Fried donuts just taste better! Whether you like to deep fry or air fry your donuts, you will find a new favorite recipe here in this collection of 20+ fried donut recipes.
There is nothing like a freshly made donut from a bakery. Or is there? Homemade fried donuts can definitely compete with Krispy Kreme and Dunkin Donuts.
You just need an awesome recipe and know how to fry them! No need to leave the house, so keep on your pajamas and get ready to fry up some donuts.
Frequently asked questions about fried donuts:
What is the difference between oil fried donuts and air fried donuts?
Obviously, using oil to fry a donut is going to be different than using an air fryer. But how are they different?
- Color: oil fried donuts are darker
- Size: oil fried donuts will be larger and less dense than air fryer donuts
- Taste: oil fried donuts will be closer to bakery made donuts in taste but air fryer donuts are still pretty tasty
So why would you use an air fryer? Health and clean up; air frying is healthier than oil frying and less messy.
What oil should donuts be fried in?
There are four things you will want to consider when choosing the oil you use to fry your donuts:
- Availability: see what you have on hand or what is available at your grocery store. The most commonly found oils are vegetable, olive, canola, avocado, corn, coconut, peanut, sesame, and grapeseed.
- Smoking point: you will want one that has a smoking point of at least 400°F. This would narrow down the list to vegetable, canola, peanut, and corn.
- Taste: you will want a more neutral taste. You probably don’t want your donuts tasting like peanuts or corn.
- Cost: you are going to use a lot of oil, so cost is definitely a factor. Vegetable and canola oil are pretty much the same price. If you have one at home already, use that one.
Wondering what oil Krispy Kreme and Dunkin Donuts use? Krispy Kreme has said that it uses a combination of oils that don’t have trans fat. Although Dunkin Donuts hasn’t said what they use, you can bet that they use a combination as well.
Can you reuse oil after frying donuts?
The short answer is yes. However, you will want to make sure that you store it properly and discard it if it has a strange odor, is cloudy or there is a foam on top of the oil. To store it, let it cool, remove large pieces of food and then pour it into a strainer lined with a couple of pieces of cheesecloth.
If you fry on a regular basis, you may want to look into recycling your frying oil. Find out how and where.
Now to the good stuff – the recipes! Scroll down and check out these 20 fried donut recipes I found for you.
Fried Donut Recipes
Fried donuts just taste better! Whether you like to deep fry or air fry your donuts, you will find a new favorite recipe here in this collection of over 20 fried donut recipes.
Oil Fried Donuts
Sourdough with Vanilla Bean Glaze
These sourdoughnuts, as Kyleigh calls them, are made with a combination of instant yeast and sourdough starter and are topped with a delicious vanilla bean glaze.
Bailey's Cheesecake
Get a recipe for easy fried donuts stuffed with Bailey's cheesecake mixture and topped with Bailey's flavored milk chocolate ganache.
Dulce de Leche Stuffed
Buttery dough stuffed with dulce de leche, fried, dipped in a vanilla glaze and then sprinkled with streusel topping. Drool!
Zebra Striped Chocolate Glaze
This easy yeast donut recipe has a chocolate glaze with white chocolate drizzled stripes. Recipe also includes instructions for baking these instead of frying them.
Sufganiyot (Israeli Donuts)
A cross between a beignet and a jelly donut, sufganiyot are pillowy donuts that are eaten in Israel and around the world during Hanukah. You can make them for any time of year!
Mojito Holes
Limes and mojito mix are the keys to the flavor for these powdered donut holes. Oh, and don't forget you can also make a mojito dipping sauce. YUM!
Pear with Crème Fraiche Filling
Celebrate the season of pears with these sweet pear donuts rolled in cinnamon sugar and filled with a slightly tangy crème fraiche filling.
Glazed Raspberry Filled
In this recipe, you'll make copycat Krispy Kreme donuts with real ingredients. Look at that perfect thin glaze! You might even find them better than the originals.
Lemon Curd Filled
Fried doughnut holes with a touch of lemon zest and filled with lemon curd. Top them off with a bit of powdered sugar!
Cinnamon Sugar Sticks
This is a a super easy three ingredient recipe using crescent rolls and topped with cinnamon sugar. Great for dipping in a sauce or dunking in your coffee!
Air Fryer Donuts
Air Fryer Biscuit Donuts
Only 4 ingredients and five minutes of time needed to make these quick and easy donuts. They fry up super crispy and are then coated in melted butter and cinnamon sugar.
Chocolate Glazed
No shortcuts on this recipe—just amazing taste! Make copycat Krispy Kreme chocolate glazed donuts in your air fryer.
Toasted Coconut Lime
Toasted coconut sprinkled on a coconut lime glaze covering an easy biscuit based doughnut. Sounds so tropical!
Jam Filled
These berry jam-filled donuts are made from scratch and coated in a cinnamon sugar blend. Instructions are included for making these vegan donuts.
Pumpkin Spice
Get delicious pumpkin flavor donuts from scratch in your air fryer and enjoy the flavors of fall any time of year! They are very quick and very delicious.
Cinnamon Sugar
Imagine eating these yummy donuts in less than 15 minutes! Air fried and coated in cinnamon sugar, these donuts are super easy to make.
Vanilla Frosted with Sprinkles
No kid can resist sprinkles! See how easy it is to make these crowd pleasers in your air fryer. You only need four ingredients.
Basic Glazed
This easy recipe for Air Fryer Glazed Donuts makes the best homemade donuts in the world! They're gluten-free and covered in a smooth glaze.
Heart Shaped
You can eat these cuties any time of year, but they definitely will make an impression for Valentine's Day. Or on an anniversary!
Cereal Topped
A few breakfast favorites combined into one delicious recipe: donuts, cereal, and biscuits! The whole family will love these.
Colorful Rainbows
Get your children to help you make these really cute rainbow donuts! Wouldn't these be fun for St Patrick's Day or a kids' birthday party? These are ready in five minutes.
Caramel Apple Stuffed
This is an easy donut recipe of pizza dough filled with a sweet caramel apple mixture, air fried and coated with cinnamon sugar.
Did you like these fried donut recipes? I’d love if you would share it using the buttons below. Then check out these other delicious donut recipes that are popular here on DIY Candy: