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–+ servings
Glazed donuts and donut holes on a cooling rack.
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Glazed Donuts

Soft, light, and fluffy, these homemade Glazed Donuts will have your mouth watering! These donuts will melt in your mouth!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Calories 385kcal
Author John Kanell

Equipment

  • Dutch oven
  • Candy thermometer

Ingredients

For the Dough:

  • 1 cup warm whole milk 105 to 110F (250mL)
  • 2 packages active dry yeast 4 1/2 teaspoons, 0.5-oz.
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar plus 1 teaspoon, divided (54g)
  • 4½ cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting (540g)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (85g)
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • vegetable oil for frying

For the Glaze:

  • 3 cups powdered sugar (360g)
  • 6 tablespoons whole milk (90mL)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

For the Dough:

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the warm milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Let sit until bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. In another large bowl, whisk together melted butter, eggs, and remaining ¼ cup sugar until smooth. Stir in yeast mixture until combined. Stir in flour mixture until a shaggy dough forms. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until smooth and elastic (dough may be slightly tacky), about 5 minutes. (you can also do this in a stand mixer with the dough hook.) Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  • Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Punch down the dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a ¾-inch-thick rectangle. Using a donut cutter or 3-inch and 1-inch round cookie cutters, cut 12 rounds and 12 holes in each round, re-rolling scraps as necessary. Place the cutouts on the prepared baking sheet as you work. Loosely cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 40 minutes.
  • While the donuts are rising, place a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Fill a Dutch oven with 2-inches of oil. Heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350F.
  • Working a few at a time, fry donuts in the hot oil until golden brown, about 1 minute per side for large donuts and 1 minute, constantly stirring, for the donut holes. Transfer to the wire rack to drain.

For the Glaze:

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Dip warm donuts and donut holes into the glaze and return to the write rack to set.

Video

Notes

  • Avoid adding too much flour by measuring your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake and will make your glazed donuts dense. The best way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one, then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
  • A pair of chopsticks or cake dowels is the perfect tool for donut frying. Use 1 to flip the donuts in the fryer and the other to help glaze the donuts. Doing so will keep your hands mess-free!
  • You can add citrus zest, cocoa powder, bourbon, rum, or different extracts to your glaze in place of vanilla to customize your donuts.
  • If you don’t have a 1-inch cookie cutter, use the base of a large pastry tip for the donut hole.
  • Be sure to use a large pot for the oil you are frying with. The donuts expand when fried, and you don’t want the oil overflowing.
  • Keep an eye on your thermometer. When frying donuts, if the oil is not hot enough, the donuts become tough and greasy.
  • Avoid adding too many donuts at once into the oil as the increase in donuts will lower the oil’s temperature. The donuts will also need room to expand, and it’s easier to flip when there’s space.
  • If you don’t have powdered sugar, you can see my post here on how to make powdered sugar.
  • Careful not to overheat the milk or it'll kill the yeast. 

Nutrition

Serving: 2donuts | Calories: 385kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 123mg | Potassium: 107mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 265IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 2mg