Powdered Sugar Donuts
intro
Soft, pillowy fried ring donuts coated in a cloud of sweet powdered sugar, a nostalgic, melt-in-your-mouth homestyle treat for cozy sweet cravings.
Ingredients
Steps
Mix the donut dough
In a large mixing bowl, combine warmed whole milk, granulated sugar, and active dry yeast; let rest 5 minutes until the surface looks foamy. Add melted cooled unsalted butter, room-temperature large egg, fine salt, and all-purpose flour, stirring with a wooden spoon until a shaggy, soft dough forms that pulls cleanly away from the bowl sides.
Let dough rise
Cover the bowl tightly with a clean damp kitchen towel, set it in a warm (24°C/75°F) draft-free spot for 20 minutes, until the dough doubles in volume and springs back slowly when poked with a floured finger.
Cut donut shapes
Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, roll it to an even 1/2-inch (1cm) thickness. Use a 3-inch (7.5cm) round donut cutter (or a drinking glass and small bottle cap for the center hole) to cut 8 donuts and matching donut holes, re-rolling dough scraps only once to avoid tough donuts.
Heat frying oil
Pour vegetable oil into a deep heavy-bottomed pot, attach a clip-on candy thermometer, and heat over medium heat to 350°F (175°C), adjusting the stovetop heat as needed to hold this steady temperature for the entire frying process.
Fry donuts until golden
Carefully drop 2-3 donuts at a time into the hot oil (do not overcrowd the pot), frying for 90 seconds per side until they turn a deep, even golden brown. Use a slotted metal spoon to transfer cooked donuts to a wire rack set over paper towels to drain for 1 minute, letting excess oil drip off.
Coat in powdered sugar
Add powdered sugar to a large, sealable paper bag or shallow mixing bowl. Toss warm (not piping hot, ~49°C/120°F) donuts and holes in the sugar 2-3 at a time, turning to coat every surface fully in a thick, even layer of powdered sugar. Serve immediately for best texture.
Tips
2.Wait 1 full minute after frying to coat donuts in powdered sugar: donuts that are too hot will melt the sugar into a gummy, sticky coating instead of a light, powdery layer.
3.Do not overwork dough scraps when re-rolling for extra donuts: over-kneaded dough will produce tough, dense donuts instead of light, fluffy ones.
I’ve been making powdered sugar donuts for my grandkids for over 40 years, and let me tell you, this recipe is just as good as my old handwritten one! The pinch of nutmeg in the dough gives it that perfect classic donut flavor I’ve been chasing in other online recipes. My oldest grandson said these taste even better than the ones we get at the Panama City Beach boardwalk every summer. 10/10!
Brought these to my neighborhood block party potluck this past weekend and I cannot tell you how many people stopped by to ask for the recipe. I added a tiny pinch of cinnamon to the powdered sugar for a little extra warmth and it was chef’s kiss. So much better than the grocery store donut holes I almost grabbed as a last minute backup!
Wait, hold on, no local donut shop has anything on these. I baked a batch last weekend and they’re perfect. Fluffy, not greasy at all since they’re baked not fried? Total game changer. I was worried baked donuts would be dry and crumbly but these are so moist and tender. 10/10 will be a Sunday staple in my house from now on.
These turned out really tasty overall! The recipe was super straightforward, even for someone who mostly sticks to boxed baked goods, lol. Only issue I ran into was my powdered sugar kept sliding right off the donuts once they cooled. Did I mess up a step? Flavor was still amazing though, my roommate ate three in one sitting!
SO good! I meal prepped a batch of these for my work week breakfasts and they held up perfectly in an airtight container for three days. I was worried they’d get soggy or the sugar would melt, but they stayed nice and fluffy the whole time. Way better than grabbing a sad overpriced donut from the gas station on my commute. Saved me like $15 this week already!
My kids loved it! I’ve been looking for an easy after-school snack that doesn’t require a ton of fancy ingredients or hours of work, and this checked every box. 40 minutes total from start to first bite? Unbeatable. My 4-year-old even helped toss them in the powdered sugar, which kept him busy for a solid 10 minutes (win for dad!). Will be making these on repeat!
OMG these donuts are SO good! I whipped them up for my roommate’s birthday brunch this morning and everyone was begging for the recipe. They were so light and fluffy, not dense at all like the other homemade donut recipes I’ve tried before. The powdered sugar coating is perfect, not cloyingly sweet. Total game changer for weekend baking!
Wait this recipe looks so doable! I’m a total baking newbie and I’ve been scared to try making donuts at home because I thought they required frying and a ton of fancy equipment. 40 minutes and easy difficulty? I’m swinging by the grocery store right after work today to grab all the ingredients to make these tonight. Fingers crossed mine turn out as fluffy as the photos!
Just popped a tray of these in my dorm oven! The batter came together so easily even with our tiny janky apartment oven and minimal baking supplies. My roommates are already hovering by the kitchen waiting for them to be done, the whole hall smells like warm donuts already. Will update later how they taste!
First time ever attempting homemade donuts! I’ve been scrolling easy donut recipes for an hour and this one looked the most foolproof. I don’t have any fancy tools so I’m using the muffin tin + foil trick I saw mentioned in another comment, fingers crossed they come out light and fluffy!