Sprinkles Donut
intro
Fluffy, soft fried donuts coated in smooth vanilla glaze and crunchy rainbow sprinkles— a nostalgic, crowd-pleasing sweet treat for all ages.
Ingredients
Steps
Mix and proof dough
In a large mixing bowl, combine warm 43°C (110°F) dough milk, 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar, and active dry yeast. Let rest 5 minutes until foamy, then stir in remaining sugar, cooled melted butter, room-temperature eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla, salt, and all-purpose flour. Mix with a stand mixer dough hook on low speed for 4 minutes until a soft, smooth, slightly tacky dough forms. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm 24°C (75°F), draft-free spot for 1 hour until doubled in volume.
Roll and cut donuts
Punch down the risen dough firmly to release trapped air, then turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll dough to an even 1.25cm (1/2 inch) thickness with a wooden rolling pin. Use an 8cm (3 inch) round donut cutter to cut classic ring shapes, re-rolling dough scraps only once to cut additional donuts. Place cut donuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rest 20 minutes until slightly puffed.
Heat frying oil
Pour neutral vegetable oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, and heat over medium heat until the oil reaches a steady 175°C (350°F), measured with a clip-on candy thermometer. Adjust stovetop heat as needed to hold this temperature consistently throughout frying, as fluctuating heat causes greasy or burnt donuts.
Fry donuts until golden
Carefully lower 2-3 donuts into the hot oil at a time, taking care not to overcrowd the pot which drops oil temperature. Fry each donut for 90 seconds per side, until deep, even golden brown on both surfaces. Use the slotted spoon to lift cooked donuts out of the oil, letting excess oil drain for 2 seconds, then transfer them to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Let donuts cool completely for 15 minutes before glazing.
Make vanilla glaze
While donuts cool, whisk together powdered sugar, 30ml (2 tablespoons) of glaze milk, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract in a shallow wide bowl until completely smooth with no lumps. Adjust consistency as needed: add 1 extra teaspoon of milk if the glaze is too thick to dip, or 2 extra tablespoons of powdered sugar if the glaze is thin and runny.
Add glaze and sprinkles
Dip the curved top half of each cooled donut fully into the vanilla glaze, holding it over the bowl for 5 seconds to let excess glaze drip off. Immediately press the glazed surface into the dish of rainbow sprinkles to coat evenly in a thick layer of sprinkles. Set finished donuts back on the wire rack for 10 minutes to let the glaze set fully before serving.
Tips
2.Wait until donuts are completely room temperature before glazing: warm donuts will melt the vanilla glaze, causing it to slide off and take sprinkles with it for a messy, uneven coating.
3.Use long, jimmie-style rainbow sprinkles instead of tiny round non-pareils for the classic crunchy, nostalgic texture; non-pareils bleed color easily and do not stick as evenly to the glaze.
OMG these donuts are a total game changer! My kids loved it so much they asked to help roll out the dough the next time I make ‘em. The glaze sets perfectly and doesn’t get all sticky and messy even when we packed a couple for my oldest’s school snack. SO good, way better than the grocery store donuts we usually grab for busy mornings.
Wait, I’m a total newbie to working with yeast dough and I was so nervous this would be too hard (medium difficulty had me sweating ngl) but the step-by-step instructions were so clear! The only issue I had was my glaze came out a little runny at first—did I add too much milk?
Brought these to our neighborhood block party potluck last weekend and they were the first thing gone off the dessert table! Everyone was asking me for the recipe, I swear half the people there left with a link to this page. The rainbow sprinkles make them so festive, they fit right in with all the summer party decor.
Made these in my tiny dorm kitchen with my roommate last night and we didn’t even have a proper donut cutter—we used a big mason jar for the donuts and a water bottle cap for the holes lmao. Turned out so good, our whole floor could smell them and people kept knocking asking for a bite.
Wait, did anyone else have trouble with the dough not rising as much as the recipe says? I left it in a warm spot for the full hour like instructed but it barely doubled in size, so my donuts came out a little denser than I expected. They still tasted great, just not as fluffy as the photos look.
Has anyone tried making these ahead of time for meal prep? I’d love to make a batch on Sunday to have for quick breakfasts during the work week but I’m worried they’ll get stale before Friday.
These are SO good, I was worried the glaze would be that weird crunchy sugary mess some donut glazes turn into but this one stays smooth and glossy. I added a little extra vanilla extract to mine because I’m obsessed with vanilla, chef’s kiss. 10/10 would make again for my next movie night with friends.
I swapped the regular rainbow sprinkles for neon rainbow ones for my daughter’s birthday breakfast and it was such a hit! The donuts were so bright and fun, she said they tasted like birthday cake. Only thing is I burned the first batch a little because I got distracted opening presents, oops.
Wait how much did this cost to make vs buying donuts from the shop? I feel like fancy donuts are like $4 each these days, this seems way more affordable to make at home for the whole family.
I didn’t feel like dealing with hot oil so I baked these in my air fryer at 350 for 8 minutes instead of frying them and they still turned out amazing! A little less crispy on the outside than fried but still so fluffy and the glaze sticks perfectly. Great lighter swap if you don’t want fried food.
Wait the 2 hour cook time including rise time had me hesitant because I don’t have a ton of time to cook after work, but most of that is just waiting for the dough to rise! I did the first rise while I made dinner and helped the kids with homework, and it was so easy to fit into our busy weeknight. Will definitely be adding these to our regular rotation.
Is there a way to make the glaze dairy free? My son has a milk allergy and I’d love to make these for his upcoming soccer team snack day, half the team has dairy sensitivities too.
I used to work at a donut shop in high school and I can confirm this recipe is legit. The dough texture is exactly the same as the raised donuts we used to make every morning, and the glaze ratio is spot on. Save yourself the trip and the money and make these at home, you won’t regret it.
Pro tip for anyone making these: lay down a sheet of parchment paper under your cooling rack when you dip the donuts in glaze. I made the mistake of glazing them right on my counter and I was scrubbing dried glaze off for like 20 minutes after lmao
Don’t throw away the donut holes you cut out! I fried those up too, tossed them in cinnamon sugar, and they were the best little snack while I was waiting for the full size donuts to cool. My husband ate half the donut holes before I even got to glaze the big donuts, smh
I made these for our 4th of July party and swapped the regular rainbow sprinkles for red, white, and blue sprinkles and they were so festive! Everyone thought I bought them from a fancy bakery, I can’t believe how professional they looked for a homemade treat. Already planning to make them with Halloween themed sprinkles in October.