The best donut and doughnut recipes

Donuts—covered in a delicious chocolate glaze or sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon—will always brighten your day. We present recipes for this airy, sweet treat from our chefs.

Chocolate donuts with coffee glaze

Chocolate and coffee are simply made for each other. It's no wonder Molly combines them in this delicious breakfast pastry.

Recipe: Chocolate donuts with coffee glaze

Nutella Donuts

This sweet treat is unbeatable. In just an hour, you can make homemade donuts with just three simple ingredients, and you don't even need to deep-fry! Chocolate-hazelnut spread is mixed into the dough and coated on top for extra flavor.

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Nutella Donuts

Classic jam donuts

Homemade donuts, hot, straight from the fryer? Yes, please! The best part is, this recipe offers four different filling and cream options.

Recipe: Classic jam donuts

The best traditional donuts

We spent a lot of time perfecting these donuts. We wanted a soft and light texture without excess fat—and we got it! The classic angular edges add a pleasant texture and help hold the sweet glaze. The combination of buttermilk and sour cream adds richness and a pleasant flavor. But the secret ingredient in the dough is vegetable oil. Surprisingly, it doesn't weigh down the donuts and makes them even softer and more tender.

Recipe: The best donuts

Apple Cider Donuts

We use applesauce, cider, and apple pie spice to create a protein-rich treat that's just as delicious as donuts from fall farmers markets. With a soft, sponge-like texture, they're delicious on their own, but they're even more delicious with one of our flavorful toppings.

Recipe: Protein Apple Donuts

Oven-baked donuts with blood orange, rhubarb, and blueberry glaze

Choose from three fruity glazes for these simple baked donuts: blood orange, rhubarb, and blueberry. Pick your favorite or make all three!

Recipe: Oven-baked donuts with orange, rhubarb, and blueberry glaze

Pumpkin donuts in the oven

Valerie gives cinnamon sugar doughnuts an autumnal twist by adding canned pumpkin puree and a couple teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice to the dough.

Recipe: Pumpkin donuts in the oven

Pineapple donuts

These donuts are a cute twist on a classic, easy to make and easy to serve. Each airy, individual serving is topped with rich caramelized pineapple.

Recipe: Pineapple Upside-Down Donuts

Salted donuts

Can a bagel be both sweet and savory? Well, one thing's for sure: the garlic, onion, and seed topping on bagels also works perfectly on donuts. Make the dough the night before, then quickly fry the donuts for a special breakfast.

Recipe: Donuts with poppy and sesame seed topping

Polish donuts

Polish doughnuts (paczki) are generously filled with jam and topped with a sweet glaze, and the rich, almost savory dough contains both whole eggs and yolks. Although they are typically prepared in Poland on Fat Thursday (the Thursday before Ash Wednesday), in Polish areas of the United States, doughnuts are eaten during the celebration of Fat Tuesday. Originally a way to use up eggs, butter, and lard before Lent, it later became a tradition. Polish doughnuts are typically fried in lard, but we use more readily available vegetable oil. Either way, it's said that beginning the Lenten season with this sweet, rich treat promises good luck and happiness for the entire year.

Recipe: Polish donuts

Yeast-Free Apple Donuts

Adding homemade applesauce to the dough keeps the donuts moist. Dip them in cider glaze and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Recipe: Yeast-Free Apple Donuts

Baked Coconut and Almond Donuts

For a healthy treat, bake donuts in the oven instead of deep-frying. Toasted coconut and slivered almonds add a nutty flavor and a wonderful crunch.

Recipe: Baked Coconut and Almond Donuts

American Donut Halls with Strawberry Syrup

These cinnamon sugar-dusted dough balls are even more delicious when dipped in a syrup made from strawberry jam and elderflower liqueur.

Recipe: American Donut Halls with Strawberry Syrup

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Donut tiramisu

Got a lot of doughnuts on hand? Turn them into tiramisu with mascarpone cheese and coffee liqueur. It's a simplified version of the traditional Italian dessert.

Recipe: Donut tiramisu

American donuts

Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, these light donuts are infused with apple pie spices and will be a hit at any fall party.

Recipe: American donuts

Mini donuts with bananas and chocolate chips

Mini baked donuts with banana and chocolate chips are the perfect midday snack.

Recipe: Mini donuts with bananas and chocolate chips

Cinnamon donuts

These square donuts with sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg are a great dessert to go with your morning coffee.

Recipe: Cinnamon donuts

Birthday donuts

These cake-like donuts with a crispy crust are just begging for frosting. Make the donuts the day before and store in an airtight container. You can also make the frosting ahead of time: refrigerate, bring to room temperature, and then beat with a mixer until smooth. Top the donuts with frosting, decorate, and serve—no cutting required.

Recipe: Birthday donuts