Star-Shaped Doughnuts

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

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Star-Shaped Doughnuts

A recipe for Star-Shaped Doughnuts! These festive yeast-based doughnuts are topped with vanilla, strawberry, and blueberry glaze along with plenty of sprinkles.

Course Bread

Cuisine N/A

Keyword bread, breakfast, brunch, doughnut, fried

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 11 hours hours

Total Time 11 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Servings 16 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.