If you want to use an air fryer to make sufganiyot, this recipe is for you. Sufganiyot, traditional jelly-filled donuts eaten during Hanukkah, is a symbol during the Jewish holiday that commemorates an ancient miracle of oil that burned eight times longer than anyone expected, providing light in a dark time.
This air fryer Hanukkah sufganiyot, also referred to as air fryer jelly donuts, does a lot with a little. You can use just enough olive oil to coat your air fryer basket and still end up with crispy-fried outsides and pillow-soft insides. No risk of splattering hot oil. And it’s faster.
See notes below for delicious variations: Pistachio Glazed Strawberry Sufganiyot and Chocolate Glazed Sufganiyot Filled With Chocolate Whipped Cream.
How To Make Hanukkah Jelly Donuts Using an Air Fryer
To make these air fryer sufganiyot, start by preparing the dough with flour, yeast, salt, sugar, eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Let it rise until doubled, then roll it out and cut into rounds. After a brief rest, coat the air fryer basket with olive oil and cook the donuts in batches until golden-brown. While the dough cooks, whip the heavy cream with cocoa powder and sugar until stiff peaks form. Fill each sufganiyah with the whipped cream or strawberry jam using a piping bag, then dust with powdered sugar.
For festive variations, try glazing strawberry-filled sufganiyot with lemon and topping with pistachios, or dip chocolate whipped cream-filled sufganiyot in white or dark chocolate glaze, finishing with sprinkles or chopped nuts. These air fryer Hanukkah jelly donuts are quick, easier to make than traditional frying, and capture the light and joy that sufganiyot symbolize.
