If you are looking for a fun and entertaining way to make donuts, this is the recipe for you. It’s over-the-top delicious and so simple. In fact, it starts with a can of biscuits!
The Easiest Doughnut Recipe Ever!
I have a vivid memory from childhood. My mama would take a can of ordinary biscuits, pop it open, and fry them up into donuts.
She would sprinkle them with cinnamon and sugar. Or powdered sugar. Whatever we liked.
And literally, within minutes our family had a platter filled with homemade donuts, as yummy as any you might find at a donut shop!
Is it a Donut or a Bagel?
Unlike a traditional bagel recipe, (which requires boiling in water before baking), donuts are fried in oil.
If you’ve ever made homemade donuts, you know the dough is very similar to that of a canned biscuit. It’s not firm like a bagel or even like my pretzel dough.
With this in mind, it’s simpler (and just as tasty) to use a can of biscuits. (And besides, they’re ready to go!)
Donut Ingredients
You’re not going to believe how simple this recipe is, y’all. It requires just a few simple ingredients. You’ll find measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post but here’s a Quick Look at what you’ll need.
- canned biscuits (plain)
- Neutral cooking oil (enough to fry the donuts)
- Cinnamon-sugar mixture
- Chocolate ganache (or canned chocolate frosting)
How to Make Homemade Donuts from Canned Biscuits
Place a couple of paper towels on a large plate and set it aside.
Mix cinnamon and sugar. Place in a small bowl and set aside.
Place canned frosting into a piping bag with a metal tip (preferably something like a Wilton Star tip) and set aside.
Put 2” of oil into the skillet.
Place donuts on a piece of wax paper or cutting board. (Grands biscuits or other similar product will do.)
Use a round cutter (or tool of your choice) to create a small hole in the center of the biscuits. I left two of mine without holes so I could fill them with chocolate frosting.
Heat oil to about 325 degrees Fahrenheit. (You don’t want to bring it up in temperature too quickly or the donuts will burn.)
Test your oil with a donut hole. Make sure the temp is just right. You don’t want the donut hole to burn but you do want it to bubble up to the top and turn golden.
Cook for 1 - 2 minutes on each side until golden brown.
Cook the rest of the donut holes and place on the paper towel-covered plate.
Place in cinnamon-sugar mixture and toss.
Now it’s time to cook your donuts. Place 2 - 3 at a time into the hot oil.
Cook over medium heat for about two minutes on each side. Flip with a slotted spoon.
Once cooked, gently lift from the oil and place hot donuts on the paper towel to drain.
Once the donuts are all fried, gently dip them into the bowl of cinnamon sugar mixture. (Gotta love that cinnamon sugar coating!)
The remaining donuts shouldn’t be filled until the donuts are completely cooled.
Press the tip into the side of the donut and gently squeeze some chocolate inside. Be careful not to over-fill.
Serve and enjoy!
Store leftover donuts at room temperature in an airtight container.
What to Expect from this Lovely Biscuit Donut Recipe!
Y’all, these are unbelievably good! They’re crisp and light, just what you hope they’ll be. I was impressed with the texture on the outside but was equally as delighted with the light, fluffy texture on the inside!
And talk about fun to eat! When I bit into that chocolate filled donut I felt like I was at Shipley’s my favorite donut shop. Only, these were a fraction of the cost and so much fun to make.
I thought about drizzling chocolate over the tops of some of my donuts but decided they were perfect just like they were!
One of my favorite things was the speed at which these came together. Where else can you have a completed product in less than five minutes?
I can’t wait to make these for my grandkids. I think they’re going to be so impressed that their grandma can make donuts!
Any why not? This is one of those easy recipes I plan to use again and again! The whole family is going to flip over these!
Variations on this Easy Biscuit Donuts Recipe
I’ve been thinking of so many variations, y’all. Here are some that came to mind right away:
Deep fryer: You can use a deep fryer in place of a skillet. Just make sure you start with fresh oil and use an air fryer basket.
Lemon curd: I make the best homemade lemon curd. It’s truly delicious. I think it would be amazing as a filling in these donuts.
Cheesecake Mousse: I have a remarkable recipe for a luscious cheesecake mousse. It would make a terrific filling, too.
Dreamy Buttercream: You can stuff these donuts with dreamy (vanilla) buttercream, if you like. (It’s delicious!)
Sprinkles! You can add frosting and sprinkles to the tops of your donuts while they’re still slightly warm if you like. I would start with a chocolate glaze and then add the sprinkles.
Heavy whipping cream: Whip up some heavy cream and add a bit of powdered sugar. Then stuff it into the center of your donuts. (This sounds like a delicious option!)
Bake or air fry: Did you know you can air fry donuts? It's true. Why not give this recipe a try in your oven or air fryer? (Air fryer biscuit donuts sound simple and amazing, don't they?!)
Homemade biscuit dough: You can use a homemade biscuit dough and roll it out. If you go this route, use a small round cookie cutter or donut cutter to cut out your donuts.
Simple glaze: Mix together some powdered sugar and heavy cream to form a simple loose glaze to dip your donuts in (in place of sprinkling with cinnamon and sugar). If you like, you can add a bit of vanilla extract or almond extract. (Maple extract is a great option, too!)
Other Sweet Treats from Out of the Box Baking
That’s it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoyed this delicious biscuit donuts recipe.
If you make this recipe and love it, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you're at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!
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Easy Canned Biscuit Donuts
If you are looking for a fun and entertaining way to make donuts, this is the recipe for you. It’s over-the-top delicious and so simple. In fact, it starts with a can of biscuits!
Ingredients
- 1 can of biscuits (plain)
- Neutral cooking oil (enough to fry the donuts)
- Cinnamon-sugar mixture
- Chocolate ganache (or canned chocolate frosting)
Instructions
- Place a paper towel on a large plate and set aside.
- Mix cinnamon and sugar. Please in a small bowl and set aside.
- Place canned frosting into a piping bag with a metal tip (preferably something like a Wilton Star tip) and set aside.
- Put 2” of oil into the skillet.
- Place donuts on a piece of wax paper.
- Use a round cutter (or tool of your choice) to create a hole in the middle of your biscuits. I left two of minute without holes so I could fill them with chocolate frosting.
- Heat to about 325 degrees Fahrenheit. (You don’t want to bring it up in temperature too quickly or the donuts will burn.)
Set donut holes aside. - Test your oil with a donut hole. Make sure the temp is just right. You don’t want the donut hole to burn but you do want it to bubble up to the top and turn golden.
- Cook for 1 - 2 minutes on each side.
- Cook the rest of the donut holes and place on the paper towel-covered plate.
- Now it’s time to cook your donuts. Place 2 - 3 at a time into the oil.
Cook for about two minutes on each side. - Flip with a slotted spoon.
- Once cooked, gently lift from the oil and place on the paper towel to drain.
- Once the donuts are all fried, gently dip them into the bowl of cinnamon sugar mixture.
- The remaining donuts shouldn’t be filled until the donuts are completely cooled.
- Press the tip into the side of the donut and gently squeeze some chocolate inside. Be careful not to over-fill.
- Serve and enjoy!
- Store donuts at room temperature in an airtight container.