✔ Updated · fixed card amounts + frying temperature, added glaze, make-ahead and baked options
My copycat Krispy Kreme doughnuts are light, airy yeast-raised rings fried until golden and dipped warm in a thin vanilla glaze that sets shiny.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Fry at 360°F and keep the oil between 355 and 365°F. Too cool and the doughnuts soak up grease; too hot and they brown before the middle cooks.
The dough is simple to make, and it can rise the same day or rest in the fridge overnight.
Why You'll Love These Doughnuts
- Light and airy, with a soft, pillowy crumb and a thin, melt-away glaze.
- Pantry ingredients: flour, yeast, sugar, butter, eggs and powdered sugar.
- Flexible timing, with a same-day rise or an overnight dough for an easy morning.
What Makes Krispy Kreme-Style Doughnuts So Light?
The famous glazed doughnut is a yeast-raised doughnut, not a cake doughnut. A soft, enriched dough with butter, egg and a little sugar rises twice, so the rings are full of air before they ever reach the oil.
I keep a thermometer clipped to the pot, because a short fry at a steady 360°F sets the outside quickly, leaving the classic pale ring around the middle and a soft, stretchy crumb. The thin glaze (Lucy’s job in our house) goes on while the doughnuts are still warm, so it melts into a sheer, shiny coat.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Video
The 3 Secrets From Our Video
Our step-by-step video shows exactly how to make these glazed doughnuts. Watch it in the recipe card below; these are the three tips that make the biggest difference.
- Fry at exactly 360°F. Almost every doughnut problem, greasy, pale or raw in the middle, comes down to oil temperature, so use a clip-on thermometer.
- Give the dough time to rise. Light, airy doughnuts need a proper rise before and after cutting.
- Glaze them while they're warm. The timing matters more than the glaze recipe: dip them warm so the glaze sets thin and shiny.
Tips for Success
- Keep the dough soft. A slightly tacky dough fries up light and airy. Adding too much flour is the most common reason homemade doughnuts turn out bready and dense.
- Don't rush the second rise. The cut doughnuts are ready when they look puffy and spring back slowly when gently pressed. Under-risen doughnuts are heavy; over-risen ones collapse in the oil.
- Use parchment squares. Rising each doughnut on its own square lets you slide it into the oil without stretching or deflating it.
- Watch the oil temperature. Use a clip-on thermometer and fry only 2 or 3 at a time so the oil stays between 355 and 365°F.
- Glaze them warm. Warm doughnuts take a thin, even coat that sets shiny. For a thicker shell, let the first coat set for 5 minutes and dip again.
Krispy Kreme-Style Glazed Doughnuts (Copycat)
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minutesCopycat-style Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts: a soft, lightly sweet yeast dough rolled 1/2 inch thick, cut into rings, risen until puffy, fried at 360°F and dipped while warm in a thin vanilla glaze that sets shiny and sheer.
Ingredients
- For the Doughnuts
3/4 cup warm water, 105 to 110°F
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (one 1/4-oz packet)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg, room temperature
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
345 g all-purpose flour (about 2 3/4 cups), plus up to 1/4 cup more
2 quarts vegetable shortening or neutral oil, for frying (enough for 2 inches in the pot)
- For the Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup whole milk or water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch fine salt
Directions
- Make the Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir the yeast into the warm water (105 to 110°F) with a pinch of the sugar. Let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes, until foamy.
- Add the remaining sugar, the salt, butter, egg, egg yolk, vanilla and 2 cups of the flour. Mix with the dough hook on low until combined, then add the rest of the flour a little at a time.
- Knead on medium-low for 5 to 7 minutes, until the dough is smooth, soft and slightly tacky and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Add up to 1/4 cup more flour, a tablespoon at a time, only if it is very sticky.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (Or refrigerate it overnight, up to 18 hours; chilled dough is easier to roll.)
- Cut and Rise
- Punch the dough down and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to 1/2 inch thick. Cut out rings with a 3-inch doughnut cutter (or a 3-inch and a 1-inch round cutter). Reroll the scraps once.
- Set each doughnut and hole on a small square of parchment on a baking sheet. Cover loosely and let them rise until puffy and nearly doubled, 45 minutes to 1 hour (longer if the dough was chilled).
- Fry and Glaze
- Whisk the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and salt until smooth and pourable. It should coat a spoon thinly; add more milk a teaspoon at a time if needed.
- Heat 2 inches of shortening or oil in a heavy pot or deep fryer to 360°F, filling the pot no more than halfway. Lower 2 or 3 doughnuts in at a time (slide them in on their parchment and pull the paper off with tongs). Fry for 45 to 60 seconds per side, until golden, then drain on a rack set over paper towels. Keep the oil between 355 and 365°F between batches. Holes take about 30 seconds per side.
- While the doughnuts are still warm, dip each one in the glaze, turn to coat both sides and lift out with a fork. Set on a wire rack over a sheet pan for 5 minutes, until the glaze sets. Serve the same day.
Recipe Video
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Frying Safety
- Use a heavy, deep pot and fill it no more than halfway with oil to leave room for bubbling.
- Use a thermometer and never let the oil go above 375°F. If it starts to smoke, turn off the heat.
- Never leave hot oil unattended, and keep children and pets away from the stove.
- Never use water on an oil fire. Turn off the heat and cover the pot with a lid or baking sheet.
- Cool the oil completely before straining or disposing of it.
Make-Ahead and Storage
- Overnight dough: refrigerate the kneaded dough for up to 18 hours in place of the first rise, then roll, cut, rise and fry.
- Room temperature: glazed doughnuts keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Freeze: freeze unglazed doughnuts, wrapped well, for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, warm briefly and glaze.
- Reheat: microwave a glazed doughnut for about 8 seconds to soften it.
Variations
- Chocolate iced: dip the glazed doughnuts in a chocolate glaze of 1 cup powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons cocoa powder and 3 to 4 tablespoons milk.
- Filled doughnuts: cut rounds without holes, fry and fill with jam or pastry cream using a piping bag.
- Strawberry glaze: use our homemade strawberry glaze instead of vanilla.
- Cinnamon sugar: skip the glaze and toss the warm doughnuts in cinnamon sugar.
More Copycat Treats
Serve your doughnuts with a homemade Dunkin'-style iced coffee or Starbucks-style iced coffee. For more fried treats, try our mochi donuts or Disney-style churros, or browse all our copycat recipes.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are Krispy Kreme doughnuts yeast or cake doughnuts?
The classic glazed doughnut is a yeast-raised doughnut, which is why it is so light and airy. Cake doughnuts use baking powder instead of yeast and have a denser, crumbly texture. This copycat recipe is a yeast doughnut.
Can I bake these doughnuts instead of frying them?
Yes, though the texture is more like a soft bread roll than a fried doughnut. Bake the risen rings on a parchment-lined sheet at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes, until just golden, then brush with melted butter and dip in the glaze while warm.
Why are my doughnuts greasy?
The oil was too cool, or too many doughnuts went in at once and dropped the temperature. Keep the oil at 355 to 365°F, fry in small batches and let the oil come back up to temperature between batches.
Can I make the dough the night before?
Yes. After kneading, cover the dough and refrigerate it for up to 18 hours instead of the first rise. Roll and cut it straight from the fridge, then allow a little longer for the cut doughnuts to rise, usually about 1 hour.
How do I store and reheat leftover doughnuts?
Glazed doughnuts are best the day they are made. Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Warm one in the microwave for about 8 seconds to soften it and bring back that fresh-made texture.
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