Air Fryer Fastnachts are the perfect way to kick off Fat Tuesday (or any Tuesday) without all of the fat! Rolled in sugar for a sweet ending. These fastnachts or sugar donuts are quick and easy to make!

It’s Fat Tuesday! Or Donut Day! Or Fastnacht Day! Whatever you call it, it’s a day for donuts. A celebration before Lent and fasting.

Growing up, our local donut shop celebrated Fastnacht Day with the yummiest donuts around. To this day, I always think of them on Fat Tuesday!

It’s really easy to overindulge, especially on Fat Tuesday! But, I have found a way to enjoy my donuts but without all the grease and fat. All thanks to the Air Fryer!

We love making Air Fryer donuts because they are quick and easy with little to no mess! All good things in my book.

What are Fastnachts?

Fasnacht is a fried doughnut of German origin served traditionally in the days of Carnival and Fastnacht or on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent starts. Fasnachts were made as a way to empty the pantry of lard, sugar, fat, and butter, which were traditionally fasted from during Lent.

What is Fastnacht Day?

Fasnacht Day is an annual Pennsylvania Dutch celebration that falls on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. The word translates to “Fasting Night” in English. The tradition is to eat the very best foods, which are part of the German tradition, and lots of it, before the Lenten fast.

How to Make Fastnacht in the Air Fryer?

To make Fastnacht in the Air Fryer, you will need:

Air Fryer
Olive oil spray or coconut oil spray
1 (16.3-ounce) can flaky large biscuits, such as Pillsbury Grands! Flaky Biscuits
melted butter
pizza cutter
Toppings: granulated sugar, powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar

To prevent the donuts from sticking, spray the air fryer basket with just a bit of oil, such as coconut or olive.

Tip: Avoid a nonstick cooking spray such as Pam, which can damage the nonstick coating of the basket.

Roll your biscuits together to create a large rectangular sheet of dough. Be careful to not roll them to much though! You will lose the layers in the biscuits and your Fastnachts will be more dense instead of light and fluffy.

Using a pizza cutter, cut your dough into rectangles. It’s ok if they aren’t perfect!

Place 2-3 Fastnachts in your Air Fryer and cook on 350°F for about 5-7 minutes. Check on your Fastnachts at 5 minutes. You want them to be nice and golden brown. Remember, brown food tastes good!

When your Fastnachts are done, it’s time to top them off! Brush your Fastnachts with melted butter and then roll in granulated sugar. Other toppings are powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar.

You are now ready to enjoy your Fastnachts!

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