A quick and easy donut hole recipe that can be made with 3 ingredients in just about 3 minutes! That's right. You're gonna want to put these donut bites in your arsenal of cheap homemade treats. You're welcome.
Ok. Let's get real here. I'm going to issue you a BIG. FAT. (literally) WARNING.
What I'm about to show you, introduce, knock your socks off with is cheap, easy, and really really really really really delicious. Oh yeah, and they are about a million calories each.
Turn away now if you prefer the boring side of life and only eat healthy stuff. (ok totally kidding…….kinda……)
For the rest of us, I now introduce to you these addictive homemade donut holes:
Let me tell you how I happened upon this amazing, cheap and delicious donut recipe.
I don't spend much time on Pinterest, but when I do, I choose a few gems here and there to pin for “down the road” when I don't have 3 kids screaming and yanking on me all the time (…so…maybe the year 2062?).
But I saw THIS pin and had to try it asap.
I didn't even take good pictures of the process because it had no instructions or description, just pictures. So naturally I didn't expect it to turn out so well. BOY was I wrong.
Donut Hole Recipe Hack
Here's how to enjoy the treat of the century:
1. Get yourself a can of biscuits. I got THIS kind, but her picture had honey butter biscuits. Mine turned out great though, so just go for the cheap-o Walmart ones.
2. Heat up some oil. I used vegetable oil, and I put a few cups in the pot (maybe 4-6?). Let the oil get REALLY hot; if it's not hot enough it'll just make your donuts greasy. Buttt…. make sure its not too hot or the outside of your donut will be black and the inside will be raw. And nobody likes raw donuts.
A trick I learned is to put the handle of a wooden spoon into the middle of the oil. If bubbles rapidly flow around the handle, then it's hot enough. Thanks for that one Rachel Ray!
3. Cut your biscuits into 1/4 pieces. Drop them into the oil, I did 5 or 6 at a time. They cook really fast, probably less than 1 minute. Take them out when they get nice and brown. I used an oil strainer (like THIS ONE) to bob them around in the oil to get both sides fried evenly.
4. Set your donuts on a paper towel for a minute or two. Let those cute little donut holes cool off before you try to handle them with your fingers.
Then roll them in sugar (because they are just too low-fat as-is…)
5. ENJOY. And thank me. Then hate me. Then thank me again.
Tips for Making Donut Holes
If you want to go for a more Churro type flavor – add some cinnamon to your sugar and coat those delicious donut holes.
Don't be afraid to let the little hands get in and help. They'll love helping in the kitchen with this project.
So good, so easy! And sooo fast. Let's be honest, it took me longer to figure out how to open the dang can then it took to cook the things.
Go the extra mile and add a little nutella to the table for dipping these sweet donut bites. I mean, it really can't hurt at this point.
Great party food, eh? I know Olive Garden has a dessert similar to this (called Zeppoli), and they serve theirs with chocolate, caramel, and strawberry-esque dipping sauces. Not a bad idea…
Donut Holes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Can Biscuits
- 4-6 Cups Vegetable Oil For Frying
- 2-3 Tablespoons Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon Optional
Instructions
- Cut your biscuits into quarters and heat up some oil in a pot on the stove.Check your oil and make sure its hot enough (but not too hot). Test one donut bite first before throwing a bunch in. Cook for 40-50 seconds on one side and then flip and cook for another 40-50 seconds on the other side.Set donut holes on a paper towel to cool off. Then coat in sugar or cinnamon and sugar.Optional: Dip in some kind of delicious chocolate-y sauce.
Check out these other great recipes:
Grandma’s Famous Banana Bread Recipe
Best restaurant copycat recipes!
31 Freezer Meals for only $100 + Freezer Meal E-Book
Try them and let me know if you enjoy them as much as we did!
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Shauna says
May 9, 2013 at 4:15 pmPerfect timing! I was looking for something to take to a playgroup brunch tomorrow. These will be perfect. Thank you!
joy says
April 25, 2015 at 10:38 amI used cinnamin sugar to roll them in but yes they tasted great! thanks for the recipe!
FunCheapOrFree says
April 25, 2015 at 3:11 pmOh my word that sounds AMAZING. Thanks for sharing!
Fry says
October 29, 2015 at 9:16 pmHave to make this for the office staff! Thank You!
Janice says
May 10, 2013 at 12:19 amWe used to make these all the time! They are amazing and yes addictive! To take it a step further I like to dip them in melted chocolate frosting!
Linda says
May 10, 2013 at 12:55 amI totally forgot about these donut bites. I used to make them all the time back in the 60's. When my husband becasme diebetic I kind of got away from sweet desserts But will have to try the again when the grands and great-grands come to visit.
Haley says
May 10, 2013 at 2:35 amWe make ours in the fry daddy. We go the extra step and take an empty pill bottle and make actual donuts and donut holes. 🙂 I must agree that they're addicting!
Trish says
November 8, 2015 at 9:09 amthanks for the pill bottle doughnut tip. Now I will save a trip to DD on some cold Chitown mornings.
kkaye76@aol.com says
May 10, 2013 at 4:18 pmI've been doing this for about 45 years.. <G> Yummy, all the way! No Doubt about it..
I love & appreciate the hot oil wooden handle tip though.. never heard that one! 🙂
vanessa says
May 11, 2013 at 3:14 amI remember my mom would make donuts usibg this method growing up so I was looking forward to trying the bites. However some of the bites didnt get cooked in the middle. It seems like the first batch was good but after that the oil became too hot and browned the dough rsther quickly therefore re ceieved less time frying. Any ideas to fix this would be appreciated!
Vanessa
Ray Renk says
May 19, 2013 at 6:12 pmGreat Share! My Wife, Sara, and our two kids all made doughnut bites this Sunday morning by following your blog post. I had seen it as couple weeks ago and sent the post to Sara. Thanks again! Yummy.
My recent post As I get older.. & “The Overview Effect”
nasima says
January 15, 2015 at 11:01 amWow, I am going to try this ! from the pics the biscuits must be thick so i hope i get some that will make these treats……looks like I am from the dark ages as i have never seen this method before.
Vicky says
April 27, 2015 at 3:29 pmi live in England, uk what can I use instead of the biscuits in a tin as we don’t have these here thanks xxx
FunCheapOrFree says
April 27, 2015 at 4:49 pmUse any kid of bread dough!
ella says
July 11, 2015 at 1:07 amvicky, i think they are like scones.. so scone dough
carol says
July 22, 2015 at 2:54 amYou can make your own bisquits very easily….
Ingredients
2¼ Cups Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Sugar
⅓ cup Shortening or Butter
1 cup Milk
extra flour for the counter
Instructions:
Add flour, baking powder, salt and sugar to bowl mix together.
Cut in shortening or butter to resemble coarse crumbs.
Add half the milk and mix, then add remaining milk and mix together.
Put on floured surface and kneed gently 15-20 times.
Pat out flat and cut out biscuits. Or like the one person said they use a pill bottle and make cute little mini donuts. These will be way healthier then the packaged bisquits we can buy in the US so consider yourself lucky you don’t have these available. Make and enjoy =)
FunCheapOrFree says
July 22, 2015 at 3:18 pmlove this, thanks for sharing!
FunCheapOrFree says
July 27, 2015 at 3:59 pmTHANK YOU for sharing!! XO
Eileen says
June 3, 2015 at 3:32 amWhat is a ‘can of biscuits’? Not sold in Oz. Is this raw biscuit(cookie) dough or is in more like bread dough?
Many thanks
FunCheapOrFree says
June 3, 2015 at 4:15 pmIt’s a Pilsbury product. You probably don’t want to know the amount of preservatives in it (yikes!) but here’s what it is: http://www.pillsbury.com/products/biscuits/grands-refrigerated-biscuits. Honestly, you could use any basic dough recipe!
Ali says
July 20, 2015 at 5:45 pmI rolled them out and put a dab of dulce de leche inside and cooked them that Way. Rolled in sugar you’ll never eat a normal doughnut again!
FunCheapOrFree says
July 20, 2015 at 10:24 pmSounds delish!
melanie says
September 1, 2015 at 12:23 amHi guys great post. For those of you that can’t get canned biscuits . Pizza dough works the same I’m Italian and we’ve done it that way do since I was a little girl. Some grocery stores sell the dough pre made in the bakery or ask your local pizza shop for ball of fresh dough my favorite place charges me $ 1.00 happy baking
Sheila says
September 5, 2015 at 5:06 pmWhat cell phone/camera do you have? My Nokia 1020–supposedly great HD pics– cannot begin to look this good.
FunCheapOrFree says
September 7, 2015 at 7:39 pmI had an iPhone 5 when taking these pics!
Sandra Morrell says
September 7, 2015 at 10:02 pmPlease subscribe me to your newsletter
FunCheapOrFree says
September 7, 2015 at 10:43 pmOf course! You’ll get an email, you will need to click that email to confirm that you’d like to be on the list. Thanks for subscribing!
SUE says
October 3, 2015 at 9:01 pmWe always used either cinnamon sugar or confectioners sugar to roll them in. Also of you want big doughnuts just use the whole biscuit and cut a whole in the center. You can then cook the doughnut holes too! Great memories of my mom making these during my childhood!
FunCheapOrFree says
October 5, 2015 at 4:21 pmLove the idea of big donuts! Thanks for sharing!
Phyllis says
November 28, 2015 at 10:14 pmhi! Something similar- pkg of crescent roll dough- fold triangles of dough around a chocolate-roll in a ball- have guests deep fry in a fondue pot and then roll in cinnamon sugar. Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you are going to get!
Diana says
January 28, 2016 at 6:09 amI live in UK and can’t get hold of these biscuits so could I use Jusrol croissants cut up?
Elena Erwin says
July 1, 2016 at 7:20 pmOh man I know what I’m making for tomorrow’s breakfast for the kids! <3
Marsha says
February 2, 2017 at 4:17 amI use the really cheap thin biscuits and fry them whole and coat in powdered sugar or regular sugar. Then I put various fillings into piping bags with a very large decorating tip on the bag and make filled donuts. I have done this using both Jelly and Wilton’s Buttercream icing. I plan on trying Nutella next.
Alexa says
February 16, 2017 at 1:24 amIt looks so delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
Alexa recently posted…How to Use an Air Fryer
Heather B says
February 24, 2018 at 7:20 pmOh man I almost I didn’t know how to do this now! Drooling!
Krista Sidhu says
February 24, 2018 at 10:23 pmGotta try this!! Yep
Wanda says
March 24, 2018 at 10:59 amGreat Share! love these biscuits
thanks
Beth says
January 21, 2019 at 9:09 amOh the memories! My mom used to make these exactly like this for us when we were little…..over 50 years ago! I used to make them for my kiddos too when they were young! So good!
FunCheapOrFree says
March 4, 2019 at 1:14 pmAwwww love it!