2-Ingredient Banana Donut Holes (2024)

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By Carine Claudepierre
Published on 02/07/2024 - Last updated on 04/28/2024

5 from 72 votes

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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

Can I bake the donut holes?

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.

More Vegan Treats

Vegan Apple Cider Donuts

Vegan Waffles Recipe

Protein Donut Recipe

Vegan Crepes

Vegan Blueberry Donuts

Did You Like This Recipe?

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Banana Donut Holes

These air fryer banana bread donut holes are easy 2-ingredient donut holes perfect for fixing your banana bread craving in less than 15 minutes.

5 from 72 votes

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Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 7 minutes mins

Total Time: 17 minutes mins

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 donut holes

Calories: 104.2 kcal

Author: Carine Claudepierre

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

▢ 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.

Notes

Note 2: You can also replace the amount above with 1 cup of all-purpose flour stirred with two teaspoons of baking powder.

Note 3: Feel free to use Monk fruit blend for a sugar-free option, coconut sugar, or unrefined cane sugar.

Storage: You can store the donut holes in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature.

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About Carine

Hi, I'm Carine, the food blogger, author, recipe developer, photographer, and published author of a cookbook and founder of The Conscious Plant Kitchen with my husband Damien.Learn more about us.

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5 from 72 votes (49 ratings without comment)

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58 Comments

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These are amazing ! Soft, tasty , so easy and quick to make.
Reply
- Thank you!!
  Reply
Can you use any other oil or even melted butter for kneading?
Reply
- Absolutely, any vegetable oil work or vegan melted butter.
  Reply
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
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could I do this in a donut mold in my air fryer? would I roll it out and press in so half full? is it enough space to raise?
Reply
- Yes that should work in the pan, probably about 2/3 full
  Reply
Amazing! Just made two batches and they disappeared! Turned out perfectly – added 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Reply
- I know, right, they go too fast!!
  Reply
This is awesome. I just made it for my family and everyone loved it especially my 2 year old baby girl. Thank you Carine.
Reply
- You’re most welcome!!
  Reply
Can you freeze the balls before air frying them?
Reply
- I haven’t tried, but I think it should work fine. Let them thaw before air frying them though.
  Reply
Does it work with oat flour?
Reply
- I haven’t tried, to be honest. It *might* work, but you’d need a little more flour if measuring in cups (oat flour is denser). You’d also need to add the baking powder to the mix.
  Reply
Looooooove this so delicious
Reply
- Thank you!!!!
  Reply
Perfect recipe! I dipped mine into dark chocolate, worked out perfect!
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