The Ultimate List Of 30 Different Types of Donuts (Recipes) (2024)

A guide to the different types of donuts out there for you to enjoy. Because any genuine donut enthusiast understands the necessity of sampling each one before declaring a favorite! Fried donuts, filled donuts, glazed donuts they're all here on my list of donut recipes.

With so many different types of donuts recipes out there to choose from, you might not know where to start. Regardless of whether you enjoy donuts as a dessert, an easy grab-and-go breakfast, or a tasty afternoon snack, I've got you covered.

My guide on donuts and the best donut recipes contains trusted and reliable recipes stuffed withexpert tipson how to get them right every time. Who needs donut shops?

What are the 2 types of donuts?

There are generally two different types of donuts in the world: yeast-raised (also known as raised or raised yeast) and cake donuts.

1. Yeast-Raised Donuts - These donuts are made with a yeast-based dough that requires proofing time, causing the dough to rise. Donuts with yeast dough tend to be light and airy with a slightly chewy texture, and they are deep-fried in fat. Classic examples include glazed doughnuts and jelly-filled donuts.
2. Cake Donuts - Cake donuts are made with a batter that is yeast-free and typically includes baking powder or baking soda as the leavening agent instead. They are baked in an oven rather than fried, and this type of donut is denser and has a cake-like texture with a moist crumb. Cake donuts can come in a variety of flavors and are very versatile and easy to make.

Are doughnuts better fried or baked?

Really, it's down to personal preference. Whilst yeasted donuts have their own unique appeal, baked donuts are acknowledged as a healthier option, given that they are oven-baked instead of being deep-fried in oil.

Both types of donuts are incredibly versatile, however, allowing for the creation of a wide range of flavors. But, it's worth noting that baked donuts, being simpler and requiring less time, offer a convenient alternative for home bakers.

The Best 30 Donut Recipes

1. Sugar Donuts

The classic sugar donut is where we begin. Irresistibly sweet, crunchy, and tempting, these homemade sugar donuts make for the ideal mid-day indulgence to snack on with coffee or serve as a delicious dessert. What's more, this straightforward and easy-to-follow recipe only takes 30 minutes (the rest is waiting for the dough to rise) and just 8 simple ingredients. In a word, yes.

2. Mochi Donuts

Known as Pon-de-ring in Japan, Mochi donuts are delectable ring-shaped treats with a distinctive bouncy and chewy texture and vibrant, colorful glazes. I love the texture most of all; it's a delightful combination of a crisp exterior and a soft, mochi-like chewiness inside. In this donut recipe, I will walk you through creating these types of donuts from scratch using readily available ingredients and a straightforward technique.

3. Baked Raspberry Donuts with Raspberry Glaze

I love a baked donut recipe; they are just so easy. Baked raspberry donuts are filled with a fresh raspberry filling and smothered in a tangy raspberry glaze, so you get a double hit of raspberry flavor. The donut batter is very straightforward and beginner-friendly, but the resulting treats have an incredibly moist texture and beautiful appearance. In conclusion, you'll be hooked!

4. Brioche Donuts

Brioche donuts are amazing types of donuts crafted from French brioche dough. The blend of yeast, butter, eggs, milk, and sugar results in a rich and flavorful dough and a signature soft, fluffy, and airy texture. You should certainly bake this brioche donut recipe for a satisfying breakfast or a delectable dessert.

5. Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts

Moist and delightful baked pumpkin spice donuts are the fall treat you need during the holiday season! Brimming with pumpkin flavor and infused with the quintessential fall spices, the simple cinnamon sugar coating is the cherry on the cake (or donut). Furthermore, because these donuts are baked rather than fried it makes them a healthier type of donut, too.

6. Baked Chocolate Donuts with Chocolate Glaze

Attention, chocolate lovers, this recipe is tailor-made for you. Indulge in a chocolatey delight with this baked chocolate doughnut recipe without yeast, featuring a fluffy and moist texture that bursts with chocolate flavor. Next, we enhance it further with a luscious chocolate glaze and a generous sprinkle of chocolate goodness. The sweetness is perfectly balanced, so as a result, each bite is delightfully sweet without being overly so.

7. Bavarian Cream Donuts

No one can resist these donuts! Bavarian cream donuts are made from rich, buttery brioche dough that's baked and then generously filled with luscious vanilla cream. As a result, they are exceptionally light, fluffy, and simply bursting with flavor. Make them for a dessert spread or to enjoy with friends and a cup of hot coffee.

You certainly won't be able to resist making the Bavarian cream filling for other baked desserts, either.

8. Baked Blueberry Donuts With Blueberry Glaze

Try baked blueberry donuts with blueberry glaze for a bite of natural blueberry flavor and whole, juicy blueberries. These donuts are not only incredibly moist and delicious, but the combination of the moist donut texture and the silky glaze makes them an irresistible treat. Your friends and family will surely love them!

9. Maple Donuts

Simply put, if you're a fan of maple syrup, you must try to bake maple donuts. Whilst they might look tricky, the simple doughnut batter and easy maple glaze some together with no special equipment or techniques. What's more, the whole recipe requires less than 30 minutes of your time.

10. Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

Opt for a healthier indulgence by choosing baked donuts over their deep-fried counterparts. Baked cinnamon donuts are definitely a type of donut you will want to enjoy often! There is a delicate but well-balanced sweetness, soft and bouncy texture, and subtle warmth and spice, all wrapped up in a flavorful cinnamon sugar coating. All things considered, this might be my favorite donut recipe to enjoy with coffee.

11. Beignets

Resembling a fritter but with a distinct French influence, this deep-fried yeasted doughnut is super pillowy and light. Crafted from choux pastry, a dough known for its puffing quality during frying, these delicacies have gained particular popularity in New Orleans. Dust beignets with a light coating of powdered sugar, or try delicious fillings like a silky chocolate custard. Consequently, they disappear fast, so make a double batch!

12. Boston Cream Donuts

Inspired by the famous Boston cream pie, this recipe is a must-try! Fluffy Boston cream donuts are yeasted donuts that need time to prove before deep frying, but it's certainly worth that extra step. After they have risen they are fried to perfection and filled with a silky smooth pastry cream. Finally, dip donuts into a rich chocolate glaze. This is certainly a type of donut to try.

13. Old fashioned Sour Cream Donuts with Coffee Glaze

Wondering what an old-fashioned donut is? It's a cake donut, but it is fried, which gives it a crunchy exterior. An old-fashioned sour cream donut uses this unusual ingredient to great effect, resulting in a super tender dough, too. The addition of nutty browned butter and vanilla bean elevates it even further, and then the coffee glaze makes it a true showstopper. Obviously, this recipe needs to be on your list!

14. Donut Holes

This donut variation answers the question, 'What do you do with the leftover donut dough?'. Here's the solution: make this donut hole recipe. You can fill doughnut holes with cream, cover them in sprinkles, dip them in powdered sugar, or glaze them. Undeniably, it's your choice! The result is bite-sized delights that make the perfect party snack or mid-afternoon treat. Get that doughnut cutter ready.

15. Apple Cider Donuts

Baked apple cider doughnuts are a harvest tradition in the Northern United States, and they are amazing! You need to go the extra step of making syrup from apple cider, but it is well worth it. Then again, they are baked, not fried, which makes the other steps much easier with no proofing time. I recommend enjoying them with a glass of apple cider!

16. Potato Donuts

These unique donuts share a similar texture to baked doughnuts, but they use mashed potatoes or potato starch instead of conventional flour, which may seem strange, but it is incredibly tasty. This unique twist imparts a slightly lighter inner texture and super crispy crust. In a word, yes.

17. Classic Jelly Donuts

Of all the types of doughnut filling, this surely has to be the original. These timeless donuts are usually round shaped, rather than a ring donut, and commonly leavened with yeast and deep fried. But the real hallmark of these classic treats is the delectable jam or jelly filling and sugar coating. Each bite has a crunch of sugar, a soft and chewy donut, and then a flavorful burst of fruity sweet jelly. Simply put, it's divine.

18. Chocolate Stuffed Churro Donuts

This type of donut is a churro lover's dream, and what's more, they are surprisingly easy to make! And you only need a few pantry staples. Churros are a Spanish type of donut usually made as long sticks of choux dough fried to perfection and sprinkled with sugar. But they are often served with chocolate for dipping, which makes them even dreamier.For this reason, I definitely think they deserve a special mention.

19. Homemade French Crullers

The distinctive twisted shape characterizes this donut type, which can take on either a rectangular or circular form. Bakers in New England (where they are popular) often lean towards a rectangular shape, whilst in France, they typically maintain a ring shape. The base of this delightful treat combines elements of both yeast and cake doughnuts, and it is commonly topped with a honey or vanilla sugar glaze. In conclusion, yum.

20. Cronuts

Whilst you'll need to invest a bit of time and effort into these types of donuts, let me tell you, it is worth it. Croissant donuts, or cronuts, are donuts made from croissant dough, which is an enriched puff pastry. This means that every bite has all the flakiness of a croissant combined with the fried and glazed goodness of a donut! For that reason, it's worth the extra effort.

21. Apple Fritter Donuts

Now, this is an insanely delicious treat. Part fritter, part doughnut, packed full of juicy chunks of apple and smothered in a sweet glaze that cracks as you take a bite. In other words, each mouthful is like a heavenly pillow of golden brown fall-flavored bliss. Undoubtedly, this is a recipe to make during harvest season.

22. Long John Donuts with Maple Glaze

This distinctive rectangular donut is leavened with yeast, occasionally featuring fillings like custard or jelly, and is finished with frosting. Interestingly, whilst it resembles an eclair, this doughnut recipe is actually fried instead of baked. When adorned with a maple-flavored glaze, it goes by the straightforward name of a "maple bar." In any event, I love to eat them.

23. Twisted Korean Donuts (Kkwabaegi)

This popular Asian dessert features in most Korean cafes and bakeries, and it isn't hard to see why! Twisted Donuts, also known as a tiger tail donut, are super crispy fried dough on the outside and soft and pillowy on the inside. The dough is formed into a log and then twisted before it is cooked, hence why these types of donuts look super fun and pretty, as well as being tasty. Subsequently, if you find yourself in Korea, definitely take a trip to a donut shop to sample this fried donut recipe!

24. Zeppole - Easy Italian Donuts

Zeppole, or Italian fried donuts, have a texture that can range from fluffy to dense, determined by the type of dough used. Frequently adorned with a dusting of powdered sugar and served with coffee, it would be hard to stop eating after just one! They often also contain custard or chocolate fillings, which undoubtedly adds even more to their appeal. In sum, it's a yes.

25. Malasadas

Known as Portuguese-style doughnuts, Malasadas are particularly popular in Hawaii. Leavened with yeast, these fried yeast donuts have a super light and fluffy texture. Once cooked, Malasadas are commonly rolled in sugar and served plain, but some variations can be found with tasty fillings such as custard or fruit. To be sure, I'd eat several!

26. Homemade Mini Donuts

Did you eat mini doughnuts at kids' parties when you were little? Each bite of this easy doughnut recipe is like a trip down memory lane, full of fun nostalgia. Mini desserts are always fun to serve at parties, though regardless of the age range, adults will love this recipe just as much as children!

27. Gingerbread Christmas Donuts

Festive donuts are the sweet and delicious breakfast you need this holiday season! Full of gingerbread spice and topped with a tasty, glossy frosting, no one will be able to resist. This baked donut recipe is surely the perfect sweet treat to give to friends and family as gifts, too.

28. Classic Glazed Donuts

If you're looking to make a type of donut that most closely resembles the Krispy Kreme donut recipe, try this one. Homemade glazed donuts are chewy and delicious, with a sweet glaze on top that is barely there but gives you all that flavor. Therefore, they're irresistible!

29. Easy Ricotta Donuts

Baking with ricotta has many benefits, and this fluffy doughnut recipe is certainly one to try. Ricotta cheese's mild, sweet flavor and creamy texture add moisture to the donut batter and create a super tender bite. Dust with a coating of powdered sugar, and enjoy this type of donut at coffee time with friends.

30. Banana Bread Donuts

You've made banana bread, but have you ever thought of making donuts with bananas? After this, you will surely be a convert. That natural sweetness means you need less sugar, but these moist donuts are off the scale when it comes to flavor and texture. Simply put, this is one of those banana desserts you have to try.

Different Types of Donuts FAQs

Have you tried these recipes?

Please leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on the recipe card and consider leaving a comment as well! I would love to hear about how your desserts turned out and your feedback also helps other Readers!