Homemade Glazed Donuts are a light and fluffy yeast doughnut. These delicious glazed donuts are dipped in a simple donut glaze and so much better than any store-bought donuts.
This glazed donuts recipe taste just like Krispy Kreme donuts!
Who doesn’t love things homemade? I know I surely do. And anything cooked or made in a cast iron skillet is sure to be even better. And Homemade Glazed Donuts are no exception!
Why this recipe works
- Uses simple ingredients that are readily available at most grocery stores.
- Made from scratch using real and natural ingredients, no added preservatives or coloring.
- Homemade donuts can be prepped ahead of time and refrigerated overnight.
What you’ll need
- All-purpose flour – Be sure and measure correctly. Too much flour will cause the donuts will be dense.
- Granulated Sugar – Adds a touch of sweetness to this dough.
- Active dry yeast – Makes this yeast dough rise properly. Be sure not to kill the yeast in too hot of water or milk.
- Salt – Always added to baked goods to bring out the flavors.
- Milk – While we prefer to use whole milk, you can also use 2%.
- Eggs – Be sure they are at room temperature for best results. Always crack into a separate bowl or glass measuring cup.
- Butter – Use unsalted so you can control the amount of salt in the dough.
I have fond memories of my mom making homemade donuts when we were young. They are fairly easy to make and you can even have the kids help! She often made Old-Fashioned Donuts (or what they sometimes call a cake doughnut.) Be sure and try my Jelly Donuts.
You’ll need a doughnut cutter for this glazed donut recipe. Save yourself time and aggravation and order it on Amazon!
How to make Donuts
Step 1: Scald the milk and let cool to 115 degrees F.
Step 2: Proof the yeast and make the dough. Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water, add the sugar, warm milk and eggs. Incorporate the salt and flour. Cut the butter into small pieces and incorporate into the dough.
Step 3: Knead the dough on a lightly floured work surface.
Step 4: Proof the dough. Cover the mixing bowl and let rise in a warm area until doubled. About 1 hour.
Step 5: Roll out the donut dough to about ½-3/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Then cut out doughnuts and holes with a 3 ½-inch doughnut cutter.
Step 6: Place the donuts and holes onto a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper. You’ll want to give them a little room to rise on the sheet pan. (I generally put 3 doughnuts in each row and you’ll fit about a dozen on each half sheet pan)
Step 7: Let the donuts rise. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and plop in the refrigerator overnight.
I’m frying these babies up in a Lodge 13.25-inch cast iron skillet. Heat the oil to 375 degrees F and maintain that. Use a digital thermometer to monitor your temperature.
To properly test the temperature of the oil, I use a ThermoWorks thermometer with a probe.
Canola oil is my personal preference, because it doesn’t add any flavor to your doughnuts. Fry them on each side about 1 minute or so, flipping only once. Use a slotted spoon to lift them out of the hot oil and let drip dry on a half sheet pan lined with paper towels.
How to make Glazed Donut glaze
Whisk together 2 cups powdered sugar, 4-5 tablespoons whole milk and ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract. You’ll want your glaze to be fairly thin, so it just coats the doughnuts and drips off. You can add more milk if you need to make it thinner. Glazing doughnuts is simple, just dip the top side and let them air dry on a baking rack set over parchment paper.
Recipe FAQs
Canola oil is the best oil to deep fry donuts, apple fritters and hand pies. It has very little flavor and will not give your donuts any off flavor. Vegetable oil or shortening will also work.
Dip the top half of your donuts into the glaze, carefully shake off any excess and place the donuts unglazed side down on a metal baking rack to dry. Place a piece of parchment paper under the rack to catch any drippings.
Bread or pastry flour is great for yeast or raised donuts. All-purpose flour is best for cake donuts, as they tend to become a little tough when using bread flour. We prefer a mix of all-purpose and bread flour when making yeast donuts. But all-purpose will work just fine.
For more great breakfast and brunch recipes be sure and try Homemade Apple Pie, Apple Hand Pies, Blackberry Pie Recipe, Apple Fritter Recipe, and Sour Cream Coffee Cake.
More Donuts Recipes
Making Homemade Glazed Donuts
The dough is quite sticky- don’t add more flour because otherwise you might make them tough. You want the dough to be light and airy. Hence why you let the dough rise twice, even before you cut into doughnuts. Yes, this recipe takes some time. But, make them the day before- I usually make them in the afternoon/evening. Refrigerate overnight, then fry them fresh in the morning.
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Glazed Donuts
Ingredients
Donuts Dough
- 1 .25-ounce packet (2 ¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
- ¼ cup lukewarm water
- 1 ½ cups whole milk, scaled and cooled down
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (or honey)
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- 5 to 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter softened
Donut Icing
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3-5 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
Donut Dough
- In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the warm milk, sugar and eggs. Add the dough hook attachment, and stir in the flour and salt. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula.
- Cut the butter into small pieces and incorporate into the dough. Scrape the bowl a few times. Beat the dough until it becomes smooth, about 5-7 minutes.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for 5-6 minutes, making a smooth dough. This dough is going to be sticky when you turn it out.
- After kneading, shape into a round ball and place back into the greased mixing bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and drape with a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm area and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 ½ hours.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough for a few minutes. Turn back into the greased bowl (spray with cooking spray again if needed) and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Whisk together your icing. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside. You want it to be fairly thin.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to about ½-inch thickness. Lightly flour a donut cutter and use it to cut out the donuts, then place them onto the prepared baking sheet. Let the doughnuts rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.*
- Line a baking sheet with several layers of paper towels and set aside. In a large heavy-duty pot, add about 3-inches of canola oil. Heat to a temperature of 375 degrees F. Drop about 4 donuts into the oil, making sure not to overcrowd the pot. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until lightly golden brown. Remove the donuts from the oil and allow to drain on the paper towels.
- Let cool slightly before dipping only the tops in the icing. Let drip dry on a cooling rack, placed on a parchment lined half sheet pan. Once the icing is set, enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Adding flour to donut dough
I usually start with 5 cups flour and knead in the remaining flour on the counter. This is a very sticky dough and you want it to be smooth, but not become rough or overworked. If you add too much flour, the donuts will become dense.PREP AHEAD TIP:
You can let the donuts proof in the fridge overnight. After you cut the donuts with a donut cutter, place them on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Cover the half sheet pan loosely with plastic wrap and let them proof in the fridge overnight. Then fry up fresh in the morning!Nutrition
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dayna bain says
fantastic recipe! we loved it!
Jessica Robinson says
Thanks Dayna!! That’s great to hear!