Glazed Donuts
If you know, you know. We’ve never driven past the Krispy Kreme hot donuts now sign without stopping. But we finally made them at home and honestly?? They’re even better. These donuts are pillowy soft, perfectly golden all the way around, and dipped in a vanilla bean glaze while they’re still warm. As the glaze sets, it forms that signature thin, crackly shell that just hits every single time.
Why you’ll love this recipe
The dough is an enriched yeast dough with whole milk, melted butter, and an extra egg yolk for richness. It comes together easily and fries into the most pillowy, light donuts. No dense, bready texture here! Just soft, golden, melt-in-your-mouth donuts that honestly taste even better than anything you’d get from a drive-through. While they’re still warm, each donut gets dipped in a vanilla bean glaze that soaks in just enough before setting into that thin, crackly shell everyone loves. We already know we’ll be making these again and again.
Ingredients you’ll need
For the Dough:
- Warm Milk: We prefer whole milk for the richness it adds to the dough, but 2% works too. It should feel warm to the touch but not hot.
- Instant Yeast: Helps the dough rise and creates those light, airy donuts.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the dough, helps feed the yeast, and encourages a beautiful golden color when frying.
- Egg + Egg Yolk: The whole egg adds structure, the extra yolk adds richness and makes the dough incredibly soft.
- Unsalted Butter: Melted butter adds flavor, moisture, and creates a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Vanilla Extract or Paste: Enhances the flavor of the dough.
- All-purpose flour: Provides the structure for the donuts.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavor of every ingredient.
- Neutral Oil: Vegetable, canola, or peanut oil all work well for frying.
For the Glaze:
- Powdered Sugar: This is what gives the glaze its classic sweet, smooth finish.
- Milk: Just enough to thin the glaze so it coats each donut evenly. Start with 3 tablespoons and add more if needed until it’s easy to dip.
- Vanilla Bean Paste: Our favorite ingredient in the glaze. It adds a rich vanilla flavor and those little vanilla bean specks that make these taste just like they came from a bakery.
Recipe Tips
Handle the dough gently: After the rise, try not to deflate it too much when cutting. You want to keep as much air in there as possible so they stay light and pillowy.
Don’t rush the rise: The dough should look noticeably puffy and airy before frying. If it’s under-proofed, you’ll lose that soft texture. If your kitchen is cold, move it somewhere warmer so it can rise properly. When you pick a piece up, it should feel delicate and almost like it might deflate a little (that’s actually a good sign).
Don’t twist the cutter: Press straight down and lift straight up. Twisting seals the edges and can prevent the donuts from rising fully.
Check your oil temperature: Keep a close eye while frying for even results. Too hot and the donuts will brown before cooking through, too cool and they’ll absorb oil and turn greasy. Use a thermometer and aim to hold steady around 350°F (175°C).
Fry in small batches: Overcrowding the pot drops the oil temperature and leads to uneven cooking and oily donuts.
Get the glaze consistency right: It should be thin and runny, not thick like frosting. When you dip a spoon in, it should fall in quick, smooth ribbons. If it’s too thick, add a splash more milk until it flows easily.
Glaze while warm: Dip the donuts 30–60 seconds after frying. They should still be warm enough to slightly melt the glaze so it clings perfectly and sets into that thin, crackly shell.
How to Store
- Room temperature: These donuts are at their absolute best the same day they’re made, especially within a few hours of glazing. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1–2 days. They’ll soften a bit but still taste good. Avoid storing them in the fridge because that tends to dry them out and makes the glaze sticky.
- To warm them: A quick 10 seconds in the microwave is enough to enjoy them warm.
- Make ahead option: You can prepare the dough a day in advance and let it rise slowly in the fridge overnight, then bring it back to room temp before rolling and frying.
Recipe Q&A
Q: Can I make the dough ahead of time?
A: Yes! It’s a great way to get fresh donuts without doing all the work the same day. After mixing, let it complete its first rise, then cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, let it sit at room temperature for about 1–2 hours. If your kitchen is warm, it may be ready closer to an hour; if it’s cooler, it could take the full two. What really matters is how the dough looks and feels— it should be soft, slightly puffy again, and relaxed before you roll it out.
Q: Do I really need a thermometer for frying?
A: It’s highly recommended. Oil temperature makes or breaks donuts. Without a thermometer, it’s easy to end up with greasy or undercooked donuts. We recommend this one from Amazon!
Q: Why are my donuts dense instead of light?
A: Usually it’s one of three things: not enough rise time, too much flour while rolling, or oil that wasn’t hot enough.
Q: What size cookie cutter did you use?
A: We used a 4-inch round cutter for the donuts with a 1-inch hole in the center. This size gives you that classic donut-shop shape. We love using this cookie cutter set!
How to Fry Donut Holes
Don’t throw away your donut holes! After cutting your donuts, gather the scraps and roll them into small, even balls (¾ to 1 inch wide). Try not to overwork the dough so they stay light and airy.
Heat your oil to 350°F (175°C) and fry a few at a time. They cook quickly, usually in 30-45 seconds per side, and puff up into little golden bites. While they’re still warm, toss them in glaze or cinnamon sugar.
Watch how we made them:
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Glazed Donuts
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 cups all purpose flour plus more if needed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup warm milk
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Vanilla Bean Glaze
- 3 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 3-4 tbsp milk
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the flour, sugar, instant yeast, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together warm milk, melted butter, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until a rough dough forms.
- Increase the speed to medium and knead for 10–12 minutes. The dough will be soft and sticky at first but will become smooth and elastic as it kneads. If it's still very wet and not coming together after kneading, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it forms a soft, workable dough.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let the dough rise for 1-1 1/2 hours until doubled in size.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently roll it to 1/2 inch thickness. Use a 4-inch cutter and a 1-inch cutter for the centers. Try not to twist the cutter so the donuts can rise properly.
- Place the cut donuts and donut holes on parchment-lined trays. Cover lightly and let them rise again for 30–45 minutes, until they look airy and slightly puffed.
- Meanwhile, prepare the glaze. Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla bean paste until smooth and thin enough to drip in ribbons. Set aside.
- Fill a heavy pot with neutral oil and heat to 350°F (175°C). Keep an eye on the temperature while frying.
- Carefully add a few donuts at a time. Fry for 1–2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.
- Add donut holes in small batches and fry for 30-45 seconds per side, until puffed and golden.
- Dip the warm donuts into the glaze 30–60 seconds after frying. Let excess drip off, then place on a rack. Enjoy!
OMG. 😲Just made this morning and they are FANTASTIC! Yielded 10 donuts and donut holes. WOW, just wow! Even though my rise wasn’t impressive after 1.5 hours and then 45 minutes, they came out beautifully and tasted even better. Next time I will try the overnight method since it took quite a bit of time to make all in one sitting. Thank you for this recipe!
Hi Jaclyn, thank you for trying our recipe! We’re so happy you enjoyed it!