Honey sweetened yeast doughnuts that can be baked or fried. Gluten and dairy-free alternatives are also included!
I’m a sucker for a hot doughnut. Bread in general is my weakness, but there’s just something special about the occasional treat of fried dough doused in a sweet glaze. Yum.
We have a Krispy Kreme down the street from our house so we often pass it while out running errands. My son, Caleb, just happens to love doughnuts more than I do, so whenever that “hot and ready” sign is on, we’re done for!
I make baked doughnuts all the time, but rarely make the fried ones, because we all know fried foods should only be enjoyed occasionally. I actually tried this recipe both fried and baked and they’re really good both ways, although the fried doughnuts tasted more authentic. The dough is only lightly sweetened with honey to cut down on the refined sugar and, depending on which glaze you choose, could actually be made totally refined sugar free as well!
I let the dough rise on squares of parchment so I can easily pick each one up and place it into the hot oil. I happened across a doughnut cutter recently so I used it for these, but any round cutter (biscuit/cookie cutter or rim of a glass) works. For the center, you can use the bottom of a large piping tip or the rim of one of those plastic medicine measuring cups that come on bottles of children’s Tylenol.
You can choose to make doughnut holes or re-roll them to make more doughnuts.
Above is the gluten-free variation. The dough is not like its gluten-filled counterpart, but more like a pasty cake batter. Instead of being rolled out, the dough is piped into doughnuts. As with the other doughnuts, these can be baked or fried, although the fried version is much tastier 🙂
I had a little fun with the glazes, adding crushed freeze-dried raspberries to one batch, a little rose water to another, and a drop of lavender oil to a third. They were so delicious! I loved the subtle floral hint, although with those a little really does go a long way, so don’t be too liberal with the flavorings.
Instead of sprinkles, I opted for delicious alternative toppings, like crushed freeze-dried raspberries, edible rose petals, and lavender blossoms. These doughnuts not only tasted good, they were almost too pretty to eat!
..almost!
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Honey Yeast Doughnuts
- Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 1x
Description
Honey sweetened yeast doughnuts that can be baked or fried. Gluten/dairy-free alternatives included. I also added different glaze options, from a traditional powdered sugar glaze to a healthier version that’s free of refined sugar. Add creative toppings, like rose petals or fresh lavender for an elegant twist!
Ingredients
Yeast Doughnuts:
- 3–3.5 cups (16–17 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 packet (1/4 oz) RAPID-RISE yeast*
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup warm almond milk (or other milk of choice)
- 1/2 cup (4 oz) butter/dairy-free butter or palm shortening, melted
- 3–4 tablespoon honey, maple syrup, or other sweetener of choice
- 1 large egg, room temperature**
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- vegetable/peanut oil or palm shortening, if frying
Gluten-Free Doughnut Dough:
- 2 1/4–2 1/2 cups gf multi-purpose flour, a little more may be needed (I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1)
- 1 packet rapid rise yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup melted butter or palm shortening
- 3–4 tablespoons honey
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glazes:
- -traditional—1 1/2 cups powdered sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2–3 tablespoons milk of choice. (Can substitute vanilla with 1/4 teaspoon rose water, 1-2 drops food grade lavender oil, or add 2–3 tablespoons ground freeze-dried raspberries for berry flavor.)
- -chocolate/white chocolate—1 cup quality chocolate, chopped or chips (dark, semi-sweet, milk, or white chocolate work. Use dairy-free chocolate, if needed.) melted with 4–6 tablespoons full-fat canned coconut milk (heavy whipping cream can be used if you eat dairy)
- -coconut butter glaze—1/2 cup coconut butter heated together with 2–4 tablespoons honey/maple syrup (to taste) and 2–4 tablespoons milk of choice. Add just enough milk to make the glaze thin for dipping.
Toppings:
- sprinkles, ground freeze-dried raspberries, cocoa nibs, culinary dried rose petals, chopped pistachios, shredded coconut
Instructions
Yeast Doughnuts: (GF instructions below)
- Combine 2 cups flour, yeast, and salt in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Heat milk and butter up until very warm but not too hot to touch. Pour the milk mixture, along with the honey, into the bowl with the flour and begin to mix for 1-2 minutes (I use the paddle attachment on my stand mixer). Add the egg and vanilla and continue to mix until smooth. Continue to add flour a little at a time, just until the dough comes together. You want to just add enough flour to make a soft dough, but it should still be soft and a little sticky. The less flour you use, the more soft and fluffy the doughnuts will be. If using a stand mixer, switch to the dough hook and continue to knead the dough for 3-4 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a well-oiled bowl, cover, and let rest for 10-15 minutes. See notes if you’re using active dry yeast instead of rapid-rise.
- Place dough in between two sheets of parchment paper (or plastic wrap) and roll to about 1/2-inch thick. Cut out dough using a 2 1/2-inch doughnut cutter or biscuit cutter/rim of a drinking glass and using a smaller circle cutter or bottom of a large piping tip for the center hole. Gently re-roll scraps and cut out additional doughnuts until all the dough is used up. Set doughnuts on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, cover lightly with a kitchen towel, and let rise for 30 minutes.
Bake or Fry:
- You can bake or fry these doughnuts, although they taste more authentic fried. To bake, place doughnuts 2 inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and gently brush with a couple of tablespoons of melted butter. Place into a preheated 375ºF oven for 10-12 minutes, until lightly brown and cooked all the way through. Glaze while still warm.
- To fry, heat oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 365º F. Gently place the doughnuts into the oil, a few at a time, being careful not to overcrowd. Cook for 30-60 seconds per side, or just until lightly brown. For doughnut holes, use a skewer or knife to poke a hole in the top if it doesn’t want to flip over. Transfer hot doughnuts to a pan lined with paper towels or a cooling rack. Allow to cool slightly before glazing.
- Dip warm doughnuts into glaze of choice and sprinkle with desired toppings.
Gluten-Free Doughnuts:
- Combine half the flour, yeast, baking powder, and pinch of salt into a mixing bowl and set aside.
- Heat milk until very warm but not too hot to touch. Add to the flour mixture, along with melted butter, honey, eggs and vanilla.
- Mix until smooth and combined. Slowly begin adding flour. You may not need the full amount. This dough will not be like firm dough made with regular flour, but more like thick cake batter.
- When the mixture is thick enough to hold its shape, stop mixing, cover, and let rest for 10–15 minutes.
- Cut 4-inch squares of parchment paper and spread out onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle with a little flour or spray with non-stick spray.
- Place dough into a piping bag or large plastic baggie and cut a 1/2 – 3/4 inch opening. Pipe a circle about 2 1/2–3 inches in diameter and about 1/2–1 inch thick onto each square of parchment. It doesn’t have to be precise, you can make them as big or little as you’d like. It may be hard to pipe a circle, so you can pipe a log and bring the two ends together with wet fingers.
- Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for an additional 15-20 minutes in a warm area. If your kitchen is cold, you can turn your oven on for a couple of minutes and then turn it off, which should make it warm but not too hot an environment for them to rise in. See directions above for frying or baking.
Notes
*If using active dry yeast, instead of adding the yeast to the flour, gently blend it into the warm milk and let proof for 5 minutes, until foamy. You’ll also want to let it rise in the oiled bowl for 1 hour (instead of 10-15 minutes) or until doubled in size.
**I’ve seen others substitute with a flax egg, but I haven’t tried it myself. Please let me know how it works for you if you give it a try!
- Category: dessert
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Absolutely the best gluten free donuts I’ve had in the 8 years since my son was diagnosed with Celiac. Helps that I ate one 15 minutes out of the fryer. Totally dangerous and wonderful. Thank you!
Hi Jessica, that makes me so happy to hear! I’m glad you all were able to enjoy donuts again after such a long time! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review! Happy Thanksgiving!
I have to say this doughnut recipe is AMAZING!!!!! Thank you so much for sharing. I made them using unbleached flour and raw honey and they were a hit. We have been trying to go as sugar free as possible in this house due to an ever alert two year old who wants to have everything we do so it was fun giving him a few bites guilt-free. Thanks again these are awesome.
Your yeast donut ingredients does not have baking powder but the instructions do. And the gluten free ingredients list does have baking powder and the instructions does not include it, were these two switched accidentally?
Sorry! Thanks for catching that, Genevieve! Yes, they were accidentally switched, but I made the correction in the recipe. Let me know if you give it a try! 🙂
This looks very much delicious. Need to bake this at home.
These are the prettiest doughnuts and I just love all the glaze variations – the floral flavors sound divine!
Thank you friend. They were amazing! The floral flavors really gave them a nice twist. Happy Friday
These are so beautiful! Almost too pretty to eat!
Thank you Neely! Have a lovely weekend
Your doughnuts are always so pretty! I have only tried fried doughnuts, never baked! Something on my list to try. The decoration is just sooo pretty! I love how you made all shades of pink here! Very pretty and very cute! Very springish with the floral flavors!
Aww, thanks Amisha! Baked doughnuts are good too, but there’s just something special about fried dough, haha! I really liked the subtle floral flavor the rose and lavender gave. It’s a delicate flavor and best enjoyed sparingly! Thanks for popping in and for your sweet comment! As always, it’s very appreciated! Happy Mother’s Day, sweet friend!
Those doughnuts look delicious! Also, my mom used to say it was illegal to drive by a Krispy Kreme with a hot sign on and not stop and get doughnuts LOL.
it’s so inviting isn’t it!?
These are the most beautiful doughnuts I’ve ever seen! Almost too pretty to eat…. almost 😉
thank you Chelsea! I hope you are having a wonderful day! Thanks for the smile
Oh wow, these donuts are just too mouthwatering. I’m sitting here, wiping drools off my keyboard. Amazing food photography. They must be just as delicious.
Aw thank you! You’re so encouraging!
Oh man, Joscelyn! Your donuts are exquisite! Seriously, they are so stunning, I can’t stop staring. I tell you this every time but I absolutely LOVE your photography. You are so talented, and every photo makes me smile. And now I’m craving donuts 🙂
Wow, I would love some of them and I’m not usually a doughnut fan but they look amazing.
Thank you Rick!
I’m really not much of a doughnut person. Krispy Cream is way too sweet for me. But I’ve got to say these look amazing! So beautiful and such unique flavors! I’d be more than happy to try one of yours, maybe you could convert me!!!
Haha, for sure (passing you one now).
I’m really not much of a doughnut person. Krispy Cream is way too sweet for me. But I’ve got to say these look amazing! So beautiful and such unique flavors! I’d be more than happy to try one of yours, maybe you could convert me!
The kids love Krispy Cream too. They really enjoyed this recipe.
These look SO good! I had a craving for donuts this morning, so these pictures look extra yummy! It’s pretty cool that you can bake them too.
Yes, the baked doughnuts turned out so delish! Thanks for the encouragement!
Yeah the baked ones came out so delicious. I hope you’re having a wonderful day!
I could get in a lot of trouble with these, especially the chocolate.
Haha, me too Angela
Woah! I have a major sweet tooth. these photos really make them look mouth watering. Well done!
Thanks Stepahnie! I appreciate the kind words! Have a great day!