Who doesn’t like sweet, fluffy dough fried to a warm crisp exterior and a pillowy interior? Donuts are a delicious way to start any day — and you don’t have to even leave the house to enjoy them. (Score!) Making donuts at home is way easier than you think.
“Learning how to make donuts at home was a game-changer for my daughters,” says California-based mom-of-two Jeanine Seto. “They love to make their own icing and decorate them!”
Is it donut or doughnut?
But first things first — what is the correct term? You’ve probably seen both spellings of the circular confection — so which one is actually correct? If we’re being technical and going by the dictionary, the correct spelling is doughnut. The shortened donut entered our vernacular around the late 19th century but really picked up speed in the late 20th century. (We can thank Dunkin’ Donuts for that.) These days, most non-U.S. writers use doughnut. Even in the U.S., donut is used less than half the time. So I guess doughnut takes the cake this round.
Just read on to see delicious homemade doughnut — or donut — recipes, decoration ideas, and more.
Best homemade donut recipes
Next level: Donut decorations and more
Now it’s time for the fun part. As much as we love a plain donut dusted with sugar, we’re also fans of fancier jam-filled donuts, sprinkles and more.
Filled donuts
To properly pipe jam or custard into a donut, push the nozzle of the piping bag into the donut, making sure to go past the middle. Squeeze the bag and as the jam fills the donut, it’ll push the nozzle back out.
Glazed donuts
Glaze is made of (dairy or non-dairy) milk or water, vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Add cocoa powder for a chocolate twist or coffee powder for a kick. When making your glaze, use a big bowl that’s also wide so it’s easy for your donuts to be evenly coated. Another tip: warm donuts hold glaze better! Dip your donuts into the glaze and add sprinkles, toasted coconut flakes, cereal or lemon zest. Let cool.
Cream cheese whipped cream donuts
Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and whipped cream together for a thick, indulgent topping. We like to add crushed oreos or fruit compote.
How to store
Homemade donuts are best the day of, but you can store them for a day. After that, they tend to get stale and no one likes a stale donut. Let the donuts cool completely before putting them in an airtight food container. Donuts with a dairy-based cream filling should go in the fridge but most can be left out. If a donut has already hit stale, just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds and you’re good to go.
