This homemade yeast donut recipe delivers donuts that are soft, fluffy, and fried to perfection! Paired with three homemade glaze options and sprinkles for toppings, it’s a classic breakfast treat that tastes even better than donuts from your local bakery.
Of course, I love a savory breakfast like my sunny side up eggs, classic French omelette, or eggs Benedict. That said, if given the option, I can never turn down a sweet dish, whether it’s cinnamon rolls or brioche French toast. However, my favorite breakfast treat is donuts.
As a result, I’ve tested just about every way there is to make a donut and consider myself a bit of a donut-making pro. I even hold the world record for the largest donut cake! So, I can confidently say that while cake donuts are great, yeasted donuts are the best style to make at home.
I’ll walk you through my tried and true process to create perfectly round, fluffy donuts with an iconic stripe of white dough. By the time you’re done, you’ll never go back to store-bought donuts again!
Ingredients and Notes
See the recipe card below for the complete ingredient list and instructions.
Dough
- Milk – Warm whole milk activates the yeast and creates a soft, tender crumb. I don’t recommend using reduced-fat milk, because the taste and texture won’t be quite the same.
- Active Dry Yeast – This is the key ingredient that gives yeasted donuts their airy rise. Instant yeast can be used with slight adjustments, but I recommend active dry yeast for the best results.
- Granulated Sugar – This adds light sweetness and helps feed the yeast, allowing for proper fermentation.
- Unsalted Butter – This not only provides richness but also helps keep the dough soft. Make sure to let it cool slightly to avoid scrambling the eggs.
- Eggs – These give the donuts structure and moisture.
- Salt – Just a pinch helps balance the sweetness and enhances the overall flavor of the rest of the ingredients.
- Vanilla Extract – This adds subtle depth and extra sweetness, contributing to the bakery-style flavor we want.
- Flour – I use all-purpose flour as the base of the dough, finding it’s best for the perfect balance of structure and tenderness.
- Neutral Oil – Use a high-heat oil such as vegetable oil or canola oil to fry the donuts without impacting their flavor.
Frosting and Toppings
- Vanilla Glaze – I combine powdered sugar, whole milk, lemon juice, and salt for a classic frosting glaze with a hint of bright citrusy flavor that prevents it from being too sweet.
- Chocolate Glaze – Powdered sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, milk, and salt create a rich, decadent fudgy-style topping.
- Strawberry Glaze – I combine powdered sugar, strawberry jam, beet juice, and milk for a bright, berry-flavored frosting without the need for food coloring.
- Toppings – Optional but highly recommended, rainbow sprinkles or chocolate sprinkles provide the perfect finishing touch.
How to Make a Classic Yeast Donut Recipe
1. Make the Yeasted Donuts
2. Prepare the Frostings
Nick’s Tips for Success
- Make sure your yeast is active. If the yeast doesn’t foam after sitting in the warm milk and sugar, it’s inactive. Starting with active yeast is essential for light, fluffy donuts!
- Keep the milk warm, not hot. Milk that’s too hot can kill the yeast, while milk that’s too cool won’t activate it properly. Aim for about 90°F (32°C) for the best results.
- Don’t add too much flour. The dough should feel soft and slightly tacky. Adding too much flour will make the donuts dense instead of light and airy.
- Roll evenly for consistent cooking. Keep the dough about ½ inch thick so the donuts cook through without over-browning.
- Maintain oil temperature. Use a thermometer to keep the oil around 350°F (177°C). Too hot and the donuts brown before cooking inside; too cool and they absorb excess oil and become soggy.
- Fry in small batches. Overcrowding lowers the oil temperature and can lead to greasy donuts. I typically work with just two at a time, ensuring there’s plenty of space on all sides.
- Save the donut holes. Fry them in hot oil at the end of cooking for bite-sized donuts that are fun to eat.
Yeast Donut Recipe (3 Ways)
These classic yeast donuts are light, airy, and perfectly golden with that iconic bakery-style white ring. Finished with vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry glaze, they’re proof that homemade donuts can beat the best donut shop in town!
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer with Dough Hook
- 4 Mixing Bowls
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 Donut Cutter (3½-inch / 9 centimeter ring + 1-inch / 2.5 centimeter center)
- Parchment Paper
- 2-3 Baking Sheets
- 1 Heavy-Bottom Pot or Dutch Oven
- 1 Thermometer
- 1 Slotted Spoon or Spider Strainer
- 1 Wire Rack
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 ¼ cup whole milk, warmed to 90°F (32°C)
- 2 ¼ teaspoon (7 gram) active dry yeast (1 packet)
- ¼ cup (50 gram) granulated sugar
- 8 (115 gram) tablespoon unsalted butter, melted & cooled, plus extra for greasing
- 2 large egg
- 1 teaspoon (5 milliliter) vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon (5 gram) salt
- 4 cup (500-530 gram) all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
- Neutral oil for frying, vegetable or canola, about 2-3 quart / 2-3 liter
Vanilla Glaze
- 1¼ cup (150 gram) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon (30 milliliter) whole milk
- ½ teaspoon (2 milliliter) lemon juice
- pinch salt
Chocolate Glaze
- 1 cup (120 gram) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (25 gram) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoon (30 milliliter) milk
- pinch salt
Strawberry Glaze
- 1½ cup (180 gram) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon (30 gram) seedless strawberry jam
- ¼ teaspoon (1 milliliter) beet juice (optional, for color)
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliter) milk (adjust for consistency)
Toppings
- rainbow sprinkles, for vanilla & strawberry
- chocolate sprinkles, for chocolate
Instructions
- In the bowl base of a stand mixer, combine warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Let it sit for about 15 minutes, until it’s foamy and alive. (If it doesn’t foam, start over — the yeast is dead.)1 ¼ cup whole milk, warmed to 90°F (32°C), 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast (1 packet), ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, beat on medium-low speed the melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and salt in the yeast mixture, about one minute. Add one third of the flour and mix to combine. Repeat with another third, then add the remaining flour gradually until a soft, slightly tacky dough forms, three to five minutes, scraping down the sides as necessary.8 tablespoon unsalted butter, 2 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon salt, 4 cup all-purpose flour
- Increase the mixer to medium-high speed and knead for about three minutes, until the dough starts to pull away from the bowl, seven to ten minutes. Remove the dough onto a floured surface, dip your hands into flour, and gently hand-knead until smooth and elastic. Add flour to your hands as needed until the dough is smooth and does not stick to your hands or the surface.
- Grease a large bowl with softened butter, transfer the dough to the bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about one hour.
- Cut two parchment sheets into thirds and line two baking sheets with parchment pieces.
- Press the dough into an 11X14 rectangle, about half-inch thick. Cut with a donut cutter dipped in flour (or a three and a half-inch (eight point nine centimeter ring and one-inch (two and a half centimeter) center cutter). Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover lightly, and let rest for 1 hour or until puffy and slightly larger.
- Heat oil in a heavy pot to 350°F (176°C). Fry two to three donuts at a time, about one minute per side, until golden brown. Drain on a wire rack set over a sheet pan. Cool slightly before glazing, about five minutes.Neutral oil for frying
- Whisk each glaze in a separate bowl until thick, smooth, and spoonable. Add more sugar for thickness or more milk for smoothness. The goal: thick, shiny, frosting-style coating.1¼ cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoon whole milk, ½ teaspoon lemon juice, pinch salt, 1 cup powdered sugar, ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tablespoon milk, pinch salt, 1½ cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoon seedless strawberry jam, ¼ teaspoon beet juice (optional, for color), 1 tablespoon milk (adjust for consistency)
- Dip the top of each donut in its glaze, twist gently, and lift off to create a smooth, even coating. Top immediately with sprinkles — chocolate on chocolate, rainbow on vanilla and strawberry.rainbow sprinkles, chocolate sprinkles
- Let the glaze set for about 15 to 30 minutes (if you can wait that long). Serve fresh!
Video
Notes
*Adjust the ingredient amounts in the recipe instructions accordingly if doubling or tripling the recipe.
Storage: Store donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days for the best freshness. Refrigeration is not recommended, as it can dry them out. Freeze unglazed donuts in a freezer-safe container for up to two months; thaw at room temperature, and warm slightly before glazing and serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 266kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 54mg, Sodium: 218mg, Potassium: 107mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 323IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 48mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!FAQs
Why didn’t my yeast donuts rise?
This usually happens if the yeast is inactive, the milk was too hot, or the dough didn’t rise in a warm environment.
Can I bake yeast donuts instead of frying them?
You can bake them at 375°F (190°C) for about 10-12 minutes, but they will have a bread-like texture rather than the classic fried donut crispness.
These were perfect for a fun weekend breakfast!