Description
Delicious homemade Cinnamon Sugar Twist Donuts with a soft, fluffy texture and a sweet cinnamon sugar coating. Perfect for breakfast or a sweet snack, these donuts are made from scratch using a yeast dough, twisted into shapes, fried until golden, and then tossed in a flavorful cinnamon sugar mix.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 1 cup warm milk (110°F)
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 large egg
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 - 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoons fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Topping
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar (packed)
- 1 ½ Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 3-4 inches of vegetable oil (for frying)
Frying Oil
Instructions
- Activate yeast: Stir together the warm milk and active dry yeast in a small bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes until it becomes foamy and activated.
- Mix wet ingredients: While the yeast activates, whisk together the egg, melted butter, and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, add 3 cups of flour, granulated sugar, salt, and ground cinnamon. Stir to evenly mix the dry ingredients.
- Add wet to dry: Once the yeast is foamy, combine it with the wet mixture and then add this combined wet mixture to the dry ingredients in the mixer bowl.
- Form dough: Stir until the dough begins to come together, then mix on medium-low speed. If dough does not clean the sides of the bowl, add up to ½ cup additional flour slowly until it does. Knead the dough with the mixer for 5 minutes until smooth, soft, and slightly sticky.
- First rise: Lightly spray a large bowl with cooking spray and place the dough inside, turning to coat it lightly with the spray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot to double in size, about 1 hour.
- Second rise prep: Lightly flour a surface and knead the dough a few times by hand to release air bubbles. Return dough to bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise a second time for another hour.
- Shape twists: Line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces by halving repeatedly. Roll each piece into a thin rope and twist by rolling hands in opposite directions. Fold the ends together and pinch to seal, twisting the doughnut several more times to form the twist shape. Place shaped twists on the tray and cover with a kitchen towel.
- Rest twists: Let the twisted doughnuts rest for 30 minutes until they puff up slightly.
- Heat oil: While the twists rest, heat 3-4 inches of oil in a Dutch oven or deep fryer to 325 degrees F.
- Prepare topping: In a large bowl, stir together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon for the coating.
- Fry donuts: Fry 3-4 doughnuts at a time in the hot oil for about 5 minutes total, turning occasionally until golden brown and cooked through.
- Coat and cool: Drain excess oil from each donut and immediately toss it in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place coated donuts on a wire rack over a sheet tray to keep them crisp and avoid sogginess.
- Serve: Serve the cinnamon sugar twist donuts fresh for best taste and texture.
Notes
- This recipe makes 16 twist donuts, perfect for sharing or enjoying over a couple of days.
- Using a deep fryer or heavy Dutch oven helps keep the oil temperature stable for perfect frying.
- Adjust flour amount carefully to keep dough soft but manageable; overly dry dough will make twists hard to shape.
- Letting the donuts rest before frying ensures they puff up nicely and achieve a light texture.
- Serve immediately while warm and crispy for best flavor experience.
- Store leftovers airtight and reheat briefly in an oven to refresh crispness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 201 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 137 mg
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.3 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 18 mg
