Reese’s Donuts
Reese’s donuts turn your favorite breakfast pastry into a peanut butter lover’s dream come true! With a tender donut filled with peanut butter mousse and the classic combination of peanut butter and chocolate, you’ll love making this Krispy Kreme copycat recipe at home!
I love Reese’s pieces, cups, you name it, if it’s Reese’s, it’s great!
There is something about the combination of sweet chocolate and creamy peanut butter that hits all the spots.
These Reese’s donuts do just that.
You are guaranteed to have a good morning if you serve these baked goods for breakfast, brunch, or as a tasty snack.
Ingredients
Let’s break it down into ingredients for the donuts themselves, for the frosting and for the drizzle.
Here’s what you’ll need for the donuts themselves:
- All-purpose flour– Don’t substitute for a different kind of flour or you will change the texture of the donuts.
- Active dry yeast
- Milk – You’ll want this to be lukewarm so it doesn’t kill the yeast and so you can proof the yeast a bit.
- Egg – Let the egg come up to room temperature before starting.
- Unsalted butter – Right before you are ready, you’ll need to melt it in the microwave.
- Egg yolk – You can fry the rest of the egg and make sure to bring it up to room temperature before starting.
- Granulated sugar – Plain sugar is all you need.
- Baking powder – To give the yeast a bit of a boost, you’ll need baking powder. Do not use baking soda.
- Salt – This helps balance the sweetness.
- Vanilla extract – Use real vanilla extract if possible for best flavor.
- Vegetable oil – You could use another oil with a high smoke point for frying the donuts if you prefer.
For the peanut butter frosting and peanut butter drizzle, you’ll need:
- Creamy peanut butter – You can use your favorite brand of peanut butter and don’t substitute a natural or chunky kind.
- Unsalted butter softened – Don’t use salted, it will be too much.
- Powdered sugar – Do not use granulated sugar for this, it will create a gritty texture.
- Milk – I recommend whole milk for this or even a cream if you don’t have whole milk.
For the chocolate drizzle and glaze and final toppings, you’ll need:
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips – You could use dark, milk, white, or a combination if you like.
- Heavy cream – The cream is needed here, so do not substitute in milk.
- Reese’s peanut butter chips and crushed peanuts – This forms a nice crunchy topping, but you can skip either one if you prefer a smooth topped donut.
How to make
These donuts are slightly involved but so worth it.
Let’s take it step by step.
First, combine the warm milk, sugar, and yeast in a bowl and whisk to dissolve the yeast.
Leave the mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes or until it becomes foamy. If it doesn’t get foamy, the yeast may be dead. You’ll need to start with a fresh packet, milk, and sugar.
As you wait for the yeast to proof, combined the flour, salt, baking powder, and the remaining sugar in a large bowl.
Next, add in the egg, egg yolk, melted butter, yeast mixture, and vanilla.
Stir until incorporated and then knead on low-medium speed for about 5 minutes with your stand mixer.
If you don’t have a stand mixer with a kneading hook, you can do it by hand for about 10 minutes or until smooth.
Once you’ve kneaded the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until it has almost doubled in size or about 1 hour.
Next, cut out 10 squares of parchment paper.
When the dough is ready, punch it down and then roll the dough out into about a 1/2 inch thick sheet on a floured surface.
Use a circle cutter to cut out the doughnuts and then place them on the prepared squares of parchment paper. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave to proof for about 40 minutes or until they have doubled in size.
Next, heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy pot to 330 to 350°F.
Drop 2 to 3 doughnuts at a time and fry the first side to a golden-brown color before turning them to the other side.
Once both sides are done, carefully remove the donuts from the oil with a spider tool or slotted spoon and place on a tray lined with paper towels.
Repeat until all doughnuts are ready.
Make the drizzles and frosting
Once the donuts are all ready, and you can put together your drizzles and frosting.
To make the peanut butter filling, in a large mixing bowl, add in the butter and peanut butter and mix on medium until everything is incorporated.
Add the powdered sugar and milk and mix on low until almost combined. Turn the mixer on high and whip for 1 minute until light and fluffy.
To make the peanut butter drizzle, mix together the powdered sugar and milk in a medium sized bowl. Then stir in the peanut butter until smooth.
Transfer the drizzle to a ziploc or piping bag.
For the chocolate glaze, add the heavy cream and chocolate chips to a microwave safe bowl.
Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth.
Dip each donut into the glaze.
Let the glaze set up about 5 minutes and then add the Reese’s Mini Peanut Butter Chips and crushed peanuts to the top.
Transfer the remaining chocolate glaze to a ziploc or piping bag.
Top each donut with peanut butter drizzle and chocolate glaze.
Enjoy!
Storing
Store the doughnuts in a sealed container in a single layer for up to 3 days.
Tips and tricks
- Make sure to proof the yeast first. If the yeast doesn’t get foamy the donuts won’t rise.
- Don’t overcrowd the donuts when you fry them. If you do, you’ll lower the temperature of the oil so they won’t cook properly.
- Be sure to knead the donuts to develop the gluten properly.
Other Homemade Donut Recipes
These Reese’s donuts are a deliciously decadent way to get your chocolate peanut butter fix for breakfast. Make a batch this weekend and treat yourself.
Looking for other donut recipes? Try these:
- Baked Strawberry Glazed Donuts
- Maple Bacon Donut Fries
- Coconut Cream Pie Donuts
- Baked Pecan Praline Donuts
- Baked Chocolate Malt Donuts
- Carrot Cake Donuts with Cream Cheese Glaze
If you’ve tried this REESE’S DONUTS, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Reese's Donuts
Ingredients
For The Donuts
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 3/4 cup milk lukewarm
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- vegetable oil for frying
For The Peanut Butter Frosting
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
For The Peanut Butter Drizzle
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- For The Chocolate Glaze & Chocolate Drizzle
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- Reese's peanut butter chips for topping
- crushed peanuts for topping
Instructions
- Combine the warm milk, 1 tablespoon sugar, and yeast in a bowl. Whisk to dissolve the yeast. Leave for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and the remaining sugar.
- Add in egg, egg yolk, melted butter, the yeast mixture, and vanilla. Stir until incorporated. Knead on low-medium speed for about 5 minutes. By hand, knead the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until almost doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Cut out 10 squares of parchment paper. Punch the dough down. On a floured work surface, roll the dough out to a ½-inch thickness.
- Using a circle cutter, cut out the doughnuts and place on the prepared squares of parchment paper. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and leave to proof for about 40 minutes, or until about doubled in size.
- Heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy pot (cast iron) to 330-350°F. To fry donuts, drop 2-3 at a time and allow to become golden before turning to the other side, about 2 minutes per side. Remove donuts from the oil with the spider tool and place on a tray lined with paper towels.
- To make the peanut butter filling, in a large mixing bowl, add in the butter and peanut butter. Mix on medium until incorporated. Add the powdered sugar and milk and mix on low until almost combined. Turn the mixer on high and whip for 1 minute until light and fluffy.
- To make the peanut butter drizzle, in a medium bowl, mix together the powdered sugar and milk. Add in the peanut butter and stir until smooth. Transfer to a ziploc or piping bag.
- For the chocolate glaze, in a microwave-safe bowl, add in the heavy cream and chocolate chips. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth.
- Dip each donut into the glaze. Let the glaze set up about 5 minutes and then add the Reese's Mini Peanut Butter Chips and crushed peanuts to the top.
- Transfer the remaining chocolate glaze to a ziploc or piping bag. Top each donut with peanut butter drizzle and chocolate glaze.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
