These Perfect Sugar Donuts are light and fluffy, and deliciously chewy. Covered in sugar, they’re a mix of yeasty flavor and melt-in-your-mouth sweetness.
For more yummy donuts, try our glazed air fryer donuts and amazing mochi donuts.
Table Of Contents
- The Very Best Sugar Donuts
- What you’ll need
- Yeast-raised donuts vs. cake donuts
- How to Make Perfect Sugar Donuts
- Oil Temperature For Frying Donuts
- Pro Tips for the best donuts
- Tasty ways to Serve them
- How to Store Sugar Donuts
- Can you make these ahead of time?
- More Delicious Donut Recipes!
- Full Recipe Instructions
The Very Best Sugar Donuts
These Sugar Donuts are sweet, chewy, and practically dissolve in your mouth. It’s impossible to eat just one. This recipe has quite a few steps, but if you follow it closely, you’ll end up with a plate of some seriously awesome sugar donuts. They have the perfect mix of yeasty flavor, fluffy dough, and crunchy sweet sugar granules on top. These can be eaten as is, or dressed up with your favorite toppings or fillings. You’ll love serving these to guests after dinner or bringing them out for a coffee break.
What you’ll need
These Sugar Donuts are made with Whole milk, Dry active yeast, Granulated sugar, All-purpose flour, Salt, Unsalted butter, Eggs, Vanilla extract, and Corn oil for frying.
Yeast-raised donuts vs. cake donuts
There are two main types of donuts. Cake donuts are made with a special cake batter that is leavened with baking powder. Yeast-raised donuts, like these sugar donuts, use yeast to give them their fluffy, airy texture. Yeast donuts are also more chewy than cake donuts, which are more dense and crumbly.
How to Make Perfect Sugar Donuts
- Froth the yeast. In a large measuring cup, combine the warm milk, dry active yeast, and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Whisk them together and let the mixture froth for 5-10 minutes.
- Combine dough ingredients. In a stand mixer, add the flour, rest of the sugar, salt, butter, egg and egg yolks, vanilla, and yeast mixture. Begin mixing the donut dough with the hook attachment at low speed.
- Mix the dough. Once there are no more dry patches of flour, bring the speed up to high and continue mixing for 10-15 minutes. The dough should be a little sticky and tacky to the touch.
- Let the dough rise. Grease a large bowl (I used about 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil) and place the dough in it. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise for 1-2 hours, or until it doubles or even triples in size.
- Roll out the dough. Once the dough has finished rising, punch it down and place it on a floured surface. Roll it out with a rolling pin to about 1/2-inch thick.
- Cut out donut circles. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter or glass cup, cut out circles in the dough. Once you’ve cut out as many as you can, reshape and roll out the scraps, and then cut out more circles. You should get about 16 sugar donuts in total.
- Let them rise again. Place the cut-out donuts on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and cover it with a thin kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let them rise for 30 minutes.
- Fry the donuts. In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat 2 inches of corn oil to 340 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry each donut for about 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Then use a large slotted spoon to transfer the donuts to a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
- Cover the donuts in sugar. Once the donuts have cooled and are only warm now, roll them in a bowl with 1 cup of granulated sugar. Then serve and enjoy these perfect sugar donuts.
Oil Temperature For Frying Donuts
When frying donuts, you want to use a high smoke point oil like canola, vegetable, or corn oil. Keep the oil at around 340 degrees Fahrenheit at all times. The best way to monitor oil temperature is by using an instant-read thermometer.
Pro Tips for the best donuts
- Use warm milk with the yeast. In order to activate the yeast so it froths and makes the donuts fluffy, you need the milk to be about 108 degrees Fahrenheit. If the yeast doesn’t froth, your milk may not have been the right temperature or the yeast might be expired. Discard and try again.
- Mix the dough for the full 10-15 minutes. I know it’s tempting to rush the dough mixing because it looks combined, but make sure it continues to mix the entire time. This working of the dough is what gives the donuts the right consistency.
- Let the dough rise for more time rather than less. During the first rise, the donut dough should double or even triple in size. The more time you allow it to rise, the fluffier and airier your sugar donuts will be. Allow them to go the full 1-2 hours.
- Use an instant-read thermometer for the frying oil. Keeping the oil temperature at 340 degrees Fahrenheit consistently is important because it ensures that the donuts cook through and also don’t burn. A thermometer can help you check the oil periodically.
Tasty ways to Serve them
These Sugar Donuts can be served just as they are, covered in granulated sugar. But if you want to pretty them up, you could top them with chocolate ganache or raspberry sauce. Or you could fill them with custard or strawberry jam. They are simple enough to complement any flavor combination you like.
How to Store Sugar Donuts
To keep fresh donuts from going stale, the best thing to do is place them in a ziplock bag. You could also place them on a plate and wrap them with plastic wrap. If they are not exposed to air, they can stay fresh for 2 days at room temperature. In the refrigerator, they will last a few extra days.
Can you make these ahead of time?
Yes, you can start making the dough the day before. If you want to save some time the day you plan to serve these Sugar Donuts, follow the recipe up until the donuts are cut out of the dough. Place them on the baking sheet and cover them with plastic wrap. Then leave them in the fridge overnight to rise. In the morning, leave them on the counter for an hour or so to finish rising, then fry, coat with sugar, and serve.
More Delicious Donut Recipes!
- The Best Chocolate Donuts
- Maple Donut Bars From Scratch
- Air Fryer Donuts
- The BEST Mochi Donuts Recipe (VIDEO)
- Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts
Full Recipe Instructions
Perfect Sugar Donuts
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk warm
- 2½ tsp dry active yeast
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Corn oil for frying
Instructions
Let the yeast mixture froth up
- Start off by making the yeast mixture first. In a large measuring cup, add 1 cup of warm milk (108 degrees Fahrenheit), 2½ tsp dry active yeast, and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar.
- Whisk it up and let it froth up for about 5-10 minutes.
Add all dough ingredients into your stand mixer
- Now, in a stand mixer, add 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, 1 large egg, 2 large egg yolks, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and the frothy yeast mixture.
- Using the hook attachment, begin mixing the dough on low speed. Once there are no more dry patches of flour visible, pick the speed up to high. Continue mixing the dough for about 10-15 minutes. Yes, it takes time to get the right dough consistency. The dough should be just a little sticky and tacky to the touch.
Let the dough rise
- Then take the dough and place it into a large greased bowl (I greased mine with 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil).
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise for about one to two hours or until it doubles or even triples in size. The more the dough rises, the fluffier your donuts will be.
Roll, cut, and rise the dough again
- Once the dough is done rising, punch it down and place it onto a floured surface. Then use a rolling pin to roll the donut dough to about 1/2 inch thick.
- Now cut out circles using a 3-inch biscuit cutter or glass cup. After you’ve cut out the donuts, reshape the scraps, then roll them out and cut out some more circles. You should get about 16 donuts from the recipe.
- Place the cut out donuts onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then cover them with a thin kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rise for 30 minutes.
Fry the donuts and cover in sugar
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat 2 inches of corn oil to 340 degrees Fahrenheit. I recommend using an instant-read thermometer to monitor the oil temperature.
- Now fry each donut for about 2 minutes per side. You want them to be golden brown. Then use a large slotted spoon to transfer the fried donuts to a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
- Once the fried donuts cool to a warm temperate, roll them in a bowl of granulated sugar. 1 cup of sugar should be more than enough for all the donuts.
Notes
- Use warm milk with the yeast. In order to activate the yeast so it froths and makes the donuts fluffy, you need the milk to be about 108 degrees Fahrenheit. If the yeast doesn’t froth, your milk may not have been the right temperature or the yeast might be expired. Discard and try again.
- Mix the dough for the full 10-15 minutes. I know it’s tempting to rush the dough mixing because it looks combined, but make sure it continues to mix the entire time. This working of the dough is what gives the donuts the right consistency.
- Let the dough rise for more time rather than less. During the first rise, the donut dough should double or even triple in size. The more time you allow it to rise, the fluffier and airier your sugar donuts will be. Allow them to go the full 1-2 hours.
- Use an instant-read thermometer for the frying oil. Keeping the oil temperature at 340 degrees Fahrenheit consistently is crucial because it ensures that the donuts cook through and also don’t burn. A thermometer can help you check the oil periodically
Nutrition
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Diana says
I like this recipe a lot for the clear instructions, but the final product was a tad flavorless. I finished half of the batch as sugar coated and the other half chocolate glaze with sprinkles but neither topping was really enough to overcome the donut itself. It rose BEAUTIFULLY though, extremely fluffy and fried perfectly in canola oil (which was all I had)
Dina says
Hi Diana, I am glad to hear the recipe was easy to follow. Maybe try to add a little more sugar next time? I hope that helps 🙂
Sususan says
Is using instant yeast and active yeast the same? Or would it affect the recipe?
Dina says
Hi Susuan you can use instant yeast. The only thing you would need to change is the part where you activate the yeast in warm milk. Instead you would just add all the ingredients straight into the mixer bowl.
Leo says
Hi, thanks for sharing your recipe, could I please get the quantities in grams, it’s just easier for me to measure everything that way, thanks
Dina says
Hi Leo, if you scroll down to the printable recipe card, there is an option to convert the recipe into metric. I hope that helps 🙂
Nisa Mohamed says
Perfectly fluffy and the sugar coating was the best end touch !
Dina I wanted to ask after the first rise, I tried to roll out the dough but it keeps shrinking to small size, none of my doughnuts ended up the same size they’re all irregular and none are round. Would love advice thank you.
Dina says
Hi, I am thrilled to hear that you loved the taste of these donuts! I think the reason why they kept shrinking is due to under-fermentation, meaning they did not rise quite enough. Next time, try to let the dough proof a little longer.
Maime Clancy says
These are so good. These are real donuts. The only thing for me was my oil was too hot and they got brown before being fully cooked. Will have to try again.
Dina says
Hi Maime 🙂 I am very happy to hear you enjoyed these sugar donuts! The temperature definitely plays a role in the outcome. Thank you for your feedback and support! 🙂
Judy says
Can you use lard instead of corn oil for frying?
Dina says
Hi Judy 🙂 I have never tried it but it should work totally fine. It will affect the flavor a little though. If you give it a try let me know how it goes! 🙂
Maria Luna says
Yes I going to try to do this recipe of donuts.
Dina says
I hope you love the donuts, Maria!
Deb Ognian says
These donuts are awesome! Just like at the market I used almond milk in place of the whole milk and they came out great.
Dina says
I am so glad these donuts turned out great Deb! Thank you for taking the time to write your kind recipe review!
Linda keliikipi says
I need to know why do the malasadas get hallow inside. What am I doing wrong.
Please help it’s driving me crazy.
Dina says
Hi Linda, it sounds like your dough may have over proofed. If the dough is over-proofed you can get a hollow shell when fried. Then it will try to collapse a bit after. I hope that helps! 🙂
Serena says
Any tips to stop the sugar melting so quickly when they aren’t being eaten straight away ?
Dina says
Hi Serena, the donuts need to be dipped in the sugar right away so it adheres better while to donuts are warm. But I like to dip them in a second coat of sugar right before serving so they look freshly dipped.
Christine Martin says
Can you use 1% milk instead of whole milk. It’s what I have in the house. I also have table cream if that is a better option
Dina says
Yes you can use 1% milk with a splash of cream and you should be good to go 🙂
Darren says
Hi, so my dough after the rise (roughly) 2 hrs is extremely tacky and very difficult to work with. Rise was at least triple or more in volume. Should I be adding in more flour, beyond the flour surface and tools?? To allow the donuts to hold their shape better??
Thanks,
Dina says
Hi Darren, the texture of the dough sometimes depends on the type of four that was used. You are welcome to add a little bit of flour at a time. I would recommend adding about 2 tablespoons at a time. I hope that helps!
Michael varone says
Can I fill them with custard
Dina says
Yes, you most definitely can! 🙂
Anna says
Made these for my kids and they loved them! They were fluffy and delicious. Thank you for this sugar donuts recipe 🙂
simplyhomecooked says
You are very welcome Anna! Happy that you kids approved of these donuts 🙂 Thank you so much for your kind feedback 🙂
Nina says
Hi. These look yummy! Can I use whole wheat instead of white flour? If yes, will it be the same amount? Also, can you bake them instead of frying? Thanks!
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Nina, I have never tried using only whole wheat flour. Mixing AP flour and whole wheat flour 1:1 should give you good results. Using only whole wheat flour will make it too dense and the flavor will be different. Yes, you can bake these donuts instead of frying them 🙂