Cinnamon Sugar Donut Holes are simple to make in just 20-minutes — requiring no yeast or rising time. Served fresh and warm, they are so good they’ll disappear quicker than you can make them!
Recipe Rundown: What To Know
- Quick and Easy: Ready in 30 minutes — just mix, fry, and toss to coat.
- No Yeast Needed: You don’t have to knead the dough or wait for it to rise!
- Sweet & Fluffy: Crispy exterior with a soft center all coated in sweet cinnamon sugar.
- Perfect for Anytime: Breakfast, brunch, or served for dessert.
Homemade donut holes may sound like a hassle, but have no fear – a batch of these bad boys comes together in just about 20 minutes. Yes, really! Unlike when making my homemade honey bun recipe or filled donuts, this donut dough is more of a batter made with baking powder. You also won’t need a deep fryer or donut pans — just a pot, some oil, and a spoon. These donut holes are so easy, they are truly dangerous!
“These donut holes came out perfect – soft and fluffy in a perfect round shape. I used the trick of spraying my cookie scoop with non-stick spray and it worked great! We loved the cinnamon sugar flavor, next time we want to try them coated with powdered sugar.” — Simone, skilled home cook and bread maker.
Key Ingredient Notes
Made with simple pantry staples, you make already have everything you need to make this easy donut hole recipe. Visit the printable recipe card below for ingredient amounts.
- Flour: It’s best to fluff the flour and then spoon it into your measuring cup. If you dunk the measuring cup into a packed bag of flour, you’ll use too much flour creating overly dense donuts!
- Spices: Ground nutmeg, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt is all you need! Freshly grating a whole nutmeg with a microplane grater will deepen the flavor.
- Baking Powder: This is what makes the donuts so fluffy. Don’t swap it for baking soda. Also, be sure to check the expiration date.
- Sugar: Granulated or light brown sugar will both work for the dough, but only use granulated sugar for the sweet cinnamon coating.
- Milk: Use whole milk or 2%, but I would avoid using plant-based milk. You want milk with a higher fat content to keep your donut holes moist.
- Oil: Choose a frying oil with a high smoke point, like vegetable, corn, or canola oil.
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Tips For Making Cinnamon Sugar Donut Holes
The batter will be pretty sticky – that’s okay! The batter is intentionally sticky to create light and fluffy donut holes. Avoid adding extra flour, as it can make the donut holes dense.
Just don’t try to use your hands to form the donut holes. I highly recommend using a small cookie scoop sprayed with non-stick cooking spray so the donut holes are all the same size, but you can also use two spoons to get the job done.
Do NOT try to eyeball how hot the oil is! I highly recommend using a clip-on pot thermometer to continuously measure the oil. Oil that’s too hot will cook the outside too quickly and leave the insides raw. Oil that’s too cool will take too long to cook, creating greasy donut holes.
It’s important to work quickly and in batches. If you add too many donut holes to the oil at one time, they won’t cook evenly.
Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll down to the printable recipe card for full instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ensure the oil is at the correct temperature before frying and drain the donut holes on a paper towel lined plate. Oil that’s too cool can cause the donut holes to absorb excess oil, resulting in a greasy texture.
Absolutely! Add your desired filling (like a fruit jelly, lemon curd, or homemade Nutella) to a piping bag with a round tip attached. Pipe filling into the center of each donut hole while still warm.
This specific donut batter recipe is designed for frying to achieve a crispy exterior and soft interior. Baking this batter would not turn out well.
Yes! Add flavored extracts or fresh citrus zests to the dough before frying to fun flavors. Remember with extracts a little goes a long way, I recommend starting with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon. We love to add a couple of teaspoons of fresh orange zest for a light and bright taste.
You can add 1 cup mini chocolate chips to the dough for an easy chocolate fix. Or whip up a batch chocolate glaze to drizzle on top or dunk them in it!
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, refrigerate for up to a week. Reheat donut holes briefly in the microwave, for about 5 to 10 seconds, to restore warmth and softness.
Cinnamon Sugar Donut Holes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- Oil, for frying
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
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Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and baking powder in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk to combine the cinnamon sugar coating and set aside.
- Pour oil into a large, deep skillet for frying. You want the oil to be about 2 to 3 inches deep. Heat the oil and keep it between 360°F to 375°F. I highly recommend using a clip-on pot thermometer to ensure the temperature stays even for best results! However, you can test the oil by pouring a drop of water into the pot; if it sizzles across the top, it’s ready.
- While the oil is heating up… Whisk together the milk, egg, sugar, and butter in a large-sized bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine thoroughly, but do not over-mix.
- The batter will be very sticky, so either use two spoons, or a small cookie scoop, to scoop about 2 teaspoons worth of dough. You can spray your cookie scoop with non-stick spray to easily scoop perfectly rounded dough balls.
- Drop the dough into the hot oil, cooking about 5 to 7 donut holes at a time. Cook donut holes for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, flipping as needed. The donuts will spread out and roll/flip as they cook after being dropped into the oil. Do not overcrowd them or they will not cook evenly!
- When the donuts are cooked through and golden brown, remove them from the oil and immediately toss donuts in cinnamon sugar. The fresher the donuts are out of the oil, the more the cinnamon/sugar coating will stick to them. Serve immediately!
Notes
- Store Leftovers: Place cooled donut holes in an airtight container lined with a paper towel for up to 3 days. Don’t store them in the fridge, or they’ll dry out and turn stale.
- Reheat: For that fresh fried taste, microwave a few leftover donut holes for 10 seconds before enjoying!
- Traditional Glaze: Looking for that thin and sweet traditional glazed donut instead? Whisk together 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/3 cup half and half, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Dunk warm donut holes in after frying.
- Powdered Sugar: Swap the cinnamon sugar for dusting the donuts in powdered sugar. Transfer donut holes to a paper towel lined plate after frying. Wait until the donut holes are fully cooled before tossing in powdered sugar!
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Nutrition
More Must Make Sweet Breakfast Recipes
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- These cinnamon roll waffles are incredibly easy to make with canned biscuits!
- This easy cinnamon bread recipe made me the star of our family brunch.
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