Making homemade donuts, a popular confection worldwide, is a skill worth mastering. Our easy to follow Cinnamon-Sugar Donuts will soon become your go-to base recipe for these melt-in-your-mouth delights. This versatile recipe suggests showering the warm donuts with cinnamon sugar, then gives you control, allowing your imagination and personal preferences to dictate the finished product.
Ace That Base
With our amazing base recipe and a few key pointers, perfectly fried donuts are only a few steps away.
- Check the expiry date on the package of yeast. Old or expired yeast won’t give donuts the rise they need.
- As directed in the recipe, knead the dough for eight to 10 minutes. This step is essential for developing the gluten in the dough, which gives donuts their tender texture.
- Make sure to grease the bowl that the dough will be resting in. This makes getting the risen dough out of the bowl easier.
- Dough should be left to rise in a warm, draft-free place. A cool, breezy location will prevent the dough from achieving its full rise.
- Use a 3-inch (8 cm) round cookie cutter to cut out donuts and a 1-inch (2.5 cm) cutter for the donut holes.
- After the donuts have been shaped, they need a second hour-long rise. Well-risen donuts are light and fluffy. Donuts that haven’t risen enough are dense and won’t fry properly.
Glaze of Glory
Now that you’ve mastered the recipe, it’s time to crown your creations with delicious glazes. Get started with one of our inspiring flavours.
-
The Jammy Dodger
The flavours of this popular British cookie — shortcake and raspberry jam — come together for a match made in donut heaven. Start with fresh puréed raspberries (strain out the seeds), then add raspberry jelly to taste, powdered sugar and a splash of vanilla extract to the purée and whisk until smooth. The glaze should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar. Dip the donuts in the glaze and sprinkle with crushed shortbread cookie crumbs.
-
The Earl Grey
Fragrant Earl Grey tea and donuts make an irresistible combination. For this topping, first brew a very strong cup of Earl Grey tea. Combine a few spoons of the tea with powdered sugar and a splash of whole milk. If the glaze is too thick, add more tea or milk to thin it out — it should be dense but pourable. Whisk until the glaze is lump-free, drizzle over donuts and enjoy!
-
The Hot Tamale
A little sweet and a little spicy — can other desserts even compete with the Hot Tamale? Combine powdered sugar, cocoa powder, milk and bit of vanilla extract and whisk until smooth. The glaze should be the consistency of melted chocolate. Dip the donuts and finish with a sprinkle of pure cinnamon and a smidge of cayenne pepper, but make sure the glaze is still wet so the spices will stick.
-
The Tropical Thunder
Take your taste buds on a tropical vacation with this crushed mango and toasted coconut glaze. Start by whisking together half a can of mango nectar and heaping spoonful of cornstarch in a microwaveable bowl. Add powdered sugar to taste and crushed mango, and whisk again. Microwave for a minute and a half, remove and mix. Then microwave again for 30 seconds. Cool the glaze, which should be the consistency of honey, dip the donuts and sprinkle with toasted coconut.
-
The Elvis Presley
Known for his love of fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches, the King himself would approve of this over-the-top donut. Mix together powdered sugar, creamy peanut butter, a couple spoonfuls of milk and a splash of vanilla extract. Because this is a thicker glaze (the texture of smooth peanut butter), it can be spread on the donuts with a knife or an offset spatula. Melt grape jelly in a pot on the stove and drizzle the donuts generously before finishing them with a sprinkle of crushed sweet banana chips.
