Making homemade glazed doughnuts is easier than you think, but requires a little patience. Ready in about 2.5 hours, these taste like doughnuts from your favorite bakery, but they’re made in the comfort of your own home. For doughnut success, follow my step-by-step photos, helpful success tips, and video tutorial. Using this same doughnut dough, you can create other flavored frosted doughnuts too!
I originally published this recipe in 2016 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more helpful success tips.
With that signature bakery taste and texture, doughnuts from a doughnut shop are incredibly delicious and indulgent. When you can’t pick up your favorite doughnuts, why not make them at home instead? They’ve always been a baking bucket list recipe for me, and today I’m taking you on a deep dive into homemade doughnuts—fried, sugary, old-fashioned, and comforting. I originally shared this recipe in 2016, and I now have more step-by-step photos and a video tutorial to guide you.
There’s a lot to cover today, so let’s get started!
These Homemade Glazed Doughnuts Are:
- Soft and sweet
- Flavored with a little nutmeg
- Completely from scratch
- Ready in about 2.5 hours (most of this is rise time!)
- A fun and delicious weekend project
- Perfect for sharing
One reader, Sue, commented: “I just made these doughnuts. I usually make my grandmother’s old fashioned doughnuts, but these may be my new favorite. These are absolutely perfect. Easy to make. They are a hit! Five stars all the way! ★★★★★“
Best Ingredients to Use for Homemade Doughnuts
This is a straightforward, no-frills yeasted dough. You need just a few ingredients to begin:
- Milk: Liquid activates the yeast. Whole milk is a must for a super tender dough—or you can try buttermilk. Lower-fat or nondairy milks work in a pinch, but the doughnuts aren’t as flavorful or rich.
- Yeast: You can use active dry yeast or instant yeast. If using an instant yeast, your rise time will be a little shorter.
- Sugar: Sugar sweetens the doughnuts, but it also feeds the yeast, increases its activity, and tenderizes the dough.
- Eggs: Eggs provide structure and flavor.
- Butter: Melted butter promises enhanced flavor.
- Salt & Vanilla Extract: Both add flavor. You could even try using homemade vanilla extract!
- Nutmeg: A little nutmeg is the secret ingredient to that cozy, comforting bakery taste. If you’ve ever made my chocolate chip muffins, you know it adds a delicious pop of flavor!
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the dough’s structure. You’ll be tempted to add more and more flour as you mix the dough, but don’t. You want a very soft, pillowy dough for soft, pillowy doughnuts. The dough can still be slightly sticky. When kneading, use extra flour on your hands and work surface.
Are You a Yeast Beginner?
Reference this Baking with Yeast Guide whenever you work with baker’s yeast. I include practical answers to all of your common yeast questions.
Overview: How to Make Homemade Glazed Doughnuts
Let me walk you through the process so you understand what you’re doing. Homemade glazed doughnuts seem a little intimidating, but I assure you—they’re really not! I find they’re much easier than, say, homemade bagels and homemade English muffins.
Prepare the dough. The dough comes together with a mixer. You can also make the dough by hand, but it requires a bit of arm muscle. After the dough comes together in the mixing bowl, knead it for 5–7 minutes. If you’re new to yeasted doughs, my how to knead dough post and video can help with this step.
Let the dough rise. In a relatively warm environment, the dough rises in about 90 minutes.
Punch down the dough to release the air.
Roll & cut into doughnuts. Roll the dough out to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut the doughnuts using a 3–3.5-inch doughnut cutter. Line 1 or 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Place doughnuts (and doughnut holes!) onto the lined baking sheet(s), then lightly cover and allow to rest for 30 minutes as you heat the oil.
Prepare the oil. Using a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven and an oil thermometer, heat vegetable oil to 375°F (191°C).
Fry the doughnuts. Working with 2–3 doughnuts at a time, cook for 1 minute on each side. Carefully remove from the oil and place onto prepared rack. Repeat with remaining doughnuts. (See my recipe note about making the doughnut holes.)
How to Make the Glaze for Donuts
Make a simple 3-ingredient glaze: just milk or cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract. This part couldn’t be easier; literally just whisk the 3 ingredients together. Dunk each side of the warm doughnuts into the glaze. The glaze will set in about 20 minutes.
Looking for other flavors? Try my strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla donut frostings or you might enjoy my maple bacon doughnuts!
This Dough Is Best for Frying
I don’t recommend baking this dough—this dough is best for frying in oil. If you’re looking for a baked donut, try crumb cake donuts, pumpkin donuts, cinnamon sugar donuts, or lemon poppy seed donuts instead. Here are all of my donut recipes.
Yes, absolutely. You’ll need a 3-inch biscuit or doughnut cutter without a hole in the center. Use the dough recipe below. Reduce the oil temperature to 350°F (177°C). Fry doughnuts for 1.5–2 minutes on each side, making sure to lower the stove’s temperature if the oil starts to get too hot. Let doughnuts cool for 5–10 minutes before filling. Jams or pastry cream are excellent fillings! Add filling to a piping bag fitted with a long tip such as Ateco 230. Insert the piping tip into the doughnut and fill until the doughnut feels heavy.
This dough is best for frying in oil. You can try using the air fryer, but the donuts will taste more bread-like, and more like baked donuts. For ideal results, I strongly recommend following the recipe.
Homemade Glazed Doughnuts
- Prep Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 donuts and 12 holes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Description
Making homemade glazed doughnuts is easier than you think, but requires a little patience. Ready in about 2.5 hours, these taste like doughnuts from your favorite bakery, but they’re made in the comfort of your own home. For doughnut success, follow my step-by-step photos, helpful success tips, and video tutorial below.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)*
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons (7g) instant or active dry yeast (1 standard packet)*
- 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar, divided
- 2 large eggs
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed
- 1–2 quarts vegetable oil*
Donut Glaze
- 2 cups (240g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1/3 cup (80ml) heavy cream, half-and-half, or whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: Whisk the warm milk, yeast, and 1 Tablespoon sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Loosely cover and allow to sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy and frothy on top. *If you do not own a stand mixer, you can do this in a large mixing bowl, and in the next step, mix the dough together with a large wooden spoon/silicone spatula. It will take a bit of arm muscle. A hand mixer works, but the sticky dough repeatedly gets stuck in the beaters. Mixing by hand with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula is a better choice.*
- Add the remaining sugar, the eggs, butter, vanilla, nutmeg, salt, and 2 cups (about 250g) flour. Beat on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add remaining flour and beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. If needed, add more flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Don’t add too much flour, though. You want a slightly sticky dough.
- Knead the dough: Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 5-7 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5-7 full minutes. (If you’re new to bread-baking, my How to Knead Dough video tutorial can help here.) If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need because you do not want a dry dough. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. You can also do a “windowpane test” to see if your dough has been kneaded long enough: tear off a small (roughly golfball-size) piece of dough and gently stretch it out until it’s thin enough for light to pass through it. Hold it up to a window or light. Does light pass through the stretched dough without the dough tearing first? If so, your dough has been kneaded long enough and is ready to rise. If not, keep kneading until it passes the windowpane test.
- Let Dough Rise: Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 1.5–2 hours or until double in size. (For a tiny reduction in rise time, see my answer to Where Should Dough Rise? in my Baking with Yeast Guide.)
- Shape Doughnuts: When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Remove dough from the bowl and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out until it is 1/2 inch thick. Using a 3–3.5-inch doughnut cutter, cut into doughnuts. Re-roll the scraps and cut more. *If you don’t have a doughnut cutter, you can use 1 large + 1 smaller circle cookie cutter (large should be about 3 and 1/2 inches).
- Line 1 or 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Place doughnuts and doughnut holes on each. Loosely cover and allow to rest for 30 minutes as you heat the oil. They will rise a bit as they rest. Place a cooling rack over another baking sheet.
- Pour oil into a large heavy-duty pot fitted with an oil thermometer. Turn stove on to medium heat. Heat oil to 375°F (191°C). Add 2–3 doughnuts at a time and cook for 1 minute on each side. Carefully remove with a metal slotted spatula or metal slotted spoon. Be sure to lower stove’s temperature if oil temperature is rising; you want it to stay at 375°F (191°C). Wear kitchen gloves if oil is splashing. Place fried doughnuts onto prepared rack. Repeat with remaining doughnuts, then turn off heat.* (See Note for doughnut holes.)
- Make the glaze: Whisk all the glaze ingredients together. Dip each warm doughnut (don’t wait for them to cool!) into the glaze, making sure to coat both sides. Place back onto prepared rack, as excess glaze drips down. After about 20 minutes, the glaze will set.
- Doughnuts are best enjoyed the same day. You can store leftover doughnuts in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for another day or two.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Prepare recipe through step 5. Freeze shaped doughnuts for up to 3 months. On the day you serve them, let the doughnuts thaw and rest at room temperature for about 4–5 hours. Fry as directed. You can also freeze the fried doughnuts (unglazed). Allow them to cool completely, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then reheat as desired (microwave is great) and dunk in freshly made glaze.
- Overnight Instructions: Complete dough through step 3. Instead of allowing to rise in a warm environment in step 4, place the covered dough in the refrigerator overnight (8–12 hours). The next morning, remove from the refrigerator and allow to rise in a warm environment until doubled. The dough will lightly rise in the refrigerator overnight, so the rise the next morning won’t take too long. After rising, continue with step 5.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Stand Mixer | Large Heavy Bottomed Pot or Dutch Oven | High-Heat Thermometer (I love this thermometer, too) | 3–3.5-inch Doughnut Cutter (I like this one and this one) | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Metal Slotted Spatula | Cooling Rack | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk
- Doughnut Holes: Add holes to hot oil and fry until golden, about 30 seconds, on each side.
- Milk: Whole milk is a must for the most tender dough—or you can try buttermilk. Lower-fat or nondairy milks work in a pinch, but the doughnuts aren’t as flavorful or rich.
- Yeast: If using an instant yeast, your rise time will be a little shorter. Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
- Oil: The amount of oil really depends on how wide or tall your pot is. You want oil to fill about 1/3 of the pot. I use a little more than 1 quart for my 4 and 1/2-quart Dutch oven.
- Leftover Oil: Do not pour used oil down the sink drain. Allow to cool, then pour into an empty container (a funnel is useful here) and discard in the trash or reuse it.
- Adapted from Mark Bittman and Top Pot Doughnuts
Reader Comments and Reviews
I made doughnuts for the first time! And it really came out well! I didn’t expect my doughnuts to come this well in first try, all thanks to Sally.Loved it! And yes nutmeg really brings out the taste
Yum…. I am a first time doughnut maker and these were delicious 🙂
These are wonderful! Just made these and not only were they very easy to make but they taste amazing! Very impressed.
So easy (used overnight in the frig method) and rolled out in the morning. To cut I used a plastic glass and for the hole a spray Pam little lid..easy peasy! Used cinnamon n sugar to coat. So delicious!!
Hi! I wonder if the window pane test applies to this? All the bread I tried to bake and fry never passed the window pane. When I made this, I kneaded it using the mixer for about 10 mins but it still didn’t pass the window pane. Nevertheless, I pushed through and this recipe is great! Any idea how I can improve?
Hi Sally! I don’t recommend 10 minutes of kneading for this– I actually never use the windowpane test for doughnut dough! 2 minutes is plenty. Anymore than that usually results in tough tasting pastries.
This is the first time I’ve made yeast doughnuts. I omitted only the nutmeg and followed instructions. Also, we did not need a dozen, so I halved the recipe to make six “long John” style doughnuts . These doughnuts are light, and the flavor is excellent!
Hi, Sally,
Can I still make the doughnuts without a doughnut cutter?
Hi Michelle, You could definitely try cutting the dough into doughnuts with a sharp knife instead.
I made these for my family & they enjoyed it. I didn’t even have to add a lot of flour. The measurements were perfect. I only didn’t have icing sugar for the glaze. Is there any easy alternative?
Howdy Janet!
For a glaze you will need to use confectioners sugar but if you don’t have powdered sugar (confectioners sugar) on hand and only granulated then you can actually blend granulated sugar until powdery and use that. Or while the donuts are hot roll them in granulated sugar and cinnamon.
Hi Sally,
Despite being a baker of long standing, I have never made fried doughnuts, only the baked variety. I had a craving for doughnuts and had no desire to buy any heavy concoctions from a bakery so turned to your blog and made these glazed doughnuts this evening. The verdict? Absolutely delicious! Light, soft, melt in the mouth (if one can say that about a doughnut!). I wasn’t surprised-your recipes are always a success. Thank you!
Should have paid attention to the yeast comments “frothy” but they still got eaten as fast as I could make them
Hi Sally,
Can i make these with a 3 1/2 biscuit cutter, so they puff up and i can fill them with custard ?
I can’t see why not!
I was very excited to try this recipe! I made the dough last night and couldn’t wait to wake up this morning a fry the donuts. Having said that I made some changes to the recipe, two that you suggested the buttermilk and brown butter and a few of my own. I used a whole vanilla bean and replaced the sugar with honey. These donuts were so good! If they had not been I would not have posted a review, knowing that changes to the recipe change the outcome of the final product. To the glaze I added some honey and orange zest. Most of the donuts however I tossed in powdered sugar. The family loved them. I can’t wait to make them again. Thank you
Made doughnuts just as shown but used almond instead of vanilla and made the glaze with cinnamon–allergic to vanilla. Made the dough in bread maker but add liquids first then flour and last yeast. I am going to use the recipe for cinnamin buns as we… Fantastic!
Hello! Love this recipe! I don’t have whole milk or buttermilk though… Will using low fat milk make a big difference in the outcome? Love your recipies❤️
Hi Lea, thank you! The doughnuts won’t taste as rich, but you can certainly use a lower fat milk if you’re in a pinch.
Made these yesterday and they are SERIOUSLY YUMMY!! I didn’t use nutmeg, but otherwise followed everything exactly. A LOT easier than I thought it would be and seriously soft and pillowy and just so good. They don’t taste like Krispy Kreme, they taste BETTER. Thank you so much for sharing, will definitely be making these again in the future!!
Sally! You are a genius and my new BFF. As much as I like the taste of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, once I saw the ingredient list for them I just couldn’t bring myself to ever eat them again….I would have to make them myself… But fresh doughnuts are hard to make…right? And messy…? No! My electric skillet kept the oil perfectly hot and this glaze is exactly like Krispy Kreme’s! It is light and just a little sweet, which I like. My only problem was I didn’t have doughnut cutter and my hack for making one made the ring of dough too skinny for handling. So, large doughnut holes it was! Funny, nobody seemed to mind the shape once they bit into “the lightly glazed pillows of goodness”. Served with a cappuccino…yum!!
I did scald my milk just prior to using but followed everything else to a T.
Thank you BFF!
Hi Sally. I just finished this recipe. Omg. Delicious! Better than Krispy Kream! I really mean that. I highly recommend anyone to do this recipe. You will not be disappointed. Others who said it wasn’t good, definitely did something wrong. Easy Peasey.
I forgot to mention, I only got 8 doughnuts plus the holes. I don’t know if my doughnut cutter is bigger? I didn’t realize they come in different sizes. But. Husband and I are not complying. They are big. Yummmmmmmm
These were incredible mine were a little heavier but I know exactly what I did wrong! They were sooo good! Its onyl 2 days later we’re iut if donuts and I’m making my next batch. I didn’t hve any donut cutters so I made long johns and it was so good! I’ve made many of your recipes and they’ve all been stellar! Your blog is my go to for most of my baking!
Danielle,
Did you fill your long johns? how did they turn out. I used a big glass and a small heart shaped cookie cutter for the center. Turned out really cute. You could tell it was a heart after the donut fried.
So smart for the small heart for the middle circle! The long johns were great! I didn’t fill them….this time. But I have been requested to make more donuts stat! I have tons of different ideas for fillings/toppings! The dough was great and I fried in small batches. Word of caution they cook FAST so I’d recommend a frier with a basket or small batches. I’m excited for my next topping wil be strawberry frosting!
If I wanted to make 24 doughnuts would I make two batches or could I just double all the ingredients?
For best taste and texture, I recommend two separate batches.
Hi, I’m not sure if there’s a different recipe on this, but can these be baked?
Hi Jen, no, this dough is best for fried doughnuts. Here are all of my donut recipes— most are baked.
Absolutely amazing! They came out perfect and were super easy to make. I glazed half of them and coated the other half in a sugar/cinnamon mixture. Will never buy doughnuts again!
I had trouble because In the ingredients the recipe calls for 4c of flour, but in the directions it says 2. I ended up using about 2 2/3rds cups. I still have no clue which is right but it seemed somewhat sticky still at that amount and tasted pretty flour-y so I stopped there. I’m thinking 2 C was probably correct?
Hi Clare! This recipe calls for 4 cups of all-purpose flour. Add 2 at first, then add the rest as directed in step 2. Glad you tried these doughnuts, thank you!
Thank you! Apparently I’m having issues because I think I reread the whole recipe 3-4 times looking for that extra flour and didn’t see it until you pointed it out!!! Mine turned out great even without the extra flour! Whew!
Awesome donut recipe! Tastes as good as Krispy Kreme!
Thanks
Hi Sally!
Can this be done with a dairy alternative milk? Would love to make them!
Thank you!
Hi Taylor, I have not tested this recipe with non-dairy milk but let me know if you try!
So my brother wanted to make donuts and we found this recipe and tried it on a whim. Holy cow they were incredible! This recipe was pretty foolproof, very simple to follow, and tasted great! We halved the recipe and ended up with 6 donuts and maybe 10 or so donuts holes (we balled up the dough scraps too). I really liked the hint of nutmeg. I’d like to make them again and maybe add a touch more nutmeg and maybe a little cinnamon to give it a little more “oomph.” They had a slight crisp on the outside and were tender on the inside. I’m adding this to my recipe book for sure. 🙂
yum…
Made it at home, it was amazing!!! I doubled the recipe to make more and Made a full bowl. Thankyou!
Your recipes are always fabulous and come out perfectly. This was my first time making doughnuts and they came out so yummy and light! My family simply loved them… they were gone in a few minutes 🙂
Amazing
Can you fry these in peanut oil?
I recommend vegetable oil, but peanut oil would be just fine too.
I loved this recipe…