Old-Fashioned Fried Doughnuts (That You’ll Make Again and Again)

You can do this. Be the hero. All your kids’ friends will be jealous now.

If you want to skip the icing, that’s totally fine, of course! They are delicious tossed in powdered sugar, and you’ll save a lot of steps 😉.

Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need

You don’t need to activate yeast, even active dry. But since this is a rich dough, I prefer instant yeast because it works just a little faster. 😊. Having a thermometer on hand is crucial for the right oil temperature.

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Equipment

• Stand mixer
• Doughnut cutter or 2 biscuit cutters
• Thermometer
• Deep fryer or large deep pot
• Parchment paper
• Baking Sheet
• Wire cooling rack

Ingredients

For the Doughnuts

• 1 ¼ cup milk, whole or 2%
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast or active dry yeast
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 ¾ -5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 quarts canola oil or peanut oil for frying

Chocolate Icing

• 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• ¼ cup half and half
• pinch salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Vanilla Icing

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons half and half
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2-3 drops pink food coloring if desired, or more or less for the desired shade of pink
• Rainbow sprinkles or any colored sprinkles desired

How to Make Deep-Fried Doughnuts

Make the Doughnuts

Step One: Prep The Milk

Warm milk in the microwave on low power for 1 minute. (If using active, dry yeast, you can mix it with the milk at this time if you prefer, or add it with other ingredients.)

Step Two: Mix All Ingredients Except Flour

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or with an electric mixer with a large bowl, beat the milk, yeast, butter, sugar, eggs, salt, and vanilla.

Step Three: Add Flour

Continue to mix in flour one cup at a time until the dough starts to pull from the sides of the bowl. Switch to a dough hook with a stand mixer and knead an additional 5-6 minutes, or knead the dough by hand.

Step Four: First Rise

Transfer dough to a greased large bowl, cover with greased plastic wrap, and let rise 1 to 1 ½ hours.

Step Five: Roll Out And Cut

Roll dough onto a floured surface until it is approximately ½ inch thick. (If you don’t have a doughnut cutter, use a 3 ½ inch circular cutter to cut the outside circles and a 1-inch cutter in the center for the inside circles for the doughnut holes.) Cut the outside circles as close together as possible and place dough circles on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Combine and roll out scraps of dough until all the dough is used. The final doughnuts will not look quite as nice, but most imperfections will be covered by the icing.

Tip: Use a sharp edge cutter, not glass. A dull glass cup, for example, will crimp the edges, and they won’t rise as high.

Step Six: Second Rise

Cover cookie sheets with a cotton towel and let rise for 1 to 1 ½ hours. 15 minutes before doughnuts are done rising, pour oil in a deep pot until about 2 inches deep. Bring the oil to a temperature of 360℉, using a thermometer to monitor the temperature.

Step Seven: Prep For Cooling

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a paper towel and place a cooling rack on top. Place the cookie sheet near your pan with oil.

Step Eight: Fry

Cut parchment paper under risen doughnuts into squares. Using a spatula, lift the doughnut with the parchment paper underneath into hot oil. Place two doughnuts or several doughnut holes in the oil to cook at once. Cook doughnuts for one minute on one side, flip using a strainer spoon or slotted spoon, and cook for 45 seconds on the other side. Doughnut holes cook a little faster. Remove the parchment paper with tongs and discard while the doughnuts cook; it will just float and is safe in the oil. Place the cooked doughnuts onto the prepared cooling rack using a strainer spoon. Cook all the doughnuts and let them cool. While they cool, prepare the icing.

Make the Chocolate Icing (Optional)

Step One: Melt Ingredients On Stovetop

Pour an inch of water into a small pot (double boiler) and bring to a simmer over low heat. Place a double boiler insert pot or heat-proof bowl over simmering water, making sure the bottom of the pot or bowl doesn’t touch the water. Combine all chocolate icing ingredients in a bowl or double boiler pot and whisk periodically until the chocolate and butter are melted and all ingredients are mixed together. Keep warm on a low heat setting.

Step Two: Dip

When doughnuts have cooled, hold each individually and dip it into chocolate until the inner hole has been filled with chocolate. Swivel a little back and forth and lift out, turning the doughnut a little as you raise it out of the chocolate to ensure it is completely covered in glaze. You can redip if necessary.

Step Three: Sprinkle And Let Set

Place the doughnuts back on the cooling rack and immediately sprinkle with desired sprinkles. Cool and eat right away.

Vanilla Icing (Optional)

Step One: Mix Ingredients

Place powdered sugar, half and half, vanilla, and salt in a small to medium bowl and whisk until ingredients are combined. Add a little more half and half if needed, if it’s too thick. Add food coloring if desired.

Step Two: Dip And Garnish

Using the same process as the chocolate icing, dip cooled doughnuts into icing, turn, and place back on the cooling rack. Sprinkle immediately with sprinkles.

Storage & Serving

All you need for serving is lots of coffee.

• You really should eat them fresh! Go pass one out to your lonely neighbor.
• Store doughnuts in a covered container at room temperature for up to 2 days.  They can keep a couple of days longer in the fridge, but lose their quality. 
• They do not freeze well. Sorry!

Make It Your Own

This basic dough can take you everywhere!

Classic Toppings

• A simple dusting of powdered sugar (the way your grandmother probably enjoyed them)
• Traditional chocolate or vanilla glaze (recipes above)
• Granulated sugar mixed with cinnamon

For Something More Modern

• Dip in melted dark chocolate and sprinkle with crushed toasted nuts
• Create a maple glaze using real maple syrup
• Add a pinch of cardamom or nutmeg to your sugar coating

For Special Occasions

• Fall: Add seasonal spices to your sugar coating (think pumpkin pie spice in fall)
• Birthday celebrations: Top with colored sprinkles or edible flowers

More Deep-Fried Treats You’ll Love

I love sweets and I love deep frying, so here ya go:

• Making these sourdough doughnuts is not any harder (but a bit longer).
• These apple fritters are SO good in the fall.
• Deep-fried Oreos are quick, easy, and delicious. 😋
• These deep-fried Snickers are just like you would get at the fair.

Printable Recipe