A recipe for Star-Shaped Doughnuts! These festive yeast-based doughnuts are topped with vanilla, strawberry, and blueberry glaze along with plenty of sprinkles.
Celebrate July 4th or any time of year by adding a little red, white, and blue to your breakfast/brunch with these Star-Shaped Doughnuts!
After forming a yeast-based dough and allowing it to rise overnight, roll out the dough and cut out stars using a star-shaped cookie cutter. Fry the doughnuts in hot oil until golden with a light and pillowy texture (due to the three different resting times). Once cooled to room temperature, decorate with a powdered sugar glaze and sprinkles before serving.
I created a variety of toppings for the red white and blue(ish) colors: blueberry, strawberry, or plain vanilla. If you don’t want to make the different sets of glazes, topping them with one favorite glaze and a handful of festive sprinkles will be just as delicious.
A Few Tips for Fried Doughnuts
Only knead in just enough additional flour as required to handle the dough. Too much flour will create a tough doughnut. The dough should be loose and will be easier to handle after the overnight refrigeration.
I used a mixture of 2-3 1/2 inch (5-9 cm) star-shaped cookie cutters to make around 16 doughnuts in all. Smaller or larger cutters will yield a different amount.
Keep in mind that larger doughnuts will require adjusting the temperature of the oil carefully to make sure the exterior doesn’t brown too much before the dough gets a chance to cook fully.
I made the glazes naturally with vanilla, blueberry, and strawberry, so they don’t have as pronounced red, white, and blue colors. If you want a brighter color, mix a drop or two of food coloring into the glazes.
Looking for more red, white, and blue themed food?
Try my
- Berry Rice Krispies Treats
- Red, White, and Blueberry Smoothie
- Strawberry and White Chocolate Panna Cotta
This recipe was originally posted in June 2016 and updated June 2021.
Star-Shaped Doughnuts Recipe
Adapted from Bright & Bubbly and Brown Eyed Baker
Star-Shaped Doughnuts
Ingredients
Doughnuts:
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 grams, 0.25 ounces) active dry yeast
- 1 cup lukewarm milk 105-115˚F (40-46˚C)
- 3 1/2 cups (438 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (75 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 large eggs
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) vanilla extract
- Canola or vegetable oil for deep-frying
Vanilla Glaze:
- 1 1/2 cups (180 grams) powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons (44 milliliters) milk
- 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) vanilla extract
Strawberry Glaze:
- 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) milk
- 1 ounce (28 grams) strawberries fresh or frozen and thawed
Blueberry Glaze:
- 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) milk
- 1 ounce (28 grams) blueberries fresh or frozen and thawed
- Sprinkles for decorating if desired
Instructions
To make the doughnuts:
- In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the milk. Stir briefly to combine and allow to sit until frothy, 5-10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and nutmeg. Mix in the frothy yeast with milk, eggs, butter, and vanilla extract to form a dough.
- On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until smooth. If too sticky, add just enough flour to handle. It should still be a loose dough. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rest at room temperature until doubled, 1-2 hours.
- Gently deflate the risen dough, cover again, and refrigerate 8 hours to overnight.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick sheet. Use 2-3 1/2 inch (5-9 cm) star-shaped cookie cutters to cut out the doughnuts and arrange them on the prepared baking sheets about 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) apart. Cover and allow to rest until puffed, about 1 hour.
- Fill a pan with vegetable oil at least 2 inches (5 cm) deep. Place over medium heat to 360˚F (182˚C). Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
- Gently add the doughnuts, a few at a time to not overcrowd the pan, and cook until golden, about 1 minute per side. Adjust the heat between medium and medium low as needed to make sure the center cooks before the outside browns too much.
- Remove to a towel-lined plate and repeat with remaining doughnuts. Allow to cool on a wire rack to room temperature before coating in glaze.
To make the vanilla glaze:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. If too thin, add more powdered sugar. If too thick, add more milk.
- Dip the tops of a few cooled doughnuts into the glaze. Allow to set.
To make the strawberry glaze:
- In a blender, puree the powdered sugar, milk, and strawberries until smooth. Transfer to a bowl.
- If too thin, add more powdered sugar. If too thick, add more milk or strawberries.
- Dip the tops of a few cooled doughnuts into the glaze and allow to set. If desired, drizzle over the other colored doughnuts.
To make the blueberry glaze:
- In a blender, puree the powdered sugar, milk, and blueberries until smooth. Transfer to a bowl.
- If too thin, add more powdered sugar. If too thick, add more milk or blueberries.
- Dip the tops of a few cooled doughnuts into the glaze and allow to set. If desired, drizzle over the other colored doughnuts.
- If desired, add sprinkes over the glaze before it sets. These doughnuts are best if served within a day.
swayam
WOndeful !! I have never tried making doughnuts but boy i sure wish i had. Love the stars!
Just Jo
Oh! I absolutely love that your cut these donuts into star shapes – they are so so cute! You could do long ones and make stripes to go with your stars 😀 Definitely pinning these to try myself 😀
Tania @ The Cook's Pyjamas
How cute are these. Great idea to cut them into star shapes.
Lauren @ Sew You Think You Can Cook
What a fantastic idea! And I like the triple glazed ones. 🙂
Wish you were here this weekend.