Julie Clark
Updated:
How to Make Donuts From Scratch
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This soft yeast dough makes the best homemade donuts ever! Everything you need to know about how to make donuts from scratch, plus 6 mouthwatering toppings.
National Donut Day is June 5, but really…when isn’t a good day for donuts? Especially homemade donuts that you can eat warm and fresh.
Today we’re talking all about how to make donuts from scratch. This isn’t like our red velvet donuts and chocolate chip donuts that are baked. This recipe is special because we use our famous cinnamon roll dough and fry it. That’s right…the dough you know and love working is turning into something new!
Consider this your ultimate guide. Everything you need to know for how to make donuts from scratch in your own home.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Reader, Laura, says, “I made these last night as an anniversary gift for my boyfriend! (happy ½ dozen) for 6 years! I have never made doughnuts before so I bought a donut cutter from amazon and used my stand mixer! These turned out so amazing! They were tasty, light, soft just overall very delicious and simple to make! Will be using this recipe again!”
What tools do you need?
There are a few key things you need when you’re making a homemade donut recipe. I’ll split them into “Essential Tools” and “Nice to Have Tools”.
Essential Tools:
- Donut Cutter. You can get these just about anywhere, but we bought ours on Amazon. This doughnut cutter set has two different sizes…and you get the holes too! You could also use a biscuit cutter.
- Thermapen Thermometer. The key to good homemade doughnuts is to make sure the oil is at the correct temperature. We love our Thermoworks ThermaPen that instantly reads oil. Get one here. It’s amazing and perfect for grilling too!
Nice to Have Tools:
- Stand Mixer: Ok, you don’t 100% need this, but it does make life easier. You can also use a bread machine on the dough setting.
- Red Star Yeast: My favorite yeast! It’s so forgiving and I have perfect risen dough every time.
- Pastry Mat: This makes clean-up after rolling the dough a breeze.
- Tongs: I use tongs to easily flip the pastries while frying.
- Fish Spatula: This is the spatula I use to remove the fried dough from the pan.
- Wire Rack. Placing the freshly fried donuts on a wire rack prevents them from getting soggy.
How to Make Donuts from Scratch
There are two methods you can use:
- Make during the day which will take about 2.5 hours from start to finish with rising time and glazing time.
- Allow the dough to rise overnight. Make the dough in the evening. Let it rise in the fridge overnight, then cut and fry them in the morning.
The donut dough is a basic yeast dough that you’ll need to knead and allow to rise. There are three ways to mix this dough:
- Mix by hand. It’s important that you don’t add too much flour when mixing and kneading by hand. The dough should be tacky. You’ll knead the dough for about 10 minutes.
- Mix with a stand mixer. You can use the dough hook to knead the dough while you clean up the kitchen. So easy! Do NOT use a hand mixer. Most are not powerful enough to knead dough.
- Use the dough setting on a bread machine. This is our favorite method…and the easiest! Add the ingredients in the order that your bread maker suggests. About two hours later you’ll have beautifully risen dough. Remove the dough and roll out to cut the shapes you’d like.
Donut dough should be no more than 1/2- inch thickness. It will still work if thicker, but they take longer to cook.
Important Tips for Frying Donuts
- Fry in a deep fryer or a large skillet. If you have a deep fryer at home, use it! The benefits of using a small, at-home deep fryer are that it will be easier to control the temperature of the oil and deep fryers usually come with a basket that is handy for safely lowering the the dough into the oil and lifting them back out. If you do not have a deep fryer (It’s ok! We don’t currently have one either.), you can use a large, heavy skillet or Dutch oven on your stove top.
- Watch the temperature! Maintaining the correct frying temperature is one of the most important elements of making homemade donuts.
- Use the right tool. A heat-resistant tongs, slotted spoon or spatula for flipping them and placing them in the oil.
- Drain well. As you lift them out of the oil, be sure to allow all excess oil to drip off of the donut, then place them on a wire cooling rack. The wire rack ensures they don’t hold onto extra oil and end up greasy.
- Be careful! Deep frying requires extreme caution. This is not a job for children and small ones should probably not be in the kitchen while you fry.
How to Make Donut Glazes
Here are 6 different toppings for your homemade doughnuts:
- granulated sugar and cinnamon
- powdered sugar
- powdered sugar and cinnamon
- honey glaze: ⅓ cup powdered sugar and ¼ cup honey
- vanilla glaze: powdered sugar, cream, corn syrup, vanilla and salt
- chocolate glaze: chocolate chips, butter, corn syrup and vanilla
What does the corn syrup do? It helps the glazes stay shiny and soft. Don’t skip it!
Can you freeze donuts?
Although we prefer them fresh, yes you can! Tightly seal them in a plastic bag or other airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
How to Keep Donuts Fresh
Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. You can keep them in a fridge for up to a week. We recommend heating the donut in the microwave for 10-15 seconds before serving. This will soften them right up!
Use one of these glazed donuts in our donut strawberry shortcake for something deliciously fun.
How to Make Donuts from Scratch
These soft yeast donuts are the best homemade donuts ever! Everything you need to know about how to make donuts from scratch.
Servings 21
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Rise Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 1 cup warm milk (about 115 degrees F)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast* (I like Red Star Platinum Baking Yeast)
- 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 1/2 cup salted butter (Melted, but make sure it isn't super hot. Just barely melted, or even softened, is fine.)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (divided)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- vegetable oil for frying
Powdered Sugar Topping:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Cinnamon Powdered Sugar Topping:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Chocolate Glaze:
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla Glaze:
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/2 tablespoon corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- dash salt
Honey Glaze:
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
Instructions
- Pour the warm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast overtop. Let sit for 3-4 minutes. 1 cup warm milk 2 ½ teaspoons instant dry yeast*
- Add the eggs, butter and sugar. Add in 4 cups (save the other ½ cup and add only if you need it) of flour and salt, then mix using the beater blade just until the ingredients are barely combined. Allow the mixture to rest for 5 minutes so the flour has time to soak up the liquids. 2 large eggs , ½ cup salted butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt
- Scrape the dough off the beater blade and remove it. Attach the dough hook. Beat the dough on medium speed, adding in up to ½ cup more flour if needed to form a dough. Knead for 5-7 minutes or until the dough is elastic and smooth. **The dough should be tacky and will still be sticking to the sides of the bowl. That's ok! Don't be tempted to add more flour at this point. We generally add about 4 ½ cups, but start with 4 cups.
- Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Use a rubber spatula to remove the dough from the mixer bowl and place it in the greased large bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel or wax paper.
- Set the bowl in a warm place and allow the dough to rise until double. I like to turn on the oven to the lowest setting for 1-2 minutes. Then turn off the oven and place the dough to rise in there. It normally takes about 30 minutes for the dough to rise. Do not allow the dough to rise too much or your donuts will be airy.
- Sprinkle a pastry mat with flour. Turn out the dough onto the lightly floured surface and sprinkle the top of the dough with additional flour.
- Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough to about 1/2" thickness. You can roll thinner if you'd like. That just means the donuts will be smaller. Use the donut cutter to cut as many donuts as you can in the initial roll. You can re roll, but the donuts may not fry up as evenly. They'll still be good though!
- Place the donuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or on a silicone baking mat. Allow the donuts to sit for about 15-20 minutes before frying. You can heat the oil while they are resting.
- In a large skillet (at least 12"), add about an inch of vegetable oil. Heat over medium heat and watch for the oil to hit 350º Fahrenheit. It needs to stay as close to this temperature as possible. If the oil is too hot the donuts will get too brown. If the oil is not hot enough the donuts will absorb too much oil during cooking. Keep a thermometer in it and watch it closely, pausing on cooking as needed. vegetable oil
- Once the oil is at the correct temperature, place donuts into the hot oil. Don't overcrowd. We can fit about 5 donuts in our large skillet.
- Fry the donuts for about 45 seconds, then flip and fry for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute or until the donut are completely golden brown and cooked through.
- Place the fried donuts on a wire rack (place paper towels underneath the rack to catch any drips). Continue frying until all of the donuts (and holes if you choose to make them) are cooked through.
- Place the powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, cinnamon powdered sugar in 3 separate bowls. Whisk each well. Please note that you should wait until the donuts are cooled to coat in the powdered sugar mixes. Otherwise the sugar will melt into the donuts and be really mess. You can do the cinnamon sugar mix right away. ½ cup powdered sugar, ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- Make the three optional glazes. For the honey glaze, just whisk the two ingredients in a bowl. ⅓ cup powdered sugar, ¼ cup honeyFor the vanilla glaze, whisk the ingredients in a bowl, adding more milk if desired to get a thinner consistency. ¾ cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, ½ tablespoon corn syrup, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, dash salt
- For the chocolate glaze, melt the chocolate chips and butter in a microwave safe bowl in short 30 second increments, stirring in between each interval. Once they are completely melted, add in the corn syrup and vanilla. Mix until smooth. ¾ cup chocolate chips, 3 tablespoons salted butter, 1 tablespoon light corn syrup, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Turn a donut upside down and dip the tops into the vanilla and chocolate glazes right after mixing them. Add sprinkles nuts or other toppings while the glaze is still wet. Allow the glazed donuts to set for about 30 minutes before storing.
Notes
- Store the donuts in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Calories: 169kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 162mg | Potassium: 51mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 180IU | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg
Thank you for this recipe! I have made donuts a couple times in the past using recipes from other bakers and both times they turned out tough and dense and I couldn’t figure out where I went wrong, BUT I’ve made your cinnamon rolls several times as they are simply the best ever so when I realized your donut recipe uses the cinnamon roll dough as the base I knew I had to try it. These turned out SO GOOD! They are soft and fluffy and flavorful. Truly the best donut recipe I have tried. I will definitely make these… Read more »
Can I bake these donuts instead of frying
I made these last night as an anniversary gift for my boyfriend! (happy 1/2 dozen) for 6 years! I have never made doughnuts before so I bought a donut cutter from amazon and used my stand mixer! These turned out so amazing! They were tasty, light, soft just overall very delicious and simple to make! Will be using this recipe again!
We had these doughnuts this morning. We did the overnight rise in the fridge. I wasn’t sure if the dough had to come up to room temp before rolling out. I had impatient children so we did not wait. They still puffed up just as doughnuts should. I made the cinnamon sugar but my husband and kids enjoyed them without any glaze or sugar topping. I would make again!