake and yeast donuts even though they have different textures, or even biscuit-based donut holes, but be careful with ingredients like sprinkles and frosting. The hot air can burn or melt donut toppings, so try to choose varieties with plain surfaces or those dusted simply with sugar like apple cider donuts. Fillings are fine, as long as you don't heat the donuts for longer than a few minutes. Also, if you're heating filled donuts, be careful not to burn your mouth on the hot filling.

Keep this trick up your sleeve the next time you come across a box of picked-over donuts in the workplace break room or if there are leftovers after brunch. While it does require enough self control to get the donuts all the way home so you can heat them up, once you give it a try you'll never settle for cold donuts again.