These original glazed donuts are light and chewy and a good way to get anyone out of bed in the morning. Who can resist a Krispy Kreme recipe copycat?
I love living in London, but there are just some things on the other side of the pond that I can’t get over here. However, I’m really really lucky that Krispy Kreme exists on both sides! It sounds silly, but a chewy and sweet Krispy Kreme donut really does make coping with homesickness a little easier.
Enjoy a Krispy Kreme donut anywhere and anytime with this copycat recipe
But this post isn’t about nostalgia. This post is about putting nostalgia in its place from your own worktop with a recipe for delicious glazed donuts that taste just like they are fresh from Krispy Kreme. This donut recipe is going to take you straight to that feeling you get, the moment walk into a Krispy Kreme shop and the “HOT NOW” neon light is on, telling you a fresh batch of chewy donuts has just been pulled out of the oven.
Better than the real thing — make this Krispy Kreme copycat into donut holes
Imagine, when you first open the door, you’re hit by the smell of sugar caramelizing. The sweet smell of the donuts frying is almost reminiscent of a county fair. But underneath the sweetness, you find the scent of fresh yeast that has been working hard at putting pockets of air in the donuts so they are perfectly puffy and chewy.
Each bite is sweet, chewy and incredibly irresistible
You might next see the counter lined with donuts — some proofed and ready to be added into the fryer, others on the cooling rack having just been transformed into a glistening golden color, and others shiny from the glaze as it hardens and sets.
I suspect you’ll reach for a donut next, and at that point, the glaze will stick to your fingers, tempting you to take a bite of the fresh donut. And once you take a bite, you’ll revel in the chewiness of the donut, as it compresses with each bite you take.
In between bites, you might just smack your lips to lick the glaze off, and when you’re done with the last bite, I’m sure I’ll hear you licking the last remnants of the glaze off your fingers.
If that hasn’t gotten you excited to make these donuts, get off my site now. Just kidding. Maybe you’re into the savory breakfast options? Or maybe you’re just a healthy breakfast type of person. I won’t judge, but I bet you know someone who would love these glazed donuts.
If you’d like to pass on this link and recipe to them, I’d really appreciate it! Now so you can get cooking these Krispy Kreme copycat donuts… the recipe.
Glazed Donuts (Krispy Kreme Recipe Copycat)
These original glazed donuts are light and chewy and a good way to get anyone out of bed in the morning. Who can resist a Krispy Kreme recipe copycat?
Ingredients
For the donuts
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk (300 milliliters)
- 2 1/4 teaspoon instant (quick-rise) yeast (7 grams) (one packet)
- 2 large eggs
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (113 grams) - melted and cooled
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50g)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 1/4 cups bread flour ( 535 grams) (plus more for rolling out the dough)
- oil (for frying)
For the glaze
- 4 cups powdered sugar (500 grams)
- 1/2 cup milk (120 milliliters)
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
To make the donuts
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In a medium bowl, heat the milk in the microwave until it is warm to the touch, about 45 seconds. Add in the yeast and give it gentle stir. Let the mixture sit until there is some foam on top, about 5 minutes.
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Using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, beat together the yeast mixture, the eggs, butter, sugar and salt until combined. Add in about half of the flour and mix until combined. Add in the remaining flour and mix until combined. During the mixing process, you may need to stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. If the dough is too wet to handle, add in flour 1 tablespoon at a time. Cover the bowl with a large kitchen towel, and leave it in a warm place to let it rise until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
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When the dough is done rising, pour it onto a well-floured surface and roll it to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut the donuts with a donut cutter, or with 2 different sized round cookie cutters (the large cutter should be about 3-inches in diameter). Save the donut holes. Knead scraps together, being careful not to overwork the dough, and repeat the process of rolling it out and cutting the donuts.
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Place the cut donuts on parchment paper, leaving room to rise between each one. (TIP: I place each donut on an individual piece of parchment paper, so it is easy to transfer into the hot oil for frying. See picture.) Cover the donuts with a kitchen towel and let them rise in a warm place until they are puffed up, about 45 minutes.
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About 15 minutes before the donuts are done rising, heat oil in a deep-fryer or large heavy-bottomed pot to 375°F/190°C. Place cooling racks on top of sheets of paper towels parchment paper, or line plates with paper towels.
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When the donuts are ready and the oil is hot, carefully add the donuts to the oil, a few at a time without overcrowding your deep-fryer or pot. (TIP: I find that it is easier to place the entire parchment paper in the oil with the donuts, so I don't accidentally "stretch" out the donuts. Once the donuts are in the oil, you can easily remove the parchment paper with tongs.) When the bottom of the donuts are golden, about 45 seconds, flip the donuts over using a spatula. Cook until the other side is also golden. Donut holes will cook quicker. Remove donuts with a tong or slotted spatula, and place on the prepared racks or plates. Repeat with the remaining donuts, making sure to keep the oil at the right temperature.
To make the glaze
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In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, milk and salt until smooth. If you prefer a thinner glaze on the donuts, add in more milk one teaspoon at a time.
To serve
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Place a cooling rack on top of paper towels or parchment paper for easy clean up.
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Dip one side of the fried donuts into the glaze. Flip the donut over using a fork. Carefully transfer the glazed donut to the prepared cooking rack. The glaze will slowly drip off the donuts as it sets. Repeat with remaining donuts.
Recipe Notes
Donut recipe adapted from Mark Bittman on The New York Times.
I do not have a dough hook or stand mixer, I only have a hand mixer. What would you suggest to do ? Knead the dough by hand?
Yes, you can always knead the dough by hand. A general guess is that it will probably take about 8-12 minutes of kneading, but it depends on how you knead it. Knead it until the dough feels well stretched. You can take a look here for some detailed pictures and descriptions: http://darkchocolatealchemist.com/food-manual-doughnuts/.
I have made this recipe several times now, always turns out great!! My family loves it. I just followed the instructions exactly and the perfect donuts. Thank you for this recipe. I have tried other donut recipes but this is the only one we have repeated.
Can i store the batch in the fridge and use it for later? I have lots of the dough left and i really don’t want to throw it out..
Hi Nikhila, I haven’t tried refrigerating the dough before since we always finish off the entire batch! Refrigerating it will likely affect the texture because the yeast will continue to work, but I can’t tell you exactly how it will change since I haven’t tried it before.
Greetings from Spain!
Thank you for the recipe, made it twice and Love it! but yet have to perfect it.
my doubt is the mixing time. in the directions you say mix until combined…but just combined? or supersmooth combined?
a time frame would be fab! :)
and one more…have you ever refrigerated the dough overnight? if so, did you leave on the countertop to get to room temperature? or began working with it right away?
Thank you very much!
Hi Maria, I’m glad you made the donuts and love it! The dough will come together when it is properly mixed and the ingredients are combined, and it should have a smooth feel to it. Make sure you don’t have pockets of flour, or any other ingredients in the dough. I’ve never refrigerated the dough overnight before, so sorry i can’t answer your question. If you give that a try, I’d be interested to hear how it turns out! Enjoy!
Hi, my yeast is the same as yours but with the wole milk, it hasnt rised and has been 20 minutes!!
It sounds like your yeast is no longer alive and active. The foam is proof that the yeast is still alive. Hope you are able to try the recipe with a new packet of yeast.
Couple of questions:
1. If you’re using “instant” yeast why are you putting it in the warm milk to foam? Wouldn’t you be able to just add it in with the milk, egg, etc.?
2. Are you using unbleached bread flour?
Thank you
Hi Barbara, apologies for a slow response. You’re correct and you don’t need to proof the yeast. Most yeast packages don’t call for proofing in the directions. It’s habit that I always proof any yeast I use though, just in case. I don’t want to risk wasting a full recipe because the yeast is not active. And if the dough doesn’t rise as much as I expect, I can rule out the yeast as a factor (then I’ll check the room temperature, etc.). I think the bread flour I use is bleached – it doesn’t say otherwise, so I’m assuming it is bleached. Hope this helps!
How long do these donuts last ? Would they last longer before glazed?
THIS RECIPE IS AMAZING!!!
thanks for sharing..
love from Indonesia :*
These donuts were perfect. My second batch is proofing right now :)
Tip: don’t overwork your dough and be sure to let them proof again after you cut them.
Hi Tina
I love donuts but find myself ill due to the wheat flour
Is there any other flour you could use?
I’ll still give it try as the rest of the family likes them to
Regards Anita
can i use all purpose flour ?
Yes, you should be able to use all purpose flour in this recipe. All purpose flour generally has less protein than bread flour, meaning less gluten development. You might notice a slight difference in crumb and rise. But generally, yes, it should be fine.
Hi Tina,
Our donuts were also too dry inside. Can you suggest something for that? Inside of the donuts are like normal bread otherwise it would be amazing.
Thanks for your help!
Hi Mert, there could be a number of factors that would cause the donut to be dry and / or bread like. Most likely, it could be the dough was not properly proofed or the dough was mixed too much before proofing. I hope that solves it for you!
Hi Tina,
Thanks for your answer.
My guesses are:
1-I felt like my wife added some extra flour on it because she was telling that dough is too much sticky and she even can’t take them from table if she won’t put some more flour (Honestly it was seeming like really too much sticky. So that maybe she was right and this thing was not because of this issue.) I know that it should be a bit sticky but it’s not so easy to do the best stiffness.
2- We waited for about 75 minutes for the yeast fermentation – maybe that would caused it to be more likely bread. (maybe this one is related to your suggestion, maybe we also mixed too much)
We’ll try again soon and let you know the result – to avoid anyone else to do the same mistake and do the most delicious donuts as much as yours!.
This dounut recipe is the best
Does it have to be whole milk? I have everything except my milk is 2% :)
Hello Tina,
I live in France, I’m a huge fan of those krispy kreme donuts and unfortunately, we don’t have krispy kreme here in France (I know…). Donuts taste really bad here (not our specialty), so I finally decided to try my own donuts and your recipe looks so good and you have really positive comments, everyone seems very happy with their results. I really want to try it !
Getting to my problem… Instant yeast is very hard to find in France and I couldn’t find any around where I live. Could your recipe work with regular yeast ? Or another kind ? For how long should I let my dough rise with another yeast ?
Thank you in advance, and thank you for sharing your recipes.
Hi Kaya, The short answer is yes, you can use regular active yeast for the recipe. I haven’t tried it with this recipe before, but from my experience, you may need to use about 25% more of the regular active yeast. Make sure you proof the yeast. As for the rising time, it may take a bit longer, and you can judge by watching the dough. After the first rise, the dough will need to double in size. After the second rise, the doughnuts should puff up and the dough should bounce back when you push into it. Hope this helps!
Yes it helps a lot ! Thank you !
It’s 9am here in France, so I’m starting my dough. Hope they come out as good as yours.
Thanks again
Great! I really hope you enjoy the donuts! Please feel free to share your tweaks to the recipe using the active yeast here.
Me again, so tried the donuts with the active yeast and the dough had doubled after 40min ! But it took a bit longer for the donuts to get plump (not sure this is the right term) after cutting and covering them. About 1h… Anyway the yeast worked pretty well. Unfortunately my donuts weren’t that good :( I’m not sure what I did wrong, but they were kind of dry and not as chewy as donuts are supposed to be. The texture just wasn’t right, they tasted like a regular “beignet” we find here in France. Any advice ? But for a first time I think it was ok, I just have to improve my technique and I’m sure I’ll get it right ;) (and nobody in my family ever tasted KK so they didn’t notice my mistake, and everybody enjoyed them).
Anyway thank you for replying and helping me !
Hi Kaya, I’m happy to hear you made them! I think the texture may have been different because of the amount of active yeast and different rise time. It sounds like maybe there wasn’t enough gluten formation. Baking with yeast is always tricky too, because the temperature and humidity of your kitchen may influence the rise too. I’m glad your family enjoyed it though!
I love baking and hate frying because i always taste the type of oil used in the final product. What oil do you suggest using for this? Being as specific as possible will be most appreciated (down to the brand used).
Hi Jasmine, I tend to use sunflower oil for frying since it is neutral in taste and has a high smoke point. No specific brand preference. Hope this helps!
If you want to be as close to Krispy Kreme, and this is coming from a Georgian, the proper oil is shortning. It’s observed less that other oil as well!!
*Absorbed
i love krispy kreme glazed donuts they are you so good
This recipe is perfect. It worked perfectly from the first try and I keep recommending it to friends. So easy and simple. The dough doesn’t get sticky and it’s not hard to shape or to move. Thank you so much.
Like to know could you use the recipe to make the jelly filled Donuts
hi, when mixing the donut dough, do i have to mix until it forms a ball and the batter is elastic (like bread) or not?
Checking on the specific ingredient bread flour…..is this all purpose flour for baking with NO baking powder or is this self-rising flour? Considering the yeast makes the dough rise….I am thinking all purpose is used for this recipe. Can I get a response soon before I butcher my “Krispy Kremes”? I no longer drive….even though my closet Krispy Kreme is only a mere 30 minutes away from my residence. I would love to make my own and enjoy them whenever I am in the mood. I will rate the recipe upon completion of the trial run. Thanks in advance for the answer to my question.
Hi Dora, bread flour is flour with a higher protein count than all-purpose flour. It has no baking powder. If you don’t have any bread flour, you can substitute with all-purpose flour, though the final product might not be as chewy.
Thanks for the response…..I was actually at the market on the same day you responded and found bread flour in the baking needs department. I logged on today and just saw your response. I have yet to try the recipe but have intentions of trying it this weekend as a special Sunday treat.
My goodness…..one of my go to things is cooking when feeling blue or have too much on my mind…just lost my sweet mother-in-law Feb 5….I was her final days caregiver as she was diagnosed with lung cancer and lymphoma. She was with me in my home for 43 days…I made her 3 meals a day up until she couldn’t eat…I made the Krispy Kreme donuts yesterday with the ow of tears at times finding my view of the recipe. I found out that I only had a teaspoon of white granulated sugar so the remaining sugar was Brown sugar with my fingers crossed…lol…they were so good….I posted pics on FB and everyone was begging for the recipe…( which I had posted 2 weeks ago. ) Everything turned out perfect….I was short one cup of powdered sugar so the donut holes got cinnamon sugar after rolling them around in the glaze bowl to help the cinnamon sugar stick. Thanks for all you do…and Milo is a doll! Congrats!
The texture was wonderful- light and airy like a krispy kreme but I just didnt get the flavor of krispy kreme. It was still good. Dang I wish I knew their secret. I wonder if it’s the kind of oil and the powdered sugar glaze looks the same but tastes a bit different. Still this will be my go to recipe for making doughnuts from now on. Thanks for sharing!
Krispy Kreme donuts taste like sweetened condensed milk to me;) maybe that’s what theses are missing;) I plan on playing around with this recipe and substituting some of the milk & sugar for sweetend condensed milk, fingers crossed!
Canola oil is better than sunflower.
Can you use a hand mixer if you don’t have a stand mixer
The stand mixer has a much more powerful motor to handle the dough. You could always knead the dough by hand – give yourself a work out :) (sorry for my slow reply)
I did this recipe the first time with all purpose flour because I didn’t have bread flour and regular yeast, they came out perfect, not sticky no need to fry in paper, 2nd time I try to do these used the bread flour and quick rise, they were a complete flop, I threw all in garbage can. Next week I’m doing it all again with all purpose flour.
Everyone loved them
This is the first time I made this recipe but I wasn’t to fond of it. I think it was my fupaw I think I added too much flour the donuts didn’t set right and I thought they were to tacky. So I think I’ll reserve judgement for another day when I can make this again.
These were so delicious. I halved the recipe and got 10 donuts (and some ugly scraps which I also fried) My family and I finished the whole plate so quickly. For some of the donuts I added a little lemon rind and juice to the glaze. I also didn’t wait 45 minutes for the donuts to prove again because I just couldn’t :) so the donuts weren’t as airy as they could have been but they were still delicious of course. Maybe the next time I make these, I’ll wait….maybe I wont.
Can you make the dough the night before than put it in the fridge until the morning?
I just loved this recipe! The “krispy kreme” was perfect!!! Thank you for share!
These sound wonderful but I don’t have a stand mixer. Would these still Come out okay if I just hand nixed this?
I almost cried when I finished and tasted this recipe. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️.
I know right….I was crying while making them…..(loss of family member recently). The first one done..drained and glazed was so perfect…I began crying tears of joy!
Yum!! Like many commenters above, we also moved abroad from the United States and miss our local “HOT NOW!” Krispy Kreme doughnuts. I have tried a number or different recipes for simple glazed doughnuts; all were yummy but none as delicious and pretty as these. Also, I found this dough much easier to handle than other recipes I have tried and the doughnuts kept their shape better. The tip about keeping the doughnuts on little squares of parchment paper straight into the oil was brilliant. My kids and husband thank you heartily, TIna! :)
It’s hard to find words….
These. Are. The. Bomb.
Thanks so much for the recipe, I will now live off these for the rest of my life
I just made a batch last night. They were delicious! Loved this recipe because the the donuts did not turn out greasy, but fluffy and plump. I am going to keep making them and impress other people as well!
Hi, thanks for sharing the recipe. I have tried it and it was tasty.
Thanks so much for the recipe, missing anything resembling a decent doughnut in Norway. A lot simpler than another recipe I had tried, possibly better. I feel it is missing something in the mouthfeel department though, but maybe that is just because it was a first attempt. Will be certainly making this, or something very similar next time!
Hi Parker, thanks for the comment. I’m glad you enjoyed it. Sometimes dough is tricky to work with, especially if it has to be left to rise. The different temperatures between your kitchen and my kitchen will make a difference on how long it takes the dough to rest. I’m guessing that might have caused some variation between the donuts, and might affect the mouthfeel. If you make it again with tweaks to the recipe, I’d love to hear your changes!
Hi, I made this recipe again, albeit a smaller batch as my work colleagues don’t deserve to be given such nice treats! This time I used a non sweet yeast and it worked great! although I am finding that I am using a fair amount of four more than what is stated in your original recipe, but we I am not sure if we get strong flour here. I find I am using nearly a third more flour to get the right consistency. I also added some vanilla extract into the dough, though I don’t think it is necessary.
But, can you explain why go through the hassle of making a yeast starter with the milk? Surely this is just more washing up!
One last thought is, we aren’t fortunate enough to have anything that resembles a doughnut cutter in the house, so I have been cutting the dough into strips and making them by hand, which works fairly well too. Once again, thank you for a fantastic and simple recipe, I don’t think I would go for a shop bought doughnut again!
Hi Parker, glad that you’ve made the recipe again! Sorry for my slow response. I always proof my yeast before adding it into the recipe (even if the recipe doesn’t call for it, and even if the jar of yeast says it can be added directly into the recipe). The last thing I want is to go through all the trouble of kneading dough and waiting for delicious donuts, only to find out the yeast isn’t active. By making the starter with milk, you can “prove” that the yeast is active. Maybe I’m old school :)
I do the same thing (proof the yeast) and I learned to do that in a college cooking class lol. As far as ways to cut out the doughnuts, I pressed out the doughnuts on wax paper and used a large glass dipped in flour to cut the circles and used a shot glass dipped in flour for.the holes. It worked perfectly!
Delicious. These are worth the effort, calories. As a completely novice donut maker, I got compliments like, “these not only look perfect, they taste perfect!” Thank you, Tina.
Hi Beth, I’m so glad you made these and enjoyed them! Thank for sharing :)
Despite not having a sweet tooth I do occasionally go on a donut making binge but always to ‘stuffed’ donuts with either jam or cream, I really should give something like this a go sometime :)
OMG it has been YEARS since I had a Krispy Kreme donut! I forbid myself to buy them, but MAKING them is a different story!
The Krispy Kreme near us just closed and we were so sad! So glad I saw this post — this is the first copy cat recipe I’ve seen, so the timing is perfect :)
These are so very cute. I watched a documentary once about fat and sugar. Apparently they analysed the Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts and found them to be the perfect mix of sugar and fat that sends our brains crazy and makes us want more the moment we eat one.
Also, it’s the reason they sell more of the glazed kind than any other flavour! Well I thought that was interesting, I hope you did too :-)
I really want one of these right now. So the science has worked!
There are Krispy Kreme donuts in Australia but mostly in kiosks in 7-eleven or at rest stops on the highway. I miss walking into the shop like I did (many) years ago in Knoxville. I’ve lived here for 20 years but food still makes the homesickness for family and friends better.
I haven’t made these donuts for so long. It’s about time I did and I’m going to use your recipe.