Doughnuts are a favorite for breakfast here and we have figured out how to make our own homemade donut recipe for a variety of doughnuts.
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Who doesn’t love a good doughnut? We love sweet foods for breakfast. But I don’t love all how processed store-bought doughnuts are, so we decided to try to figure something else out to make our own donuts. This easy donut recipe uses only a few simple ingredients.
But wait, is it “donut” or “doughnut”? I have seen both. According toMerriam-Webster“Most dictionaries enterdonutas a variant ofdoughnut. The spelling ofdonutwithout the –oughhas appeared in enough written sources (and been made popular by brands such asDunkin’ Donuts) that it has become an accepted spelling.” I’ve also seen some say that “donut” is a more American version of the word, but “doughnut” is used globally.
Justin’s family has made doughnuts from refrigerated biscuits before, so that gave me the idea that we could make some from Bisquick. I make regular biscuits out of it, so why wouldn’t it work for this too? So I made my normaldrop-biscuit recipe(without the cheese), and we put them in some oil to fry up. And guess what, it worked!
Once you have them cooked, you have many options for toppings. We usually just shake up the doughnuts in a bag with powdered sugar. You could also make a vanilla glaze out of powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk. We also foundthis recipe for a chocolate glazethat is amazing. It tastes just like the chocolate from a doughnut shop and we like to dip doughnuts in the chocolate. Or you can make cinnamon sugar doughnuts by making a 1:3 ratio of cinnamon to sugar (1 tbsp cinnamon + 3 tbsp sugar) and shaking the doughnuts in this similar to the powdered sugar.
Tip: If the powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar isn’t sticking to your doughnut holes, add a bit of melted butter to them and shake in the topping again.
Now that we’ve made them a few times, we’ve got the recipe down pretty well. Our original recipe left the dough very sticky, which made it hard to form the doughnuts. Recently we make sure to add more Bisquick into the dough until it’s a better consistency. You want it to be just slightly tacky so that it will roll together well, but dry enough that it doesn’t stick to your hands.
Because we are making homemade donut holes, not full-size donuts, we don’t have to worry about adding instant yeast or waiting for a yeast mixture to rise. If you want a delicious recipe for homemade donuts or yeast donuts, try my recipe for Paczki. They are Polish homemade doughnuts that require time to let the dough rise but have more of the taste of cake donuts.
We make doughnut holes because they are easier and quicker. You could use the same recipe below, roll it out on a lightly floured surface, and use a doughnut cutter to make regular doughnuts or cook in doughnut pans. But we have too much fun making the doughnut holes. Even the boys like to help with the topping part since we don’t let them help with the hot oil yet.
For those with a stand mixer, you can also mix the dough in there. Use the dough hook attachment and mix at a low speed until the donut dough is formed.
To speed up the process, you can form all of the doughnut holes at once. Lay a piece of parchment paper on your work surface then roll and place doughnuts on there with a bit of separation.
Homemade Doughnut Holes Step by Step
Ingredients
- 3cupsoil
- 1 1/2cupsbisquick
- 1/3cupmilk
- 1cuppowdered sugar
Preparation
In alarge saucepanorstockpot, heat about 3 cups of oil over medium-high heat. You want the oil temperature to be about 365F. We usually use vegetable oil for this recipe, but canola oil will also work since it’s a good oil for frying. In alarge bowl,combine the Bisquick and milk until a dough forms.
Knead in extra Bisquick as needed until the dough is no longer sticky. A wooden spoon works well for this, or use your hands.
Once the oil is hot, grab a little bit of dough, about the size of a golf ball, and carefully drop them into the hot oil. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until they are brown on the bottom. Then rotate the doughnuts to cook the other side.
Cook another 2-3 minutes until the doughnuts are golden brown on all sides. Use aslotted spoonto remove the doughnuts from the oil and place them on acooling rackwith paper towels or a rag underneath to catch the oil drips.
After all of the dough has been cooked, place the slightly cooled doughnuts into a zip-top bag or large mixing bowl with a lid and cover with the powdered sugar. Close up the container and shake to coat each of the doughnuts. You could also make a glaze from powdered sugar and milk or a chocolate glaze as linked above. Serve warm.
Recipe
Originally Published On: March 23, 2016
Last Updated On: May 29, 2023
Homemade Doughnut Holes
Doughnuts are a favorite for breakfast here and we have figured out how to make our own homemade donut recipe for a variety of doughnuts.
Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes minutes
Total Time 20 minutes minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Diet Vegetarian
Keyword: doughnut fried powdered sugar
Dietary Needs: Egg-Free Nut-Free
Cooking Method: One-Pan Meals
Servings: 36 doughnuts
5 from 4 votes
Ingredients
- 3 cups oil (vegetable oil or canola oil)
- 1 1/2 cups Bisquick
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
Heat oil in a large pot to 365F
Mix Bisquick and milk until dough forms, continuing to knead in extra Bisquick until dough is no longer sticky
Once the oil is hot, grab small bits of dough and carefully drop them into the oil
Cook for about 2-3 minutes, until brown on the bottom, then flip
Cook another 2-3 minutes until completely brown
Remove from heat and place on a cooling rack with paper towels underneath
Once all dough is used, put cooked doughnuts in a zip-top bag with powdered sugar and shake to coat
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Nutrition Facts
Homemade Doughnut Holes
Amount Per Serving (1 doughnut)
Calories 91 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 1g5%
Cholesterol 1mg0%
Sodium 65mg3%
Potassium 13mg0%
Carbohydrates 7g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 5IU0%
Calcium 13mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
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