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Easy Homemade Donut Holes

posted August 5, 2018 by The Chunky Chef // 68 Comments »

Go to Recipe Pin Recipe

The easiest way to satisfy your donut cravings, with no finicky yeast or rolling required.
Just mix, fry, and eat!
Can we all just agree that donut cravings are real, and they’re not just for pregnant women? 
Because y’all… I was hit with some MAJOR donut cravings last week.  It doesn’t help that there
this amazing donut shop that I literally drive right past at least once a week… BUT, I’m trying
not to gain a million pounds and spend money there every week.  But those cravings man, I
couldn’t help myself!

So instead of stopping in the shop, yet again, I came up with a recipe for quite possibly my
favorite type of donut of all time.  Donut holes!  So cute and pop-able, they’re the donut you can
eat in one bite!

ARE DONUT HOLES REALLY FROM THE HOLE OF A DONUT

Traditionally yes.  When donuts were rolled out and cut into that classic donut shape, the dough
where the center hole was removed and no doubt used in an effort to reduce food waste (and
money!).  But you can absolutely make JUST the donut holes.

HOW MANY DONUT HOLES ARE EQUAL TO ONE DONUT

Sadly, less than you’d think.  1 regular sized donut is equivalent to about 4 donut holes.  So if
you’re watching what you’re eating, keep that conversion in mind.  Or be like me and just keep
poppin’ the donut holes and treat yo’ self!
DO YOU HAVE TO FRY DONUT HOLES

Not necessarily!  For that classic donut taste and texture, with the crispy outside and fluffy
inside, you do have to fry them.  But I’ve taken the dough for these chai vanilla donuts and
baked little bits in mini muffin tins and gotten delicious baked donut holes that way.  So it’s
really up to you and what texture you’d like.

ARE THESE CAKE OR YEAST DONUTS AND WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE

These donut holes would be classified under the “cake” variety.  When it comes to donuts, and
donut holes, there are two main types; cake donuts and yeast (or raised) donuts.  Cake donuts are
made using a sweetened dough that uses baking powder to rise.  Yeast or raised donuts are made
using a dough that uses yeast (I know you’re shocked right?), and involves a rising time.  A
classic glazed donut from Krispy Kreme or Dunkin Donuts would be a good example of a yeast
donut.  Personally I LOVE the flavor of a great yeast donut, but they take time to make, and
working with yeast can be finicky.  For a fool-proof donut, go with the cake variety.
For these donut holes I couldn’t decide on a flavor, so I went with 3 types.  The classic sugared,
chocolate ganache dipped, and filled with an orange scented raspberry sauce.  Can I just say, I
literally couldn’t pick a favorite… they are all SO good!

I’ve included the ganache and raspberry sauce in the recipe below, but don’t let the fancy words
like “ganache” scare you.  It’s quite simply the easiest sauce to make!
HELPFUL TOOLS

 Cookie scoop – the PERFECT tool to drop the dough into the oil with… plus it’s great for cookies
and meatballs!
 Piping tip – I love using this tip in either a piping bag or regular ziplock for filling the donuts with
raspberry sauce.
 Cooling rack – This is great for placing the donut holes to cool after you’ve fried them.  It lifts
them off the counter so they don’t get soggy on the bottom.
 Wire Spider – the BEST tool for removing fried foods from the hot oil!

Homemade Donut Holes

The easiest way to satisfy your donut cravings, with no finicky yeast or rolling required. Just mix, fry, and
eat!

4.79 from 23 votes

Print Pin comment

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 30 mins

Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 218

Ingredients

o 2 cups all-purpose flour , (I always use unbleached)

o 1/4 cup granulated sugar , use less for a less-sweet donut hole

o 1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder

o 1/2 tsp kosher salt

o 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg , optional

o 1 large egg

o 1 cup milk , I use whole

o 1/2 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

o 1/4 cup melted butter

o oil for frying, (canola, peanut, or vegetable are good choices)

Instructions

1. Line a large baking sheet with a few layers of paper towels then top with a wire cooling
rack.  Set aside.

2. Pour oil into heavy bottomed pan (dutch ovens or deep cast iron pans are fabulous for
frying), until oil is about 2 inches deep.  Heat over MED heat until oil comes up to 350 F
degrees.  Adjust heat level as needed to maintain the 350 degree temperature.

3. While oil is heating, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg in a
large mixing bowl.  In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, egg and vanilla.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients and stir together
for a few seconds with a wooden spoon.  Add melted butter and stir until mixture forms a
thick batter.

5. Once oil has reached 350 F degrees, use a cookie scoop to scoop up batter and drop them
into the hot oil.  Be careful when dropping the batter, do it from just above the oil so you
minimize splashing!  Hot oil is no joke and it hurts like crazy if you get burnt!

6. Add about 8 donut holes to the oil in one batch, and fry about 2 minutes per side. 
Remove fried donuts to prepared cooling rack/baking sheet.
FOR SUGARED DONUT HOLES:

1. Add about a cup of granulated sugar to a shallow bowl.  When you take the fried donut
holes out of the oil, add them to the sugar bowl and toss to coat them in sugar.  Transfer
to cooling rack to cool down.

FOR GANACHE-DIPPED DONUT HOLES:

1. Let donut holes cool on wire rack for a minute or so, then dip into ganache sauce.  Return
to cooling rack to finish cooling.  Alternatively, dip a fork in the ganache sauce and wave
it back and forth over donut holes to drizzle them with the sauce.

FOR RASPBERRY-FILLED DONUT HOLES:

1. Let donut holes cool completely.  Prepare a piping bag fitted with a round piping tip
(alternatively, snip off just the tip of a corner of a ziploc bag and add piping tip to bag so
it comes partially through the hole).  Use the empty bag with the tip to poke a hole in the
donut hole, being careful not to poke all the way through the other side.  Fill bag with
cooled or slightly warm raspberry sauce, and pipe into hole.  Garnish with a little orange
zest if you'd like.

Notes
** Recipe makes approximately 24 larger donut holes.  Smaller donut holes will yield a larger amount.
**

CHOCOLATE GANACHE SAUCE:

 ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

 ¼ cup heavy cream

Add chocolate pieces to a mixing bowl.  Heat heavy cream until simmering and hot.  Pour cream over
chocolate in bowl and let sit 5 minutes.  Whisk until all chocolate is melted and sauce is smooth and
glossy.
RASPBERRY SAUCE:

 8 oz raspberry jam
 ¼ tsp vanilla extract
 ¼ tsp orange zest

Heat jam in a saucepan over MED heat, stirring often, until jam is loosened to a sauce consistency. 
Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and orange zest.  Let sit 10 minutes and serve.
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Breakfast Comfort Food Dessert

posted August 5, 2018 by The Chunky Chef

68 Comments »

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68 comments on “Easy Homemade Donut Holes”

1. Tresa — May 27, 2020 @ 10:42 pm Reply

Made these and added cocoa for a chocolate fix. Didn’t really measure, just went by
color. Turned out so good! Although I used the recommended cookie scoop, they still
came quite large so will adjust next time. Dipped some in confectioner sugar with added
sprinkles and those were the best. My family is now fighting over donuts! Thank you so
much for an easy, awesome recipe!

2. Gabby — May 26, 2020 @ 7:26 am Reply

Just made these today! DELICIOUS! I was wondering how long they stay fresh for?
(Hard not to eat them all in one go!)

o The Chunky Chef — May 27, 2020 @ 9:14 am Reply

So glad you love them! Ours never last too long (because we eat them pretty
quickly lol), but I would say 2-3 days.

3. Rosa F. — May 25, 2020 @ 7:23 pm Reply

 Sooo.. something went wrong for me. Mine turned out more like those Chinese donuts.
Lol. They tasted fantastic, but were definitely not donut holes. I did use 2 spoons to drop
them which could definitely be where I went wrong. Either way ill try again with proper
tools. Overall delicious!!

4. Nana — May 19, 2020 @ 3:40 pm Reply

Dunkin Doughnuts doesn’t use yeast, they’re all cake doughnuts 🍩!

5. Aseil Al-Qattan — May 12, 2020 @ 1:19 pm Reply

Do u know about how many donut balls the batter makes?

o The Chunky Chef — May 12, 2020 @ 3:19 pm Reply

Approximately 24, but it all depends on the size you make them.

6. Lyndze — May 10, 2020 @ 1:55 pm Reply

These were very easy to make and delicious. I used almond milk because that is what I
had and they turned out very well. I did some with cinnamon and sugar, some with a
powdered sugar, vanilla and almond milk glaze and the rest just sprinkled powdered
sugar over the top. They all were amazing. Thank you for the recipe.

7. Em — May 10, 2020 @ 1:20 am Reply

What is another tool to use when scooping the batter if you don’t have a small ice cream
scoop.

o The Chunky Chef — May 10, 2020 @ 8:51 pm Reply

You could use a spoon and just sort of scrape the dough off the spoon with
another spoon into the oil. Won’t be perfectly round, but will still taste yummy 🙂

8. jasmine b — May 7, 2020 @ 10:35 pm Reply

these were easy to make and delicious rolled in cinnamon sugar. i then took an oreo and
covered in in batter and fried like a normal donut hole. it came out absolutely delicious !

9. Tresa — April 29, 2020 @ 11:33 pm Reply

Do you have a recipe for chocolate donut holes similar to Dunkin Donuts?

o The Chunky Chef — May 1, 2020 @ 8:55 pm Reply

I don’t yet, but do plan on developing more donut recipes soon!

10. Soph — April 27, 2020 @ 6:10 pm Reply

Made these yesterday and they were so good! Crispy on the outside and super light on the
inside. I couldn’t finish them alone so I froze them and they are great microwaved for
about 20 seconds- still crispy on the outside!
I didn’t have an ice cream scoop so i just used two spoons to get the ball shape and
plopped them in

11. Mary jones — April 24, 2020 @ 9:37 pm Reply

My mom made these but called them another name. Any ideas?

o Denise — May 3, 2020 @ 8:18 pm Reply

Fry cakes?

12. Kate Gallager — April 22, 2020 @ 3:59 am Reply

I tried this recipe (cinnamon sugar) and they were so good! They were pretty easy to
make and they tasted delicious, especially when they were warm. I definitely recommend
this recipe – i will be making them again.

13. amanda — April 19, 2020 @ 7:44 am Reply

Absolutely gorgeous, easy to make, and taste lovely. Smell just like when your at a fair
ground or show, waiting for them to be cooked. Great for when the grandchildren come
round.

14. Su — April 7, 2020 @ 7:02 am Reply

Hi! Just wanted to ask the calorie info is it per 8 donuts? Or per 1?

o The Chunky Chef — April 7, 2020 @ 9:08 am Reply

It’s for 1/8th of the entire batch.

15. Chris W — April 5, 2020 @ 4:36 pm Reply

Ok.. these were awesome. I added 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon and almond extract.
Really good. If you eat them plain, I would add about half again the sugar to the batter
mix. Really really good. Thanks!

16. Sarah — March 31, 2020 @ 9:43 am Reply

Well I LOVED them! My kids were like nice try mom, for your first try. I don’t have a
small cookie scoop and my ice cream scoop caused them to bee too large for my harsh
 critics to devour. “A donut hole is like one bite, mom. Not 15.” -Henry, aged 8
Thank you for an easy peasy recipe! 

17. kristen — March 26, 2020 @ 8:25 pm Reply

I made these donuts today for the first time! Kids loved them! I think I loved them even
more. My husband had celiac disease… have you ever tried substituting the flour for
gluten free flour? Or do you have something similar that’s gluten free? Thank you!

o The Chunky Chef — March 27, 2020 @ 8:58 pm Reply

I’m so glad you all loved these donut holes! My kiddos love them too 🙂
Unfortunately I’m not very well versed in gluten-free, as no on in our family has
celiac disease.

o Delanie — April 7, 2020 @ 7:20 pm Reply

I made them with gluten free flour (King Arthur Flour) and they turned out very
similar to the donuts with regular flour. My mom has celiac and she love them!

18. Doon — March 20, 2020 @ 12:44 am Reply

So easy so yum, although without an icecream scoop the become some interesting
shapes!😂

19. Bracha — March 6, 2020 @ 6:25 pm Reply

I’ve made this twice now– 1st time single batch and 2nd time I doubled up. My
deviations were the frying oil– I used olive oil for frying, as I don’t use canola or
vegetable, and I used lingonberry and blueberry jams. Changing the oil made the donuts
come out a little dark, but still soft and delectable. My family and friends love it! It’s a
keeper. <3

20. Janelle — January 31, 2020 @ 5:29 am Reply

I made these today for my crew (I work on a military vessel) and they absolutely loved
them! This recipe was quick and easy! I doubled the recipe, used a small cookie/ice
cream scoop and made a ton! Rolling them in sugar was awesome. Next time I’ll try
filling them. Thanks for the recipe, it was perfect. 

21. Zohara — September 26, 2019 @ 3:03 am Reply

Came out pretty good for me:) but i used 1/2 cassava flour and 1/2 almond flour because i
am doing the paleo diet( grain free) and i have problems eating gluten stuff. Ex: wheat is
100% gluten. I used lakato sugar substitude, rolled them in lakato sugar( from amazon)
with cinnamon mixed in. i baked them at 350 for about 13 minutes. Came out tasting very
 light not very sweet like a “cake holes” kind of instead of donut holes. But it was worth it
for me since i was craving strachy something. With small glass of A2 Whole
milk(organic) thank you.

22. Esther — September 18, 2019 @ 10:47 pm Reply

Can you use coconut oil instead of butter? Also can you bake these instead of frying?

o The Chunky Chef — September 19, 2019 @ 7:56 pm Reply

I have only tested this recipe as it’s written, so I truly can’t say if those
substitutions and changes would work.

23. AK — September 8, 2019 @ 10:46 am Reply

Amazing donut recipe as it’s written! I rolled them in cinnamon sugar afterwards. One
batch makes quite a bit. I was enough to feed my family of 6 breakfast on one batch.
Yum! 

24. Cheri — August 18, 2019 @ 1:02 pm Reply

How do you think this recipe would work with an air fryer?

o The Chunky Chef — August 18, 2019 @ 8:52 pm Reply

I’m not entirely sure as I haven’t tested it in an air fryer.

25. Allyssa — June 10, 2019 @ 12:39 am Reply

These were delicious and fun to make. The only issue I had was getting them to form a
ball. I think I ended up with donut blobs instead 😂. The family loved them though and
put in a weekly request for them!

26. Lynda Alderton — May 26, 2019 @ 5:51 pm Reply

Can I freeze these? I was wondering about lightly fryng them, freezing them and then
when I need them to finish them off in the deepfry – roll and pipe at this stage. Glad to
know if anyone has tried this? Thanks

27. Kai — May 22, 2019 @ 12:07 pm Reply

What happens if you use brown sugar instead of granulated sugar?

o The Chunky Chef — May 23, 2019 @ 8:56 am Reply

I haven’t tested the recipe that way so I can’t say for sure.
28. Betha — May 8, 2019 @ 12:27 pm Reply

These doughnuts are fantastic! They’re surprisingly light and fluffy, and the taste is
positively phenomenal! I ended up covering them in a basic glaze, and everyone in the
house loved them! I’ll probably make these again, and again, and again!

29. Inna — April 27, 2019 @ 1:41 am Reply

I tried these tonight and they turned out really great! Both kids and my husband loved
them (husband actually said that they are the best donuts he’s ever had :)), and I did too.
And I have zero experience with deep frying so this is definitely a fool proof recipe.
Thank you!

30. Amber — April 6, 2019 @ 11:27 pm Reply

I made theses and my family loved them ! Wondering how long they last or how to store
them so I can make a huge batch !! ??? Hopefully you can help with storage and shelf life
? 

o The Chunky Chef — April 7, 2019 @ 8:07 pm Reply

I never make more than what we can eat in one sitting, but I think they should be
okay kept at room temperature in an airtight bag or box for 1-2 days.

31. Lisa — March 27, 2019 @ 11:12 am Reply

I was going to make these for a bridal shower and put them on a skewer. Do you think I
could freeze them? So that way I could make them the week ahead of time.

o The Chunky Chef — March 28, 2019 @ 12:27 pm Reply

I haven’t tested freezing them, but I think they would freeze alright.

32. Country Cajun Chef — March 18, 2019 @ 11:30 pm Reply

I like baking donut holes in donut hole baking pans. I’ve filled the pan cavities 2/3 full,
3/4 full and full but each time the bottom comes out half round but the tops do hot come
out even close to being round. What should I do differently?

o The Chunky Chef — March 19, 2019 @ 9:00 am Reply

I’ve never had a baked donut hole turn out exactly round, so I can’t say for
certain. If you want the perfectly round shape, I’d advise frying them as directed.

33. Joy — March 15, 2019 @ 12:05 pm Reply

 I am currently getting ideas for kid cooking classes that I will be conducting! I think the
kids would love these! I will have kids with dietary restrictions (dairy, eggs, gluten, etc).
For a vegan version, would you recommend almond milk and a flax-egg? I cant wait to
try these with kids.

o The Chunky Chef — March 15, 2019 @ 1:47 pm Reply

I have zero experience in vegan baking, so I truly can’t say for certain that it
would work, unfortunately. Hope the kids love them!

34. Malaika Malik — March 7, 2019 @ 6:01 pm Reply

HI! I would justlike to ask if you could bake these dougnut holes?

o The Chunky Chef — March 8, 2019 @ 9:09 am Reply

You can! I haven’t tested it specifically, but I’ve baked other donut holes before
with great success. I would bake at 375 F degrees, and fill a mini muffin pan, each
hole about 2/3 full of batter, and bake 10-12 minutes.

35. Christy — March 4, 2019 @ 3:43 pm Reply

I think these are the lightest, crispiest, tenderest doughnuts I have ever made.

36. Gloria — March 2, 2019 @ 4:40 pm Reply

What temperature do you bake on and how long

o The Chunky Chef — March 3, 2019 @ 8:04 pm Reply

If you click on this donut recipe, it has the baking instructions in it

https://www.thechunkychef.com/baked-homemade-vanilla-chai-donuts/

37. Sandy — February 27, 2019 @ 10:08 am Reply

I made this recipe for the first time and it was delicious and very easy.

38. Adam — February 25, 2019 @ 2:18 pm Reply

Can I make this the night or two nights before cooking and place in the fridge?

o The Chunky Chef — February 26, 2019 @ 10:14 am Reply

I wouldn’t recommend it, since the baking powder will start activating as soon as
the ingredients are mixed.
39. Luke — January 31, 2019 @ 2:39 pm Reply

What size cookie scoop do you use? Is it the standard #40 size?

o The Chunky Chef — January 31, 2019 @ 8:24 pm Reply

Yes, I linked to the scoop I use (https://amzn.to/2G17QH0).

40. Jeff — December 25, 2018 @ 9:34 am Reply

Just made these for Christmas morning and I don’t cook very often. Super easy. I’m not
sure if I did it right but most the donut holes flip themselves in the oil. The family loved it
(go dad)!

41. K — September 7, 2018 @ 4:34 pm Reply

I made these today and they are delicious!  Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  I
made a glaze and toasted  some coconut and the donut holes took a roll in both.  Man, are
they good! Now I have a replacement for Dunkin Donuts Toasted Coconut donut that
they no longer make (Who does that?).

42. Barbara Palacios — August 20, 2018 @ 2:51 am Reply

Great idea! These look so delicious! Can’t wait to try this! Kids are going to love helping
make these and eating them!

43. Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert — August 8, 2018 @ 11:06 am Reply

I’m loving the looks of these! These look so fun and tasty!

44. TidyMom — August 8, 2018 @ 9:04 am Reply

This could be dangerous being the donut lover I am!!! putting this on our must make list
for this weekend

45. Krista — August 7, 2018 @ 10:22 pm Reply

Kids are going to love helping make these and eating them!

46. Jamielyn — August 7, 2018 @ 1:12 pm Reply

Great idea! These look so delicious!

47. Toni | Boulder Locavore — August 7, 2018 @ 11:35 am Reply

This looks like a fun snack! Can’t wait to try this!

 48. Anna — August 6, 2018 @ 11:53 pm Reply

I could seriously eat a whole plate of these donut holes! So good!

49. Patricia @ Grab a Plate — August 6, 2018 @ 9:39 pm Reply

Well now *I* have a major donut craving! These look so fluffy and delicious (and easy to
get my hands on by making some for myself)!

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