20 Best Doughnut Recipes for a Sugary Morning Treat
Create your bakery favorites right from your own home.
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Doughnuts are such special treats, aren't they? Each chewy, sweet bite confirms it was totally worth getting up and kicking off your day. And while popping by your local coffee shop or bakery is the easiest way to get your sugary fix, it's not necessarily the best way. (Ree Drummond will personally attest to that in what she famously calls "The Doughnut Story" involving a sweet-looking apple fritter and shattered glass. 😂) Nope, you can make the freshest, most delicious treats right at home with these doughnut recipes.
There are all different types of doughnuts, so start with this list! Ree has fluffy fried doughnuts made with yeast, denser cake doughnuts that you can bake, and an air fryer shortcut with canned biscuits that saves time and calories. There's even an ice cream sandwich version that you can serve for dessert any time of day!
And just in case you don't have the time make something from scratch, there are also a few hacks to elevating store-bought doughnuts. Hey, doughnuts are delicious anyway you serve them in our opinion. Just check out Ree's genius idea to grill doughnut holes! So go ahead, click through to find all the glazed, filled, and sprinkle-topped breakfast treats of your dreams. They'll make you want to get up and face the day, no matter what you have planned.
Homemade Glazed Doughnuts
Ree worked on this recipe for years, trying her best to duplicate her favorite small town shop's flavor. Fry them up fresh for that perfect crispy outside and then dip them in a classic sugary glaze.
Get Ree's Homemade Glazed Doughnuts recipe.
Air Fryer Doughnuts
Want doughnuts in a flash? Use canned biscuit dough and your air fryer. They take less than ten minutes from start to finish, and then you can get super creative with all the glazes.
Get Ree's Air Fryer Doughnuts recipe.
Doughnuts with Salted Caramel Sauce
The easy hack to get these in your tummy faster? Store-bought puff pastry. They bake up in about 20 minutes while you make the salty-sweet dipping sauce to serve.
Get Ree's Doughnuts with Salted Caramel Sauce recipe.
Apple Cider Doughnuts
One of the most popular signs of fall is the classic apple cider doughnut. But of course, you can have them any time of year when you have this recipe! The secret? The combination of apple cider and apple butter in the dough.
Get the Apple Cider Doughnuts recipe.
Baked Crumb Cake Doughnuts
Why choose between crumb cake and doughnuts when you can have both in one breakfast? Spices like nutmeg and cinnamon make for fragrant, warm bites each time. Plus, this recipe gets an extra kick with an espresso glaze for a perfect morning treat.
Get the Baked Crumb Cake Doughnuts recipe.
Banana Bread Doughnuts with Nutella Glaze
Any excuse to make banana bread even better is good with us! These doughnuts are baked and then dipped in a drippy, dreamy glaze made with Nutella and topped with chocolate sprinkles. The hardest part of this whole recipe is sharing them when they're done.
Pumpkin Spiced Doughnuts with Bourbon Caramel Glaze
These doughnuts are essentially portable pumpkin cakes, dipped in a spiked glaze, and topped with candied pumpkin seeds. Since you can buy canned pumpkin any time of year, that means you can make them all the time... which is what we plan to do.
Get the Pumpkin Spiced Doughnuts with Bourbon Caramel Glaze recipe.
Chai-Spiced Donuts
These deliciously spicy baked doughnuts are full of flavors like cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and cloves. They also happen to be vegan and gluten-free, so anyone with dietary restrictions can enjoy them.
Get the Chai-Spiced Doughnuts recipe.
Chocolate Doughnuts with Strawberry Glaze
The secret to the strawberry glaze on these rich, chocolate doughnuts is to double dip them. That's right! You let the glaze rest before dipping them again for double the deliciousness. Plus, the recipe takes less than a half hour to complete from beginning to end.
Doughnut Hole Kebabs
Want a super fun way to make store-bought doughnut holes better? Grill them like Ree does! Oh, and make two fast and delicious dipping sauces to go along side: blueberry and strawberry. No one would ever guess they came from a box.
Get Ree's Doughnut Hole Kebabs recipe.
Chocolate Doughnut Ice Cream Sandwiches
Whether you make the doughnuts yourself or just grab the store-bought kind, turn them into an easy dessert with just ten minutes of prep. Roll them in mini chocolate chips for extra decadence!
Doughnut Hole Eyeballs
Halloween just got a little bit sweeter! You can create these spooky sweets using candy melts, gummy rings, and brown mini M&Ms to decorate store-bought doughnut holes.
Get Ree's Doughnut Hole Eyeballs recipe.
Apple Fritters
Not all fritters are like doughnuts, but these certainly are. Chunks of fresh apples are dipped in batter, fried, and then dusted in powdered sugar or dunked in glaze.
Get Ree's Apple Fritters recipe.
Apple Cider Doughnut Cake
If you want the same flavors as the classic apple orchard treat, try it in cake form. There's even the same crunchy cinnamon and sugar coating on the outside!
Get the Apple Cider Doughnut Cake recipe.
Berliner Doughnuts
Berliners are just another name for jelly doughnuts from Germany. Just like their American counterparts, they are deep fried, filled with your jam of choice, and dusted with powdered sugar. Start with strawberry or raspberry, but the options are endless.
Homemade Chocolate Baked Doughnuts
Double down on your doughnuts with a dense chocolate cake base and a thick chocolate glaze on top. Add another layer of glaze and some sprinkles for good measure, and boy, do you have a breakfast of champions!
Get the Homemade Chocolate Baked Doughnuts recipe at Divas Can Cook.
Blueberry Doughnuts
This doughnut recipe can be made any time of the year, thanks to its use of frozen blueberries in the dough and jam in the glaze. That means it will always be the right time and season for blueberry doughnuts.
Boston Cream Doughnuts
Does it get any better than custard-filled, chocolate-glazed doughnuts? They sure are hard to beat, especially when everything is made from scratch. They take some time to make, but trust us, that first bite will confirm it was worth the effort.
Get the Boston Cream Doughnuts recipe at Julie Eats & Treats.
Baked Cherry Bakewell Doughnuts
Here's a fun flavor twist: combining cherries and almonds! Using candied cherries (maraschino would work, too), chopped almonds, and a dash of almond extract turns a simple cake doughnut into something extraordinary.
Get the Baked Cherry Bakewell Doughnuts at Kitchen Sanctuary.
Maple Doughnuts
Just look at that shiny glaze! Made with brown sugar and maple extract, it pairs perfectly with the simple perfection of a fried yeast doughnut flecked with nutmeg. Pass the coffee, because you'll want at least two for breakfast.
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