Mardi Gras Colored Donuts (Print version)

Golden donuts topped with vibrant purple, green, and gold sugar for a festive touch.

# What you'll need:

→ Dough

01 - 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - ¼ cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
04 - ½ tsp salt
05 - ¾ cup whole milk, lukewarm
06 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
07 - 1 large egg

→ Frying

08 - 4 cups vegetable oil for frying

→ Glaze

09 - 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
10 - 3 tbsp milk
11 - ½ tsp vanilla extract

→ Decoration

12 - 2 tbsp purple colored sugar
13 - 2 tbsp green colored sugar
14 - 2 tbsp yellow (gold) colored sugar

# How to make it:

01 - Whisk together flour, granulated sugar, yeast, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
02 - Combine lukewarm milk, melted butter, and egg in a separate bowl. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until a soft dough forms.
03 - Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
04 - Roll dough to ½-inch thickness. Cut into rounds using a donut cutter or two round cutters (3-inch for donuts, 1-inch for holes).
05 - Place cut donuts and holes on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 20-30 minutes until slightly puffy.
06 - Heat vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F. Fry donuts in batches for 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
07 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth.
08 - Dip warm donuts in glaze, allowing excess to drip off. Immediately sprinkle with purple, green, and yellow colored sugars in sections to create Mardi Gras effect. Let set on a wire rack.

# Expert suggestions:

01 -
  • These donuts strike that perfect balance between crispy outside and pillow-soft inside that makes homemade fried dough worth every minute
  • The colored sugar decoration turns simple donuts into something festive without needing any fancy decorating skills
  • They're surprisingly forgiving, even if you've never made yeast dough before
02 -
  • Oil temperature is everything, too cold and they'll be greasy, too hot and they'll burn outside while staying raw inside
  • The glaze needs to be the right consistency, thick enough to coat but thin enough to dip smoothly
  • Work quickly when adding colored sugar, once the glaze sets, the sugar won't stick properly
03 -
  • Use a kitchen thermometer to maintain that perfect 350°F oil temperature throughout frying
  • If your dough seems too sticky while kneading, add just a teaspoon of flour at a time

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