Krispy Kreme Doughnut Recipe (Copycat)
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
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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 ¼-ounce packages instant yeast (or 4½ teaspoons)
- ⅓ cup (80ml) warm water (105-115℉/40-46℃)
- 1½ cups (355ml) milk (whole or low fat milk)
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (7g) salt
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup (76g) butter, (or shortening) softened
- 5 cups (600g) all-purpose flour
- Canola oil for frying
Donut Glaze
- ½ cup (113g) butter melted
- 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon (10ml) vanilla
- 5-7 tablespoons (75-103ml) 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.
I made this today!! Thanks so much it was so delicious and was a winner with the entire family!!!
Great!! I am so glad this was a hit with your family, Chinelo. Thank you for the feedback 🙂 !
Hello, I don’t have a standing mixer or a whisk : ( is it alright if I just use a spatula in mixing the ingredients? Or will the consistency be different?
Hi Margarita! If you do not have a standing mixer, then you would have to knead your dough for about 6-8 minutes. Make sure you do not add too much flour when doing so. Err on the side of less flour. If it gets too sticky to handle, put it in the refrigerator for a little while before you continue. Hope this helps. Let me know how this works out for you!
Hi, I love fried desserts, but I keep having problems with the dessert being too oily. Will these turn out very oily?
Hi Amarin. I totally understand where you are coming from. Just make sure your oil is hot enough about 375°F before you fry.
Thank you! I was very surprised that these donuts didn’t come out oily. This is a Great recipe 5 STARS
Thank you! This is a Great recipe 5 STARS
Hello!
Would I be able to freeze the dough to fry and glaze at another time for portion control?
Hi Victoria! Yes, you can!
Hi there
Can i make these doughnuts the day before and just put the glaze on before everyone eat?
Hi Charlene. I understand you may want to save on time, but these doughnuts are best eaten fresh, preferably warm! However, if you must make them the day before, I would suggest you freeze them. Wrap them up individually and put them in an air-tight container or freezer bag before you freeze. When you are ready to serve, heat them up in a microwave oven, and then put the glaze on. Hope this helps.
Hi, hope you are good! Just wanted to ask if whether I can substitute the all-purpose flour for wheat flour?
Hi Busi. Yes, you can.
Hi. I don’t have powdered sugar, but can I use icing sugar for the glaze?
Yes you can. It works just fine.
Thank you.
Is there a need to knead the dough?
Not really.
First time ever making doughnuts. First time deep frying actually.
The recipe worked great, although my dough was a lot more wet than your photos at the start.
It was hard to get the oil at just the right temp without a candy thermometer. We used the wooden spoon technique with some success. But it would hear too much or then fill too much. We’ll definitely be getting a proper thermometer if we make it again!
Also added lemon extract instead of vanilla to the glaze and it’s delicious!
Hi Anneka! High-five on your first attempt! I am glad you were able to figure it out and make it work for you. Thanks for sharing.
How exactly does this fall under the breakfast category?
I know right!! I could eat this for breakfast, lunch, supper, snack, you name it :)! You can have it whenever you want.
I tried it today, the recipe is Perfect! But for the glazing, wen can smell the butter a lot, is it normal?
Hi Romy! This will depend on the kind of butter you used.
Hi, is this recipe using dry yeast or instant yeast?
Instant yeast . However, dry yeast works as well.
If you are using active dry yeast. How long do you have to wait for it to rise? And can I bake instead?
Hi Nneka. If using active dry yeast combine the yeast and water until completely dissolved. Let the mixture stand until yeast begins to foam vigorously (5 – 10 minutes) and then proceed as normal with the rest of the ingredients.
Here is a link to the baked version of these doughnuts: africanbites.com/baked-krispy-kreme-donut/
I was making these following step by step and I had no idea instant yeast didn’t need to be bloomed or tested so I just kept wasting my yeast and milk and trying it over again lol. I did everything and after two hours, I noticed that my dough didn’t rise at all. I made sure to pour in the yeast when my milk was a little warmer than lukewarm. My attempt at saving the dough was adding more milk and yeast and flour. Currently, I’m waiting for it to rise again. Any suggestions on what I should do it what I did wrong?
Sorry to hear about this . Yes instant yeast does not need to proof . There are a plethora of reasons why it didn’t work out . Here are some tips when using yeast . Hope it helps out .
-If you are having trouble with your dough , don’t automatically assume expiration date is the culprit. If yeast is not stored properly it can stale out pretty fast or just become inactive . Test your yeast when in doubt. Place yeast in ½ half cup warm water or milk , add a teaspoon of sugar. Let it stand for about 10 minutes – if it foams at the top , then do a happy dance – cause it’s good. After testing subtract proceed with the instructions minus the amount of liquid used .
-Use a large bowl-but not extra large . it needs to have something to push it up when rising.- if not it would just level and flatten off.
-Dough should be left to rise in a warm area – if it sits too long in a cold room, the yeast will eventually die, resulting in a flat dough. A good trick is to turn your oven to warm for about 3-5 minutes . Turn it off and place your dough inside- this would be helpful especially during winter when places are cold.
– Adding too much flour results in a tough dough making it harder to rise.
Do you cook the holes ? Like Tim Bits ?
Just wondering, when we make donuts we always cook the holes !
Well make little balls out of the leftover dough.
Yes I do. My son loves them.
Made these doughnuts today, we’re on lockdown and didn’t have enough plain flour so had to mix with sr flour really surprised at the outcome, made jam filled and ring ones.
Great recipe everyone loved them
Awesome!!! I am so glad it worked out for you. The jam-filled ones sound delicious :). Thanks for sharing, Maria!!
Can I use regular milk instead of evaporated milk for the glaze?
Hi Janelle! If you do not have evaporated milk, make your glaze with 1/4 cup of milk and 2 cups of powdered sugar only. Do not add the butter. Hope this helps.
I left my dough to rise overnight and it collapsed. I tried to cook a few pieces and it tasted Sour… Can I still rescue the dough?
Hi Kris. So sorry to hear about your mishap. Your dough collapsed because it had been left to rise for too long. This is also the cause of the sour taste, as the yeast had changed all the sugar in the dough into alcohol. Sorry dear, the sour taste cannot be remedied.
Maybe make the dough the night before, let it rise, shape them, store them in the fridge then take them out the next morning to let them do the second rise on top of the stove with the oven on 200° or so for warmth.
We are now on lockdown. I do not have yeadt. Is it ok to use baking powder?
Hi Sari. You could use 1 and 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder for every cup of flour. Since this recipe calls for 5 cups of flour, you would have to use a total of 6 and 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder. Hope this helps. Happy Baking :)!
I don’t have a donut cutter. Can I just fry them as balls?
Hi Robin. Of course, you can. Or, you could use the rim of a big glass or mug and then a smaller object or even a knife to cut out the middle. :). Hope this helps!
I have made this recipe a couple times. I have made a vegan version and made a dressed up extra bougie version. Great recipe!
Awesome!! Thanks for sharing, Tanisha!
Tried making this yesterday and was amazed by the outcome on the first try. Made a bit too much so had to freeze the remaining dough lol. And they were a bit yellowish cause i used margarine instead of butter. But nonetheless, turned out fine. Thank you for sharing this easy recipe 🙂
Hi Gret. I have never tried this recipe with margarine. So glad to hear it turned out alright! Thank you for sharing!