The Shortcut Ingredient For Easy, Big-Batch Donut Holes

Has there ever been a day that wouldn't be made better by some donut holes, especially homemade ones hot out of the fryer? With one shortcut ingredient, you can make crisp and fluffy, sweet and snackable donut holes in a snap whenever the craving strikes. The secret? Canned biscuit dough. It fries up into delicious, fluffy, golden-brown bites with very minimal effort.

Any brand of refrigerated biscuit dough will work here. Varieties that specifically have flaky layers will puff up more, creating browned edges and slightly irregular donut holes, while standard dough will yield a donut that keeps its spherical shape. Either way, cut the refrigerated dough into bite-sized pieces — larger varieties such as Pillsbury Grands should be cut into quarters. Shape the pieces into balls, drop them in oil heated to 350 to 365 degrees Fahrenheit, and fry for two to three minutes, making sure to turn them a couple times so all the sides get nice and golden.

These donut holes just need a quick drain on some paper towels and a toss in granulated sugar to be ready for snacking. Because these sweet treats require no measuring or mixing and the cooking time is so quick, you can crank out a ton in very little time. That means your next dessert spread or brunch party just got a lot more fun!

Plain old granulated sugar provides a lovely textural touch to these donut holes, but you can also go for powdered sugar instead for a velvety finish. Rather than tossing the donut holes when they are hot, as you would with the white sugar, wait until they are completely cool so the powdered sugar does not turn pasty.

There are also tons of different ingredients you can add to the white sugar to turn these easy donut holes into something truly special. Try incorporating dried spices like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, or homemade pumpkin pie spice. Citrus zest, finely-ground pecans, or pulverized, freeze-dried strawberries can also be mixed in. A ratio of one part add-in to four parts sugar is a good place to start, but you can certainly adjust to suit your tastes.

You can also dip cooled donuts in a simple glaze if that is more your style. All you need to do is combine powdered sugar with some vanilla extract and a splash of milk (adding in a bit of unsweetened cocoa powder to the mix will create a chocolate version). For a sophisticated take, opt for this bourbon glaze, or go in a whimsical direction with this technique for rainbow glazed donuts. Since this dessert is so easy to make, why not whip up a few different options and offer your family or guests a whole smörgåsbord of donut holes?