Homemade donuts are easy to make and so delicious. In our house, donuts have always meant a celebration.
We make donuts on birthdays, holidays, to celebrate special achievements and more. When my family started eating two dozen donuts at a time, I decided it was time to learn how to make them myself.
Since learning how to make doughnuts I’ve experimented with baked and fried versions. Baked donuts are easier to make, but personally I love the taste of fried. If you decide to try baked donuts, you’ll need a donut pan to bake them in the oven.
The best part about fresh homemade donuts is that your kids can help decide how to frost them. You can choose from sprinkles, powdered sugar, powdered sugar icing, cinnamon sugar, or chocolate frosted (my favorite).
Homemade Donuts
This recipe for cake donuts can be made from start to finish in about 30 minutes. You don’t need a special donut pan for these donuts which makes them an easy last minute treat. Perfect for a special breakfast celebration.
Homemade Donuts
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons softened butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 quart oil for frying
- optional - powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar mixture
Instructions
- Mix together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon.
- Add butter.
- Then mix in egg and milk. I had my mixer on low for 3 to 4 minutes. I stopped when the dough looked like this… oh, this is why I love having a laptop. Most of my recipes are on the computer. I just unplug it and take it into the kitchen to cook!
- While you are mixing, start heating your oil to 375 degrees.
- Roll out on a floured surface until your dough is about 1/4 inch thick.
- Then use a doughnut cutter, or if you don't have a doughnut cutter you can use a pub style glass and a baby food jar to make the doughnut shape.
- Prepare an area for your doughnuts to cool. Because of the oil, I used paper shopping bags with paper towels on top. This made clean up very easy.
- Drop the doughnuts into the hot oil.
- Fry for about 1 minute on each side, or until they are golden brown.
- Place them on your paper towels to cool and then top while they are still warm.
- Frost with a variety of toppings; chocolate frosting, powdered sugar, glaze, and cinnamon and sugar.
Notes
If you have a craving for a sweet pastry and don’t want to attempt homemade donuts try cronuts! These are basically fried croissants and taste delicious!
Other delicious homemade donut recipes
Sonshine says
yummy!! Now I am hankering for some! 🙂
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Nancy says
After reading your other post about going to the gym, this just seems wrong. Lol! But, they look so good. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Mikki says
Yummy. These look so good!
I’ve always wanted to try home made donuts. You’ve inspired me now 🙂
Kate says
It is so NOT fair to share this recipe. They look so delicious and I know I’m going to have to make these now. So much for losing 5 pounds before Thanksgiving. 🙂
Deanna says
Your post grabbed my attention out of all the others because of the word doughnuts…. I wish it wasn’t 11:30 at night because I would love to go in the kitchen and make these right now!
Rebeckah says
These look yummy! Krispy Kreme competitors for sure : ).
Jerri says
Glad my kids won’t be seeing this blog. LOL.
Thanks for sharing – pictures and all!
pippi says
OK, these are the SECOND easiest donuts ever. My mom taught me this trick many moons ago. Get a can of refrigerated biscuits. (Not the ones with a million layers) Use a donut cutter or an old pill bottle to cut the holes. Fry in oil, then shake in a paperbag full of sugar. Must be eaten hot. SOOOOOOOO good!
Sherry says
Oh, yum! We love doughnuts, but I don’t make them for the same reason. I just got an applesauce doughnut recipe, so I’m going to try that this weekend.
Thank you for sharing! 😀
Happy WFMW!
Sherry
Jerri says
Thanks for dropping by my blog. I hope your kids enjoy the photo books!
P. S. I’m still not letting my kids see that picture of doughnuts!
Katie @ 3 Blondes and a Redhead says
Now I’m jonesin’ for Krispy Kreme!!! That recipe looks easy…thanks for sharing. And I love your high-tech donut cutter. 🙂
Cool Chocolate Gifts says
mm.. donuts.. I think we all deserve to treat ourselves with a good donut every now and then. I love home made ones and your recipe looks great to me(to judge also from the pics…)… thanks for sharing!
Diane says
I don’t know whether I love you or hate you.
I’ll ponder it while I check to see if I have all the ingredients….
Grammy says
I will have to try this thanks. When my kids were little I use to use can biscuits to make like this.
Michele says
These look great… I wonder if I can modify for a gluten-dairy free version. That will be interesting!
Christina says
Hello! I just found your blog, and as I was reading, I found this donut post. I had to smile because I was just doing the same thing yesterday: making donuts with a loptop-recipe on the counter. ; ) Yours look good too. I only did a couple of toppings, and I like the variety you tried.
Cherrill says
Me and my 10 year old dd went to visit my brotherman and his family in Oct. and we went to pick apples at skytop orchard, my SIL and I stood in line for 45 minutes I know to get apple cider doughnuts. These things were great they were made 2 at a time and they used a mix from a bag and added hot apple cider to it.
It was the first time I had ever been to an apple orchard and I am cherishing the memories and ready to go back in 2010.
Abi says
I just used the recipe!!! The donuts are awesome.. they are a little bit crunchy on the outside and soft inside.
I mixed sugar and cinnamon in a bag and put some donuts inside and shook them to coat them with the mixture… yum!
Thanks for the recipe!
Sommer says
Mix powder sugar and a little milk to make a glaze. Dip your doughnuts in the mixture. Enjoy! 😉
Mindy says
Hi there! This recipe looks phenomenal. I’m planning to try them tomorrow morning for a special “snow day” breakfast. Do you know about how many you can get per batch? Planning on using a 3 inch glass to cut them out and didn’t know if I should double the batch – I certainly don’t want to skimp!!
Thanks!
MIndy
TheHappyHousewife says
I double the batch for my family of 9 and usually have 4 to 6 donuts leftover. Hope that helps!
Heather Bradfield Garbe says
Or, you can do what my grandmother has done for years and years and years…. Buy cans of Pilsbury plain biscuits (especially when you have coupons for them!). Put your thumbs through the middle and stretch them out in the shape of a doughnut to the size of the opening of a coffee can (or slightly larger… it will be very thin but don’t worry, they plump up when you cook them). Drop them in the hot oil. Turn when slightly brown. Take out when done. Drop in paper bag filled with confectioners sugar or regular sugar and cinnamon. Shake it like like crazy. Take out and enjoy! (but watch out, they’re hot!!!). I’m only mentioning this because it’s a great way to do it on the fly, or when you’re camping, or whatever. 🙂
Katie says
What kind of oil to fry in?
TheHappyHousewife says
I use canola, but I know some people use coconut oil.
Mona says
I just made these – oh yum, oh yum. Thank you. My daughter and I had fun making them, my boys (including hubby) had fun eating them.
Janell Poulette says
I love how fast you can make these! I will be making these this weekend. I made a batch of doughnuts in my bread machine last week and it was a long process. I will make these doughnuts but use my chocolate frosting http://bit.ly/pzimku
Thanks!
Danielle says
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! Hubby and I talked about going on diets this week…wow now i just want to say NO to dieting! lol
Jodie G says
Hi Happy!
I tried both of your doughnut recipes and….they’re awesome 😀 both are great and actually..not to hard! I really impressed my family. The only thing i wish i had changed was i wish i had listened to you about the paper bags under the paper towels, i had a grease spot on my counter i had to clean twice lol
Thanks again
sylvia says
YUM! I’m definately doing this tomorrow morning!
loma55 says
you can do this also with canned biscuits. Frost them with chocolate frosting, cinnamon sugar, or powdered sugar too! Just fry in the oil and cool.
Kylie says
Do we need to make the dough rise? Im making this for our project at school ??
Carolina says
First time making these and they came out delicious! Good old fashioned donuts! Super easy to make!