Homemade donuts that taste just like those from your local bakery, but you can whip them up at home in just 15 minutes! This easy donut recipe is ideal for a quick weekend treat and is guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth cravings.
Bite-sized donuts (also known as Donut Holes) with a lightly crisp, golden-brown, sugar-coated exterior and a soft, fluffy, tender interior—just like old-fashioned cake donuts but ready in a flash!
While some use store-bought biscuit dough for donut holes, I prefer freshly made dough—it’s a hundred times better and unbelievably easy. No mixer, kneading, rolling, or cutting is required—just a quick stir, and shape, and they’re ready to fry!
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll only need 7 basic ingredients for this recipe, which you may already have:
- All-purpose flour: I prefer unbleached flour, but bleached works fine too.
- Baking powder: It helps the donuts puff up, so don’t skip it.
- Salt: Use standard table salt.
- Buttermilk: No substitutes are recommended, as the milk and vinegar substitute isn’t thick enough.
- Granulated sugar: Used in both the donut dough and for rolling.
- Melted butter: Adds delicious flavor to the donuts. Use real butter.
- Vegetable oil: Needed for frying.
Topping Ideas
you can finish them as you like. I prefer the sugar coating, but you can also cover them with:
- chocolate icing
- vanilla donut glaze
- cinnamon sugar or pumpkin spice sugar
- powdered sugar
Does it Make a Difference What Oil I Fry the Donuts in?
- It’s important to use a neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point for frying. Vegetable oil is recommended for making these fried donuts.
Tips for the Best Homemade Donuts
- Use a deep-fry thermometer to check the oil temperature for proper cooking.
- Fry donut holes in batches to maintain oil temperature; overcrowding cools the oil and affects frying.
- Roll these homemade donut holes in sugar for the best flavor.
- Enjoy fried donuts the same day for optimal texture; they can dry out if kept longer.
Be sure to check out these other delicious recipes!
Brioche Donuts
Chocolate donuts
Apple Cider Donuts
Homemade Donuts
These homemade donuts taste just as good as any cake donut from a bakery, but you can make them at home in just 15 minutes!
Prep: 13 minutes
Cook: 2 minutes
Ready in: 15 minutes
Servings: 35 donuts
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups (176grams) all-purpose flour (scoop and level to measure)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk
- 1/4 cup (50grams) granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp (42grams) melted butter
- 3 – 4 cups vegetable oil, for frying
For Coating
- 1/3 cup (66grams) granulated sugar
Instructions
1. Heat about 1/2-inch of oil in a large saute pan or pot over medium heat until it reaches 355 degrees F (watch it closely as it heats). Meanwhile, prepare the donut dough.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk and melted butter. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and use a fork to gently stir until just combined (avoid overworking the dough).
4. Roll the dough into balls about 1/2 tablespoon in size. Once the oil is hot enough, fry about half of the dough balls at a time.
5. Fry until the bottom is golden brown, then flip and cook the other side until golden brown as well.
6. Carefully remove the donuts using a spider strainer or metal tongs and drain them on a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
7. Place 1/3 cup of sugar in a dish and roll the donuts in the sugar to coat. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Notes:
- Tip: In drier climates, you may need to add a little extra buttermilk (about 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon total) to help the dough come together.
- Variations: Consider coating the fried donuts in cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, or a vanilla glaze for different flavors.
- Use a thermometer to ensure the oil reaches and maintains 355 degrees F for proper frying.
- Important: Fry the donut holes in batches to maintain the oil temperature; overcrowding lowers the temperature and affects frying quality.
- These donuts are best enjoyed within a few hours of frying for optimal freshness.
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