These donuts skip the yeast and the proofing, baking powder does the lifting in minutes. The margin for error is actually in the kneading: work the dough until it just coheres, 30 seconds tops, or the crumb turns dense.
Hot oil at 325°F seals the deal, giving a tender, cakey interior and a sugar coating that crackles. They’re the kind of chinese buffet donuts that taste like a splurge but come together faster than a drive.
Baking powder gives a quick, tender crumb
Yeast donuts need hours to rise, but these are ready in minutes because baking powder does the lifting. The dough benefits from minimal handling, overkneading collapses the air pockets baking powder creates, turning the crumb dense. You’ll notice the dough comes together as a soft, slightly sticky mass; knead just until cohesive, maybe 30 seconds, then stop.
That short rest is enough to relax the gluten without losing lift. The result is a donut that’s light and cakey, not tough or bready.
For a homemade donuts recipe easy enough for a weekday craving, this method delivers without the wait.
Hot oil at 325°F keeps them greaseless and golden
Oil temperature matters more than you think. At 325°F, the exterior sets quickly, forming a crust that seals out excess fat. If the oil runs cooler, the donuts soak up oil and turn soggy; too hot, the outside burns before the inside cooks through.
With 1 inch of depth, the donuts float freely, exposing both sides evenly. Each side gets 2 to 3 minutes, lift one with a slotted spoon: it should be a uniform golden brown. This is a donuts recipe easy to get right when you trust a thermometer and watch the color, not the clock.
Sugar sticks best when the donuts are still hot
The sugar coating isn’t just about sweetness, it’s about texture. When a donut comes out of the oil, its surface is hot enough to partially melt the sugar granules, forming a thin, crackly shell.
If you wait even a minute, the crust cools and the sugar slides right off. So have your bowl of granulated sugar ready, and toss the donuts as soon as they’ve drained on paper towels for a few seconds. That quick coating gives them the signature crunch and sparkle you expect from sugar donuts recipe style.
The sugar adheres unevenly in places, which is fine, it’s part of the charm.
Prep: 20 min · Cook: 5 min · Total: 25 min · Servings: 8 · Calories: 270 kcal
A few things about the ingredients
Baking powder: Use fresh baking powder, not an open can from months ago, or the donuts won’t puff.
Milk: Whole milk gives a richer crumb; 2% works but the texture will be slightly less tender.
Oil (in dough): Neutral oil like canola or vegetable; don’t use olive oil, the flavor is too strong.
Sugar (coating): Granulated sugar only; confectioners’ sugar won’t stick and will dissolve from the heat.
I kneaded it like bread the first time and got hockey pucks. One day I was lazy and barely mixed it, they came out fluffy.
Mix the dough just until it coheres, then stop
Whisk the dry ingredients
Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together to distribute the leavener evenly. You’ll see a uniform pale color; any streaks mean the baking powder might clump later.
Combine the wet ingredients
Beat milk, oil, and egg in a measuring cup until homogenous. The mixture should look creamy and pale yellow, with no separated oil floating on top.
Mix wet into dry
Pour the wet into the dry and stir with a spatula until a shaggy dough forms. Scrape the bowl’s bottom, if you see dry flour patches, fold them in gently.
Knead briefly
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 30 to 60 seconds. Stop when the dough feels soft and slightly tacky, not sticky. If it resists or tightens, you’ve gone too far.
Shape and cut
Pat the dough into a ¾-inch thick rectangle. Dip your cutter in flour between cuts to prevent sticking; press straight down without twisting to keep the rise even.
Prepare the coating
Pour ½ cup sugar into a shallow dish and set it near the stove. Have a wire rack lined with paper towels ready for draining.
Heat the oil
Heat 1 inch of oil to 325°F in a heavy pot. Use a thermometer, if you see wisps of smoke, it’s too hot. A cube of bread dropped in should sizzle steadily and turn golden in about 60 seconds.
Fry until golden
Gently lower a few donuts into the oil, don’t crowd them. Fry 2 to 3 minutes per side. The underside will turn deep golden while the top puffs; flip when the edges look brown.
Coat while hot
Let the fried donuts drain on paper towels for 10 seconds, then toss them in the sugar bowl. The sugar should stick and partially melt into a thin, crackly shell. Work quickly, once they cool, the sugar won’t adhere.
Chinese Buffet Donuts
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 313 g
- 1/4 cup sugar 50 g
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup milk 160 ml
- 1/4 cup oil 60 ml
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup sugar for coating, 100 g
Instructions
Combine dry ingredients:
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt with a whisk.Mix wet ingredients:
In a liquid measuring cup, mix together the milk, oil, and egg; whisk until uniform.Knead dough briefly:
Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until a dough comes together. Knead for 30–60 seconds until cohesive, avoiding overkneading to retain the air from the baking powder.Shape and cut dough:
Shape the dough into a rectangle 3/4-inch (2 cm) thick. Use a cutter to form circles; set them on a baking sheet.Prepare sugar coating:
Place 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar in a shallow bowl and set aside.Fry and coat doughnuts:
When ready, heat 1 inch (2.5 cm) of oil to 325°F (165°C) in a Dutch oven or heavy pot. Fry the dough pieces for 2–3 minutes per side until golden. Remove and toss in the sugar to coat evenly. Enjoy!
Storage and Serving
These donuts are best within a few hours of frying, when the sugar coating stays crackly and the crumb is tender. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
The sugar will soften and the exterior will lose its crunch, but the donuts will still be pleasant. For a quick refresh, reheat in a 300°F oven for 3 to 4 minutes.
Do not refrigerate, as the cold dries them out. Freezing is not recommended; the texture suffers and the coating turns gummy.
If you must freeze, do so before coating, then thaw and reheat in the oven and coat fresh. Serve any leftover donuts within the day for the best experience.
Choose your flour and fat carefully, other swaps are straightforward
All-purpose flour: Whole wheat flour, same amount by weight (313 g) or slightly less by volume (2 cups plus 2 tablespoons). The donuts turn denser and nuttier, with a coarser crumb. They’ll still puff, but the texture is heartier, less tender.
Start with the same weight; add a tablespoon of milk if the dough feels dry.
Oil (in dough): Coconut oil (melted and cooled), same volume (60 ml). Adds a subtle coconut aroma and a slightly firmer bite at room temperature.
The dough will feel a bit greasier during shaping but fries fine. Don’t use olive oil, its flavor overwhelms the delicate crumb.
Milk: Any non-dairy milk (unsweetened almond, oat, or soy), same volume (160 ml). The crumb will be a touch less rich and slightly more tender.
Oat milk comes closest to whole milk’s body; almond milk makes a leaner dough. Works for dairy-free needs without a major texture loss.
Baking powder: No substitution. Baking powder is the sole leavener, skip it and the donuts will be flat, dense pucks.
This is the one ingredient you should not swap. If you’re out, make a yeast-raised recipe instead.
Tips
- Use a spider or slotted spoon to gently flip the donuts. Piercing them with a fork can deflate the crumb and cause uneven browning.
- If the dough feels too sticky to shape, flour your hands lightly rather than adding more flour to the dough, which would make it tough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the dough ahead of time and fry later?
Not really, these donuts rely on baking powder for lift, and that reaction starts the moment the wet ingredients hit the dry. If you let the shaped dough sit for more than an hour, the bubbles dissipate and the donuts turn flat. Fry them within 30 minutes of mixing for the best puff.
Why did my donuts turn out greasy or dense?
Greasy donuts usually mean the oil wasn’t hot enough, at 325°F the crust sets fast and seals out fat. If the oil dipped below 300°F, the donuts soaked it up like a sponge. Dense donuts point to overkneading or old baking powder; the dough should be soft and tacky, not tight.
How are these different from traditional yeast donuts?
Yeast donuts are airy and chewy from a long rise, while these are tender and cakey thanks to baking powder. You skip the proofing entirely, mix, shape, and fry in under 30 minutes. The crumb is more like a muffin than a brioche, with a delicate bite that doesn’t need a second rise.
