Glazed Donuts Recipe - Better than the donut shop!

Homemade Glazed Donuts are a breakfast treat the whole family can agree on! Pillowy soft, light and fluffy glazed donuts – like the donut shop, but better! My easy to follow donut recipe will have you making perfect homemade donuts in no time!

Love donuts? Make sure to try my Baked Pumpkin Donuts, Air Fryer Donuts and Cake Mix Donuts with Chocolate Glaze!

Glazed Donut Recipe

Sweeten your mornings with these irresistible Glazed Donuts! So tender, exquisitely soft and enveloped in a sweet vanilla glaze, these scrumptious homemade donuts are the perfect sweet treat for any occasion.

Today I’m going to share with you how to make delectable, donut-shop-worthy glazed donuts, right in your own kitchen. Donuts can seem intimidating at first glance but they really are so much easier than you might think. This straight forward recipe is your ticket to the perfect morning treat or sweet dessert.

Once you’ve made this recipe, you’ll find yourself making these homemade doughnuts again and again, experimenting with different glazes, adding spices to the dough, trying different shapes – you name it! This classic glazed donut recipe can be customized in so many delicious ways, you’ll never grow tired of it!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

These heavenly, homemade treats are perfect for any and all occasions!

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• Simple and Fun to Make: Easy steps, common ingredients, and minimal equipment make this recipe a breeze!
• Perfect Texture. These glazed doughnuts are ridiculously soft on the inside with a perfectly golden exterior. They are SO good!
• Versatile. Customize the doughnuts with your favorite flavor of glaze. I’ve provided vanilla, maple and chocolate glaze recipes in the recipe card at the end of this post.

What You’ll Need

Pillowy soft, light and fluffy glazed donuts – like Krispy Kreme, but better! You will never want store-bought again! As always, you can find the full printable recipe with complete instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post. Let’s take a look at what you’ll need…

For the Donuts

• warm milk – To proof the yeast, you will want warm milk. Whole milk is preferred and you want it to be between 90°F to 100°F.
• yeast – I have made this recipe with both active dry yeast and instant yeast and both work beautifully. Just make sure the yeast is good. If it doesn’t foam up, it’s not good.
• granulated sugar – To help activate the yeast and add sweetness to the donuts.
• flour – I used bread flour and prefer it for a softer donut. All purpose flour can be used interchangeably in this recipe. Flour should be spooned and leveled.
• eggs – Add richness, flavor and structure to the donuts. You’ll need two large eggs at room temperature.
• salt – Necessary to enhance the flavors and provide balance to the sweet glaze.
• unsalted butter – You need one stick of butter at room temperature. The butter gets added to the dough one tablespoon at a time. It add a ton of flavor and richness to the donuts.
• vegetable oil – You’ll need enough to fry the donuts so it depends on the size of pot you are using. Canola oil or other neutral, frying oils, will also work.

Vanilla Glaze

• powdered sugar – I like to sift the powdered sugar first to eliminate the possibility of lumps.
• whole milk – Again, I recommend whole milk but other milk can be used or half and half.
• vanilla extract – Adds just enough flavor to the glaze to make it interesting. I have provided maple and chocolate glaze recipes in the recipe card below.

How To Make Glazed Donuts

Make the Dough

Prepare Glaze

Fry Donuts

Troubleshooting Your Donuts

In case you encounter issues, here’s a quick guide to troubleshooting common problems:

• Dough Isn’t Rising: Ensure your yeast is fresh and activated properly with warm milk and sugar. Also, place the dough in a warm, draft-free area for rising.
• Oil Temerature: Use a thermometer to maintain the oil temperature between 330°F to 350°F. Oil that is too hot will brown the donuts too quickly, leaving them uncooked inside, while oil that is too cold will cause the donuts to absorb too much grease.
• Glaze Too Thin or Thick: If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved. If it’s too thick, add a little more milk. Remember, the perfect glaze should be smooth and easily coat the donuts without running off.

Storage Information

These donuts are best enjoyed freshly made. If needed, you can reheat them for a few seconds in the microwave.

Make Ahead. You can certainly prepare the dough in advance! After the first rise, cut into donut shapes and place on parchment lined sheet pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight. To prepare, let dough come to room temperature and then proceed with the recipe as written.

Freeze Unfried Donuts. Donut dough can be frozen as well. After the donuts have been cut and risen the second time, place sheet tray in freezer and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer safe ziploc bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Let the donuts defrost at room temperature and then fry as directed.

Freeze Fried Donuts. You can also freeze the unglazed fried donuts for up to two months. Place in a single layer in a freezer safe gallon ziplock and freeze for up to 1 month. Set out at room temperature to thaw. Warm in microwave for a few seconds or in an air fryer and then glaze.

Variations To Try

• Add a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg to the dough.
• Stir in some citrus zest to the glaze for flavor and brightness.
• Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the wet ingredients in the dough for more vanilla flavor.
• Try a different glaze:

Chocolate Glazed Donut

Swap out the vanilla glaze for this simple chocolate glaze recipe:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Maple Glazed Donut

Or try this delicious maple glaze recipe:

• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon maple extract
• 1 ⅓ cups powdered sugar

Frequently Asked Questions

Donut cutters make quick work of cutting the donuts but round cutters (3 inches and ½ inch cutters) will work just as well!

This recipe is for fried donuts but if you can’t fry them, try baking at 375°F for 15 to 20 minutes. The texture will be different.

The oil should be between 330°F to 350°F (165°C to 177°C). Use a thermometer to check the temperature. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a small piece of dough into the oil; if it floats and sizzles, the oil is ready.

Honestly, there is no limit to the options. I’ve provided recipes for maple and chocolate glazes in the recipe card below along with the classic vanilla glaze.

I recommend whole milk but other types of milk can be used. It may affect the texture slightly.

The donut holes are always the first to go in my family! The boys just pop them in their mouth and tell me they don’t “count” lol!

Trish’s Tips and Tricks

For the dough:

• Check the expiration date on your yeast. If the yeast doesn’t get foamy after sitting in the warm (not hot!) milk and sugar, it’s not good and won’t give the donuts the rise they need.
• Instant yeast and active dry yeast are interchangeable in this recipe. Both have been tested and work. The rise time is the only thing effected.
• I recommend bread flour because the extra gluten helps to create a softer, fluffier donut. However, this recipe has been tested with all purpose flour and still makes delicious donuts.
• The dough should be smooth, elastic, and almost dry to the touch before proceeding with the recipe.
• Let the dough to rise in a warm place. If your house is pretty chilly, you can create a warm environment by setting your oven to the lowest temperature, allow it to come to temperature, then turn it off. Place the covered bowl in the oven with the door slightly ajar.
• Punch the dough down and toss the dough back and forth in your hands to help eliminate air bubbles in the donuts.
• Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to just under half an inch thick. A little thinner is fine but thicker donuts will result in an uncooked center. Use donut cutters or round cutters to cut out donut shapes.
• The second rise doesn’t take very long so keep an eye on the donuts. You are looking for the donuts to puff up to about twice the size. Don’t let them rise too long or they will completely deflate while frying or create large open holes on the inside of the donut.

Frying donuts:

• If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a small piece of dough into the hot oil. If it floats and sizzles right away, then the oil is ready to use. If the dough sinks, the oil needs longer to heat up.
• If your donuts are deflating when you pick them up to fry them, try cutting the parchment around the donuts and transfer the donuts to the hot oil that way. Be careful!
• Maintaining the right oil temperature ensures your donuts are perfectly cooked – golden outside and fully cooked inside.

For the glaze:

• Prepare the glaze while the oil is heating up. Cover with a damp paper towel while you fry the donuts.
• Let the donuts cool for a few minutes before glazing. Allow the glaze to set up before enjoying.

Tools Needed

• Stand Mixer: It makes the dough-making process easier, but a hand mixer or manual mixing works too.
• Thermometer: For ensuring your oil is at the perfect temperature for frying the donuts.
• Spider Strainer: Handy for safely removing the donuts from the hot oil.
• Rolling Pin: Creates donuts with an even thickness for even cooking.
• Donut Cutters: Makes it easier to cut donuts but round cutters will also work.

More Sweet Breakfast Treats

Glazed Donuts Recipe

Glazed Donuts

Homemade Glazed Donuts are a breakfast treat the whole family can agree on! Pillowy soft, light and fluffy – better than the donut shop!

Ingredients

For the donuts

• 1 cup warm milk whole milk preferred, 90°F to 100°F
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast or active dry yeast
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 4 cups bread flour spooned and leveled, all purpose flour can be used instead
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
• vegetable oil enough to fry the donuts (2 quarts is good)

Vanilla Glaze

• 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 6 tablespoons whole milk
• ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Donuts

• In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the warm milk, yeast and granulated sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture is foamy. (If the mixture doesn't foam, you will need to start over with fresh yeast.)

• Add the flour, eggs and salt to the bowl and mix with the dough hook for one minute on low speed, until the ingredients are incorporated.

• Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and continue mixing at medium speed, for 2 minutes. The dough should be pulling away from the sides of the bowl.

• Scrape dow the sides and bottom of the bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, begin adding the butter one tablespoon at a time. After the butter has been added, the dough will look very sticky and wet.

• Continue mixing with the dough hook for another 5 minutes until the dough looks smooth and elastic. It should feel almost dry (not sticky) to the touch. If it is still sticky, continue mixing until it reaches the point where it feels soft and dry to the touch. (If you are using a hand mixer, you might need to finish the dough off by kneading by hand on a lightly floured surface.)

• Lightly grease a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover the bowl with lightly greased plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place until doubled in size, about 60 to 90 minutes.

• Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. Lightly flour a work surface.

• Punch the dough down several times to release the air bubbles and then transfer to the floured surface. Roll the dough out to ⅜-inch thickness.

• Use a donut cutter (or a 3 inch round cutter and ½ round cutter) to cut out the donuts. Gently gather the scraps and re-roll the dough as needed. You should have roughly 16 donuts and 16 donut holes.

• Transfer the donuts to the prepared baking sheets leaving space in between to allow the donuts to rise. Loosely cover the baking sheet with greased plastic wrap and let rest until they have puffed up and are nearly double in size, about 30 minutes.

Prepare Glaze

Fry Donuts

• Pour the oil into a large, heavy duty dutch oven or deep pot. Heat the oil to 330°F to 350°F. Use a thermometer to check the temperature. (If you do not have a thermometer, add a small piece of the dough to the pot and if it floats and sizzles, the oil is ready.)

• Carefully pick up the donuts, being extra careful not to deflate them, and place them gently into the hot oil. I prefer to use my hands but you can use a stiff metal spatula if you prefer. Fry the donuts, 3 to 4 at a time, depending on the size of your pot. Fry for 2 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown. Use a spider to lift the donuts out of the hot oil and place on a metal cooling rack.

• Once all of the donuts from the first batch have been removed, dunk the donuts in the glaze, on both sides, and then return to the cooling rack. Add more donuts to the hot oil (check the temperature constantly) and repeat the process. The donut holes only need about 1 minute per side and are quite buoyant so you may need to use the spider or another metal kitchen utensil to hold them under the hot oil.

• Let the donuts set up for about 15 minutes or until the glaze has hardened. Enjoy while hot and fresh!

Notes

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Maple Glaze

• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon maple extract
• 1 ⅓ cups powdered sugar

Nutrition

Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 164mg | Potassium: 76mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 243IU | Vitamin C: 0.001mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 0.4mg

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