Could you imagine something more perfect than a Nutella donut? This delicious treat is made with a sweet brioche donut dough that is rich, SUPER fluffy, and perfect; each bite feels like biting into a cloud. Filled with rich Nutella, the best spread that exists in the world, and all it’s covered in granulated sugar, which adds a nice crunch and sweetness.

This homemade Nutella donut recipe is one of my favorites. We have shared different variations of this recipe on our website, filled with pistachio cream, vanilla custard, and strawberry cheesecake.

Donuts are something we all love, but they can seem intimidating. How do you know if they are fully cooked on the inside? At what temperature should it be baked? How to shape them? These are all questions we have all had in our moments. All of them will be answered today, for you, to achieve the most perfect donuts you have ever tried.

Grab these ingredients

To prepare this donut recipe, we are using most of the same ingredients used in recipes like our vanilla bean glazed donuts, Nutella heart donuts, Oreo, Biscoff, Beignets, and even our Homer Simpson-inspired donuts.

• Milk: it needs to be at a temperature of 100F-110F (38C-43C). A temperature higher than 210F (49 °C) or lower than 90F (32 °C) will keep the yeast sleepy/inactive.
• Granulated sugar: it sweetens the dough and the whole donut in general, as we add it after for coating too. If you add too much sugar to the dough, the donuts will brown too fast when cooking.
• Active dry yeast: very easy yeast to use.
• Eggs and yolks: make sure they are room temperature for easier incorporation into the dough.
• Pure vanilla extract: or paste.  
• All–purpose flour: it’s what gives structure to the donuts.
• Salt: enhances the flavor of the dough and balances the sweetness. Slows down the rising.
• Butter: unsalted and room temperature. We are using unsalted butter to have better control over the amount of salt that goes into the Nutella donuts.
• Neutral oil: Use your favorite oil for frying. I prefer using sunflower oil, but any other options, like a gentle olive oil, soy, canola oil, or vegetable oil, will work.
• Nutella: we will use it to fill each of the donuts.

How to shape donuts

There are many known methods for shaping your round donuts; you can even make them without using a tool, just by making them round and then flattening them with a rolling pin. Using your hands. My preferred method to make sure all of the donuts get fully cooked at the same time is by using a cutter.

In this recipe, we are using a 3.9-inch (10 cm) cookie cutter, but anything else works. A cup, a glass, any round thing you can find close to you that won’t harm you but can cut into the dough, will work.

Even though we are using that size of a cutter, it doesn’t mean you need to use the same size; you can even make them smaller or bigger.

Tips for safely frying donuts

Frying donuts is something that can be done very safely as long as you are present while you do it. Any distraction can be harmful when preparing donuts, resulting in possible accidents.

Here are some tips you could follow to make sure you can fry the donuts smoothly.

1. Have everything ready before starting. You know you will need a tray with a cooling rack on top, a slotted spoon for removing the donuts from the hot oil, another tray or plate with sugar, and another cooling rack for the sugared donuts.
2. Keep the oil between the temperatures of 347F – 374F (175C – 190C). This is to make sure the donuts get fully cooked, and they don’t burn. Also, keeping it between those temperatures will ensure the hot oil doesn’t get too hot, burn, or bubble too much that it overflows.
3. Use a large pot. It’s super important that you don’t want the oil to be at the edge of the pot. Make sure there is a GOOD distance between the oil and the edge.
4. Don’t get distracted with tasks like checking your phone, scrolling, etc.

The same tips are shared in other fried donut recipes like our Nutella swirl, pistachio holes, Biscoff holes, or chocolate chip donuts.

Prepare a perfect donut dough.

There are different tips you can follow to have a perfect Nutella donut every time. Some of the tips here you will find in recipes like our Nutella rolls, Nutella brioche, or red velvet rolls.

1. Don’t skip kneading or proofing; they are both very important in any dough recipe unless mentioned otherwise. This is what makes the dough very soft and fluffy instead of dense. If you skip any of those, you will have a very tough dough.
2. Proof in a very warm environment.
3. If you roll out the dough too thick, it will not fully cook on the inside when you fry the donuts.
4. It’s important you drain the donuts and immediately cover them with sugar, or it won’t stick at all.
5. You can use many options for filling for this recipe; it is very versatile.

Best way of storing donuts

The best way to store any homemade dough or donut is by freezing it. This will ensure the donuts are perfectly soft and fluffy. If you leave them at room temperature, they will dry out.

Once you fill them, let them cool completely, place them in a tray with parchment paper, and then freeze for 4 hours. Transfer into a freezer container, and you can keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Whenever you want to enjoy them, microwave them from frozen until fully thawed and slightly warm, so the Nutella is slightly melted and nice.

How to make sure the donuts don’t absorb too much oil?

Make sure you fry them at the right temperature. If the oil temperature is too low, the donuts will absorb way more oil than they should.

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