Glazed Donuts
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These homemade Glazed Donuts are perfectly soft, pillowy and fluffy, covered in a sweet and easy to make glaze. With my easy recipe, step by step photos and tips, you’ll become a master at making donuts right in the comfort of your own home!
Delicious Glazed Donuts
Donuts are a quintessential comfort food! Soft, chewy, and down right delicious, they’re a go-to for many. So why not make them at home? You know I always say homemade is better, these glazed donuts prove it! With a simple list of ingredients and easy process, skip the store or bakery and make your own at home.
- Easy to make
- Comforting, delicious and sweet
- Simple ingredient list
- Great weekend project with your kids
- Perfect for sharing with friends and family
Donuts for breakfast, donuts for lunch, donuts after dinner, these chewy morsels are incredibly delicious and indulgent! These glazed donuts are simple to make, even if you’re not experienced in the kitchen. With my foolproof, step by step instructions and photos, you’ll be giving the big donut chains a run for their money!
Ingredient Notes
Donuts
- Milk – Any type of milk will do, dairy or non dairy, just make sure it’s warm to about 110°F so that it activates the yeast.
- Yeast – We are using active dry yeast for this recipe. Instant yeast can be used, it just won’t need to be activated first.
- Sugar – For donuts you usually just need granulated sugar. The sugar not only sweetens the donuts, but it also helps activate the yeast and helps it brown the donuts while frying.
- Eggs – Eggs are what’s going to make the donut soft and rich.
- Butter – Melted butter adds to flavor and richness of the donut.
- Vanilla Extract – Without vanilla, our donuts might taste a little flat.
- Salt – Salt is imperative for baking, it’s what brings all the flavors together and makes our donuts super tasy.
- Flour – You need all-purpose flour for donuts. Keep in mind that donut dough is a really soft dough, not firm like you have it for rolls or breads. Donut dough is soft and pillowy, because you want your donuts to be soft and pillowy. So if you’re tempted to add more flour, don’t.
Glaze
- Powdered Sugar – This is the same as icing sugar or confectioners sugar.
- Light Corn Syrup – This corn syrup with give the glaze a nice sheen, as the glaze dries, it will turn the donut shiny.
- Milk – We need a little bit of milk to make our glaze, any milk will do.
How To Make Glazed Donuts
Make The Dough
- Activate the yeast: In the bowl of your mixer add the warm milk, yeast and sugar and mix with the dough hook or paddle attachment. Let it rest for 5 minutes, the mixture should be frothy on top. If not, start over with new yeast.
- Make the dough: Add the eggs, butter, vanilla extract, salt and 2 cups of the flour to the mixer bowl and beat on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, if needed. Switch to the dough hook if you were using the paddle attachment, and add remaining 2 cups of flour to the mixer bowl. Continue mixing on medium speed for another 2 to 3 minutes, the dough should come clean from the sides of the bowl, if still sticky add a bit more flour, 1 tbsp at a time. Don’t add too much flour, you want the dough slightly sticky. If you poke it with your finger, it should bounce back from the indentation.
- Let the dough rise: Place the dough in a large bowl that’s been lightly oiled and coat the dough as well with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
Cut, Fry And Glaze Donuts
- Cut out donuts: Punch down the dough to release air. Lightly flour your clean work surface. Place the dough on the surface and using a rolling pin, roll the dough until it’s about ½ inch in thickness. Using a donut cutter, cut out donuts. If you don’t have a donut cutter, using a cookie cutter and a piping tip for the small holes. Transfer the donuts to a baking sheet. Place a cooling rack over another baking sheet.
- Fry donuts: Pour oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-duty pot and heat over medium heat to 375°F. Add 2 to 3 donuts at a time and cook for 1 minute per side. Carefully transfer cooked donuts using a slotted spoon onto the prepared cooling rack. Repeat with remaining donuts.
- Make the glaze: Combine all the glaze ingredients together and whisk until smooth. Either dunk the donuts in the glaze or drizzle the glaze over the top of the donuts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Bake These Donuts Instead?
This dough is best for frying but if you’re looking for a baked donut, try my Jelly Filled Baked Donuts.
Can I use other toppings?
You can play around with different glazes and toppings! These donuts are a total blank canvas. Alternatively to the glaze, you could dip them into chocolate melted on the stove, or brush them with butter and roll in cinnamon and sugar! Top them with crushed oreos, or nuts like toasted peanuts, almonds, pistachios, or pecans over top of the wet glaze so they stick. Go crazy! Make these donuts your own.
What do I do with the excess dough?
Save the donut holes and fry them. Re-roll any excess dough and continue making donuts with it. You might have to let the dough rest before rolling it out again, to relax the gluten and make it easier for rolling.
Can I make these in advance?
Sadly, these donuts lose their appeal when not eaten fresh. Frying them up the day of is part of the fun! I don’t recommend freezing these after they’ve been cooked, but lucky for us the uncooked dough can be stored for future use! Scroll down to “storing” & “freezing dough” sections for full instructions!
Expert Tips
- If you don’t have a donut cutter, use a cookie cutter or a glass and a piping tip for the small holes!
- If your dough mixture is not frothy on top, your yeast is dead and the dough will not rise. You’ll have to start over with new fresh yeast.
- Always check the expiration date on your yeast and make sure it hasn’t expired! All your yeast products whether it’s in a jar or a package should be stamped with a “best if used by” date. Always make sure you check this date, even when you purchase the yeast.
- To keep your yeast fresh and longer lasting, unopened yeast packages or jars should be stored in a cool or dry place such as your cupboard. However, you can also store your yeast in the fridge or freezer. If you do store it in the freezer and need to use yeast for your baking, make sure you take out the amount you need and let it sit at room temperature for at least half hour before using.
- Don’t pour your used oil down the sink drain. Allow it to cool, pour it in an empty container or bottle and then discard it in the trash or reuse it.
Storing
Store donuts on the counter in an airtight container for up to 2 days. If you want to make the dough in advance, you can refrigerate the uncooked dough for up to 2 days if stored in an airtight container. Just be sure to take it out of the fridge and allow to come back up to temperature before frying, You never want to add cold dough to a fryer.
Freezing Dough
Cut the dough into donuts and line them up unbaked on a baking sheet. Place this in the freezer and once frozen through move them to an airtight container or freezer bag. Keep this in the freezer for up to 1 month. Allow it to defrost fully on the counter before frying up!
More Delicious Recipes To Try
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Glazed Donuts
Ingredients
Donuts
- 1 cup milk (warm (110°F))
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- ½ cup sugar (granulated)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup butter ((1 stick), melted)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (plus more as needed)
- 4 cups vegetable oil (for frying donuts)
Glaze
- 3 cups powdered sugar (same as icing sugar or confectioners sugar)
- ⅓ cup milk
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Activate the yeast: In the bowl of your mixer add the warm milk, yeast and sugar and mix with the dough hook or paddle attachment. Let it rest for 5 minutes, the mixture should be frothy on top. If not, start over with new yeast.
- Make the dough: Add the eggs, butter, vanilla extract, salt and 2 cups of the flour to the mixer bowl and beat on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, if needed. Switch to the dough hook if you were using the paddle attachment, and add remaining 2 cups of flour to the mixer bowl. Continue mixing on medium speed for another 2 to 3 minutes, the dough should come clean from the sides of the bowl, if still sticky add a bit more flour, 1 tbsp at a time. Don't add too much flour, you want the dough slightly sticky. If you poke it with your finger, it should bounce back from the indentation.
- Let the dough rise: Place the dough in a large bowl that's been lightly oiled and coat the dough as well with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
- Cut out donuts: Punch down the dough to release air. Lightly flour your clean work surface. Place the dough on the surface and using a rolling pin, roll the dough until it's about ½ inch in thickness. Using a donut cutter, cut out donuts. If you don't have a donut cutter, using a cookie cutter and a piping tip for the small holes. Transfer the donuts to a baking sheet. Place a cooling rack over another baking sheet.
- Fry donuts: Pour oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-duty pot and heat over medium heat to 375°F. Add 2 to 3 donuts at a time and cook for 1 minute per side. Carefully transfer cooked donuts using a slotted spoon onto the prepared cooling rack. Repeat with remaining donuts.
- Make the glaze: Combine all the glaze ingredients together and whisk until smooth. Either dunk the donuts in the glaze or drizzle the glaze over the top of the donuts.
Equipment
Notes
- If you don’t have a donut cutter, use a cookie cutter or a glass and a piping tip for the small holes!
- If your dough mixture is not frothy on top, your yeast is dead and the dough will not rise. You’ll have to start over with new fresh yeast.
- Always check the expiration date on your yeast and make sure it hasn’t expired! All your yeast products whether it’s in a jar or a package should be stamped with a “best if used by” date. Always make sure you check this date, even when you purchase the yeast.
- To keep your yeast fresh and longer lasting, unopened yeast packages or jars should be stored in a cool or dry place such as your cupboard. However, you can also store your yeast in the fridge or freezer. If you do store it in the freezer and need to use yeast for your baking, make sure you take out the amount you need and let it sit at room temperature for at least half hour before using.
- Store donuts on the counter in an airtight container for up to 2 days. If you want to make the dough in advance, you can refrigerate the uncooked dough for up to 2 days if stored in an airtight container. Just be sure to take it out of the fridge and allow to come back up to temperature before frying, You never want to add cold dough to a fryer.
- Cut the dough into donuts and line them up unbaked on a baking sheet. Place this in the freezer and once frozen through move them to an airtight container or freezer bag. Keep this in the freezer for up to 1 month. Allow it to defrost fully on the counter before frying up!
- Don’t pour your used oil down the sink drain. Allow it to cool, pour it in an empty container or bottle and then discard it in the trash or reuse it.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
