Krispy Kreme Doughnut Recipe (Copycat) — Light and fluffy donuts topped with a rich glaze will melt in your mouth. Tastes as good as the store-bought Krispy Kremes!
Raise your hand if you have ever waited in line for a Krispy Kreme doughnut. Now, raise two hands if you’ve passed Krispy Kreme and had to make a U-Turn when you see the green neon sign say “HOT NOW”! I have to admit I’ve done both. Don’t feel guilty about it and I even got in trouble for it.
Yes, I was late for work that day, but guess what? My boss didn’t seem upset after I handed him some Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
I had to bribe him.
But wait, can you believe I still got dinged for it! Even after he gobbled down almost half a dozen. Bummer!
There is nothing quite like biting into a warm Krispy Kreme donuts- It melts in your mouth, leaves you wanting more and more. I have to muster every will power in me to stop at two. But to date, it has been an impossible task.
I don’t know what is it about these doughnuts.
Is it the definite crackle from the doughnut?
or the melt in the mouth sensation you get
or just maybe the fact that it is deep-fried.
Your guess is just as good as mine
Whatever it is, nothing tempts me more like a Krispy Kreme doughnut. That is why when I came across this doughnut, I decided to give it a try.
I know what you’re thinking, what is the point of making these at home when the store bought version is cheap and good. I find these curiously satisfying to make at home.
This is going on the menu for Father’s Day Weekend. I know hubby and mini hubby would be thrilled!
Although they may look unprofessional and uneven, they do have an edge compared to the store-bought version.
If you can make a cake you can make these. They’re not that difficult to make. You can even make it without a mixer.
ENJOY!!!!
Watch How To Make It
This recipe was originally posted in November 2013 and has been updated with new photos and, recently, with a video.
Krispy Kreme Doughnut Recipe
Ingredients
Doughnut Batter
- 2 packs 1/4 ounce packages instant yeast or( 4 ½ teaspoons )yeast
- 1/3 cup warm water 105-115F / 40-46C
- 1 1/2 cup milk ( whole milk or low fat milk )
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 Large eggs
- 1/3 cup (75 grams) butter or shortening , soften
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- Canola oil for frying
Doughnut Glaze
- ½ cup butter melted
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 5-7 tablespoons evaporated milk
Instructions
- In a standing mixer, combine lukewarm water and yeast. Let it sit until dissolve for about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile in a microwave safe medium bowl, heat milk for about 2 minutes. Remove and let it cool.
- Add, milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening or butter and 2 cups of flour to bowl of yeast.
- Mix for 2 minutes at medium speed. Add the remaining 3 cups of flour and continue mixing dough. Scraping down sides.
- Place dough in a large greased bowl. Cover loosely with a clean clothe and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 to 2 hours or until doubled.
- Roll dough out on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into doughnuts using a donut cutter or cookie cutter about one 1-inch and one 3 or 4-inch .Let stand for about 10 minutes.
- In a large sauce pan, pour vegetable oil until it is at least 3 inches (or about 5 centimeters) high and place on medium heat until oil is 375 degrees.
- Carefully drop doughnuts into hot oil, only a few at a time. Fry, turning once, for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on prepared paper towels.
Doughnut Glaze
- In a microwave safe bowl melt the butter.
- Remove and stir in powdered sugar and vanilla extract until everything comes together
- Then evaporated milk (or sub water) until you have reached desired consistency
- Dip doughnuts in glaze and let it drip on the rack.
Nutrition Information:
TIPS AND NOTES
- In order for your these doughnuts to be airy, they have to double in size by rising. So be patient with it. It might take more than the recommended hours. It all depends on the temperature inside your kitchen.
- If the dough is too difficult to handle, place in the fridge for about 30 minutes before cutting them out. DO NOT add more flour.
- Key factor here is the oil temperature, too low and they’re going to soak up a tons of oil, so make sure it is warm enough, about 360 degrees. It’s better to add doughnuts to slightly warmer-than-desired oil, the dough usually brings down the oil temperature a few degrees, than to cool oil.
- For best results get a reliable candy/deep-fry thermometer, equipped with a clip – helps stick to a pot. It’s readily available at most grocery stores and chain retailers for around $10.
- When doughnuts are fried, place on a cookie rack so they can drain for a few minutes before placing on paper towel.
- For the glaze, add small amounts of water or milk as you mix until you get the right consistency. This helps prevent lumps and/ or runny glaze
- You can alternatively roll in sugar. Do so immediately after removing from the fryer If you are going to sugar your doughnuts, be sure to roll them in sugar quickly after they’re fryer to ensure the sugar sticks to the doughnuts.
Recipe adapted here
In a standing mixer, combine lukewarm water and yeast. Let it sit until dissolve for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile in a microwave safe medium bowl, heat milk for about 2 minutes. Remove and let it cool.
Add, milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening or butter and 2 cups of flour to bowl of yeast. Mix for 2 minutes at medium speed. Add the remaining 3 cups of flour and continue mixing dough. Scraping down sides.
Place dough in a large greased bowl. Cover loosely with a clean clothe and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 to 2 hours or until doubled. Roll dough out on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness.
Cut into doughnuts using a donut cutter or cookie cutter about one 1-inch and one 3 or 4-inch. Let stand for about 10 minutes.
In a large, sauce pan pour vegetable oil, until it is at least 3 inches (or about 5 centimeters) high and place on medium heat until oil is 375 degrees. Carefully drop doughnuts into hot oil, only a few at a time. Fry, turning once, for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on prepared paper towels.
Donut Glaze: In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. Remove and stir in powdered sugar and vanilla extract until everything comes together. Then evaporated milk (or sub water) until you have reached desired consistency. Dip doughnuts in glaze and let it drip on the rack.
Mutale says
in the video the butter is melted but in the recipe it’s softened.. which one should i use?
Imma says
You can use either. Cold butter will clump up, but as long as all your ingredients are room temperature, both softened and melted butter will mix in well.
Ella loftis says
I love Krispy Kreme donuts can’t get them in Mcloud,Okla and they closed the one one S. Side of Okc. I wish they had one in are area they would be so packed. Recipe is great close enough for me now. Thank you.
Imma says
Sad to hear, Hopefully, you can get them at any other nearest place 🙂 Thank you for the feedback, stay tuned for more amazing recipes!
Missy says
A+ Made dough did first rise then refrigerated covered dough until the next day. Rolled out and fried day 2 no problem! I got approx 50! I used 3 inch cutter. Next time I would use a larger cutter. GREAT!
Imma says
Amazing, Thank you for your feedback.
Mark says
Can I store the dough in the fridge overnight? I’d love to have fresh doughnuts in the morning.
Imma says
Yes, you sure can. I would take it out of the fridge 20-30 minutes before cooking them so it’s not so cold
missy says
I made them on a hot day the 20 minute rest wasn’t necessary just rolled cut and fried no problem
Imma says
Yeah you did it right, thank you for sharing your experience 🙂 Much Love!
Missy says
Yes thats what I did. Do first rise, punch down and refrigerate until ready to use
Imma says
Great to hear 🙂 Thank you for the feedback, stay tuned for the more amazing recipes.
Seb says
I made the dough but the dough is very sticky and is not very dough like (can’t hold its shape ) what should I do?
Imma says
So sorry that happened. Yeast dough can be affected by altitude and flour texture. I just keep adding flour a tablespoon at a time until I find the right feel. If your dough is consistently too wet, I would reduce the liquid measurement by a couple of tablespoons. Hope that helps.
Melissa Huber says
Refrigerate the dough overnight or for a few hours. It firms up after chilling
Imma says
Thank you for the tip. I will try it next time:)
H says
I think I mixed to long
Imma says
Maybe but I provided the solution in another comment reply. Hope that works for you.
Allie says
This donut recipe was fantastic! My son cannot have eggs so tradition donut shop donuts are not okay for him. I tried out this recipe using flax ‘eggs’ as a substitute for the eggs and it turned out great. It definitely hit the donut craving for my husband and 3 teenagers! Thank you so much! The recipe was easy to follow, the only change I made was the flax eggs. They turned out fantastic!
Imma says
Woohoo, Sounds amazing to hear your story. Thank you for your love and support. Stay tuned to have more amazing recipes. Much Love!!!
Kris says
The video doesn’t match the instructions. The instructions say to mix yeast and warm water and let sit in the video they don’t do this. Everything is mixed together. Which is the correct way?
Amina says
Honestly, you can do it either way. I like to give options when I can. The most important thing is to make sure you don’t kill your yeast with liquid that’s too hot and it’s warm enough to activate it.
Taij Mason says
I’m in love with these little gems. As a new Pop-Pop this is my go for the weekends I spend with my granddaughter. She loves helping with the mixture and no matter what I tell her about yeast she still believes it’s magic the way these proof. One interesting fact is to let these proof about 20 mins after cutting into shape. Delicious! They look professional and are tasty. Thank you for such a beautiful recipe.
Amina says
Aww, Much love for your little one and it really mesmerizing to read your comment. Thank you so much
Christina C says
I’ve never had a Krispy Kreme doughnut before, but these were amazing! My daughters agreed they’re better than the fancy (expensive) bakery down the street. Thanks for the great recipe!
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! So happy to hear it worked out well for you.
Mary says
So a few questions – is the rising time the same regardless if you use instant yeast or regular yeast? Does shortening or butter product better results?
imma africanbites says
Hi, Mary. Regular active dry yeast would usually take 15-20 minutes longer to rise than instant yeast, depending also on factors like your kitchen temperature. And for your other question, either one of them works fine, but I’ve always loved that buttery flavor in this dough.
Sunil says
After adding more flour as per my first comment the donuts came out light and fluffy. Really nice! I do need to add a bit more liquid to the glaze next time. But all in all, successful outcome. Thanks.
Kita says
Amazing! I have a $10 hand mixer and I wondered if it would rise or if I had the water too hot and I ruined it- nope! They raised beautifully and puffy!! Two tips if you’re like me and don’t really pay attention to the instructions- 1. Grease the bowl and where you make them rise (or parchment paper 2. Leave space they get puffy!!! I made mini ones and they tasted like the ones at the fair!! Thank you!!!
Jackie says
Hello I really want to make this. I can’t ever get that perfect pillowy doughnut. After this step “Mix for 2 minutes at medium speed. Add the remaining 3 cups of flour and continue mixing dough. Scraping down sides.” How long should i mix the dough in the stand mixer after adding the 3 cups of flour” thank you
imma africanbites says
Hi, Jackie. I’d say around 5 minutes or so or until just combined.
H says
What if to watery?
Imma says
If the dough is watery, I would just add more flour a little at a time until it reaches the right texture. It should be slightly sticky, but firm enough to roll out. Hope that helps.
Neil says
Hello! Can I just check which attachment you used on the mixer? Was it the dough hook to knead the dough, or just a paddle?
imma africanbites says
Hi, Neil. I use a paddle attachment for this dough.