Glazed yeast doughnut recipe makes homemade glazed yeast doughnuts that are light, fluffy, and perfectly sweet. Made from scratch with simple ingredients, they’re the ultimate bakery-style treat that’s even better fresh from home.
There’s nothing quite like biting into a pillowy soft yeast doughnut fresh from the fryer, especially when it’s coated in a sweet, shiny glaze. While they may seem like they would be difficult to make, glazed doughnuts are surprisingly simple to whip up at home – all with just a handful of pantry staples and a bit of time.
This recipe walks you through every step—from mixing and proofing the dough to frying and glazing—with step-by-step pictures and plenty of tips for foolproof doughnuts that taste as good as any store-bought version. Whether you’re making them for a weekend baking project, a holiday breakfast, or just because, these homemade glazed yeast doughnuts are guaranteed to impress.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Flour: To properly measure the flour either weigh it or sift or stir to break it up, lightly spoon into a measuring cup, and level. Avoid packing the flour as that will give you heavy, dry donuts.
- Butter: You can use salted butter and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/8 teaspoon table salt).
- Oil: Be sure to use an oil designed for frying, like canola, sunflower, or avocado oil.
- Milk: You can use any milk from whole milk to skim milk. Whole milk will give you a richer glaze.
How to make homemade yeast doughnuts
Here you’ll find instructions and step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Step 1: Add yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar, and warm milk to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Let it sit for at least 5 minutes, or until foamy. If your yeast doesn’t foam, you’ll want to start over because the dough won’t rise properly with dead yeast.
Step 2: Add the butter, ¼ cup sugar, and salt. Beat until combined, about 2 minutes.
Step 3: Add egg and vanilla. Beat again to combine.
Step 4: Switch to the dough hook. Slowly pour in the flour until the dough mixes into a ball that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Continue to mix for 6- 8 minutes. You’ll only want to add in enough flour so that it pulls away. You may not use all of the flour.
Step 5: Place into a greased bowl, and let it rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Step 6: Flour a clean surface and roll out the dough to ½ inch thick.
Step 7: Using a 3¼-inch cookie cutter cut out the donuts. Then use a smaller, 1-inch cookie cutter to cut out the donut holes in the center. You could also use a doughnut cutter.
Step 8: Place donuts on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise another 30 minutes.
Step 9: Towards the end of the rising time, heat 2 inches of oil in a large pot. Use a candy thermometer to keep the oil between 350-375 degrees F.
Step 10: To make the glaze, combine all the glaze ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Step 11: Fry donuts in batches for about 1 minute per side, flipping carefully with a spatula or spoon.
Step 12: Remove donuts to a cooling rack with a paper towel-lined baking sheet underneath so the extra grease can drip off. Adjust the temperature of the stove burner to maintain a steady temperature for the next batch.
Step 13: Coat warm donuts in the glaze on all sides. Set them back on the rack to cool and for the glaze to set.
Recipe Tips!
- Proofing: Make sure your yeast is fresh. If the dough doesn’t rise properly, it will lead to dense, heavy doughnuts.
- Frying: It’s important to get and keep the oil at the proper temperature. If the oil is too cool, the donuts will soak up too much oil as they cook and be greasy. If the oil is too hot, the donuts will cook outside and be doughy inside.
- Glazing: If the glaze isn’t setting up with the shiny coat or is melting off, let the doughnuts cool slightly and dip the warm doughnuts into the glaze.
Storage
The doughnuts are best eaten when freshly made. Store any leftover donuts and donut holes in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for up to 2 days when properly stored.
More donut recipes!
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Glazed Yeast Doughnut Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
- ¼ ounce packet active yeast
- 1 cup warm milk about 105-110 degrees F
- ¼ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar divided
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 ½ cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 2 quarts neutral tasting oil for frying
Glaze
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup milk
Instructions
- Add yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar, and warm milk to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.¼ ounce packet active yeast, 1 cup warm milk
- Let it sit for at least 5 minutes, or until foamy.
- Add the butter, ¼ cup sugar, and salt. Beat until combined, about 2 minutes.¼ cup unsalted butter, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Add egg and vanilla. Beat again to combine.1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Switch to the dough hook. Slowly pour in enough of the flour until the dough mixes into a ball that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.3 ½ cups sifted all-purpose flour
- Continue to mix for 6- 8 minutes.
- Place into a greased bowl, and let it rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Flour a clean surface and roll out the dough to ½ inch thick.
- Using a 3¼-inch cookie cutter cut out the donuts. Then use a smaller, 1-inch cookie cutter to cut out the donut holes in the center.
- Place donuts on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise another 30 minutes.
- Towards the end of the rising time, heat 2 inches of oil in a large pot. Use a candy thermometer to keep the oil between 350-375 degrees F.2 quarts neutral tasting oil
- To make the glaze, combine all the glaze ingredients in a medium bowl.2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, ⅓ cup milk
- Fry donuts in batches for about 1 minute per side, flipping carefully with a spatula or spoon.
- Remove donuts to a cooling rack with a paper towel-lined baking sheet underneath so the extra grease can drip off. Adjust the temperature of the stove burner to maintain a steady temperature for the next batch.
- Coat warm donuts in the glaze on all sides. Set them back on the rack to cool and for the glaze to set.
Notes
- Flour: To properly measure the flour either weigh it or sift or stir to break it up, lightly spoon into a measuring cup, and level. Avoid packing the flour as that will give you heavy, dry donuts.
- Butter: You can use salted butter and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/8 teaspoon table salt).
- Oil: Be sure to use an oil designed for frying, like canola, sunflower, or avocado oil.
- Milk: You can use any milk from whole milk to skim milk. Whole milk will give you a richer glaze.
- Donut holes: Donut holes can also be fried. They’re a bit more buoyant so you may need to press them gently into the oil to keep them submerged.
- Nutrition values are estimates and are for 1 doughnut + 1 doughnut hole.
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Vanessa says
Great recipe! It makes the perfect amount & easy to follow. They came out amazing! My family loved them. Thank you for posting!
Kate Dean says
Thank you!