Homemade Glazed Donuts

Steps

1. Combine the warm milk, honey (3 tablespoons), and yeast in a large bowl. Stir gently and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy. Add the melted butter, egg, sea salt, and flour. Stir until a soft dough forms, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth, soft, and slightly tacky. Place in a greased bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let it rise for 1 to 1.5 hours until doubled.

2. Roll the dough out on a floured surface to about half an inch thick. Use a 3-inch round cutter to cut out circles, then use a 1-inch round cutter to punch out the center of each to form the donut shape. Gather the scraps and re-roll once to cut more donuts. Place the donuts and donut holes on parchment-lined baking sheets, cover loosely, and let them rise for 30 minutes until puffy.

3. While the donuts proof, heat the coconut oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven to 350°F. Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature — this is essential. Line a baking sheet with a wire rack for draining.

4. Fry the donuts two or three at a time to avoid crowding, which drops the oil temperature. Cook for about 1 to 1.5 minutes per side until golden brown. Donut holes will cook faster, about 45 seconds per side. Remove with a slotted spoon or spider and place on the wire rack to drain.

5. While the donuts are still warm, prepare the glaze by whisking together the honey (1/2 cup), milk, vanilla, and a pinch of sea salt until smooth and pourable. Dip the top of each warm donut into the glaze, let the excess drip off, then set them glazed-side up on the rack. The glaze will set to a thin, shiny coating as it cools. Eat within a few hours for the best experience.

Why It Works

Frying in coconut oil makes all the difference. Coconut oil is highly stable at frying temperatures due to its saturated fat content, meaning it does not oxidize and break down the way soybean, canola, or other polyunsaturated seed oils do under high heat. This produces a cleaner-tasting donut with less inflammatory fat. The yeasted dough uses butter and whole milk for richness, creating that signature airy, pillowy texture. Raw honey in both the dough and glaze provides sweetness with trace minerals and a lower glycemic impact than the refined sugar and corn syrup in commercial glazed donuts. Sea salt in the glaze sharpens the sweetness and adds mineral complexity.

Tips

• Temperature is everything. Keep the oil between 345-355°F throughout frying. Too hot and the outside burns before the inside cooks. Too cool and the donuts absorb excess oil and turn greasy. A clip-on candy thermometer makes this easy.
• Do not skip the donut holes. Fry the punched-out centers as a bonus snack — they cook in under two minutes and are perfect for testing glaze flavors or letting kids sample while the full donuts finish.
• Make a chocolate glaze. Melt 3 ounces of dark chocolate with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, then stir in 1 tablespoon of honey. Dip the donuts for a rich chocolate-topped version.