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These EASY Donut Holes are made completely without yeast, so you can have a classic donut hole without spending your whole day making them. Leave them plain, roll in cinnamon sugar, or glaze them – these are little bites of heaven!
Easy Donut Recipe
These are the best doughnut holes you will ever have. They are soft on the inside with a crunch of the outside. They can be coated in many things like a classic cinnamon sugar or a sweet warm glaze. They are perfect for any event because people can grab them and go. And trust me – they’ll go quick.
This recipe is so great because they have no yeast at all, which makes them super easy to make. You don’t need to worry about letting the dough rise or any of that. They can just be fried as needed! If you have been craving warm fried donut holes you need to try these.
Ingredients Needed
- Flour: Use All-Purpose flour to make donut holes
- Sugar: I used granulated sugar to sweetened the dough and for the cinnamon sugar topping. Powdered Sugar, or confectioners’ sugar will be used in the glaze.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: The dough is my sweet cream biscuit recipe with a bit of Whole Milk thin the dough so they’re super fluffy.
- Vegetable Oil: This will be what you fry the donuts in – you can also use canola oil
- Toppings: Cinnamon sugar or a simple glaze.
How to Make Donut Holes
- Whisk dry ingredients of flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the heavy whipping cream and milk and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until the dough comes together. It will be a gooey soft dough.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon balls of dough with a cookie scoop either direct into the hot oil or onto a cookie sheet to make life easier.
- Bring oil to 350°F in a 3Q saucepan. It’s important to use a thermometer to tell the temperature of the oil. Place a cookie sheet lined with paper towels near the pan.
- Fry 3-4 donut holes at a time. Don’t overcrowd or the oil temperature will drop too much. Monitor the oil temperature and turn the heat down on the burner if it continues rising too far above 350°F. Fry each donut hole until they turn dark golden brown. Be sure to flip them halfway through frying.
- Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and place on paper towel lined baking sheet or cooling rack.
Coatings
Plain: I actually love these plain – they’re so good!
Cinnamon Sugar: mix cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Cool the donut holes until you can easily touch them, then roll in the mixture.
Glaze: You can make a simple glaze with powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk or heavy cream. You could even use lemon juice for a lemon glaze.
Use the chocolate glaze from my chocolate donuts recipe.
Make lemon sugar by mixing some zest with granulated sugar to roll the donut holes in.
Expert Tips
- When frying you want to be sure to have at least 2 inches of oil in your saucepan. A thermometer is very important – and monitor the heat of your stove consistently so you can see if the oil is getting too hot (or not heating back up after each batch).
- You’re not missing anything – by design these donut holes have no egg.
Storing
Donut holes will keep several days at room temperature in an airtight container. You can also freeze them. However, they taste best freshly fried – they’ll get soft as they sit.
Easy Donut Holes Recipe
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 5 cups vegetable oil
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons (298g) all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons (11g) baking powder
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (237ml) heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup (119ml) whole milk
- Toppings – see notes.
Instructions
- Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.
- Add the heavy whipping cream and milk and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until the dough comes together. It will be a gooey dough.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon balls of dough with a cookie scoop. You can scoop these direct into the hot oil (see next step) or place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper and chill until oil is ready.
- Bring oil to 350°F in a 3Q saucepan. It’s important to use a thermometer to tell the temperature of the oil. Place a cookie sheet lined with paper towels near the pan.
- Fry 3-4 donut holes at a time (depending on the diameter of your pan). Don’t overcrowd or the oil temperature will drop too much. Monitor the oil temperature and turn the heat down on the burner if it continues rising too far above 350°F. Fry each donut hole for approximately 3-5 minutes. They will turn dark golden brown. Be sure to flip them halfway through frying.
- Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and place on paper towel lined baking sheet. Let cool slightly before rolling in cinnamon sugar or glazing.
Recipe Notes
- Cinnamon Sugar Coating: Stir 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar with 2 tablespoons
ground cinnamon. Toss warm donut holes in mixture. - Glaze: Whisk 1 cup (113g) powdered sugar with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 2 tablespoons whole milk or heavy whipping cream, adding more liquid to get a thick but drippy consistency. You don’t want it so thin it drips right off, but not so thick it just looks like icing.
- Stir 1 tablespoon lemon zest with ½ cup granulated or powdered sugar and coat warm donut holes.
- Coat with simple powdered sugar.
- Swap lemon juice for the milk in the glaze for a lemon glaze.
- Make a chocolate glaze by adding 2 tablespoons cocoa to the glaze recipe.
I’m all about lemon right now! So jealous of your supply of fresh lemons!
I wish I could share. (OR not, lol. 😉 )
Yes, I am jealous that you have fresh lemons at your disposal and I’m even more jealous that you have these donuts in your kitchen!!!
These little donut holes are bringing me sunshine on a very cold day! Beautiful
Thanks Jocelyn!
I love all things lemon, and this is dangerous to read before I have had breakfast! Hard to make good choices with donuts on the brain! HA! How dare they discontinue your perfume without telling you? I hate when that happens! Pinned!
Thanks for the pin Lisa!
I love lemon! & in the form of lemon sugar or icing? Divine! I bet the smell of these donuts makes up a little for the loss of your favorite perfume 🙂
Yes, I think I’d wear this scent as a perfume if I could! 🙂
DOROTHY — I HAD A CO-WORKER WHO USED TO WEAR ‘HAPPY’ BY CLINIQUE AND IT ALWAYS SMELLED LIKE I WAS ‘WALKING IN A LEMON ORCHARD’ WHENEVER SHE WALKED BY MY DESK (OR VISA-VERSA). IT WAS A CLEAN, FRESH SCENT AND DEFINITELY SMELLED LIKE LEMONS — YOU MIGHT CHECK IT OUT (USUALLY AT MACY’S) AND SEE IF IT COULD BE YOUR NEW ‘SIGNATURE’ SECENT. GOOD LUCK
That sounds good! I’ll have to look for it!
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