I mean, literally, who doesn’t love donuts in some form or fashion? Breakfast is the most versatile meal – you can eat it at any point throughout the day. Lunch –> Brunch. Breakfast for dinner? Don’t mind if I do! And donuts are basically an excuse to eat cake for breakfast – dessert! One of my favorite things about this recipe is how versatile it is. If you are simple, easy going – go with classic glazed donuts! If you like to mix it up – add your favorite cookie crumbles or other topping, we decided to go with crushed Oreos. This way everyone is happy with minimal additional effort 😊
This recipe is certainly a labor of love, but the end result is sooo worth it! If you are planning to eat these for actual breakfast you’ll need to start bright and early, or you can just have them for dessert. Either way you will celebrated as a hero! Download a .pdf of the recipe to save it for later –>
Make the doughnut dough. Lightly stir together milk and yeast in a large bowl, let sit for 5 minutes or until foamy.
Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, beat eggs, butter, sugar and salt into the yeast mixture. Add half of the flour at a time until combined. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl while mixing, if not add 2 tablespoons of flour at a time until it does. If you’re using an electric mixer you will need to knead the dough until smooth. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover, letting it rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
While the dough rises, make your icing and cookie crumble topping. Whisk together powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla in a medium bowl. Crush your favorite cookie topping in a Ziploc bag and set aside in a medium bowl.
Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Roll it to 1/2 thick and cut out donut shapes. Knead scraps together, being careful not to overwork, and let rest before repeating the process.
Place your doughnuts on floured baking sheets and cover with a kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes or until doubled in size. If your kitchen is not warm, warm the oven to 200, turn it off once it reaches temperature, put the baking sheets inside and leave the door cracked.
About fifteen minutes before the dough is done rising, begin heating the oil in heavy-bottom pot over medium-high heat until it reaches 375. Prepare your station with cooling racks.
While the oil heats up, make your glaze. Melt butter in a medium pot and stir in sugar and vanilla until smooth. Remove from heat and add water one tablespoon at a time until thin but not watery. Set aside and keep warm. If it starts to cool you can warm it up again on the stove before glazing.
Using a metal spatula, carefully pick up one donut at a time and gently add to oil. When the bottoms are golden brown, about a minute, flip to cook the other side, about another minute. Transfer to cooling rack. Donut holes cook faster and are easier to flip with a spoon.
Wait until the donuts have cooled enough to handle. Dip the donuts in the glaze on both sides until completely covered. Place on another cooling rack with a baking tray underneath to drip dry.
Dip the tops of the glazed donut in the icing and then immediately in the cookie crumbs until well coated. Place upright on a plate and serve. Store them in a container in the fridge for a day or two, but they are best enjoyed the day of.
