Krispy Kreme Donut Recipe

These Krispy Kreme donuts are the closest I have gotten to the real thing at home, with that signature airy crumb and crackly glaze you expect from the original.

Yes, you can make these iconic donuts right from your own kitchen. And you’ve landed on the exact site to help you through it. These Krispy Kreme donuts are perfectly sweet, tender, and unbelievably satisfying. Like I was telling you in my recent donut glaze post, as a pro chef, I’ve developed more donut recipes than is altogether normal. This recipe was constantly under development so I could present it to you in its perfect form!

Yeasted donuts bring their own challenges and rewards. If you’re looking for a more beginner-friendly recipe with a similar flavor profile, I got you. You can head over to my sour cream donuts or French crullers instead and circle back when you’re ready!

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Unsalted Butter: Adds richness and tenderness to the dough without contributing extra salt. Use it cold from the fridge and cut it into pieces so it incorporates evenly during mixing.
• Vegetable Oil: Keeps the crumb soft after frying by contributing liquid fat that stays fluid at room temperature. Canola oil works just as well here.
• Dry Active Yeast: The leavening agent that gives these donuts their signature pillowy lift. Proof it in warm milk before mixing to confirm it is active; if it does not foam within 10 minutes, start over with a fresh packet. If you don’t have dry active yeast, you can substitute double the weight of fresh yeast or half the weight in instant yeast. If using either fresh or instant yeast, you can add it straight to the dough, but mixing it into the sponge will still kickstart fermentation and gluten development!
• Cake Flour and All-Purpose Flour: Using both flours is the key to this dough’s texture. Cake flour has a lower protein content, which produces that characteristically soft, fine crumb. I tested this with all-purpose flour alone, and the donuts were noticeably chewier and less delicate.
• Sugar: A small amount feeds the yeast during proofing and adds a light sweetness to the dough. Do not reduce it, as it also affects browning during frying.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations on This Krispy Kreme Donut Recipe

• Shortening-Fried. For the most authentic Krispy Kreme flavor, fry in vegetable shortening instead of canola or vegetable oil. The flavor difference is subtle but noticeable if you grew up eating the real thing.
• Granulated Sugar Coating. Instead of glaze, roll the warm donuts in granulated sugar or cinnamon sugar like I do with these [apple cider donuts]! Coat them after they come out of the oil. It gives you a crunchier, less sweet finish that works especially well on the donut holes.
• Filled Donuts. Skip the donut cutter hole and fry rounds instead, then pipe in your filling of choice after cooling. My jelly donut recipe post covers exactly how to fill and finish them without making a mess.
• Use a different glaze. I’m a sucker for my classic donut glaze, but you know from my devotion to chocolate recipes that [chocolate fudge glaze] would be a winner in my book. You could also add some fresh strawberry flavor using the glaze from my [lemon cake donuts].

Professional Tips

• Use a thermometer for the oil. Use this candy thermometer while frying. The temperature needs to stay between 350°F and 360°F throughout the whole batch. I heat my oil to 360°F before adding donuts because cold dough drops the temperature immediately; anything below 350°F means greasy donuts, and too hot means burnt on the outside and raw on the inside. Don’t be afraid to turn off the stove.
• Do not crowd the pot. Fry 3 to 5 donuts at a time depending on your pot size. They need room to puff and float freely; too many at once causes the temperature to crash and the donuts to stick together.
• Rest scraps before re-rolling. You can re-roll the dough scraps once, but first knead them into a ball, wrap tightly in plastic, and let them rest for at least 20 minutes. If you try to roll them immediately, the gluten will fight you and the donuts will be dense.
• Keep unfried donuts cold until the moment you fry. Pull them from the refrigerator in small batches and let them sit at room temperature for 6 minutes before frying, which is exactly what I do. Letting the full tray sit out while you work through earlier batches results in overproofed donuts that deflate in the oil.

How to Make Krispy Kreme Donut Recipe

Start with the dough, since it needs two rounds of cold rest before you can fry. Plan ahead, and this recipe moves smoothly. Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below!

Make dough

Step 1: Whisk together flours, sugar, and kosher salt in a bowl and set aside. In another small bowl, beat the egg until smooth and no streaks of white remain. (photos 1 & 2)

Step 2: In a small pot, melt butter over low heat. Whisk in the oil, followed by the milk, and finally the beaten egg and vanilla. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until 106°F. (photo 3)

If your butter mixture was too hot when you added the egg and it scrambled, start over. Whisking the egg into the pot in a steady stream will help prevent this.

Step 3: Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk yeast into the milk mixture. Set it aside and allow it to bloom for 10 minutes. (photo 4)

Step 4: Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment and add half the flour to the bowl with the yeast/milk mixture. Mix on low to combine, then add the remaining flour and mix on low until flour is incorporated. (photos 5-7)

Step 5: Switch to the dough hook, set the speed to medium-high, and continue mixing until you can see strands pulling from the sides of the bowl into the center, approximately 12 minutes. It will not completely form a smooth dough ball. There isn’t enough gluten for that! (photo 8)

This is not a beginner’s dough. That doesn’t mean you should shy away from attempting it. Just don’t get frustrated. Be patient with yourself and the dough. Accept that it is going to be sticky and not form a smooth dough. I highly suggest you watch my video on making Krispy Kreme donuts, because nothing beats showing someone how to handle a yeasted dough.

Proof

Step 6: Spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Spray hands and bowl scraper with the spray, scrape out the dough into your hands, and form it into a ball. Place in an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and bulk proof in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. (photo 9 & 10)

My best professional advice is to let the dough guide you. If it isn’t light and airy when the timer says it “should” be, give it more time or proof it in a warmer environment.

Roll and Cut

Step 7: Lightly flour your work surface. Using a bowl scraper or silicone spatula, scrape the dough onto the surface. Sprinkle it with a bit more flour. Flour your rolling pin. Gently roll out to approximately ½ inch thickness. (photos 11-14)

Step 8: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray with cooking spray. Cut doughnuts with ring molds, biscuit cutters (3”), or a doughnut cutter, and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cut out the holes with a 1” cutter while they are on the baking sheet. This will keep them from misshaping. Spray surface of doughnuts, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours. (photos 15-17)

Final Proof and Fry

Step 9: Pour oil into a fryer or a Dutch oven, making sure the oil is at least 2 inches deep. Heat your oil to 355°F. Adjust your heat to keep the temperature between 350°- 360°F while frying. You will need a clip-on fry/candy thermometer for this. I heat my oil to 360°F before adding a batch of donuts because the cold dough will lower the oil temperature.

Step 10: Allow the donuts to sit at room temperature for 6 minutes prior to frying. (photo 18)

Step 11: Gently place 3-5 donuts in the fryer, while keeping the remaining donuts in the fridge. The number you can fry at once depends on the size of your pot. You want the donuts to have room to move around and space to puff. (photo 19)

Step 12: Once they rise to the surface, cook for 60 seconds and then flip them with a slotted spoon. Fry until the bottom develops a nice golden brown color, about 45 seconds. Flip it again, then fry for another 10-30 seconds, or until the color is a nice, even golden brown. I usually test mine with a cake tester. Pull the donut out of the oil with a spider or slotted spoon, poke it, then pull out the cake tester. It should not have any streaks of dough or crumbs.

Glaze and Serve

Step 13: Transfer to a wire rack set over a sheet pan or paper towels.

The fry time depends not only on oil temperature but also on the dough temperature and how well it is proofed. The easiest thing to do is to check it intermittently with a cake tester. If it comes out clean through the center, it’s done!

Step 14: Allow oil to drip off the doughnut for 10 seconds, then roll in granulated sugar or dip in a simple powdered sugar glaze. (photo 20)

Recipe FAQs

Before You Go

If these light, pillowy yeasted donuts with that glossy vanilla glaze are your kind of thing, you will find plenty more to love in my Donut Recipes or Dessert Recipes.