These brioche donuts are fluffy like clouds, irresistibly buttery, and absolutely delicious plain or with fillings. You’ll be addicted with the first bite!
When I hear the word “brioche,” my mouth immediately starts watering. Anyone who knows me knows my love for the eggy, enriched dough with an unbelievably soft and tender texture. If you catch me in a bakery, I’ll almost always have brioche in my hands. You guys… I’m obsessed!
This brioche donut recipe is here to shatter expectations of complicated donut making. It’s straightforward, fun, and *actually* easy. All the heavy lifting is done in a stand mixer, and I’ve included a bunch of tips for success. Plus, the options for fillings are endless. Even if you’re not a baker, you will nail this recipe — I believe in you!
Also obsessed with brioche? Try our life-changing brioche cinnamon rolls, versatile brioche buns, and indulgent brioche bread pudding.
Brioche Donuts Video
How To Make Brioche Donuts
Believe it or not, the hardest part of this recipe is being patient. Let your stand mixer do all the kneading, wait for the yeast to work its magic, then punch out the donuts and fry away!
- Make the brioche dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, activate the yeast with the warm milk and a portion of the sugar. Add the flour, eggs, vanilla, and remaining sugar, then knead the dough to combine. Add the softened butter and knead until the dough is elastic.
- Allow the dough to rise: Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise until it is doubled in size.
- Cut out the donuts: On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 10×13 inch rectangle. Cut out 12 donuts with a biscuit cutter or drinking glass.
- Let the donuts rest: Cover the donuts and allow them to rest for an hour.
- Fry the donuts: Heat about three inches of oil in a Dutch oven or large pot. Working in batches, fry the donuts for a few minutes on each side until they are golden brown. Transfer the donuts to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Roll and fill the donuts: While the donuts are still hot, toss them in sugar. Allow them to slightly cool on a wire rack, then fill with your favorite fillings.
Hot tip: Toss the donuts in cinnamon sugar for a fun “snickerdoodle” twist!
Best Fillings
Honestly, I love to keep things simple and enjoy the donuts plain with a sugar crust — that’s how good they are! But if you’re craving a filling, here are a few of my favorites.
- Nutella: This is for you, chocolate lovers! You can’t go wrong with this beloved chocolate hazelnut spread piped into the donuts.
- Jam: Add a fruity pop with strawberry jam, raspberry jam, or blackberry jam.
- Curd: If you’re obsessed with tangy citrus flavors, lemon curd or lime curd is the choice for you.
- Pastry cream: Indulge with vanilla custard, pudding, or pastry cream for a Boston-cream style donut.
- Dulce de leche: For creamy, caramel-y goodness, stuff the donuts with dulce de leche. This Instant Pot hack produces perfect homemade dulce de leche! Add a pinch of salt if you’re a salted caramel fanatic.
Troubleshooting Brioche Donuts
Are your donuts greasy? Dense and flat? Less than picture-perfect? Let’s look at a few possible explanations and solutions to these common problems.
- Dense texture: Dense donuts are usually a result of under-proofing or inactive yeast. Make sure the yeast is fresh, and allow the donuts to rise twice (once after kneading, and again after shaping).
- Oily taste: Donuts soak in oil and take on a greasy taste when the frying oil temperature is too low. Use a deep-frying or candy thermometer to maintain the temp at 350-360°F to prevent this issue.
- Burnt on the outside: If your donuts get too dark before the middle is cooked through, the culprit is overheated oil. Keep an eye on the oil temperature constantly for gorgeous golden brown results.
- No white ring in the middle: That classic white ring is “proof” that your donuts have proofed enough. If the donuts turn out golden in the middle, it’s likely because there’s not enough air in the dough. Be patient — you’ll know the donuts are ready to fry when they are puffy and hold the indentation when you gently poke them.
Tips For Perfect Brioche Donuts
If you want a smooth ride, buckle up for more donut-making tips! These are guaranteed to put your donuts a notch above the rest.
- Make sure the yeast is fresh. Whether you’re using instant yeast or active dry yeast, it’s important to test the yeast’s strength to guarantee that the dough rises. If the yeast foams after blooming in the warm milk, you’re good to go! If not, buy fresh yeast and start over.
- Knead the dough until it is elastic. Why the “knead” for kneading? The longer you knead, the more gluten is developed — which produces chewy and fluffy donuts. You’ll know the dough is ready when it pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is suuuper stretchy.
- Fry the donuts in batches. Although it’s tempting to toss all the donuts in at once, overcrowding the pot lowers the oil temperature, makes it harder to flip the donuts, and results in uneven frying.
- Toss the donuts in sugar while they’re hot. The sugar sticks better when the donuts are fresh out of the fryer!
Storage
I highly recommend enjoying brioche donuts immediately for the best taste and texture. If (by some miracle) you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. Make sure to refrigerate the donuts if they have any perishable fillings.
More Donut Recipes
- Donut Holes (Ponchiki) — A Slavic classic made with farmers cheese
- Air Fryer Donuts — Pull out biscuit dough and an air fryer for 15-minute donuts!
- Sfenj (Moroccan Donuts) — Sugar-tossed delights famous on the streets of Morocco
- Beignets — Inspired by my love for a cafe in New Orleans
- Apple Fritters — Loaded with juicy apples and glaze
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup whole milk heated to around 110°F
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar divided
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter softened to room temp
- oil for frying
- 3/4 cup sugar for coating donuts
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the warm milk, yeast, and one tablespoon of the sugar. Allow the mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes until it is foamy.
- Add the flour, eggs, vanilla, and the remaining sugar to the yeast mixture. Using the dough hook attachment, knead the dough on medium-low speed until it is just combined.
- Add the softened butter and increase the speed to medium. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for one hour in a warm spot, or until it has doubled in size.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a 10×13 inch rectangle about 1/2 inch in thickness.
- Use a biscuit cutter or drinking glass about 3 inches in diameter to cut out 12 donuts. If desired, re-roll the scraps and cut out as many donuts as you can. Lightly cover the donuts with greased plastic wrap and allow them to rise for an hour.
- Heat about three inches of oil in a large pot. Once the oil has reached 350°F, add a few donuts at a time (do not overcrowd the pot). Fry the donuts on each side for a few minutes, or until they are golden brown.
- Remove the donuts with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil, then toss them in a bowl with sugar to coat all sides. Repeat with the remaining donuts.
- Allow the donuts to fully cool. Use a butter knife to make a small hole in the side of each donut. Gently squeeze your favorite filling into the donuts with a piping bag. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Can these be baked??
Hey! I haven’t tried baking them myself, but I think it could work — they’d turn out more like baked pastries. If you give it a try, let me know how it goes. Thanks!
Can these be "fried" in an AirFryer?
Hey, I haven't tested this recipe in the air fryer, but you can try it by referring to an air fryer donut recipe we have: https://momsdish.com/air-frye… Let me know how it turns out if you experiment.