Craving Krispy Kreme donuts but don’t want to drive to the nearest location? You can try making them at home! These are perfect to share with friends and family!
We are a donut-loving family. We’ve sampled all the donut places in the area and have our favorite (a little mom and pop stand at the local farmer’s market). As much as we love our donuts, we don’t eat them very often. Once in a blue moon, we’ll treat ourselves to a donut topped or filled with our favorite items. I’m a cream/custard fan, in case you’re wondering.
One brand that I never tried until college was Krispy Kreme. My college friends drove me to the nearest store and we waited until the “Hot Now” sign lit up to go inside. We got to watch the donuts being made and doused with something we lovingly called “sugar lard.” Oh, that was the best part.
Although it has been years since I’ve set foot in a Krispy Kreme store, my heart still has a fond place for it. There is nothing like a fresh warm donut hot off the assembly line. I wanted to try and recreate it at home so I tried it one weekend.
I was a bit disappointed that my donuts didn’t turn out as good as the real thing, but I was proud to have attempted them in the first place. My dough was extremely sticky so I had to add a lot of extra flour to them. As a result, they didn’t fry up as soft and airy as I had hoped. As always, I attribute this to user error since the original recipe claims to have been tested countless times.
Regardless, these donuts were still really tasty, and our neighbors enjoyed them as well. Nothing will ever be the same as the Krispy Kreme original glazed donut, but these are a nice homemade alternative. I hope you enjoy these.
Copycat Krispy Kreme donuts
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water about 110-115 degrees F
- 2 packages active dry yeast about 4 and 1/2 teaspoons total
- 4 and 1/2 cups flour divided
- 10 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 4 cups vegetable shortening can substitute with vegetable oil
- 2 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, add the warm water and yeast together. Allow it to sit for at least 10 minutes. Then add 1 cup of the flour and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 45 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed, about 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated. Then add the vanilla and salt.
- Add the yeast mixture and the remaining flour and mix until everything comes together. Transfer the dough to a large, greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow it to rise for about 2 hours. Then deflate the dough by punching it down and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
- Divide the dough into two and roll each half on a floured surface out to about 1/2" thick. Use a donut cutter to punch out 12 donuts (alternatively, if you don't have a donut cutter, you can use two different glasses with large and small diameters). Place them on a sheet of wax paper and allow to rise again for at least 45 minutes.
- Heat some oil to 375 degrees F. It is important to note that you don't want your oil too hot here, so make sure you use a thermometer. Fry each side for 90 seconds and then transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
- While the donuts are cooling, make the glaze. Microwave the powdered sugar, mil and corn syrup in a small bowl. Dunk the donuts in the glaze and make sure to flip them over so they are coated on both sides. Allow the donuts to cool slightly before eating.