It’s only natural to make sure not a single doughnut goes to waste! Luckily, you can freeze doughnuts for up to two months, giving your glazed treats a nice, long life. Here’s everything you need to know about freezing doughnuts, whether they’re homemade or from a local doughnut shop.
How to Freeze Doughnuts
Freezing food is simple. The greatest threat to your doughnuts isn’t time or temperature—it’s air. When packing these doughy delights, the goal is to get as much air away from them as possible. But of course, we want to do that without damaging the delectable and delicate layer of glaze. From parsley to tomato paste, here are a few freezer-friendly foods.
Step 1: Gather your materials
First, grab the largest freezer bag you have (usually one or two gallons). Then, cut two pieces of wax paper that are slightly smaller than the bag. (This makes sliding the paper in and out of the bag easier.)
Step 2: Bag ’em up
You’ll want to slide one piece of cut waxed paper into the bag. Next, place doughnuts in a single layer inside the bag on top of the waxed paper. Next, top the doughnuts with the other piece of waxed paper. Push as much as air possible out of the bag and seal the top almost all the way to the edge, leaving about a quarter-inch unsealed.
Step 3: Suck out the air
This is the secret to keeping doughnuts fresh! Slide a straw into the unsealed section of the bag. Gently suck the air out of the bag through the straw. This will cause the bag to constrict, pulling the waxed paper around the doughnuts. Seal the bag; lay it flat in your freezer.
Can You Freeze Homemade Doughnuts?
Absolutely! The best way to freeze doughnuts is unfilled and unglazed, as soon as they cool to room temperature after frying or baking.
Once you’ve finished a batch of homemade doughnuts, set aside the doughnuts you want to serve and follow the steps above to freeze the rest. If you plan to fill your doughnuts with buttercream, wrap it tightly in a freezer bag and seal it. Learn how to store your baked goods.
Can You Freeze Krispy Kreme Doughnuts?
Yes—and the best way to freeze Krispy Kreme doughnuts is to seal them in an airtight package. You can follow the steps above. Krispy Kreme also has specific directions for reheating their glazed doughnuts: Heat each doughnut in the microwave for exactly eight seconds.
Tips for Freezing Doughnuts
- You can freeze cake doughnuts the same way you’d freeze yeast doughnuts, in an airtight freezer bag.
- If there’s freezer burn on your doughnuts, they’re technically safe to eat—but the flavor and texture will be off.
- To prevent freezer burn and keep food tasting fresh, make sure the doughnuts are completely cool before they go in the freezer. Store them in the main part of the freezer (not the door) and leave space for air to circulate.
How to Thaw Doughnuts
For best results, warm doughnuts in the microwave on 50% power for ten seconds. If they aren’t warm enough (doughnuts will vary by size and density), warm for seven-second increments on 50% power until heated through. Do not overheat your doughnut, though, or you’ll dry, inedible disks.
If you froze unglazed doughnuts, glaze them once they’ve been reheated. Since doughnuts will need to cool to room temperature before the glaze can set, make sure you don’t get them too warm in the microwave. You can make doughnut glaze in less than five minutes!
Our Best Doughnut Recipes
Apple Cider DoughnutsApple doughnuts remind me of family trips to South Dakota. We’d stop at Wall Drug for a dozen or so before camping in the Badlands. Maple glaze was and still is my favorite. Share a batch with friends and family who appreciate a hot, fresh apple cider doughnut. —Melissa Hansen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Banana Beignet BitesWhen I was a little girl, my grandmother took me aside one day and taught me how to make her famous banana beignets. Although we made them during the holidays, they're pretty fantastic any time of the year. —Amy Downing, South Riding, Virginia
Air-Fryer DoughnutsMy sons and I love doughnuts, but in the Florida heat, I rarely want to deep-fry them. I tried making this easy air-fryer doughnut recipe, and it turned out so well with no mess! —Christine Hair, Odessa, Florida
Swedish DoughnutsOne day, my father got a hankering for doughnuts and asked me to make him some. I ended up trying these. Dad—and everyone else—loved the results. They come out so golden and plump. —Lisa Bates, Dunham, Quebec
Drop DoughnutsRemember this recipe after your next holiday dinner. I use any leftover mashed potatoes to make these light and fluffy doughnuts. The dish was originally created by my neighbor's mother-in-law as a breakfast treat or a snack. —Marilyn Kleinfall, Elk Grove Village, Illinois
Berry-Filled DoughnutsFour ingredients are all you'll need for this sure-bet breakfast treat. Friends and family will never guess that refrigerated buttermilk biscuits are the base for these golden, jelly-filled doughnuts. —Ginny Watson, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Delicious Potato DoughnutsI first tried these tasty treats at my sister's house and thought they were the best I'd ever had. They're easy to make, and the fudge frosting tops them off well. When I make them for friends, the recipe is always requested. —Pat Davis, Beulah, Michigan
Glazed DoughnutsThe light coffee flavor in these tasty sugar-glazed doughnuts makes them a perfect start to the morning...on Christmas Day or any day. You'll find that the recipe is a delectable way to use up leftover potatoes. —Pat Siebenaler, Random Lake, Wisconsin
Want an easy fast-food doughnut option for Christmas day?
Krispy Kreme Christmas doughnuts are a delicious go-to.
Jelly DoughnutsThere's no need to run to the bakery for delicious jelly doughnuts! These sweet treats are lighter than air. I've been fixing them for 25 years for my husband, our two daughters and their families. They disappear almost as fast as I make them. —Kathy Westendorf, Westgate, Iowa
If you want to make restaurant-style doughnuts, here's our favorite copycat
Krispy Kreme doughnut recipe.
Almond Bear ClawsThis bear claw pastry recipe is absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious! It's impossible to resist the delicate dough, rich almond filling and pretty fanned tops sprinkled with sugar and almonds. I made yummy treats like this when I worked in a bakery years ago. —Aneta Kish, La Crosse, Wisconsin
New Orleans BeignetsThese sweet, square and holeless French doughnuts are known as beignets. New Orleans’ traditional breakfast always includes a few of these powdered sugar delicacies. —Beth Dawson, Jackson, Louisiana
Glazed Doughnut HolesHere's a simple recipe to create a colorful and fun breakfast—or snack! For the glaze, use any type of juice you like. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen. Next, learn how to make a
chocolate glaze for doughnuts.
Gluten-Free Apple Cider DoughnutsI wanted to make a gluten-free apple cider doughnut that tasted so good, the fact that it’s gluten-free is beside the point! —Kathryn Conrad, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Pumpkin Doughnut DropsI always have a few special treats handy when the grandchildren visit. These cake doughnuts are one of their favorite snacks. —Beva Staum, Muscoda, Wisconsin
Blue-Ribbon DoughnutsWhat could be more delicious than a warm homemade doughnut? I've been making these tasty treats for my children and grandchildren for many years. —Kay McEwen, Sussex, New Brunswick
Cider DoughnutsHere on our 1,250-acre farm, we usually have a quick breakfast on the go. So I often keep a batch of these light and moist doughnuts on hand. They disappear quickly because no one can eat just one! —Suzanne Christensen, Defiance, Iowa
Maple-Bacon Doughnut BitesWhile these delicious bite-size treats are ready in minutes, they’ll disappear in a flash. And don’t relegate the deep-fried goodness to the breakfast nook—I’ve never had anyone turn these down no matter the time of day. —Chelsea Turner, Lake Elsinore, CA
Updated: May 19, 2023
