Take your classic donuts to the next level with these Tiramisu donuts. Yeast-raised and deep-fried donuts with a cream cheese-based coffee glaze and dusting of cocoa powder.
Recently, my son Aadi came home from a party; his excitement was contagious as he raved about the tiramisu donuts he had tried. Honestly, I had no clue what exactly he had eaten, but the idea instantly fascinated me. I couldn’t resist the idea of recreating this intriguing donut with my own twist. The result? Absolute magic!
The donuts captured all the indulgent flavors of classic tiramisu—rich coffee, creamy mascarpone, and a hint of cocoa. Oh, how we loved them! Each bite was a delightful flavor explosion, and my son declared they were just as good (if not better) than the ones he had at the party!
Why make these donuts
- Perfectly Soft and Fluffy Texture – The dough is carefully crafted with just the right balance of ingredients to create donuts that are light, airy, and melt in your mouth every time.
- Foolproof Techniques for Beginners and Pros – From kneading the dough to frying at the perfect temperature, this recipe includes step-by-step instructions and tips to ensure success, even if it’s your first time making donuts.
- A Recipe Tested and Perfected Over the Years – Having made donuts for years, I’ve refined this recipe to eliminate common issues, making it failproof and ideal for any celebration or special occasion.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Yeast – I like to use instant dry yeast, but you can also use active dry yeast. Just follow the package instructions for activation. Alternatively, you can use 21 grams of baker’s fresh yeast.
- Butter – This adds richness to the dough. Do not add more butter as it will become very dark when frying.
- Milk – I love adding a bit of richness to the dough with milk, but water will work just as well. If you do use water, you may need a little more flour to bring it to consistency.
Pro tip – Check for the consistency of the dough when making yeast dough, not the amount of flour. The dough needs to be soft and elastic, not sticky. Whether you use milk or water, make sure it is warm, about 110°F, not too hot nor too cold. This is the optimum temperature to activate the yeast. - Sugar – White sugar works excellently in this recipe. And yet, you can definitely try brown or any other sugar. I think the amount here is just enough for both the inside and out. And yet, feel free to add or reduce if you want.
- Flour -Bread flour makes light and airy donuts with a soft and chewy texture. Of course, you can use all-purpose flour, but if possible, at least use 50% bread and 50% all-purpose.
- Nutmeg – There is nutmeg in the pumpkin spice, and yet I love that extra dash of nutmeg as it brings out that flavor of fall beautifully in these donuts. Feel free to reduce or omit.
Step-by-step: Tiramisu donuts
Dough
- Dry ingredients – In a bowl, combine flour, nutmeg, and salt.
Pro tip – You can add spices like cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, or pumpkin spice to add some fall flavor. - Wet ingredients – In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, with the dough hook attachment, combine warm milk, sugar, yeast, egg, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
- Wet to dry – Add the flour mixture to the yeast egg mixture and combine on medium-high until all the flour is incorporated. Then, knead on medium speed for 4 to 5 minutes.
Pro tip – Avoid adding too much extra flour when kneading. We want a soft, elastic, slightly sticky dough. - Butter – Add the room temperature butter and continue to knead on medium-low speed for 3 to 4 minutes more until smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky.
- Bowl – Place the dough in a large greased bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise on the counter for 60 to 90 minutes or until doubled in volume.
Pro tip – You can also leave the dough in the fridge to slowly rise for up to 24 hours. Thaw on the counter for an hour.
Roll and cut
- Cut – Transfer to a well-dusted work surface.
- Using a rolling pin, roll to about 1/4 inch thickness. Using a 3-inch cookie cutter, cut out as many discs as you can.
- Then use a 1/2-inch cookie cutter to make the center hole.
- Alternatively, you can also use a donut cutter.
Pro tip – If you roll the dough too thin, the donuts will not be fluffy. It is best to make fewer, yet light and fluffy donuts than many flat, hard donuts.
- Tray – Transfer the donuts to a baking tray that has been lined with parchment paper and dusted with flour.
Pro tip – The flour will prevent the donuts from sticking to the parchment paper. - Proof – Cover with plastic wrap or clean kitchen cloth and let them proof until doubled in size, about 45 to 60 minutes.
Pro tip – Spray the plastic wrap with oil to prevent it from sticking to the rolls.
Deep-fry
- Deep fry – Pour oil into a heavy pot or deep fryer and bring to about 325°F (325°C). I like to use my Dutch oven.
- Cook the donuts on each side for 2 to 3 minutes until golden. Use a slotted spoon to remove the donuts from the oil and drop them on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
- Tip 1 – Make sure you have enough oil so the donuts will be at least half immersed in oil when puffed.
- Tip 2– You want the oil hot, but not too hot. When you drop a donut hole it should come up in about 30 seconds, if it comes up too soon means the oil is too hot. Too slow means the oil is too cold. Adjust accordingly.
Tiramisu glaze
- Prepare – In the bowl, combine the cream cheese and whipping cream until smooth. Add powdered sugar, followed by the coffee and vanilla extract.
Pro tip – If necessary, add more heavy cream to make a pouring consistency. - Glaze – Once cooled, dip each donut into the glaze. Let the excess drip well before you place it on a wire rack.
- Dust – Dust half a side with cocoa powder to create the effect on these donuts.
Pro tip – Use a piece of cardboard to block half the donut while you dust the cocoa powder - Enjoy!
- Creme-filled donuts
- Glazed ring donuts – Tiramisu, dulce de leche
- Cinnamon sugar donuts or
- Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Donuts
Frequently asked questions
How long will these tiramisu donuts keep?
Donuts are best eaten fresh the day they are made, but you can keep them for a day or two. It is best to keep them in a paper bag rather than plastic, as plastic makes them soggy. You can freeze cooled donuts for months in the freezer.
How can I add jam or jelly to these doughnuts?
If you want to make Jam doughnuts, perhaps try making the classic dome shape so you can fill them with jam or jelly, as I have shared in my recipes for jelly donuts or jam doughnuts/Sufganiyot.
What other glazes can I use for these donuts?
There are plenty of choices for donut toppings. Try my dulce de leche glaze or chocolate-glazed donuts. Of course, you can also make the classic doughnut shapes without holes and fill them instead. Try my strawberry cream, raspberry cream, as well as tiramisu-filled.
What oil do we use for these donuts?
I use canola oil. It has a neutral flavor and a high smoke point. Also, it works best when deep-frying bread and sweet treats like churros and doughnuts.
Best Tiramisu Donuts
Take your classic donuts to the next level with these Tiramisu donuts. Yeast-raised and deep-fried donuts with a cream cheese-based coffee glaze and dusting of cocoa powder.
Video
Ingredients
Dough
- 500 g (4 cups) Bread flour or 50% bread and 50% all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp Nutmeg
- ½ tsp Salt
- 240 g (1 cup) Warm milk 110F
- 100 g (2 large) Eggs large
- 7 g (2¼ tsp) Instant dry yeast
- 30 g (2 tbsp) Sugar
- 30 g (2 tbsp) Butter
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Tiramisu glaze
- 113 g (1½ cup) Mascarpone cream cheese (1/2 cup)
- 113 ml (½ cup) Whipping cream
- 3 tbsp Powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) Brewed coffee or espresso
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Dusting
- ¼ cup (20 g) Cocoa powder for dusting
Method
Dough
- Dry ingredients – In a bowl, combine flour, nutmeg, and salt.500 g Bread flour , ¼ tsp Nutmeg, ½ tsp Salt
- Wet ingredients – In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, with the dough hook attachment, combine warm milk, sugar, yeast, egg, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.240 g Warm milk, 100 g Eggs, 7 g Instant dry yeast, 30 g Sugar, 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Wet to dry – Add the flour mixture to the yeast egg mixture and combine on medium-high until all the flour is incorporated. Then, knead on medium speed for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Butter – Add the room temperature butter and continue to knead on medium-low speed for 3 to 4 minutes more until smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky.30 g Butter
- Bowl – Place the dough in a large greased bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and let rise on the counter for 60 to 90 minutes or until double in volume.
Roll and cut
- Cut – Transfer to a well-dusted work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll to about 1/4 inch thickness. Using a 3-inch cookie cutter cut out as many discs as you can. Then use a 1/2-inch cookie cutter to make the center hole. Alternatively, you can also use a donut cutter.
- Tray – Transfer the donuts to a baking tray lined with parchment paper and dusted with flour.
- Proof – Cover with plastic wrap or clean kitchen cloth and let them proof until double in size, about 45 to 60 minutes.
Deep-fry
- Deep fry – Pour oil into a heavy pot or deep fryer and bring to about 325°F (165℃). I like to use my Dutch oven. Cook the donuts on each side for 2 to 3 minutes until golden. Use a slotted spoon to remove the donuts from the oil and drop them on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Tip 1– Ensure you have enough oil so the donuts will be at least half immersed in oil when puffed.Tip 2– You want the oil hot but not too hot. When you drop a donut hole, it should come up in about 30 seconds; if it comes up too soon, the oil is too hot. Too slow means the oil is too cold. Adjust accordingly.
Tiramisu glaze
- Prepare – In the bowl combine the cream cheese and whipping cream until smooth. Add powdered sugar, followed by the coffee and vanilla extract.113 g Mascarpone cream cheese, 113 ml Whipping cream, 3 tbsp Powdered sugar, 2 tbsp Brewed coffee or espresso, 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Glaze – Once cooled, dip each donut into the glaze. Let the excess drip well before you place it on a wire rack.
- Dust – Dust half a side with cocoa powder to create the effect on these donuts.¼ cup Cocoa powder
Notes
- The temperature of milk – It is very important to make sure the milk is warm, not hot or cold. You don’t need a thermometer to check – that’s just a guide. To check if the milk is at the right temperature – just stick your clean little finger in. You should be able to hold it in for a minute if not it’s too hot. Best to wait until just warm.
- The temperature of the oil – I know I said the oil has to be around 325 ° F but again, you don’t necessarily need a thermometer. Here’s how to check if the oil is right. Make mini doughnuts – I divide one doughnut into four and make mini doughnuts. This helps me test the hot oil before and in between batches.
- How to test oil – Add a mini doughnut to test the oil. The doughnut should rise in about 30 secs. If it rises too soon means the oil is too hot and if it takes too long means the oil is not yet hot. Adjust accordingly. Keep an eye on oil temperature as it rises and cools between donuts batches. Adding doughnuts to the oil will cool the oil. So find a balance on how many doughnuts per batch works with your settings.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
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Hi, I’m Veena
I’m the recipe developer, baker, and food photographer behind Veena Azmanov Kitchen.
I’ve spent years developing and testing recipes, from everyday meals and homemade breads to cakes and desserts.
I share the practical tips and little details I’ve learned along the way so you can get great results in your own kitchen.
Oh wow! Tiramisu donuts may be the coolest donuts I have heard of in a long while! I am so excited to share these with a friend of mine who is a total donut junkie. Shes going to LOVE taste testing these when I make them for her.
Thanks, Kita. Let me know how they were when you make these
These Tiramisu donuts were amazing!! Tiramisu is one of our favorite desserts so this was just perfect and we ate them ALL!
Thanks, Eden. Yes, you will love this one.
Tiramisu is my most favorite dessert! and I love to finding different treats with tiramisu flavor! It’s like two best treats in one!!!
Thanks, Verokina. Yes, the coffee and cocoa on this blend beautifully.
We don’t get pumpkin spice here.. What xsn we substitute it with
You can use Cinnamon powder or just omit it as well
Finally the donut recipe that I am really keen to make! I have either tried most of them, or the recipes that I stumble upon are very much alike. This recipe is unique in so many ways – can’t wait to go all in with it!
Thanks, Danielle. The glaze is delicious. You must try this recipe
I have never made donuts and I love all the tips you have included to get them made correctly. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Analida. These are incredibly easy. You must try.
What a yummy and creative donut flavor combination! So pretty too!
Thanks, Chelsey.
I must confess that donuts are my weakness!! I’ve only made my own once but homemade donuts are such a rare treat. I love this tiramisu inspired twist…they look so elegant and delicious!
Mine too, Tammy. Love all kinds of donuts.