These soft, pillowy Amish donuts are everything a homemade donut should be-golden on the outside, tender and airy inside, with that perfect sweet glaze that clings to every bite. I first tasted something like these at a farmer's market years ago, and I've been chasing that memory ever since. The dough is surprisingly forgiving, and the whole process feels more like a cozy Saturday morning project than actual work.
If you're looking for a breakfast treat that pairs beautifully with my Delicious Egg Cheese Toast Recipe, you've found it. These yeast-raised donuts fry up golden and beautiful, filling your kitchen with the kind of warmth that makes everyone wander in asking what smells so good.
Why You'll Love This Amish Donut Recipe
These homemade glazed Amish donuts are made with simple pantry ingredients and don't require any fancy techniques. The dough comes together in a stand mixer, rises beautifully, and fries up tender every time. They're the kind of soft homemade donuts that taste like a treat but feel approachable enough to make on a regular weekend morning. Plus, they're bakery-style donuts you can make in your own kitchen, and that always feels a little bit like magic-the good, real kind.
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Amish donuts Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make these fluffy Amish donuts from scratch.
See Recipe Card Below This Post For Ingredient Quantities
Donut Dough
Warm whole milk: Helps activate the yeast and adds richness to the dough. Make sure it's around 115°F-too hot and it'll kill the yeast, too cool and nothing will happen.
Warm water: Works with the milk to create a soft, tender dough that's easy to roll and shape.
Instant yeast: This is what gives the donuts their airy, light texture. Instant yeast doesn't need proofing, which makes the whole process a bit faster.
Egg: Binds the dough together and adds moisture, helping create that soft, pillowy crumb.
Salted butter: Adds flavor and richness. Make sure it's very soft before you start so it mixes in smoothly.
Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out all the other flavors.
Granulated sugar: Sweetens the dough just enough without making it taste like dessert.
Bread flour: This is key for structure. Bread flour has more protein than all-purpose, which helps the donuts stay fluffy and tender even after frying.
For Frying
Vegetable oil: You'll need enough to fill your pot about 2 inches deep. It fries up clean and neutral, letting the donut flavor shine.
For the Glaze
Powdered sugar: Creates that classic sweet glaze that hardens just slightly as it cools.
Corn syrup: Helps the glaze stay smooth and shiny instead of drying out too fast.
Vanilla extract: Adds a warm, sweet flavor that makes the glaze taste homemade.
Whole milk: Thins the glaze to the perfect dippable consistency.
HOW TO MAKE Amish donuts
Here's how to make these classic yeast-raised Amish donuts step by step.
Combine liquids and yeast: Pour the warm milk and warm water into the bowl of your stand mixer, then sprinkle the instant yeast over the top. No need to wait-instant yeast gets to work right away. If you're using active dry yeast instead, let it sit for about 5 minutes until it looks frothy.
Add wet ingredients: Toss in the egg, softened butter, salt, and granulated sugar. Everything gets mixed together in one bowl, which makes cleanup easier later.
Mix in flour: Add 4 ½ cups of the bread flour, keeping that last ½ cup nearby. Use the beater blade and mix just until everything's barely combined. Let it rest for 5 minutes so the flour can soak up the liquid-this helps the dough come together more smoothly.
Switch to dough hook: Scrape the dough off the beater blade, swap it out, and attach the dough hook.
Knead the dough: Knead on medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes, adding a bit of that reserved flour if the dough feels too sticky. You want it smooth and elastic, tacky to the touch but not glued to the bowl. Don't go overboard with extra flour or the donuts will turn out dense.
First rise: Spray a large bowl with cooking spray and use a rubber spatula to transfer the dough into it. Cover with a towel or wax paper and set it somewhere warm. Let it rise until it's nearly doubled in size, about 30 to 45 minutes. Don't let it go much longer than an hour or it'll start to lose its structure.
Roll out the dough: Lightly flour a pastry mat or your counter, turn the dough out, and sprinkle a little more flour on top. Roll it into a rectangle about ½ inch thick-this thickness gives you donuts with the perfect ratio of soft middle to golden crust.
Cut the donuts: Use a donut cutter to punch out your shapes. Re-roll any scraps to get a few more. You should end up with about 12 to 15 donuts, plus some donut holes if you want to fry those separately.
Second rise: Place the cut donuts on large cookie sheets and let them rise for another 20 minutes while you heat the oil. This step is what makes them extra fluffy.
Heat the oil: Pour vegetable oil into a large pot, Dutch oven, or deep fryer until it's about 2 inches deep. Heat it to 350°F and use a thermometer to keep it steady-this is the key to donuts that aren't greasy.
Fry the donuts: Carefully lower 4 to 5 donuts into the hot oil using a metal spatula or frying spider. Fry the first side for about 45 seconds until golden brown, then flip and fry the other side for up to 1 minute. Don't crowd the pot or the temperature will drop.
Drain and cool: Lift the donuts out and set them on a wire rack over a baking sheet or paper towels to drain. Larger donuts might need a few extra seconds in the oil, so keep an eye on the color.
Make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, corn syrup, vanilla extract, and whole milk until smooth. It should be thin enough to drip slowly off a spoon.
Glaze the donuts: While the donuts are still warm, dip them into the glaze, then set them back on the cooling rack. The glaze will set as it cools but stay soft and sweet.
Serve: These are best enjoyed warm, when the glaze is just barely set and the donuts are still soft inside. If you have leftovers-and that's a big if-store them in an airtight container. They're worth reheating gently the next day, maybe alongside my Easy Gluten Free Cottage Cheese Pancakes for a weekend brunch spread that feels indulgent without being complicated.
Substitutions and Variations
Milk: You can use 2% milk if that's what you have, though whole milk gives the richest flavor and texture.
Butter: Unsalted butter works fine-just add a pinch more salt to the dough.
Bread flour: All-purpose flour will work in a pinch, but the Amish donuts won't be quite as fluffy or sturdy. If you go this route, use the lower end of the flour range.
Glaze flavors: Swap the vanilla for almond extract, or add a tablespoon of cocoa powder to the glaze for a chocolate version.
Equipment FOR Amish donuts
You'll want a stand mixer with both a beater blade and dough hook to make the dough come together easily. A large mixing bowl for rising, a rubber spatula for transferring dough, and a pastry mat or lightly floured surface for rolling. You'll also need a rolling pin, a donut cutter, and large cookie sheets for the second rise.
For frying, grab a large pot, Dutch oven, or deep fryer, a cooking thermometer to keep the oil at the right temperature, and a metal spatula or frying spider for flipping. Set up a wire cooling rack over a baking sheet or paper towels to drain the donuts, and keep a small mixing bowl handy for the glaze.
Storage Tips
These traditional Amish donuts are best the day you make them, but leftovers will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. The glaze might soften a bit, but they'll still taste good. You can warm them gently in the oven at 300°F for a few minutes to bring back some of that just-fried texture. I wouldn't recommend freezing glazed Amish donuts, but you can freeze the fried, unglazed ones for up to a month and glaze them after reheating.
Expert Tips
Watch your oil temperature. If it's too hot, the Amish donuts will brown too fast and stay raw inside. Too cool, and they'll soak up oil and turn greasy. Keep that thermometer handy and adjust the heat as you go.
Don't skip the second rise. That 20 minutes on the cookie sheet is what makes these Amish donuts light and airy instead of dense. It's worth the wait.
Use a light hand with flour. Too much flour makes tough Amish donuts. The dough should be a little tacky-that's normal and good.
Fry a test donut first. If you're nervous about timing, fry one donut hole or small piece of dough to get a feel for how fast they cook. Adjust your timing from there.
Glaze while warm. The glaze sets better and tastes sweeter when the donuts are still slightly warm. Cold Amish donuts won't absorb the glaze as well, and it'll just sit on top.
FAQ
What makes an Amish donuts different?
Amish donuts are typically yeast-raised, which gives them a lighter, fluffier texture compared to cake donuts. They're often made with simple, traditional ingredients like milk, butter, and bread flour, and they're fried until golden and soft. The flavor is mild and sweet, and the texture is more like fresh bread than a dense cake. My trick? Don't rush the rise times-that's what makes them taste authentic.
What is Amish donuts mix?
Amish donut mix is a pre-made blend that usually contains flour, sugar, yeast, and dry milk powder. You just add water, butter, and sometimes an egg. It's convenient, but making them from scratch like this gives you more control over flavor and texture. Plus, you probably have everything you need already sitting in your pantry.
What are some Amish desserts?
Amish baking is known for simple, comforting desserts like shoofly pie, whoopie pies, apple dumplings, and cinnamon rolls. Everything tends to be made from scratch with basic ingredients and lots of butter. These donuts fit right into that tradition-nothing fancy, just good, honest baking that tastes like home.
Do Amish donuts have dairy?
Yes, this recipe uses whole milk and butter, so they do contain dairy. If you need a dairy-free version, you could try substituting with almond milk or oat milk and using a plant-based butter, though I haven't tested it myself. The texture might change a bit, but it's worth experimenting if dairy's not an option for you.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Amish donuts:
Old-Fashioned Amish-Style Raised Donuts
Ingredients
Method
- Combine the warm milk and warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer, then sprinkle the yeast evenly over the surface.
- Add the egg, softened butter, salt, and sugar to the bowl.
- Pour in 4 ½ cups of the flour and mix briefly with the paddle attachment just until combined, then let the mixture rest for 5 minutes to hydrate.
- Remove the paddle attachment and scrape off any dough before switching to the dough hook.
- Knead on medium speed, adding additional flour only if needed, until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky, about 5-7 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, turning once to coat, and cover loosely.
- Let the dough rise in a warm spot until nearly doubled in size, about 30-60 minutes without overproofing.
- Lightly flour a work surface, turn out the dough, and dust the top gently with flour.
- Roll the dough into a rectangle about ½-inch thick.
- Cut out donuts using a donut cutter, re-rolling scraps as needed to make more shapes.
- Arrange the donuts on baking sheets and let them rise again for about 20 minutes while heating the oil.
- Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a heavy pot to 350°F, monitoring closely with a thermometer.
- Carefully lower donuts into the hot oil in small batches and fry until golden, flipping once, then remove to a rack to drain.
- Whisk together powdered sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and milk until smooth, then dip warm donuts into the glaze and return to the rack to set.
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