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What if we told you these Classic Glazed Brioche Donuts bring that fresh-off-the-line feeling right to your kitchen? They do, and the result makes the effort feel completely worth it!
If you’ve ever gotten warm donuts fresh off the line at Krispy Kreme, you know it’s hard to replicate the happiness that comes from eating a donut while it’s still warm and freshly glazed. The dough is impossibly soft, the glaze is glossy and dripping on the edges, and each bite melts in your mouth. It’s the best!
There’s truly nothing like a fresh homemade donut. The soft brioche dough fries up into a golden, fluffy donut and is coated in a sweet vanilla glaze for a classic finish. All you need is a deep skillet or Dutch oven to fry them right on your stovetop – no deep fryer or heavy-duty equipment required. The hardest part is waiting for the dough to rise so you can fry it. And once they’re fried, the glaze has settled, and a fresh pot of coffee is ready, you’re all set!
These donuts are perfect for a slow weekend morning or brunch with friends. Or whenever you have a craving and the time to whip up a batch of donuts at home. The satisfaction of making and enjoying these warm glazed donuts is the *sweetest* feeling – no pun intended!
Why You’ll Love These Classic Glazed Brioche Donuts
- It’s like Krispy Kreme straight out of your kitchen. But better!! They are fresh, warm, full of vanilla flavor, and taste good, if not better than a warm gooey donut fresh of the line.
- They’re warm, pillowy, and perfectly sweet. The vanilla brioche dough is perfectly soft and puffs up as it fries to create the perfect pillowy texture. The edges turn out slightly golden and crisp, and the vanilla glaze adds the perfect amount of sweetness.
- Perfect for brunch or for hosting a home cafe. It’s always fun to make something a little out of the box if you’re hosting a brunch with friends or hosting a home cafe. These pair perfectly with coffee and are sure to be scarfed down in no time!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Donut dough
- All-purpose flour
- Milk
- Instant yeast
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Salt
- Butter
- Vanilla extract
Vanilla donut glaze
- Powdered Sugar
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
How to Make Classic Glazed Brioche Donuts, Step by Step
Step 1. Make the brioche dough, knead the dough, and let it rise.
This donut dough is a soft brioche dough that puffs up and becomes deliciously pillowy as it fries in the oil. The dough is super easy to make in a stand mixer. The hardest part is just waiting for it to rise!
Start by heating milk in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat until it is lukewarm, about 105-115°F. Whisk in the yeast and sugar into the warm milk and let it sit to activate for about 10 minutes. It should be nice and bubbly.
Pour the bubbly yeast mixture into a stand mixer with a hook attachment and add the rest of the dough ingredients. Mix in eggs, softened butter, salt, and flour. Mix on medium for a couple of minutes until a dough forms.
If the dough is too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour until it reaches a workable dough.
Increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high and kneed dough for 8-10 minutes. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for 1 hour, or until it’s doubled in size.
Tip: Use a candy thermometer to check the temperature of your milk before adding the yeast. If the yeast is too hot, it could kill the yeast. If it’s too cold, it won’t activate.
Step 2. Roll the dough out onto a floured surface and cut into donut shapes.
Once your dough is doubled in size, peel back the plastic wrap from the top. Gently punch down the dough to release any extra gas that has built up.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll it out into a large rectangle that is about 1/2-inch thick. Cut out the donut rounds and place them on small squares of parchment paper. Let them rise on the parchment squares for an additional 30 minutes.
Tip: Cut out squares of parchment, just larger than the donut rounds. This will keep the donuts from sticking to the countertop, and you can also transfer them more easily to the frying oil that way.
Step 3. Heat oil in dutch oven and fry donuts.
Heat oil in a Dutch oven until it reaches 350°F. Once it reaches this temperature, you’re ready to start cooking the donuts.
Place 2-3 donuts in the oil at a time. If you overcrowd the pan, the oil temperature will drop too low. Cook the donuts on each side for 3-4 minutes until they are golden brown. Use a fork to gently to flip the donuts over in the oil.
Repeat these frying steps until all the donuts are cooked. You should have 4-5 sets of donuts to fry.
Step 4. Glaze the donuts while they’re warm and
While the donuts are still hot, dip the tops of the donuts in a vanilla powdered sugar glaze. Place the glazed donuts on a wire rack to let them cool for several minutes. Once they aren’t piping hot, you can enjoy them warm!
Tips for Making Vanilla Glazed Donuts
- Use room-temperature eggs. Room temperature eggs will create a uniform dough texture. If you blend cold eggs with the warm milk and softened butter, it could clump the fats and give the dough an uneven texture.
- Make sure to add yeast to lukewarm milk, not hot. Heat the milk to a temperature of 105-115°F so that you don’t kill the yeast. If it’s too hot or too cold, the yeast may not activate properly.
- Give the dough time to rise. You will have to pause twice to give the dough time to rise. The first rise takes about an hour, giving the dough a light, fluffy texture. Once the dough is cut, there is a second 30-minute rise that is just as important in helping develop the airy texture.
- Keep the frying oil at 350°F. Use a thermometer to temporarily check the temperature of the oil. If the oil is too hot, it can brown the outsides before the centers cook. If the oil cools down too much, they could cook in the oil for too long and become greasy. Don’t overcrowd the pan with donuts to keep the temperature up.
- Glaze the donuts while they’re warm! After you’ve fried the donuts, let them cool for a few minutes before dipping them in the glaze. It helps to have extra hands in the kitchen for this step. But if you don’t, we recommend glazing the cooked donuts after you flip the donuts for the second 4-minute baking increment.
Recipe FAQ
How to store leftover glazed donuts
These are best enjoyed fresh and are at peak freshness for the first 24 hours. Store leftover donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Don’t store the cooked donuts in the fridge. They will develop a dry texture.
More Fun Breakfast Recipes:
Classic Glazed Brioche Donuts
- Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 donuts 1x
Description
These homemade vanilla-glazed brioche donuts are soft, fluffy, and fried until golden before being dipped in a sweet vanilla glaze.
Ingredients
Vanilla Glazed Donuts
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup warm milk
- 1 packet or 2 1/4 tsp of instant yeast
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla or vanilla bean paste
- 48 oz vegetable oil
Vanilla Donut Glaze
- 2 cups of powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup of milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Make dough. Heat milk in microwave or over stovetop on medium heat until lukewarm (about 105-115ºF). Whisk in yeast and sugar into warm milk and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Pour yeast mixture into a stand mixer with a hook attachment. Mix in eggs, butter, salt, and flour.
- Beat on medium speed for a couple of minutes. If the dough is too sticky to work with, add 1 tbsp of flour until it reaches a workable dough. It will be stickier dough, but you should be able to work with it.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and knead the dough for 8-10 minutes. Or you can transfer to a floured surface and knead with your hands.
- Oil a medium bowl and place the dough ball at the bottom. Cover plastic wrap and place in a warm, dry place to rise for 1 hour. It should double in size.
- Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a floured countertop or cutting board. Gently roll into a large rectangle until the dough is about 1/2-inch thick. Cut out rounds and cut out centers. Place each donut on a small parchment square to rise for 30 minutes.
- Heat oil in dutch oven or pot. Use a thermometer to track temperature. The temperature should be 350ºF.
- While the oil is heating up, whisk to gather the powdered sugar glaze. In a medium mixing bowl, add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla bean paste. Whisk until smooth. If the glaze looks too thick, add 1 tbsp of milk at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
- Gently place 2-3 donuts with parchment paper in the oil. Carefully remove the parchment paper by grabbing it with a pair of tongs. (You don’t want to overcrowd the pan because it will reduce the temperature of the oil in the pot.)
- Fry on each side for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Place cooked donuts on a baking tray lined with a wire rack. Dip the tops of the donuts in the powdered sugar glaze. (It helps to have extra hands in the kitchen for this step. But if you don’t, we recommend glazing the cooked donuts after you flip the donuts for the second 4-minute baking increment.)
- Place the glazed donuts back on the wire rack and let them cool for a couple of minutes until they are no longer hot.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
