This donut holes recipe with cinnamon sugar is a 30-minute sweet treat for breakfast. Freshly made and served with a cup of coffee, they are likely to disappear quicker than you can make them.
Prep Time15 minutesminutes
Cook Time15 minutesminutes
Total Time30 minutesminutes
Ingredients
1 ½cupall-purpose flour
½teaspoonsalt
½teaspoonnutmeg
½teaspooncinnamon
2teaspoonsbaking powder
½cupwhole milk
1largeegg
½cupgranulated sugar
1tablespoonmelted butter
Oil, for frying
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
½cupgranulated sugar
2teaspoonscinnamon
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 side.
Pour oil into a large, deep skillet for frying. You want the oil to be about 2 inches deep. Heat the oil and keep it between 365°F to 375°F (I use a clip-on pot thermometer to ensure the temperature stays the same). You can test the oil by pouring a drop of water into the pan; 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.
The batter will be sticky, so either use a spoon, or cookie scoop, to separate the dough. Roll the dough into small balls, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, with floured hands to prevent sticking. Quickly drop the balls into the hot oil a few at a time. (They will lose their shape if you roll them ahead of time, so work quickly and drop them in as you go).
Cook donut holes for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, flipping as needed. 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!Fry In Batches: It is best to work in batches when frying the donut holes. Too many donut holes in the pot at once will quickly drop the oil temperature. Also if the pot is too crowded, the donut holes won’t have enough space to fry evenly on all sides.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!