How to Make Boozy Homemade Donuts
Few things could be considered more popular daily indulgences than donuts and booze, but they can rarely be found together. Drinking at breakfast is mostly taboo, except on Sundays, and Sunday brunch is typically reserved for stuffier fare, such as crepes or poached eggs. Donuts are usually made in the wee hours of the morning, so by happy hour, they've all gone stale. Enter these boozy homemade donuts to solve this problem forever.
Baking with booze is already an accepted culinary hobby, and desserts with alcohol have been around for generations. Since donuts are basically cake to eat at breakfast, boozy homemade donuts are a natural progression. Here are six easy homemade donut recipes, each inspired by a classic cocktail, and incorporating spirits and ingredients that will tickle any taste palette. These donut recipes are perfect brunch menu ideas, or for something unique at cocktail parties. So pop open a bottle of bubbly, and let's learn how to make homemade donuts.
All of our boozy donuts are based on the same easy recipe. Just stir together 2 cups of all-purpose baking mix, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 egg for your starting mixture. For each easy donut recipe, simply add the suggested alcohol to the base mixture. This amount of donut batter will make approximately 12, although you can divide it up before you add the booze to make an assortment. Just lighten up a little with the booze when making smaller batches. Mix well, and roll onto a floured surface until it's just under half an inch thick. Cut into donut shapes using the rims of a highball and a shot glass. Clever, right?
You can opt for baked donuts or fried. For baking, use a parchment lined cookie sheet, and put them in a preheated 425 degree oven for about 8 minutes. For frying, use enough oil in your pan so that the donuts can be fully submerged when you drop them in, and they'll float when they are ready to be flipped over. Another couple of minutes to finish the other side, and you are good to go. Let them cool for at least 5 minutes before frosting. Oh, yeah! Frosting!
The most logical choice to bring breakfast hour and happy hour together is the Mimosa. A favorite brunch cocktail, second only to the Bloody Mary, although a spicy tomato juice flavored doughnut just didn't sound right. Add 1/3 cup of orange juice to your base donut mixture, and a splash of triple sec. Mix well, and cook using your preferred method mentioned above. For the icing, mix one shot of sparkling wine into your powdered sugar, and another splash of triple sec. I added blue sprinkles to mine, in an homage to blue curacao. One bite, and you'll wish every day was Sunday.
Since there's already such a thing as an old fashioned donut, there needs to be an old fashioned cocktail donut. For the donuts, add 1/3 cup of bourbon or rye whiskey to your base mixture, along with 3 dashes of bitters. For the frosting, add a 1 tablespoon of cherry juice to your powdered sugar. These donuts are best served with a tumbler of straight whiskey on the side. As you're learning how to make donuts, this is a great one to start.
Coconut is a popular flavor in many baked treats, like coconut rum cake. There's even a specific recipe for Pina Colada cake. For the donut version, add 1/3 cup coconut rum to your mix, and a shot of pineapple liqueur or juice to the icing. Coconut flakes sprinkled on top add a great finishing touch.
A Cosmopolitan is one of the most popular cocktails around, and this homemade donut recipe will be a hit at your next party, as well. There are a lot of great flavored vodkas out there, so find a top shelf lime or citrus vodka, and add 1/3 cup to your mix. The icing is made with 1 shot of cranberry liqueur, although if you don't have any in your home wet bar, cranberry juice is good, too. The cranberry liqueur has a wonderful zing, however, and is highly recommended.
The Black and Tan recipe was inspired by the ever popular beer cookies. The beer flavors are complemented by chocolate to create a rich, sweet treat. To your basic mixture, add 1/3 cup of pale ale, and 3 tablespoons of baking cocoa. Use a shot of chocolate liqueur in the icing, and once your iced donuts have fully cooled, dip them in a nice cold glass of Guiness. You'll be surprised how great this one tastes.
Ah! The classic rum and Coke. A standard in hotel bars and frat houses for generations. Use 1/3 cup of spiced rum in your batter, along with a splash of cola. The icing is perfect with just a shot of cola and a squeeze of fresh lime juice added to your powdered sugar. You can also add 1 tablespoon of melted butter to the dough before cooking, to get a taste reminiscent of butter rum cake. Make the full dozen of these easy donuts. They go quickly.
How to Make Donuts
All of our boozy donuts are based on the same easy recipe. Just stir together 2 cups of all-purpose baking mix, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 egg for your starting mixture. For each easy donut recipe, simply add the suggested alcohol to the base mixture. This amount of donut batter will make approximately 12, although you can divide it up before you add the booze to make an assortment. Just lighten up a little with the booze when making smaller batches. Mix well, and roll onto a floured surface until it's just under half an inch thick. Cut into donut shapes using the rims of a highball and a shot glass. Clever, right?
You can opt for baked donuts or fried. For baking, use a parchment lined cookie sheet, and put them in a preheated 425 degree oven for about 8 minutes. For frying, use enough oil in your pan so that the donuts can be fully submerged when you drop them in, and they'll float when they are ready to be flipped over. Another couple of minutes to finish the other side, and you are good to go. Let them cool for at least 5 minutes before frosting. Oh, yeah! Frosting!
How to Make Frosting
The donut frosting is made with 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, and a splash of booze. Again, this is enough frosting for 12 donuts, but you can use proportionately smaller measurements if you are making smaller quantities. Use a spoon or basting brush to coat each of the homemade donuts individually. Now it's time to open up that liquor cabinet.The Mimosa
The most logical choice to bring breakfast hour and happy hour together is the Mimosa. A favorite brunch cocktail, second only to the Bloody Mary, although a spicy tomato juice flavored doughnut just didn't sound right. Add 1/3 cup of orange juice to your base donut mixture, and a splash of triple sec. Mix well, and cook using your preferred method mentioned above. For the icing, mix one shot of sparkling wine into your powdered sugar, and another splash of triple sec. I added blue sprinkles to mine, in an homage to blue curacao. One bite, and you'll wish every day was Sunday.
The Old Fashioned
Since there's already such a thing as an old fashioned donut, there needs to be an old fashioned cocktail donut. For the donuts, add 1/3 cup of bourbon or rye whiskey to your base mixture, along with 3 dashes of bitters. For the frosting, add a 1 tablespoon of cherry juice to your powdered sugar. These donuts are best served with a tumbler of straight whiskey on the side. As you're learning how to make donuts, this is a great one to start.
The Pina Colada
Coconut is a popular flavor in many baked treats, like coconut rum cake. There's even a specific recipe for Pina Colada cake. For the donut version, add 1/3 cup coconut rum to your mix, and a shot of pineapple liqueur or juice to the icing. Coconut flakes sprinkled on top add a great finishing touch.
The Cosmopolitan
A Cosmopolitan is one of the most popular cocktails around, and this homemade donut recipe will be a hit at your next party, as well. There are a lot of great flavored vodkas out there, so find a top shelf lime or citrus vodka, and add 1/3 cup to your mix. The icing is made with 1 shot of cranberry liqueur, although if you don't have any in your home wet bar, cranberry juice is good, too. The cranberry liqueur has a wonderful zing, however, and is highly recommended.
The Black and Tan
The Black and Tan recipe was inspired by the ever popular beer cookies. The beer flavors are complemented by chocolate to create a rich, sweet treat. To your basic mixture, add 1/3 cup of pale ale, and 3 tablespoons of baking cocoa. Use a shot of chocolate liqueur in the icing, and once your iced donuts have fully cooled, dip them in a nice cold glass of Guiness. You'll be surprised how great this one tastes.
La Cuba Libre
Ah! The classic rum and Coke. A standard in hotel bars and frat houses for generations. Use 1/3 cup of spiced rum in your batter, along with a splash of cola. The icing is perfect with just a shot of cola and a squeeze of fresh lime juice added to your powdered sugar. You can also add 1 tablespoon of melted butter to the dough before cooking, to get a taste reminiscent of butter rum cake. Make the full dozen of these easy donuts. They go quickly.
