National Donut Day: Celebrate the sweet holiday with these easy recipes

National Donut Day brings us a nice sweet start to summer with the amazing treat that is loved by everyone. This little holiday is the perfect weekend pick me up that’ll give you a nice boost to make your commute a little bit sweeter. 

With brands like Krispy Kreme running all kinds of promotions, getting your hands on these creme filled confections is easy! But what if you want to make these delicious donuts yourself to ring in this doughy delight of a holiday? 

Luckily, we kneaded through the internet to find easy donut recipes that you can do at home for National Donut Day! Grab your donut pans and let’s get cooking! 

Cinnamon Baked Doughnuts 

This first addition to our list of easy donut recipes is a great starter for new donut makers! 

Ingredients for the donut 

• Baking spray with flour, such as Baker’s Joy 
• 2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 1/2 cups sugar 
• 2 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten 
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk 
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 

For the topping 

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter 
• 1/2 cup sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

Instructions 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 doughnut pans well.
2. Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. 
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined.
4. Spoon the batter into the baking pans, filling each one a little more than three-quarters full. 
5. Bake for seventeen minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for five minutes, then tap the doughnuts out onto a sheet pan.
6. For the topping, melt the 8 tablespoons of butter in an 8-inch saute pan. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Dip each doughnut first in the butter and then in the cinnamon sugar, either on one side or both sides.

Homemade Glazed Doughnut Holes

Want something poppable this National Donut Day? This next addition to our list of easy donut recipes is for you! 

Ingredients for the donut 

• 5 cups vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the glaze 

• 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 3 1/2 tablespoons whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions 

1. Add the vegetable oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Attach the deep-fry thermometer to the pot and begin heating the oil over medium heat to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and the egg.
3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir the milk-egg mixture into the dry ingredients, then stir in the melted butter, mixing until a soft dough forms.
4. Once the oil has reached 350 degrees, use a small ice cream scoop to drop about 1 tablespoon scoops of dough into the oil, careful not to overcrowd the pan. Fry the doughnut holes, flipping them in the oil, for about two minutes or until they’re golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the doughnut holes to the paper towel-lined baking sheet.
5. Allow the doughnut holes to cool slightly. Place a cooling rack atop a baking sheet, then one by one, dip the doughnut holes into the glaze and transfer them to the rack to allow the excess glaze to drip off. Serve immediately.
6. For the glaze: Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a medium bowl. Slowly stir in 3 tablespoons of milk and the vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth. If the glaze isn’t thin enough, stir in 1 additional tablespoon of milk. Cover the glaze with plastic wrap and set it aside while you make the doughnut holes.

Baked Carrot Cake Donuts 

Our last addition to our list of easy donut recipes is for you adventurous donut flavor lovers out there! 

Ingredients for the donut

• 1 cup all purpose white flour (spooned & leveled)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup finely grated carrots

For the frosting

• 3 ounces cream cheese softened
• 2 tablespoons butter softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a donut pan well with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the buttermilk, oil, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla until fully combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the grated carrots and gently mix them into the batter.
5. Spoon the batter into each cavity of the donut pan, making sure to only fill them 2/3 – 3/4 of the way full. You should get about 8 donuts, if you have a 6-count donut pan you will need to bake in separate batches.
6. Bake for about 10 minutes at 350°F or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the donut comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Remove the donuts from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
7. For the frosting, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until fully combined.
8. Frost the cooled donuts as desired.

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Have any other easy donut recipes? Drop them below in the comments before our coffee gets cold!