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These EASY Donut Holes are made completely without yeast, so you can have a classic donut hole without spending your whole day making them. They’re crunchy on the outside, soft and sweet on the inside and dusted with cinnamon sugar or a delicious glaze – they basically melt in your mouth!
These are the best doughnut holes you will ever have. They can be coated in many things like a classic cinnamon sugar or a sweet warm glaze. And since they have no yeast they’re done in minutes! You do have to fry them, but it’s way easier to do that then you think.
The secret to these donut balls is using my sweet cream biscuit recipe (with a couple variations) to make a soft and fluffy dough that’s perfect for frying – no rising time or fussy steps!
Ingredient in Homemade Donut Holes
- Granulated sugar sweetens the dough and for the cinnamon sugar topping. Powdered Sugar (confectioners’ sugar) will be used in the glaze.
- Heavy Whipping Cream gives that fluffy airy texture when mixed with milk so they’re not too rich, plus baking powder as leavener.
- Vegetable Oil will be what you fry the donuts in – you can also use canola oil. Neutral oils are best for frying because they can reach 350°F without smoking or adding unwanted flavor into the donuts.
Coatings
Plain: I actually love these plain – they’re so good!
Cinnamon Sugar: mix cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Cool the donut holes until you can easily touch them, then roll in the mixture.
Glaze: You can make a simple glaze with powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk or heavy cream. You could even use lemon juice for a lemon glaze.
Use the chocolate glaze from my chocolate donuts recipe.
Make lemon sugar by mixing some zest with granulated sugar to roll the donut holes in.
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Dorothy’s Expert Tips
- When frying you want to be sure to have at least 2 inches of oil in your saucepan. A thermometer is very important – and monitor the heat of your stove consistently so you can see if the oil is getting too hot (or not heating back up after each batch).
- The ideal temperature for frying donut holes is 350°F. If the oil is too cold the donuts will absorb excess grease and become heavy, while oil that is too hot will brown the exterior before the center is fully cooked, creating a raw center.
- For the best results do not crowd the pot when frying. Adding too many donut holes at once will cause the oil temperature to drop rapidly, resulting in soggy and oily donuts.
- While this recipe was designed for frying, you can bake them in a mini muffin pan or doughnut pan. They’ll be more like a biscuit than a donut.
Easy Donut Holes Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 5 cups vegetable oil
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons (298g) all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons (11g) baking powder
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (237ml) heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup (119ml) whole milk
- Toppings – see notes.
Instructions
- Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.
- Add the heavy whipping cream and milk and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until the dough comes together. It will be a gooey dough.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon balls of dough with a cookie scoop. You can scoop these direct into the hot oil (see next step) or place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper and chill until oil is ready.
- Bring oil to 350°F in a 3Q saucepan. It’s important to use a thermometer to tell the temperature of the oil. Place a cookie sheet lined with paper towels near the pan.
- Fry 3-4 donut holes at a time (depending on the diameter of your pan). Don’t overcrowd or the oil temperature will drop too much. Monitor the oil temperature and turn the heat down on the burner if it continues rising too far above 350°F. Fry each donut hole for approximately 3-5 minutes. They will turn dark golden brown. Be sure to flip them halfway through frying.
- Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and place on paper towel lined baking sheet. Let cool slightly before rolling in cinnamon sugar or glazing.
Notes
- Cinnamon Sugar Coating: Stir 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar with 2 tablespoons
ground cinnamon. Toss warm donut holes in mixture. - Glaze: Whisk 1 cup (113g) powdered sugar with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 2 tablespoons whole milk or heavy whipping cream, adding more liquid to get a thick but drippy consistency. You don’t want it so thin it drips right off, but not so thick it just looks like icing.
- Stir 1 tablespoon lemon zest with ½ cup granulated or powdered sugar and coat warm donut holes.
- Coat with simple powdered sugar.
- Swap lemon juice for the milk in the glaze for a lemon glaze.
- Make a chocolate glaze by adding 2 tablespoons cocoa to the glaze recipe.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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How to Make Donut Holes
- The dough will be gooey and soft to the touch once mixed.
- It’s best to scoop all the balls before frying because things go fast. 1 tablespoon balls of dough make handling easier.
- Always use paper towels to drain your fried donuts.
- Don’t overcrowd or the oil temperature will drop too much.
- The glaze will be wet but will dry hard. The cinnamon sugar will stick without butter since the balls are hot from the oil.
It seems like the company that made the perfume, should have given you a call… I mean you were probably their most loyal customer. How rude! These lemon donuts holes look amazing 🙂 I will need about 10 after I drive to work today in the after effects of our winter storm.
I can’t imagine the snow and the after effects! Stay safe Laura!
I would totally stock up if I were you 🙂 These donut holes sound delicious!
Thanks Jennifer!
Oh my gosh Dorothy, that’s awful!! I’m a huge creature of habit too, so I can only imagine how hard that news was for you to hear. It’s like Chicken Little running around yelling, “The sky is falling, the sky is falling!” only is actually has for you. I’m so sorry! Lemon donut holes definitely sound like a great pick-me-up. Anything lemony, really. It’s such a bright and cheerful flavor, and when the treats are that easy to prepare, it’s a double dose of happiness!
Luckily I found it on amazon and bought myself some time to find a new scent! 🙂 Thanks Amy!
I love that about Amazon — they always have extras even after stores sell out!
Hahaa… you make me laugh Dorothy! First world problems indeed (though I definitely understand, I was using the same Yves St Laurent eyeshadow for years and they discontinued it, I was irrationally annoyed!). Glad that you managed to get a stock of the perfume on Amazon. Back to this donut goodness…. YUM! The first picture alone sold the recipe to me. Love the combination of lemon and sugar glaze, I use it on cakes all the time. Definitely going to try these! xx
mmmmm on cake! Sounds fabulous! Thanks for reading!
I love the fresh flavor of lemon. I know it is a winter citrus, but it reminds me of spring!! I am still all in for winter, but these sounds and look awesome!
Yes! Totally, I think that’s why I crave it in January!
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