Easy, from-scratch, no yeast donut holes! These homemade donuts can be mixed up and fried in minutes! A great guide for making donuts on your own at home!
I spent six years of my life shackled to a deep fry station.
I exaggerate a bit, I wasn’t exactly shackled (only by the need for a paycheck to keep my college from slamming its door in my face each semester), and it was more often the drive-thru window or the sandwich station that I found myself stuck overseeing, but in the six years that I worked for a particular red-hatted fast food company, I experienced a lot of deep frying and bathed my fair share of curly fries and chicken tenders in sizzling wells of golden-brown (more often brown-brown) oil.
And, every evening when I would punch out to go home, my clothes, hair, and skin would be saturated with the distinct scent of all things deep fried.
So I think that might be why it’s taken me so long to share anything on my site that’s been fried, despite the fact that deep fried desserts are truly some next-level stuff… 6 years of scrubbing oil out of your (already acne-prone) pores will do that to you (and if I never see another curly fry in my life, that’s just fine by me).
But today, I’m finally breaking my no-fry streak with these incredibly easy, bite-sized, no yeast homemade donut holes, made with my versatile no yeast cinnamon roll dough and fried until golden-perfection.
Deep frying can be a little messy, but it’s quick, and the results are well-worth any cleanup. These donut holes need to only fry for about 3 and a half minutes (do them in batches of about 4-5 at a time), then roll them in cinnamon/sugar (or powdered sugar — makes them taste like funnel cake or fried dough) and you’re done. Coupled with the fact that the dough is also very simple to make and comes together easily, you can easily have home-fried donuts ready for eating in under 30 minutes.
I’m not sure there’s anything quite as beautiful as watching homemade donuts floating in golden oil until they’re cooked to perfection <3
Except maybe eating said hot homemade donuts.
To be honest, I have quite a few homemade donut hole recipes coming up (ones with surprises tucked inside), but I wanted to share this basic recipe first, as it’s going to be the foundation for the future ones.
Stay tuned, and Happy Friday!
Donut Holes (Fried, No Yeast)
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil or canola oil for frying
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 5 Tbsp butter cold
- 3/4 cups milk
For rolling
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
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Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and mix.
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Using a pastry cutter cut butter into your flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
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Add milk and mix until all ingredients are combined.
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Transfer dough onto a well-floured surface, and knead gently until it forms a cohesive ball. If dough is too sticky to manage, continue to work in flour until it is smooth and manageable (I've found on hot days or if my butter isn't cold enough the dough can be quite sticky)
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Break off approximately 1 1/2 Tbsp-sized pieces of dough and roll into smooth, tight balls. Set aside.
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Fill a medium-sized saucepan 2-inches deep with your oil over medium-high heat. Use a candy thermometer (make sure it isn't touching the bottom of the pot) to monitor your temperature.
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Heat oil to 350F (you will have to monitor the heat pretty regularly and may need to increase/decrease your stove temperature to keep it consistent).
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While your oil is heating, prepare your cinnamon/sugar mix by stirring together cinnamon and sugar in a small dish. Set aside.
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Prepare two plates for your cooked donut holes by lining them generously with paper towels.
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Once oil has reached 350F, very carefully fry your donut holes, about 4 at a time, carefully transferring them to the oil with a slotted spoon (don't drop them in or the oil may splash, lower them into the oil instead).
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Fry donut holes for approximately 3.5 minutes*, remove carefully with a slotted spoon, and place them on a paper towel laden plate. Allow them to sit for about 30 seconds and then use another spoon to transfer them to your cinnamon/sugar dish, roll them in the topping until fully covered, and then transfer to your other paper towel lined plate.
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Repeat until all donut holes are cooked and have been rolled in cinnamon sugar.
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These donuts are best enjoyed warm/hot, and do not carry over well to the next day.
Recipe Notes
*For best results, fry only one donut hole the first time you try this, and gauge how thoroughly it is cooked. After 3.5 minutes has passed, cut into it to check whether it is underdone, just right, or overdone, and then fry the rest of your donut holes accordingly.
While these should take about 3.5 minutes under optimal conditions with a consistent oil temperature of 350F, it's still important to check so that you don't end up with 1 1/2 dozen donuts that are still gooey in the middle!
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Great way to bust the no-fry rule. These look great.
Just made these with vanilla almond milk and a cinnamon/sugar/cardamom coating, and they turned out SO delicious! I’ve never made donuts before, because I always though it was so hard, but these were a breeze to make. Thanks for recipe.
Woohoo! So glad you loved them, Samira! Thank you so much for commenting! 🙂
I just whipped these bad mamma jammas up tonight for my husband and myself, on word to describe them…..YUMMMMYYYY!!!!! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Awesome, I’m so glad that you loved them! Thank you for coming back and letting me know how you liked them, Danielle! 🙂
Can i bake them?
They would not be the same, you could experiment but they taste best when fried.
Just made these at 430am as I work nights and try to keep to my schedule even on off days. They were wonderful! It was so easy to follow the recipe and it was less than an hour from looking up the recipe to sitting down with fresh warm donuts. Thank you!
I’m SO glad that you loved them, Kris! Thank you for commenting! 🙂
I feel you on the frying- but these donut holes look totally worth all the oil! 🙂
These are the worst donuts I’ve ever made you instructions are useless the donuts don’t even cool properly the temperature of the oil is perfect at 350F but they still haven’t cooked just got a thick goo in the middle never cool this recipe it has wasted over 2 hours of my life and a fair amount of money not worth it in my eyes on such a useless recipe thanks for nothing what a waste !!!!!!
Peter, you need to TEST the donut holes. That is listed in the instructions for good reason, please see the recipe notes. Potentially your thermometer is inaccurate or you are not waiting for the oil to come back to temperature between batches.
If your donut holes are gooey in the center, a simple fix is to simply cook them longer.
Please be sure to read the instructions thoroughly to save yourself from wasted ingredients and time in the future.
Lol what a nutjob. Your doughnuts were amazing, Peter needs therapy.
I had this same problem, waited between batches, tested for longer and shorter times.
the outside got well done many times that it was crumbling and falling off while the inside was still like dough.
played with the temperature a bit in the end to try get it to cook right, but they never turned out good.
also the thermometer is built into the deepfryer so it shouldn’t be malfunctioning.
ended up just baking them, they turn out a bit like short bread, but topped with cinnamon sugar they still taste pretty good.
wish i could have gotten this to work out how you guys did, but in the end this just didn’t work out as described
I am sorry to hear that they didn’t turn out for you, Yuri!
What a horrible attitude.. Must be a snowflake.
Snowflake. Hahahahahah
These look delicious! Will this recipe work for donuts too instead of donut holes? 🙂
Yes, I definitely think that would work! However, I haven’t tried it yet so some of the details will be a little different (the time to cook will likely be different). I do have it on my calendar to experiment with making donuts instead of just holes, so check back and hopefully I’ll have that recipe soon, too! 🙂
I tried these.They were awesome!!super soft!!thank you:)
Awesome!! Thanks for letting me know how they turned out 🙂
Sam, Thank you so much for sharing. These donut holes are delicious. The recipe is so versatile you can change the flavour and still enjoy the soft-crispy yumminess of this little dessert.
Thank you for letting me know how you liked them, Ashona!! So glad that you enjoyed them! 🙂
Heya ur recipe seems wonderful… Wanna make them tomo for my niece school’s business fair…will they stay good n soft the next day… Plannin to fill them up with jam… Pls reply a bit urgent…
Hi Hanisha! These are best served the same day they are made.
Thank u so much dr…
Hi there, I made these and they turned out hard….can you tell me why? I fried them until golden outside, or do they need to look white?
Hi Laura! They should be golden brown, but if they’re coming out hard the oil may be too hot. You can try cooking them for slightly less time and making sure they are still cooked all the way through to the center. I hope that helps!
turned the temp down and still ended up with hard brown balls with goop in the middle
You need to turn it down more, could your thermometer be inaccurate or might you have turned down the temp too late (after adding the dough)?
Thank you for this recipe Sam! I’m wondering if I can chill the dough so I can cook it later on?
Yes, I have done this before! Hope you love them, Yesha! 🙂
I have never made donuts before because I thought they were going to be difficult. I’ve looked at so many recipes but yours caught my eye because of the no yeast, which is not easy to find where I am! I have just made them they were so easy and taste amazing! Might have to get hubby to hide the baking stuff or I’ll end up living off them! 🙂
Hi, I came across your recipe and was wondering if these are like cake donuts or raised/fluffy donuts? I love the no yeast recipe, but wasn’t looking for a cake-like consistency. Thanks!
Hi Lisa! They’re not quite as dense as cake donuts and not as light and airy as true yeast donuts. Between the two I’d say they’re probably closer to cake-like. I hope that helps!
Can’t we make the Donets in its original shape ?? Do we have to make them round as shown in the picture !?!?
Hi Pragya,
You can, but I recommend making them as balls. I’ve tried making them in the donut shape and found that they lose that element of a soft, fluffy interior unless you make particularly thick donuts. Hope this helps!
Can we make these chocolate, if so how much powder do you recommend.
I’ve never tried them that way so I can’t say for sure, but I think you could probably add 1/4 cup cocoa powder.
Thank you for your recipe!! 🙂 I used gluten-free flour and coconut milk…amazingly delicious!! I was finally able to eat this tastey treat again since being diagnosed with Celiac over 7 years…SUPER thankful I found your recipe!! 🙂
I made this donut during Christmas and they all gone quickly. This recipe is great!!!
Tried these out the for the first time. So easy, quick and the kids helped too. I was worried that the texture would be affected when they made the balls, but it didn’t. It took me a bit of trying to find the right temperature and size so the inside cooks through. Thank you!
For the fried donut holes (no yeast), would it go stale if I fried them and leave them overnight?
These are really best if eaten right after you fry them, I don’t think they’d be too great if you left them overnight. BUT, you could make the dough the night before, keep it refrigerated in an airtight container, and then fry them just before you’re ready to serve them.
I hope that helps!
Tried these today….they were so oo good! We even made regular ‘o’ donuts and they came out great. This recipe is definitely a keeper 🙂
So glad to hear you enjoyed them, thanks so much for commenting! 🙂
love it as a versatile base recipie with tons of options and possible additions. but i have never fried anything outside of a fast food work environment and i only handled frozen chicken and fries. mine are burning on the outside and raw in the center. i am at high altitude(denver) and have a thermometer reading 350F (vegetable oil) oh and my dough balls are sinking and rolling around on the bottom of my saucepan instead of floating. what is optimal? any advice?
Hi Dusty! I’m glad you like the donut holes, I’m wondering if they are burning because they are staying near the bottom of the saucepan…. very strange! I would try reducing the heat to about 315-325 (it’s also possible your thermometer may not be accurate — I’ve had that happen before), but I’m really not sure why they would be sinking and if the altitude makes a difference (I’m sorry but I have no experience with high altitude baking).
Hello Dusty: Per food.com we need to adjust oil temperature at high altitude. Here is what they recommend
http://www.food.com/about/high-altitude-adjustment-for-deep-fat-frying-964
Thanks Nell 🙂
I just found this and i cant wait to try them out!! Hope it all goes well. by the way, what is your advise for using self raising flour instead of all purpose flour?
Hi Leeanne, I hope you love the recipe! Unfortunately I’ve never used self raising flour so I can’t say for sure, I’d recommend using all purpose. if you do try with self raising I’d love to hear how it turns out, though!
i tried these last night! i used self raising flour and it didnt turn out great so i used plain flour in the next bacth (we can only get these two types of flour apart from wheat flour here where i live) and it was great! had to do bout 3 trials of individual holes to ensure my oil wasn’t too hot! my 20 month old son loved them too! thank you so much! i cant wait to try out the other variations to do these doughnut holes 🙂
I always use self raising flour, but with that you don’t add baking powder or the salt as it will not taste the great. Mine have always turned out great I also use soy and dairy free butter too.
Thank you for the recipe, I do it perfectly❤️❤️❤️
So glad to hear you enjoy the recipe!
Can I bake them instead of frying them ?
Will they taste the same ? And have the same texture?
Hi Isabell, I don’t recommend baking them, they would not have the same texture nor would they have the fried taste.
can i take out the baking powder? Or is it compulsory?
Definitely needed in the recipe, please don’t leave it out!
Can you use margarine in stead of butter??????
I haven’t tried it that way so I can’t say for sure
Not sure what happened, but I tried the recipe and added coco and peanut butter, it was a disaster! I set them in the deep fryer basket and let them cook in the basket, not submerging them, but sitting in 2 inches of oil at 350. They crumbled and fell apart!
I took a few of them and tried in a pan with oil instead, same sad result! 🙁
The cocoa and peanut butter would have caused that. The cocoa powder probably made the dough too dry and peanut butter can become crumbly when heated incorrectly.
Hi I came acrossed this and it looks wonderful but I am not seeing where or when to add the butter in the directions. I see you mention about it being cold enough. Maybe I’m missing it but i looked quite a while lol
Hi Stephanie! It is listed in step 2 of the instructions — cut it into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter. I hope you love the donuts!
I made these in Catering on Wednesday, and they turned out absolutely wonderful! I ended up making about 60! They were a big hit with the food technology department and my friends! Will definitely make again!
I am so glad to hear it! Thank you so much for commenting and letting me know how they turned out for you!! 🙂
Is milk needed in the recipe? Would it change anything if I used water instead of the milk? I’ve tried this recipe before and I loved it! I wanted to make them again for everyone but I have no milk.
Hi Makayla! I haven’t ever tried them with water instead but I think I would advise against it — it would probably make the batter too thin and runny so I would recommend sticking with milk, sorry! I”m glad you like the recipe! 🙂
How long will this batter last? Will it hold overnight?
Yes, it will hold overnight. Cover the bowl with the dough with clear wrap and keep it refrigerated until you are ready to use. Hope that helps!
Hi, these sound delicious and I can’t wait to try them! Wondering if I can use cake flour, either in part or full to make the overall texture even lighter. Please respond. Thanks!
Hi Andrea! I haven’t ever tried them with cake flour so I can’t say for sure, but if you do try it that way I hope you’ll let me know how they turn out in case anyone else has the same question 🙂
These were good. Better when we added vanilla (and balanced the wetness with a little more flour) If the dough has got too much moisture, it will crumble apart when frying. With the added vanilla, we did need to cook a little longer.
I’m so glad you liked them! Thanks for letting me know how they turned out for you 🙂
Can I make the balls the night before and fry them around 12:00 PM the next day? Please let me know as soon as you can, thank you!
Yes, I’ve done this before. Keep them refrigerated in an airtight container and you should be good to go. I hope you love them! 🙂
OMG! I really wish I could attach a photo to this but I just finished making these and, I kid you not, they are amazing! I, subconsciously, doubled the recipe cause 12 is always to small of a number for me if I am making some sort of dessert.
I was a bit worried, cause I never made donuts before, and I didn’t have a thermometer, but after I fried the first one (I was scared that it would brown on the outside to fast so I removed it from the oil, let it drip dry and cool down for a few seconds and then placed it back in. That way it could slow down the cook time and make sure it was done on the inside) I completely forgot that I needed to check to see if it was done. I covered it in the cinnamon sugar and popped it in my mouth.
AMAZING and perfectly done.
You are genius girl!
YAY! I’m so glad to hear they came out so well! Thank you for coming back and letting me know how you liked them, Latricia!! 🙂
I just made these and taste wise they are VERY yummy…so thank you for posting I did opt to add a bit of cinnamon to the flour. But they look nothing like yours. I found that when I rolled mine they had cracks (and you specify tight and smooth) no matter what I did I never really got a smooth total look. When I fried them they looked like I dropped them from a tablespoon if that helps. Dough too dry maybe? Yet the dough came together ok with the gentle knead. Is there any chance you have photos of dough and the balls prior to frying them? I really wouldn’t be too hysterical about the shape for us but my little guy who is autistic wont eat them unless they look like Dunkin Donuts and your photos do so trying to figure out my error. Thank you for posting the recipe and any help you can suggest.
Hi Nancy! Sorry I am just now seeing this. A touch more moisture (and I really mean a small amount, think a teaspoon or so of milk at a time) may help make them smoother, I’m sorry but I don’t have any before pictures.
Oh my gosh I’ve died and gone to heaven I just made a batch of these and they are scrumptious thank you for the recipe
Yay! So glad you enjoyed them!!
As a guy Im all about deep frying, but the baker inside me isnt great, lol. Decided to make these for my stepdaughter and while they came out good, I think I ended up with too much flower because the dough was so sticky to start (my inner baker didnt know how to fix this).
Another note, make the balls smaller than you think they need to be, or you’ll end up with 12 donut holes that are jumbo size, lol.
What can we use if we don’t have pastry cutters?
You can use a fork and knife, I have done that before in a pinch.
Well – I just made these donut balls – Fantastic – thanks for sharing from Swaziland Africa!
So glad you enjoyed them, Lesley! Thank you for commenting from across the globe!! 🙂
I have never made doughnuts before, so I was pleasantly pleased when I found this recipe. It was so easy to make these. They had the perfect amount of sweetness. There are so many different things you can use to roll them in. The best tasting cake doughnuts ever. Plus people thought I bought them at the store. This first time baker is giddy with happiness.
I’m so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, Christine! You are right there are so many options with them! Thank you for coming back and commenting to let me know how they turned out!!
These were fantastic! I used coconut oil to make it vegan and added a whole diced mango with an oj glaze. Everyone said this was the best donut they’ve had. Ty for such an awesome recipe!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, thank you!
Hello! I’d like to try making this recipe, but I don’t have a candy/cooking thermometer. How long does it approximately take to heat up the oil over medium heat until it reaches 350 F? I just wanna make sure that I’ll do it right. Thank you!
Hi Naura! I’m sorry but it’s definitely too hard to tell, there are too many variables depending on your stovetop… I don’t think I’d recommend making these without a thermometer, I’m sorry!
GREAT RECIPE LOVE IT!. I used water instead of milk and it was great still
So glad to hear that you enjoyed!!
Good recipe. I used a variation instead of the balls and I had icing sugar. Thank you so much, this was very easy and good for a rainy afternoon
I’m so glad that they turned out for you and you enjoyed, thank you for writing, Wendy!!
These were great!! I didn’t have any butter… so I replaced it with apple sauce, I had to add lots more flour, because the dough was way too sticky (and I haven’t even put the whole amount of milk…), I also added a bit of cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla in the dough. I also made them way smaller (1/2 Tbsp each ball) so I had way more then a dozen (and it was great for the kids (they thought they ate more then they actually did! Hahaa
I think the applesauce was likely the reason they were sticky, but I’m glad everything ultimately turned out! Thanks for writing, Nadine!
These are Yummy.. made them this AM… used brown sugar, and bread flour and added some flax seed ground…. to add a little healthy to them! They were relish!! Thank you! Everyone liked them!
My kids loved these! Reminded us of churros! Easy & delicious!
These donut holes turned out AWESOME!!! 🙂 I came upon your recipe about a couple of weeks ago and have been trying to find the time to make them, and finally got that chance today. And my husband loved them. I decided I would make them for my husband because he usually likes to order some of these donut holes whenever he orders Chinese food and they are just dreadful. I was very happy how the way they turned out. So I appreciate and am very thankful for your such a simple recipe! Cheers!
I baked them at 350 for 20 minutes because they weren’t working for me when I tried to fry them.