Glazed Donuts

Content… Fluffy Homemade Goodness Recipe Ingredients How to Make It Recipe Variations Tips and Tricks Make-Ahead Instructions Serving and Storage Instructions FAQs What to Serve More Delish Donut Recipes to Try Conclusion

The Secret to Fluffy Homemade Glazed Donuts

It’s actually no secret what makes homemade glazed donuts super fluffy: It’s the yeast! Cake donuts are made with a fast leavening agent like baking powder and are denser and, well, cakier. On the other hand, these donuts use yeast as a leavening agent; the results are undeniably light, fluffy, and delicious. (No offense, cake donuts, because we still love you 😘)

And don’t sweat it if you haven’t used yeast much; it’s actually pretty effortless. You just put it in warm milk and let it do its thing. As long as the milk is warm and not scalding hot, the yeast will stay alive and bubbly, ready to puff up those donuts beautifully.

Recipe Ingredients

1. Dough Ingredients – Donuts are surprisingly simple when it comes to ingredients. You’ll need the following kitchen staples: flour, eggs, milk, butter, sugar, and yeast.
2. Donut Glaze Recipe – Gather up some butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract for a decadently sweet glaze. 
3. Oil – You’ll need plenty of oil for frying. Choose one with a neutral flavor, like canola or vegetable oil.

How to Make Glazed Donuts

Make the Donuts

• Activate Yeast – Add yeast to warm milk in a bowl and let it activate for 5 minutes until it is frothy. (Photo 1)
• Add Liquids – Next, add the sugar, salt, eggs, and butter, and mix until well combined. (Photo 2)
• Add Flour – Then mix in the flour one cup at a time. (Photo 3)
• Knead – Knead the donut dough on a lightly floured surface until it’s smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes). Or, for an easier way, do it in a stand mixer with the dough hook.  (Photos 4-5)
• Rest – When the dough is ready, place it in a large, greased bowl, then cover it and let rise for an hour. It should have doubled in size. (Photo 6)
• Punch – Next, punch down the dough and turn it onto a lightly floured surface.
• Roll the dough into a ½-inch-thick rectangle.
• Cut – Then, using a donut cutter or 3½-inch and 1½-inch round cookie cutters, cut out the donuts and holes. (Photo 7)
• Let Rise – Place the cutouts on the prepared baking sheet as you work. Cover the donuts loosely and let them rise in a warm place for 20 minutes. (Photo 8)
• Heat oil (about 2 inches) in a Dutch oven until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350℉/177℃. (Photos 9-10)
• Fry your donuts in the hot oil until a beautiful golden brown (it takes about 1 minute per side for large donuts), and then transfer your delicacies to the wire rack to drain.

Glaze the Donuts

• Glaze – Make your glaze by mixing powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, and milk in a bowl until well combined. (Photo 11)
• Dip the warm donuts into the glaze, coat both sides, and place them on the wire rack. (Photo 12)
• Serve – Now, the step you’ve been waiting for: Enjoy them warm with a fresh, hot cup of coffee or tea. 😍

Recipe Variations

1. Chocolate Glazed Donuts – Get creative with the glaze by adding a big spoonful of cocoa powder to the glaze as you’re mixing. Besides chocolate, almond or raspberry extracts, citrus zests, and pumpkin spice make flavored and colored glaze. 
2. Cinnamon Sugar Donuts – Instead of glazing, roll the fried donuts in cinnamon sugar or eat them plain! They are spectacular no matter how you serve them.
3. Filled Donuts – Do you love filled donuts? Just don’t cut out the hole and fill them with raspberry jam or cream filling. Yum!

Tips and Tricks

1. Don’t think your scraps have to go to waste when cutting out the donut and donut holes. Simply re-roll them and cut out more donuts.
2. A kitchen thermometer accurately measures your oil’s temperature for perfectly fried donuts every time. 
3. Finished frying? Don’t pour used oil down your sink drain. It can cause pesky clogs you don’t need to deal with. Instead, let the oil cool, pour it into a non-recyclable container, and toss it in the trash. Or take a look at how to dispose of used cooking oil.

Make-Ahead Instructions

Glazed donuts are heavenly when still warm from the fryer, but you can make these a day or two ahead if you wish. Just store them appropriately on the countertop or in your fridge for 1-2 days.

Serving and Storage Instructions 

Serve freshly glazed donuts while they are still warm, and make sure you have a pot of coffee brewing to accompany them.

Store leftover donuts (🤔) in an airtight receptacle at room temperature or chilled in the fridge. They’ll only stay fresh for a few days, so eat them up quickly! 😅

FAQs

What Goes with Glazed Donuts

All the cozy drinks! I love serving glazed donuts with coffee or hot ginger tea. A chai tea latte goes amazing with these too. 

If you’re cooking up a whole dessert bar, serve these beauties alongside other sweets with varying textures and flavors. I think they look sumptuous and taste terrific when paired with no-bake cheesecake bites and chocolate-covered strawberries.

More Delish Donut Recipes to Try

1. Apple Cider Donuts
2. Air Fryer Donuts
3. New Orleans Beignets
4. African Doughnuts
5. Old Fashioned Doughnuts

Conclusion

Move over, Krispy Kreme; these donuts are so good you’ll wonder why you ever loved the big box bakery version in the first place. Ready for more insanely good dessert recipes? Give me a follow on Instagram and Facebook for more show-stopping recipes! 🤩