Classic Vanilla Bean Glazed Donuts
Pillowy yeast-raised donuts fried until golden and dipped warm in a vanilla bean glaze that sets to a thin crackly shell. Twelve donuts plus the holes.
By Hanan · Salt & Hearth
Published August 23, 2026
Full quantities, times and temperatures · How we make this site
Prep
150 min
Cook
20 min
Total
170 min
Serves
12
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A proper yeast-raised donut - light, airy, faintly tangy from yogurt in the dough - fried in neutral oil and dipped warm in a vanilla bean glaze that dries to a thin crackly shell. Vanilla bean paste rather than extract is what makes this taste like a good bakery rather than a supermarket box: you can see the specks through the glaze and taste them against the plain sweetness. Most of the time is the dough rising; the frying itself is about twenty minutes.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Genuinely light and pillowy, which is what separates yeast donuts from cake ones.
- The glaze sets to a thin crackly shell instead of a thick sugary lid.
- Yogurt in the dough keeps the crumb tender and adds a faint tang.
- Makes twelve donuts plus a dozen holes from one batch.
- The dough can rise overnight in the fridge for a morning fry.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, warmed to 105F
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar, plus 1 teaspoon for the yeast
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 g) active dry yeast
- 1/3 cup (80 g) Greek yogurt or sour cream, at room temperature
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) salted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
- 4 cups (500 g) bread flour, plus more for rolling
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
For frying
- About 8 cups avocado oil or other neutral oil
For the vanilla bean glaze
- 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk, plus more as needed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- Pinch of fine salt
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Bread flour:
- The higher protein builds the structure that lets a donut puff rather than spread. All-purpose works but gives a softer, squatter result.
- Vanilla bean paste:
- Worth buying for this one. The visible specks and the depth are the whole point; extract works but tastes flatter.
- Greek yogurt or sour cream:
- Adds fat and acidity, keeping the crumb tender. Full-fat gives the best texture.
- Avocado oil:
- Neutral and high smoke point. Canola, sunflower or vegetable oil all work equally well; olive oil does not.
- Milk at 105F:
- Warm enough to wake the yeast, cool enough not to kill it. If it feels hot on your wrist, wait.
Method
- 1
Stir the teaspoon of sugar and the yeast into the warmed milk and leave 8-10 minutes until foamy on top. If it stays flat, the yeast is dead or the milk was too hot - start again rather than continuing, because nothing later will rescue it.
- 2
In a stand mixer bowl, whisk the yeast mixture with the remaining sugar, the yogurt, melted butter, eggs and vanilla bean paste until smooth.
- 3
Add the bread flour and salt and mix with the dough hook on medium for 8-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic and pulls away from the sides. It should still feel slightly tacky - a dough dried out with extra flour fries into a heavy donut.
- 4
Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover, and leave somewhere warm 1 to 1 1/2 hours until doubled.
- 5
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/2 inch thick. Thinner than that and the donuts fry flat instead of puffing into rings.
- 6
Cut rounds with a 3-inch cutter, then cut a 1-inch hole from each centre. Re-roll the scraps once only - dough worked a second time gets tough. Keep the holes; they fry in about 45 seconds and are the cook's reward.
- 7
Set the rings on squares of parchment, cover loosely, and rise 30-45 minutes until visibly puffed and light. Cutting the parchment lets you lower each donut into the oil without deflating it.
- 8
Heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy pot to 350-360F, using a thermometer. Below 340F the donuts drink oil and turn greasy; above 375F the outside colours before the middle cooks.
- 9
Fry 2 or 3 at a time, 60-90 seconds per side, until deep golden. Adding more than three at once drops the oil temperature and every donut in the batch suffers.
- 10
Lift onto a wire rack set over paper towels and let them cool just 2-3 minutes.
- 11
Whisk the glaze ingredients smooth, adding milk a teaspoon at a time until it ribbons off the whisk. Dip each donut face down while still warm, then return to the rack. Warm donuts pull the glaze into a thin even shell; cold ones wear it as a thick opaque cap.
Tips
- Use a thermometer for the oil and check it between batches. Oil temperature is the single biggest variable in frying donuts.
- Cut parchment squares and rise each donut on its own. You lower the paper into the oil and peel it away, and the donut keeps its rise.
- Re-roll scraps only once. Twice-worked dough fries dense.
- Glaze while warm, on a rack, and let the excess drip. That is what gives the thin crackly finish rather than a thick sugary lid.
- These are best within a few hours. Yeast donuts stale faster than any other bake in this collection.
Variations to try
- Add the finely grated zest of a lemon or orange to the dough.
- Swap the vanilla glaze for a chocolate one: whisk 1/4 cup cocoa into the powdered sugar and add milk to loosen.
- Toss the hot donuts in cinnamon sugar instead of glazing.
- Fill them instead of cutting holes: fry as rounds, then pipe in pastry cream or jam.
Storage & make-ahead
Best within a few hours of frying - yeast donuts stale quickly and there is no way around it. Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day. Do not refrigerate, which dries them out fast. Unglazed fried donuts freeze for up to 1 month; thaw at room temperature, warm briefly in a 300F oven, then glaze fresh.
Frequently asked questions
- Why are my donuts greasy?
- The oil was too cool. Below about 340F the dough absorbs oil instead of searing. Use a thermometer and let the oil recover between batches.
- Can I bake these instead of frying?
- Not this dough. It is built for the fast puff of hot oil; baked, it comes out closer to a bread roll. Use a dedicated baked donut recipe for that.
- Can I make the dough ahead?
- Yes. After the first rise, cover and refrigerate overnight. Roll and cut from cold, then allow a slightly longer second rise before frying.
- Why did my donuts deflate when I put them in the oil?
- They were handled after proving. Rise each one on its own square of parchment and lower it in on the paper.
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