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Sometimes a full donut is too much. Sometimes it is just enough. But for those in-between moments like movie nights, parties, or little hands reaching for treats, these cinnamon sugared donut holes are exactly what you need. They are soft and fluffy on the inside, crisp on the outside, and covered in a comforting coat of warm cinnamon sugar. The best part? You do not need a donut maker, fancy tins, or hours in the kitchen. Just a good pan, a bit of patience, and a love for indulgence.
Why Make Donut Holes?
Personally, I am always going to reach for a full-sized ring donut when given the choice. But there is something undeniably fun about donut holes. They are the perfect bite-sized snack, ideal for sharing, and make far less mess than their bigger cousins. Unless, of course, you let your kids eat them on the sofa during a movie. (Spoiler: I did. And yes, I vacuumed sugar out of the cushions.)
Donut holes are also versatile. Serve them at birthday parties, stack them into towers for brunch, pack them in lunchboxes, or enjoy them warm with coffee. I first made these intentionally as their own treat rather than leftover dough scraps from ring donuts, and they’ve since become a regular request at home.
Yeast vs. Cake Donuts
The donut world is divided between cake and yeast. Cake donuts are dense and moist, made with a batter similar to muffins or cupcakes. Yeast donuts, on the other hand, are lighter, airier, and rely on dough rising with active yeast. For these donut holes, I chose a yeast-based dough. It takes a little longer, but the result is absolutely worth it.
When I was testing donut recipes, I looked into Krispy Kreme, whose signature donuts are yeast-raised. That settled it for me. The fluffy texture is exactly what I wanted. That said, I am curious about fried cake-style donut holes too, so a future kitchen experiment is calling.
Do You Need a Donut Maker?
Nope. No need to add another gadget to your cupboards. This recipe only requires a mixing bowl, a rolling pin, and a pan or deep fryer. I used two cookie cutters for shaping, one large and one small for the holes, but you can get creative. The cap from a water bottle works in a pinch and makes the perfect size for frying.
Most donut makers are designed for baked donuts. While those are lovely, there is a magic in deep-frying that no oven can replicate. The texture, the crunch, the color — it all comes from the hot oil. If you are looking for a baked option, I do have a wonderful vegan baked donut recipe in the dessert section of the site. But today, we fry.
Serving Ideas
These donut holes are delicious on their own, but you can serve them with a variety of dips: melted chocolate, caramel sauce, vanilla glaze, or fruit compote. For parties, try stacking them into skewers or layering them in jars for takeaway gifts.
For an extra twist, try drizzling with maple syrup or dusting with powdered sugar. If you’re feeling creative, roll them in finely crushed nuts or cocoa powder. They also freeze well. Just reheat in the oven and toss again in sugar before serving.
Tips for the Best Donut Holes
- Use warm, not hot, milk to activate the yeast without killing it.
- Keep your dough covered and warm while it rises.
- Do not overcrowd the pan when frying. This keeps the oil temperature stable.
- Work in batches for even cooking and crispness.
- Toss in cinnamon sugar immediately after frying while still warm.
Cinnamon Sugar Donut Holes
Ingredients
- 2 Medium Eggs
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 150 ml Milk warm not to hot
- 1 tbsp Dried yeast or 1 sachet
- 1 tsp Vanilla essence
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Caster sugar
- 300 g Plain flour all-purpose flour
- 1 Oil for frying, amount depends on fryer size
For the topping
- 150 g Granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp Ground cinnamon
Instructions
- To start this donut hole recipe, we are going to make the sugared cinnamon topping first. This is so easy to make, all you need to do is add 150g of white sugar with 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon into a small bowl. That’s it
Making the donut hole dough
- Now, in a Pyrex bowl add in 2 eggs and whisk well.
- Add in 1 tablespoon of butter and 150mls of warm milk, Whisk until the butter has melted.
- Next, add 1 tablespoon of dried yeast and stir in.
- Now add in the vanilla essence, sea salt, and caster sugar and whisk together.
- Slowly add in your plain flour, adding it in a bit at a time, while whisking your mix into a soft dough.
- You will need to rub a little flour on your hands and add a small amount of flour to a clean surface.
- Knead the dough for a minute and turn it into a dough ball.
- Return your dough ball back into the Pyrex bowl and cover for about 20 minutes.
- The dough will become bigger in size during this time. To test if your dough is ready poke a few times lightly with your finger, if the dough tries to ping back it's ready to be rolled.
- Flour a clean surface and rolling pin and roll out your dough so it's about 1cm thick using a small circle donut dough cutter (if you don’t have a cutter you can use a cap from a drinks bottle, it’s the perfect size for the donut holes).
Frying your Donut holes
- Heat your oil to 170 degrees
- While the oil is heating up leave your donut holes to raise again.
- When the oil is heated up lower in your donut holes carefully into the hot oil.
- Fry your donut holes in small batches at a time.
- The donut holes take about 1 minute to cook, using a long-handled metal spoon or spatula, keep the donut holes moving around so that they cook evenly.
- When your donut balls are golden brown, remove the donut holes from the oil and place them onto a plate with a couple of squares of kitchen roll, this will help soak up any excess oil.
- While the donut holes are still warm rub the cinnamon sugar onto each donut making sure to cover the whole surface.
- Place the cinnamon-sugared donut holes onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
- To be honest these donut holes taste amazing when they are still warm. Hope you enjoy this recipe.
Notes
Nutrition
3 thoughts on “Cinnamon Sugared Donut Holes”
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A Sweet Ending
I never thought I would become a donut hole convert, but here we are. These little golden bites bring joy with every mouthful. Whether you are making them for your kids, your friends, or just yourself on a rainy afternoon, they will hit the spot.
And if you are already planning your next donut fix, don’t miss my double chocolate frosted donuts in the dessert section. They are rich, decadent, and just as easy to love.
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I love donut holes, they’re just so moreish, especially when finished in one bite 😁😋
I never realized how easy homemade donut holes were to make. Definitely trying this instead of buying them next time
Just finished frying these up, and they turned out perfect. The cinnamon sugar coating is the best part I might try dipping them in chocolate next time!