These homemade biscuit donuts are the easiest donuts to make! They are made from canned biscuits and rolled in either cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar. These can easily be made in less than 15 minutes for a delicious breakfast or dessert.
Who knew you could make donuts from refrigerated biscuit dough?
When we were little and would stay at my grandma's house, so often we would have these delicious fried biscuit donuts for breakfast.
It makes sense. These are SO easy to make, and most of the time she would also be in the process of making a Sunday lunch for over 10 people.
Even though it sounds crazy, donuts using biscuit dough? I'm on board for that every day.
Growing up, we would eat these donuts tossed in powdered sugar, but to mix things up, I also made a cinnamon sugar coating. Having the combination of the two was perfect. If you just want to do one, that works too!
Why make donuts from a can of biscuits
Easy - Since these are made from a can of biscuits, all you need to do is punch out holes in the biscuits and fry. So easy!
Fast - No need to wait for yeast to rise with these since you're using canned biscuits. They are quick to make and cook fast in the oil.
Customizable - You can top the biscuit donuts however you like! Powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, a vanilla glaze, a chocolate glaze, a fruit glaze? They are so easy and fun to customize!
Ingredients
- A Can of Biscuits - For this recipe, I recommend finding biscuits that are NOT flaky or butter lovers of any sort. Plain homestyle or buttermilk biscuits work best to make these donuts. I also like the Grands biscuits for their size, but a smaller size works perfectly well too!
- Canola Oil - you'll want to use a neutral (flavorless) oil like canola or vegetable oil. Stay away from oils like olive oil, which can impart their own flavor and affect the taste of the donuts.
- Powdered sugar - I LOVE these donuts with powdered sugar. However, if you decide to just use cinnamon and sugar, you won't need powdered sugar.
- Cinnamon and sugar - If you decide to go with a cinnamon sugar topping, you'll need ground cinnamon and granulated white sugar and you'll want to mix these together before coating your biscuits.
Customizations
Cinnamon sugar biscuit donuts - Make a cinnamon sugar mixture to dip or shake the donuts in. You can also make these Air Fryer Cinnamon Sugar Donuts.
Biscuit donuts with powdered sugar - Shake the donuts with powdered sugar for a delicious treat.
Coffee-glazed biscuit donuts - Top biscuit donuts with a coffee glaze for the perfect pairing of coffee and donuts.
Regular glazed donuts - Make a glaze with vanilla extract, milk, and powdered sugar.
Chocolate-glazed biscuit donuts - Make a chocolate glaze to dip your donuts in.
What to serve with the biscuit donuts
Recipe tips
- I like to cook the donut holes first, when the oil is slightly cooler. I find it's easier to cook those first, and the donuts second.
- Watch carefully when cooking donuts in the oil. You don't want the oil to get too hot or your donuts will burn.
- Flip the donuts once they start browning.
- Toss with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar when the donuts are still hot and fresh from frying. This will help the powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar stick to the donuts.
How to make biscuit donuts
So how do you make donuts out of biscuit dough? It's so simple!
To make the biscuit donuts, you'll take the can of Grands biscuits (or other biscuits you find) and separate them out onto a cutting board.
Then, using a donut hole cutter or a syrup cap, you'll cut holes in each biscuit to make the donut shapes. I have this donut cutter from Amazon, and that's what I use!
In a large pot, add the oil and heat over a medium heat.
Protip: I first like to fry the holes when the oil is a bit cooler and just warming up, and then as the oil heats up more, I'll fry the actual donuts.
You'll fry each biscuit donut for about 30 seconds on each side, or until a light brown color.
Then place the fried biscuit donuts on a plate lined with paper towels or on a cooling rack.
While still hot, you'll shake the donuts in either the powdered sugar or the cinnamon sugar mixture.
These are best enjoyed warm, so serve immediately!
More dessert recipes
- Air fryer cinnamon sugar donuts
- Lemonade pie
- Bourbon pecan pralines
- Walnut crescent cookies
- Air fryer cinnamon apples
More recipes to love
Biscuit Donuts using Canned Biscuits
Ingredients
- 1 Can of Biscuits Homestyle or Buttermilk
- 1 ½ cups canola oil for frying
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Start heating the oil to a temperature between medium and medium-high in a medium pot. Make sure that the oil covers the bottom of the pan with about 1-2 inches of oil.
- Open the can of biscuits. Watch out for that "pop!"
- Separate the biscuits onto a flat surface, like a cutting board.
- Using a donut hole cutter (or appropriately-sized syrup cap), punch a hole into the center of each biscuit.
- Place the powdered sugar into a bowl that has a lid (tupperware works great!)
- Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon into a separate bowl or plate so that donuts can be dipped on each side.
- Test the oil by placing one of the donut holes into the oil. If the hole does not start cooking right away, increase the temperature of the stove to medium-high.
- Once the oil starts cooking the donuts quickly, start placing them in for about a 30 seconds to a minute per side, until browned and cooked.
- As donuts come out of the oil, dry onto paper towels briefly before either shaking in the powdered sugar or covering with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Plate and enjoy! Best served fresh.
Notes
- I like to cook the donut holes first, when the oil is slightly cooler. I find it's easier to cook those first, and the donuts second.
- Watch carefully when cooking donuts in the oil. You don't want the oil to get too hot or your donuts will burn.
- Flip the donuts once they start browning.
- Toss with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar when the donuts are still hot and fresh from frying. This will help the powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar stick to the donuts.
Aimee
Oooh, I think I just like mine pretty cinnamony, but perhaps it should be tsp instead of tbsp. Updating the recipe until I can make again to test! Thanks for being a great recipe tester! :)
Kate Pierce
Awesome! Thanks :-)
Kate Pierce
I think the proportions of cinnamon and sugar are wrong because I made these tonight and I used the 1/4 c. sugar as listed and just 1 tsp. of cinnamon and it was already way darker than what's in your picture and it was suuuper cinnamon-y. Other than that though, these were delicious!! Great recipe. When I make them again I'll probably turn them all into little "donut holes" because they're so cute, cook really quickly, and are easy to toss in the various sugars. Thanks for sharing this family recipe!