These homemade donut holes are fluffy, airy, and irresistible when they're freshly glazed and still warm. If you love donuts but want to try making them from scratch, this donut hole recipe is a great place to start.
Jump to:
Why you should try this recipe
It’s easy to make. You just need to mix dry and wet ingredients and knead the dough. No need to spend extra time incorporating butter in small pieces and kneading the dough for too long.
You can make the dough by hand if you want. This dough is very sticky and soft, but it’s possible to knead it by hand. Start combining wet and dry ingredients in a large bowl using a wooden spoon. When the dough has formed but looks shaggy, remove it onto a floured working surface and start kneading. It will take 7-9 minutes and you might need to add just a little bit more flour during the process.
You don’t have to store these doughnut holes in the fridge. The glaze contains no dairy products which means that the donuts don’t have to be stored in the fridge. It also means that the donuts will stay fluffy and soft for longer.
Ingredient and substitutions
Flour – Use bread flour to make this donut holes recipe.
Yeast – I use osmotolerant instant yeast, but you can replace it with dry active yeast or even fresh yeast. Just make sure that the yeast you use is made specifically for sweet types of dough.
Salt and vanilla extract – I use both ingredients in my donut dough as well as in the sugar glaze.
Sugars – For the dough, I use white granulated sugar; for the glaze, powdered sugar.
Butter – You will need to melt your unsalted butter in the microwave before mixing it with the milk.
Milk – Use lukewarm whole milk (or at least room temperature, not cold).
Egg – The egg should also be at room temperature.
Water –I don’t use milk or heavy cream for my sugar glaze because I like to store my donuts at room temperature. Instead, I make it with boiling water.
Honey – Honey adds a lot of flavor and keeps the glaze bendable, so when you bite in, it won't break apart and crumble. If you like a harder glaze or don’t like honey, you can skip this ingredient. If you want to try this glaze but have a honey allergy, replace it with the same amount of corn syrup.
Cooking tips
Use a thermometer to make sure the oil is at the right temperature before frying the donut holes. If the oil is too hot, the donuts will cook too quickly on the outside and be raw on the inside. If it's not hot enough, it'll absorb too much oil and become greasy.
Don't overcrowd the pot when frying the donut holes. Fry them in small batches to avoid lowering the temperature of the oil, which can result in greasy, undercooked donuts.
To glaze the donut holes evenly, let them cool for a minute or two after frying and before dipping them in the glaze. You can also use a fork to hold the donut while you dip it in the glaze to avoid getting your hands sticky.
Place the glazed donut holes briefly in the fridge. If your kitchen is too warm or you’re in a hurry, you can place your doughnut holes in the fridge for 5-10 minutes before serving. It’s enough for the glaze to set and become matte.
Step by step directions
For the donut dough
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment, whisk together the flour and yeast.
2. In another bowl, combine the lukewarm milk, sugar, salt, vanilla, egg, and melted butter.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and start kneading on medium-low speed.
4. When the shaggy dough has formed, switch to medium to medium-high speed and knead for about 9 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic but still quite sticky. You should be able to stretch it without tearing it so the light can pass through.
5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
6. Punch down the dough and place it onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into 15-30 pieces, depending on how large you want your donut holes to be.
7. Form balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover them with plastic wrap and let the dough balls rise for about 30 minutes.
8. Heat the vegetable oil in a large, deep pot over medium-high heat until it reaches 375°F (190°C).
9. Carefully drop a few donut holes at a time into the hot oil and fry for about 1-2 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
10. Use a slotted spoon or a fork to remove the donut holes from the oil and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
Glazing donut holes
1. In a bowl, add the powdered sugar, vanilla, honey, and salt.
2. Then pour in boiling water and whisk until smooth.
3. Place one donut hole in the bowl and roll it until completely covered in glaze.
4. Place the donut hole on a cooling rack to let the glaze set. Repeat with the rest of the donut holes.
Possible variations
Another type of glaze – You can make the glaze you prefer or add any flavoring you like to my glaze instead of vanilla (like lemon juice, spices, or freeze-dried raspberry or strawberry powder). You can also use Chocolate ganache to glaze your donut holes.
Add spices to the dough – Add 1-2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, cardamom, or a mix of different spices to the dough while you kneading it.
Cinnamon sugar – After frying the donut holes, roll them in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar while they're still warm. This will create a sweet and spicy coating that's perfect for breakfast or dessert.
Savory Donut Holes – Skip the sugar and vanilla extract in the dough and add some chopped herbs or grated cheese instead. Serve these fried donut holes as a savory appetizer or snack.
FAQ
After your donuts are cooled and the glaze has set, you can place your donuts on a plate and cover them loosely with plastic wrap (in an air-tight container, the glaze will melt). Store at room temperature for up to 4 days. If you used another glaze that contains dairy or butter, you should store the donuts for up to 4 days as well but in an air-tight container in the fridge.
Yes, you can! You’ll need to roll the dough so it’s ¾ inch thick and cut out the donuts using round cookie cutters. Then, proof them for 30 minutes and fry them.
You can freeze these donuts for up to 2 months.
Make the dough and proof it for 1 hour. Then, knock it down and shape it into balls. Place them on a tray and place the tray in the freezer. Once frozen, place the donut balls in a zip lock bag and wrap in a piece of foil. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More recipes you may like
Recipe card
Donut holes
Equipment
- Digital kitchen scale
- Stand mixer or hand mixer with a hook attachment and a large mixing bowl
- Pot for deep frying
Ingredients
For the donuts
- 250 g bread flour
- 5 g instant yeast
- 130 ml whole milk lukewarm
- 40 g white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 35 g unsalted butter melted
- 1 l odorless vegetable oil such as canola oil or sunflower oil
For the glaze
- 200 g powdered sugar
- 50 ml hot water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 10 g honey
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Making the donuts
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment (or you can use a hand mixer with hook attachments and a bowl), whisk together the flour and yeast.
- In another bowl, combine the lukewarm milk, sugar, salt, vanilla, egg, and melted butter.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and start kneading on medium-low speed.
- When the shaggy dough has formed, switch to medium to medium-high speed and knead for about 9 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic but still quite sticky. You should be able to stretch it without tearing it so the light can pass through. It is possible to knead the dough by hand on a floured surface instead of using a stand or hand mixer.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
- Punch down the dough and place it onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into 15-30 pieces, depending on how large you want your donut holes to be.
- Form balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover them with plastic wrap and let the dough balls rise for about 30-40 minutes.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large, deep pot over medium-high heat until it reaches 375°F (190°C).
- Carefully drop a few donut holes at a time into the hot oil and fry for about 1-2 minutes on each side, until golden brown. If large bubbles appear on the surface, burst them with a fork before they become brown so the donuts stay round.
- Use a slotted spoon or a fork to remove the donut holes from the oil and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.
Glazing
- In a bowl, add the powdered sugar, vanilla, honey, and salt.
- Then pour in boiling water and whisk until smooth.
- Place one donut hole in the bowl and roll it until completely covered in glaze (you can use two forks to keep your hands clean).
- Place it on a wire rack to let the glaze set (it will take approximately 20 minutes). Repeat with the rest of the donut holes.
Leave a comment