A fun and tasty breakfast recipe, these Cinnamon Sugar Twist Donuts are irresistible and you’ll want to make them over and over again.
I absolutely love donuts, baked, fried, it really doesn’t matter donuts are one of my weaknesses.
These Cinnamon Sugar Twist Donuts are some of my favorite, they are light and fluffy and have just the right amount of sweetness.
When I make these, they really don’t last that long as the whole family loves them just as much as I do.
Breakfast is a really big deal in our house, especially donuts – so these are made at least once a month if not more.
They are a bit time consuming with having to work with yeast, but they are absolutely worth it in the end, I promise.
So if you are looking to switch up your breakfast routine and have everyone love you, then you have to make these Cinnamon Sugar Twist Donuts.
Some of my other favorite breakfast recipes that we have on our site include: Pecan Sticky Buns, French Toast Bites and Breakfast Corn Dogs.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- The cinnamon sugar gives them a nice crunch with a pillowy inside.
- Normal baking ingredients are needed, nothing out of the ordinary.
- You can double this recipe to serve more people.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST):
Warm milk (110°F)
Active dry yeast
Egg
Unsalted butter
Vanilla extract
All-purpose flour
Granulated sugar
Fine sea salt
Ground cinnamon
Light brown sugar
HOW TO MAKE CINNAMON SUGAR TWIST DONUTS, STEP BY STEP:
- Stir together the milk and the yeast and let it sit until activated and foamy, 5 minutes.
- While you are waiting on the yeast to activate, whisk together the egg, butter, and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl, set aside.
- Place 3 cups of the flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in the body of a stand mixer with the hook attachment and stir it around a few times to mix the dry ingredients.
- Once the yeast is foamy, add the milk mixture to the other wet ingredients and whisk to combine. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients.
- Stir until the ingredients start to combine, then put the mixer on medium-low speed. The dough should start to form and clean the sides of the bowl. If the dough is not cleaning the sides of the bowl, add a little more flour at a time until it does, up to ½ cup more flour.
- Once the sides of the bowl are cleaned, keep the mixer going for 5 minutes to knead the dough. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky but smooth.
- Spray a large bowl lightly with cooking spray and add the dough to the bowl. Flip it around in the bowl so it gets coated in the spray. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place in your house to double in size, about 1 hour.
- Lightly flour a clean work surface. Place the dough on the surface and knead it a few times by hand to get any air bubbles out. Place it back in the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise until one more time, about 1 hour.
- Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and set aside.
- After the second rise, we are going to make the twists. I find making the twists on a clean, non-floured surface easier.
- Cut the dough in half. Cut the halves in half. Keep doing this until you get 16 even pieces of dough.
- Working with one piece of the dough at a time, keep the others covered with a clean kitchen towel, and roll it out into a thin rope shape. Roll your hands in opposite directions, so the rope becomes twisted. Lift the twisted rope by both ends and bring the ends together. It will start to form the twist, pinch the ends together tightly to seal, and twist the doughnut around a couple more times to form the final shape.
- Place the twist on the prepared sheet tray and cover with a clean kitchen towel, repeat with the remaining dough.
- Let the twists rest for 30 minutes, they will slightly puff up more.
- While the twists are resting, heat 3-4 inches of oil in a Dutch oven, or you can use a deep fryer as we do, heated to 325 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon for the topping.
- Place 3-4 doughnuts at a time into the oil. Cook for about 5 minutes total, flipping them around until golden brown. Let any excess oil drip off, then immediately toss them in the cinnamon sugar one at a time.
- Place the doughnuts on a wire rack placed on a sheet tray while you fry the remaining doughnuts, this will keep the outside crisp and not soggy. Serve immediately.
DO I HAVE TO USE CINNAMON IN THE DOUGH?
We like it as it compliments the coating. You can leave it out or you can use pumpkin pie spice, allspice, clove, and nutmeg.
WHAT SHOULD THE TEMPERATURE OF MY MILK BE?
This is essential to working with yeast, you will want your milk to be roughly around 110 degrees F.
If it is too hot it will kill the yeast, and if it is too cold it will not activate the yeast. So a thermometer really helps with this.
CAN THESE BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME?
The dough is best to be made ahead of time as the donuts are best when they are fresh.
You can make the twists and keep the raw dough in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Keep the twists separated by parchment paper, so they don’t stick.
Once ready to fry, bring them to room temperature and make sure they slightly puff up per the directions in the recipe.
WHY DID MY DONUTS UNTWIST?
You have to make sure to secure the ends well or the twists will come undone while frying.
So when twisting make sure that you are really pinching those ends together so that they stay.
HOW TO STORE:
These can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature where they will keep for up to 2 days. But they are best eaten fresh.
We do not recommend freezing these donuts.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
- You can easily double this recipe.
- Make sure you are using active dry yeast.
- You will want your milk to be 110 degrees F.
- Yummy sauces to dip them in: chocolate sauce/hot fudge, caramel sauce, cream cheese icing, or whipped cream.
- You have to make sure to secure the ends well or the twists will come undone while frying.
- You can make the twists and keep the raw dough in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Keep the twists separated by parchment paper, so they don’t stick.
- Make sure you follow all the rising directions so they turn out properly.
Love a good breakfast recipe? Then you will absolutely fall in love with these Cinnamon Sugar Twist Donuts.
If you like this recipe you might also like:
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Cinnamon Sugar Twist Donuts
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm milk 110°F
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 large egg
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 – 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the coating:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar packed
- 1 ½ Tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Stir together the milk and the yeast and let it sit until activated and foamy, 5 minutes.
- While you are waiting on the yeast to activate, whisk together the egg, butter, and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl, set aside.
- Place 3 cups of the flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in the body of a stand mixer with the hook attachment and stir it around a few times to mix the dry ingredients.
- Once the yeast is foamy, add the milk mixture to the other wet ingredients and whisk to combine. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients.
- Stir until the ingredients start to combine, then put the mixer on medium-low speed. The dough should start to form and clean the sides of the bowl. If the dough is not cleaning the sides of the bowl, add a little more flour at a time until it does, up to ½ cup more flour.
- Once the sides of the bowl are cleaned, keep the mixer going for 5 minutes to knead the dough. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky but smooth.
- Spray a large bowl lightly with cooking spray and add the dough to the bowl. Flip it around in the bowl so it gets coated in the spray. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place in your house to double in size, about 1 hour.
- Lightly flour a clean work surface. Place the dough on the surface and knead it a few times by hand to get any air bubbles out. Place it back in the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise until one more time, about 1 hour.
- Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and set aside.
- After the second rise, we are going to make the twists. I find making the twists on a clean, non-floured surface easier.
- Cut the dough in half. Cut the halves in half. Keep doing this until you get 16 even pieces of dough.
- Working with one piece of the dough at a time, keep the others covered with a clean kitchen towel, and roll it out into a thin rope shape. Roll your hands in opposite directions, so the rope becomes twisted. Lift the twisted rope by both ends and bring the ends together. It will start to form the twist, pinch the ends together tightly to seal, and twist the doughnut around a couple more times to form the final shape.
- Place the twist on the prepared sheet tray and cover with a clean kitchen towel, repeat with the remaining dough.
- Let the twists rest for 30 minutes, they will slightly puff up more.
- While the twists are resting, heat 3-4 inches of oil in a Dutch oven, or you can use a deep fryer as we do, heated to 325 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon for the topping.
- Place 3-4 doughnuts at a time into the oil. Cook for about 5 minutes total, flipping them around until golden brown. Let any excess oil drip off, then immediately toss them in the cinnamon sugar one at a time.
- Place the doughnuts on a wire rack placed on a sheet tray while you fry the remaining doughnuts, this will keep the outside crisp and not soggy. Serve immediately.
Notes
- You can easily double this recipe.
- Make sure you are using active dry yeast.
- You will want your milk to be 110 degrees F.
- Yummy sauces to dip them in: chocolate sauce/hot fudge, caramel sauce, cream cheese icing, or whipped cream.
- You have to make sure to secure the ends well or the twists will come undone while frying.
- You can make the twists and keep the raw dough in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Keep the twists separated by parchment paper, so they don’t stick.
- Make sure you follow all the rising directions so they turn out properly.
Nutrition
Tornadough Alli is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value is important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and values can vary depending on which brands were used.
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