When it comes to deciding whether to freeze donuts, what crosses your mind first? If you are not sure what to do, then you should read this post slowly and carefully to find the ultimate answers about this matter.
In this post, I will provide you some information about freezing both cooked donuts and donut dough. So let’s roll down the page and explore new knowledge now!
What Are Donuts?
You have eaten donuts numerous times, but you probably don’t know some facts about this well-known cake; I will bring them to you.
How the name “donut” came about is quite fascinating. The Dutch first called it olykoeks, but this name was changed to donut when the treat reached North America. The donuts have another name, which is doughnuts; the pronunciation of them is quite similar.
It is a kind of leavened fried dough and served as a quick meal. The basic ingredients of donuts are all-purpose flour, yeast, eggs, sugar, milk, oil, and more.
Normally, they are fried in deep oil with a pan and high-ranked donut frying oil, but there are also ways to make donuts without using donut pans. Today, many people choose to bake them since they want to omit oil from their cakes.
Although there are several popular varieties of donuts, they primarily exist in 2 forms: ring donuts and filled donuts. The ring donuts have sprinkled topping on tops and dipped into sweet sauces such as dark chocolate, white chocolate, maple syrup, and more.
The donut holes actually have meaning rather than just an aesthetic choice. Among numerous theories, most people believe that the holes can help donuts cook more evenly.
Meanwhile, the filled donuts are injected with fruity jams, custard, cream, and other fillings. You can simply make donuts at home and dipping or filling them with any flavor you want. There is no more wonderful than preparing to make donuts with your kids at the weekends.
You can easily make donuts for your beloved people if you own excellent and convenient donut makers. You can create a wide range shape of donuts besides rings and round donuts.
If you don’t have time to prepare homemade donuts, there are many famous donut chains in the United States to choose from. For example, Dunkin’ Donuts offers a diverse menu and prices.
Krispy Kreme, with its excellent menu choices, is another fail-proof option. The company also has delicious in-house donuts that are always fresh when served.
What Time Should You Enjoy Donuts?
Donuts are a universal sweet snack, and you can prepare ring donuts or filled donuts to eat in a day. However, you cannot eat donuts in 3 meals a day, and you should avoid tasting them at night. If you are curious about what time you should enjoy donuts, don’t hesitate to scroll down and read my replies. (1)
Donuts are a classic American breakfast; these donuts contain a high amount of sugar and calories. The calories will be converted into energy, and this energy will be consumed through daily activities. Besides, after a long time of starvation, your body needs to charge foods with high-calorie content.
After eating the main dishes for lunch, you often want to eat a little bit of sweet cake, and donuts are a perfect choice. The donuts will protect your stomach from gastric distress, thanks to sugar. Carbohydrates and sugar in donuts will provide you energy to work in the rest of the day and help you avoid hungry feelings.
You should not enjoy donuts at night since your body cannot deal with all calories, sugar, carbohydrates in donuts, and these factors will accumulate in your body and cause obesity.
Can You Freeze Cooked Donuts?
When you purchase bulky donuts, besides knowing correct methods to maintain the freshness of donuts, you might wonder whether you can freeze cooked donuts, the simple answer is yes. The freezing technique is similar to other foods, but some notices you should know.
How To Freeze Cooked Donuts?
I will bring you an effective method to store donuts properly. This method ensures that you will taste the original flavor of donuts like on the first day of purchase.
What You Need:
- Cookies or baking sheets
- Large freezer bags
- Wax papers
- Marker and label
How To Freeze:
Step 1: You need to spread wax paper or its substitutions onto cookies or baking sheets. Remember to allow the paper to cover all over 4 sides of baking sheets.
Step 2: Arrange donuts on sheets in a single layer and let the topping side up. You should give them space to avoid sticking them.
Step 3: Place the sheets into the freezer for 3-5 hours or until the donuts are frozen completely. I recommend you leave them to sit in the freezer overnight to ensure you will get the desired result.
Step 4: After this time, don’t forget to take them out and pour them into large freezer bags. This step will help you save space in your freezer, and you can easily take donuts out of bags.
Step 5: Ensure you squeeze the air out of the bags thoroughly and seal them carefully.
Step 6: You have to write the day you store donuts in the freezer that helps you know how long you can keep them in the freezer and how many donuts are left after you take them out.
Step 7: Put these bags into the freezer again.
Tips For You:
Here are several essential tips you should know when freezing cooked donuts. Don’t skip them in a hurry.
- Make sure you arrange donuts in a single layer. If you have bulky donuts and want to store all, you can do step 1, and 2 like instructed, and you place them into the freezer for about 1 hour or until the donuts become hard and don’t stick to your finger when you touch.
Then, spread the wax paper on this layer and continue placing donuts on the sheet and repeat this step until all donuts are done. - You need to freeze donuts outside before putting in the bags to avoid them stick to bags or other donuts.
- You should freeze donuts on the same day you purchase them since the oil in donuts is an ideal environment for bacteria when you leave them to sit on the counter for more than 2 days. The sooner you freeze, the fresher your donuts are.
- I recommend you use resealable bags or top-quality airtight freezing containers to support you in easily taking donuts out of the containers.
- You should transfer donuts from sheets to bags quickly since they are easy to defrost, and your donuts will become sticky.
- You can protect your donuts more carefully but warp each donut with wax paper, plastic wrap, or aluminum foil when you put them in bags. Your donuts will be protected from freezing burns.
- You have to place donuts inside the freeze and should not keep them in the door. You need to open and close the freezer door many times a day, and this will change temperature; thus, the quality of donuts can be affected. You should store them at a consistent temperature.
- When you have several leftover donuts and don’t want to use wax paper, you can arrange them in a single and flat layer in the freezer bags but ensure these bags can stay flat when you freeze them.
- You can use a straw to remove excess air from bags.
How Long Can You Store Cooked Donuts?
If you keep them in a freeze, there are no problems when you consume them for 2-3 months. Freezing is the best way to help you extend the life expectancy of donuts since when you store them in the fridge, you have to enjoy them within 5 days. Otherwise, bacterial contamination will damage your sweet treat.
The storing time is even shorter when you place them on the counter, and your donuts are in good condition for only 2 days.
Can You Free Donut Dough?
You are a big fan of homemade dishes, and you want to process donuts at home. Unfortunately, you estimate more donut dough than you need. You should freeze donut dough for the next use. There are 2 kinds of popular donut dough: cake dough can yeast dough.
How To Freeze Donut Dough?
You can freeze donut dough well, and your dough still airy and light when you make donuts. Here are significant steps you should pay attention to when freezing donuts dough.
Cake Donut Dough
Cake donut dough is made from cake flour and baking powder. Baking powder will play a role like yeast to raise the dough to help donuts have a porous texture.
Before having yeast donut dough, people have chosen to use cake donut dough, and you don’t need to knead dough completely. Before frying or baking donut dough, you need to let it rest for several hours.
What You Need:
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Cling film
- Airtight containers or resealable bags
- Marker and label
How to Freeze:
Step 1: You need to prepare dough like you usually do and divide the dough into small pieces of dough. You can shape the dough for frying or baking.
Step 2: Place the dough on baking sheets that are covered with parchment paper to avoid the donut dough sticking to the sheets. You need to leave the space between dough to prevent them from sticking.
Step 3: Transport the sheets to your freezer for several hours or until the donut dough is thoroughly solid.
Step 4: Bring the pieces of dough out and wrap them with cling film to protect them from t air and moisture. You have to wrap the dough with 2 layers to ensure the result.
Step 5: Pour the wrapped dough into resealable bags or airtight containers and write some words about the day and time when you start freezing dough on the label and stick it on the outer.
Step 6: Remove the bags or container in the freezer to extend the dough’s life span.
Tips For You:
I will share with you my tips for freezing cake donut dough. I hope they are helpful for you.
- You should shape the donut dough in rings or round for easy to store and quick to process. After thawing the dough, you just need to fry or bake immediately without kneading the dough again.
- If you don’t want to leave space between dough, you can use pipes to take apart pieces of dough to avoid touching mutually.
- Freezing donut dough will help you defer the rising dough process; thus, ensure the low temperature is maintained continuously and doesn’t change suddenly.
- Donut dough has to freeze, not refrigerate, as the low temperature is a key for storing dough.
How Long Can You Freeze Cake Donut Dough?
I said about the main ingredients of cake donut dough, but you probably don’t know the baking powder ingredients. Baking powder consists of baking soda, cornstarch, and cream of tartar.
You can add baking powder instead of yeast, and it will bring you the same product. The rising reaction will happen when the dough exposes to moisture, and that’s why you have to store them in the freezer.
1 month is an ideal period for you to keep the dough in the freezer; after this golden time, the quality of the dough will be reduced and may not occur the leavening process as you wish.
I have to announce to you that you can just keep the dough in the fridge for several hours. If you extend this time, your dough cannot rise as regularly since the bubbles from the first rising process will disappear.
Yeast Donut Dough
As its name implies, the key ingredients of this dough are yeast and flour. The yeast can give you a better leavening process in case you knead dough carefully. The kneading step will increase the gluten, and your donuts will be more porous and lighter texture.
What You Need:
- Wax paper
- Cookies or baking sheets
- Plastic warp
- Airtight containers or resealable bags
- Marker and label
How to Freeze:
Step 1: You need to mix the dough, kneading and divided dough as normal.
Step 2: You can create ring-shaped or round-shaped dough; otherwise, you just need to cut dough into small parts simply.
Step 3: Remove them in the sheets after spreading wax paper onto these sheets. Don’t skip to cover 4 sides and corners of sheets as you may need to make use of these places. Place donut dough in the sheets when everything is done.
Step 4: Put these sheets into the freezer and let them sit in there for at least 3 hours or when you hold them and feel solid.
Step 5: You should protect the dough from the air since it will make the dough dry and affect the leavening process by wrap each piece of dough with a double-layer of plastic wrap.
Step 6: Add warped dough to containers or resealable bags and write the essential information on the label.
Step 7: Before put them back into the freezer, you need to remove the excess air from the bags.
Tips For You:
You cannot miss these helpful tips for freezing yeast donut dough effectively.
- Suppose you don’t want to shape dough before freezing; you can store the dough in whole dough and shape it after defrosting dough.
- You can knead dough twice to increase its airy texture, and you will find it crunchy at outer and soft in the center.
- The best flour is used to make yeast donut dough is high-protein flour.
- You should use a plastic warp instead of parchment paper as the plastic warp is super thin, and it will save room in bags or containers.
- You should write the label to keep track of the information of yeast donut dough.
How Long Can You Freeze Yeast Donut Dough?
The freezing period of yeast donut dough is as twice as cake donut dough which means you can store them for up to 2 months. After this time, you can use this dough, but you should expect its high quality.
How To Thaw Donuts?
After freezing donuts or donut dough, you need to know how to defrost them since you need to reuse them in frying or baking ways. I will give you a general answer to this question.
Cooked Donuts
There are a few methods to help you thaw frozen donuts productively without affecting them too much to their texture. Let’s see how many ways I can provide to you.
- The simplest way is to take the bags and containers out of the freezer and let them sit on the counter for 10-15 minutes. Remember to remove the lids of the containers or open the bags to prevent the moisture from accumulating during the thawing process.
The moisture can melt the topping on donuts and damage their appearance with a sticky look. - The quickest method is to place donuts in the microwave; it just takes you 10-15 seconds to thaw and refresh the situation of donuts like just-purchased ones. You will save your valuable time and taste donuts in a wink.
Sprinkling some sugar powder on the donuts will making them more tasteful and eye-catching. - The last way is a combination of 2 previous approaches that means you can eat hot donuts like donuts in the microwave, but you need to wait longer than thawing in the microwave. You need to use an oven to complete this mission.
You need to preheat your oven at 350 degrees F before placing donuts in it and wrap each donut with aluminum foil. You have to wait for 5 minutes then you can enjoy them.
If you are unsure if it is fine to place aluminum foil in the oven, well, good news is this tool is oven-safe and it can prevent your foods from being burned out and melting the toppings.
Donut Dough
Donut dough will take you more time to thaw, but the taste it brings is similar to fresh donuts. If you don’t believe me, you can try these suggested ideas.
You need to remove donut dough out of your freezer; then let it sit on the counter and allow it to thaw at room temperature. At room temperature, the dough will rise effectively and bring your porous texture.
You cannot place dough in the fridge as the low temperature can be a barrier for the leavening process or put it in the oven or microwave since the high heat can damage its texture and cook the dough.
What Can You Do To Reuse Leftover Cooked Donuts?
If you are bored with frozen cooked donuts and even thawing them cannot make you satisfied, the best way to avoid wasting these donuts is to add some toppings or ingredients to them. Do you want to know what I will do with these defrosted donuts?
- Donuts with mocha whipped cream: The combination of donuts and coffee mocha will bring an exclusive taste. The donuts can be arranged like a cake with mocha cream filling between 2 layers of donuts.
- Donuts with marshmallows fillings: You can make a donut-like chocopie at home by filling marshmallows in donuts. Don’t forget to drizzle chocolate sauce on donuts to upgrade their flavor.
- Donuts and coffee milkshake: Milkshake is not strange with many people but have you ever tried donuts and coffee milkshake. You will need to puree iced coffee, donuts, milk, vanilla ice cream, and ice cubes in strong processors and taste immediately.
- Glazed donuts French toast: This dish is a common sweet when you reuse leftovers, you can use all the ingredients similar to original French toast, but you need to use donuts instead of slices of bread.
- Krispy donut waffles: After thawing donuts, you put them into waffle machines and press them to get flat, thin, and crunchy items. You can serve them with honey to supplement sweetness.
How To Use Frozen Donut Dough?
When the frozen donut dough is defrosted, you can cook it as regular. You cannot realize which one is thawed donut dough or fresh donut dough if you store it properly. You choose to bake or fry donut dough since I will instruct you both of 2 methods now.
Fry Donut Dough
You need to prepare a heavy pot and add oil to it. You should use a kitchen thermometer to know when the oil reaches to perfect temperature that is 375 degrees F to fry. Don’t forget to place racking on the pot to drain excessive oil.
You can drop 2-3 donuts at the same time and fry for 1 minute per side or until your donuts turn golden brown. As the dough is leavened, you can realize them cooked when the donuts float in the oil.
Bake Donut Dough
You need to wait for the donut dough till it is at room temperature, preheat the oven at 350 degrees F, and remove the donut dough from plastic bags. You can brush on the top of the donuts with melted butter and spray a little bit of water on baking sheets.
You have to control the baking time for about 13 minutes and flip up the for even golden brown. After baking donuts, you can sprinkle any toppings on donuts and taste.
FAQs
I believe that I have brought you some precious information relating to freezing donuts as well as donut dough. However, you probably have several questions wanting to find answers. I have collected some of them in this section; you can read and answer for your wonders.
Addition Advice
General notice for both cooked and uncooked donuts is that you cannot re-freeze thawed donuts since the bacteria can develop while defrosting them. Therefore, just take the right numbers of donuts you need to save food and your wallet.
Besides 3 methods of defrosting cooked donuts above, you can place them in the fridge to enable them to thaw gradually if you don’t need to eat them immediately. I don’t mention this way in that section since you usually need to taste donuts as quickly as you can.
Please follow my recommended time for donuts in the microwave and oven strictly as if you let them sit in them for longer, your donuts will dry out. 2-3 months is an ideal period for freezing donuts, and you should not leave them for more than 3 months since they will have stale flavor.
I hope you have learned how to freeze donuts and donut dough effectively and answer the question: Can you freeze donuts. Donuts are a popular sweet treat, and you can store them in large numbers for use gradually.
You should not just read my answer but start implementing the step-by-step guide I mentioned, and you surely get the desired results. If you want to share your achievements with people, don’t be shy to take photos, upload them, and type some words in the chatting box.
I am always here to read your texts and answer any of your wonders relating to this topic. Don’t forget to share this post if you find it helpful and come back every day to explore new articles. See you soon!
References
- Taking Control Of Your Diabetes. 2021. How to Eat 3 Donuts and Stay In Range – Taking Control Of Your Diabetes. [online] Available at: <https://tcoyd.org/2021/04/how-to-eat-three-donuts-and-stay-in-range/>.
