Homemade donuts are actually quite simple to whip up at home! Forget those store-bought ones; we’re talking about soft, fluffy fried yeasted donuts here, all decked out in your favorite vanilla or chocolate glaze. If you’re craving more of that delightful fried dough goodness, you could give this Easy Beignets Recipe a shot, or maybe indulge in some delicious and tender Apple Fritters. And hey, why not skip the fair and have a go at making your very own homemade Funnel Cake?
So, when it comes to homemade donuts, do you lean towards baked or fried? Personally, I’m a fan of both, but there’s just something about those fried yeasted donuts that really hits the spot for me. And if you’re a bit hesitant about frying like I used to be, here’s a top tip: get yourself a thermometer! It makes a world of difference in your frying game.
Now, let’s talk ingredients for these easy homemade donuts. The dough for these donuts is the same as my milk bread dough, so you know it’s tried and tested. The ingredient list is super simple and can easily be halved or doubled to make fewer or more donuts in a jiffy. You’ll need heavy cream for that extra fat content to make your bread dough tender, whole milk for richness (2% works too, but more fat equals more tender bread), granulated sugar for sweetness (most of the sweetness will come from the glaze), active dry yeast to help that dough rise, salt for flavor, and all-purpose flour to bring it all together. Oh, and a little note: the recipe calls for equal parts heavy cream and milk, but you can swap them both out for half and half if you prefer.
Now, onto the fun part – making these homemade donuts! Start by heating up the cream, milk, and sugar, then let it cool a bit before adding the yeast to activate it. Remember, you don’t want the liquid too hot; otherwise, you’ll end up killing the yeast. Once your yeast mixture is all bubbly, mix it with the flour and salt to form a lovely dough. Shape that dough into a ball, let it rise until it’s at least doubled in size, and then it’s time to get cutting!
Roll out your dough, cut it with a donut cutter or get creative with a round cookie cutter for the outer ring and a smaller one for the donut holes. Don’t forget to reroll those scraps to make more donuts! And when it’s time to fry, heat up that oil, fry those donuts until golden brown, and flip them halfway through. And voila, you’ve got yourself some homemade glazed donuts!
Speaking of glaze, I’ve included two options in this recipe: a classic vanilla glaze and a rich chocolate glaze. Both are simple sugar glazes made with powdered sugar and milk, but feel free to get creative with different glaze flavors to pair with your donuts. And when it comes to storing these delights, they’re best enjoyed the day they’re made, but they’ll stay soft for up to 2 days if kept at room temperature in a lightly covered container.
And there you have it – homemade donuts made easy! If you’re looking for more sweet breakfast ideas, you could give Pumpkin Muffins, Coffee Cake, Cinnamon Roll Pancakes, or Creme Brûlée French Toast a try. Happy baking!