Small Batch Glazed Donuts

These homemade glazed donuts are soft, fluffy, and finished with a sweet vanilla glaze. This small batch recipe makes three donuts, making it perfect for those mornings when you want a fresh, bakery style treat without ending up with a dozen donuts sitting on the counter.

glazed donuts, homemade glazed donuts, yeast donuts, small batch

Breakfast, Desserts, Baking, Small Batch, Donuts

American

Yield: 3

Author: Catherine Campbell

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Small Batch Glazed Donuts

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 20 MinInactive time: 2 H & 30 MTotal time: 3 H & 20 M

Three soft, fluffy yeast donuts fried to perfection and dipped in vanilla glaze.

Ingredients

Dough

• ¼ cup (60mL) warm whole milk, heated to 110–115°F
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• ½ tsp active dry yeast
• 1 cup (120g) all purpose flour
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 1 egg yolk
• ½ tsp vanilla paste
• 1 Tbsp (14g) unsalted butter, softened

Vanilla Glaze

• 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar
• 1-2 tsp whole milk
• 1/4 tsp vanilla paste

Instructions

Directions

1. Activate the yeast by combining the warm milk, sugar, and 1/2 tsp yeast in a small bowl. Stir gently and let sit for 5–10 minutes, until the yeast is foamy.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt. Add egg yolk, vanilla and yeast mixture to dry ingredients. Stir until combined into a rough, shaggy dough.
3. Add softened butter to the mixture and knead until the dough becomes smooth. If the dough appears dry, add 1 tsp whole milk. The dough should be soft, but not overly sticky.
4. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover. Set in a warm area for 1 hour while rising.
5. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll to approximately ½ inch thick. Using a donut cutter or round cutter, cut out the donuts. Use a smaller cutter to remove the center and create the donut holes.
6. Place the donuts on a sheet of parchment paper. Cover loosely and allow them to rise in a warm area for approximately 1½ hours. The donuts should increase in thickness by about ¼ inch during this time.
7. In a small saucepan, heat the canola oil to 340–350°F, maintaining this temperature throughout frying. Carefully lower the donuts into the hot oil, frying for 2 minutes per side. Fry the donut holes for 1 minute per side.
8. Transfer the donuts and donut holes to a paper towel to dry.

Vanilla Glaze

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla paste until smooth. Adjust the consistency as desired by adding more powdered sugar for a thicker glaze or more milk for a thinner glaze.
2. Dip each donut generously into the glaze, allowing any excess to drip off. Serve warm!

Recommended Products

Hiware Solid Stainless Steel Spider Strainer Skimmer Ladle for Cooking and Frying, Kitchen Utensils Wire Strainer Pasta Spoon, 5.4 Inch

Nutrition Facts

Calories

309

Fat

7 g

Sat. Fat

4 g

Carbs

55 g

Fiber

1 g

Net carbs

54 g

Sugar

23 g

Protein

6 g

Sodium

110 mg

Cholesterol

78 mg

Nutritional information is an estimate and may vary depending on the specific brands and ingredients used.

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© 2026 Catherine Campbell

Troubleshooting Tips

Milk that's too hot
Your milk should be warm, around 110–115°F. Milk that's too hot can damage the yeast and prevent the dough from rising properly.

Not giving the dough enough time to rise
The dough needs time to develop those little pockets of air that make donuts fluffy. Allow dough to rise in a warm area. The dough should look approximately doubled in size once it’s done rising.

Skipping the second rest
That second rise after shaping gives the dough another chance to relax and puff up. Don't skip this! It’s worth the wait.

Oil that's too hot
If the oil is too hot, the outside will brown before the center has a chance to cook through. Keep the oil around 340–350°F and adjust the heat as needed. I highly recommend using a thermometer!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bake or air fry these donuts?
Yes! You can bake or air fry the donuts instead of frying them in oil, but the texture will be different. Frying gives these donuts a light, tender texture while baking or air frying may result in a slightly more bread like texture. For the most traditional donut texture, frying is recommended.

Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes! You can prepare the dough, cover it tightly, and refrigerate it overnight after the first rise. Allow the dough to come closer to room temperature before the second rise to help with rolling & shaping.

Why didn't my donuts rise?
The most common causes are inactive yeast, milk that was too hot, not allowing enough time for the dough to rise & rolling the dough too thin before the second rise (we do want a good ½ inch thickness!).

Can I double the recipe?
Yes, but because this is a small batch recipe containing a single egg yolk, scaling it up may change the final product. For the most consistent results, I recommend making the recipe as written.

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Made This Recipe?

I’d love to know how your donuts turned out! If you made this recipe, leave a rating or drop a little note in the comments. I always love seeing what you’re making in your kitchen. 🤍