3 Easy Ways to Make Delicious, Sweet Donut Glaze

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: November 17, 2020 References Tested

We all know that the glaze is what really makes a donut taste so sweet and delicious. Rather than just buying store-bought glazed donuts, try making your own donut glaze at home to satisfy your sweet tooth. It’s really easy and doesn’t require a lot of time or ingredients. You could use either homemade donuts or purchase unglazed donuts to dip in your sweet frosting. Once you try it, you’ll probably want to glaze donuts all the time. You can even use donut glazes on other desserts like cookies and cakes. Don’t forget to share!

Ingredients

Classic Sugar Glaze

2 cups (240 g) of powdered sugar
¹⁄₄ c (59 mL) of milk
¹⁄₄ tsp (1.2 mL) of vanilla extract
1/8 tsp (0.75 g) of salt

Makes enough glaze for about 1 dozen donuts

Chocolate Glaze

3/4 cup (120 g) of semisweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp (28 g) of butter
1 US tbsp (15 mL) of light corn syrup
¹⁄₄ tsp (1.2 mL) of vanilla extract

Makes enough glaze for about 3-4 donuts

Vegan Brown Sugar Glaze

1 cup (170 g) of brown sugar
3 US tbsp (44 mL) of unsweetened soy milk
¹⁄₂ tsp (2.5 mL) of vanilla extract

Makes enough glaze for about 1 dozen donuts

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Classic Sugar Glaze

1
Measure out 2 cups (240 g) of powdered sugar into a mixing bowl. Use a dry measuring cup to measure out 2 cups (240 g) of powdered sugar. Pour them into a large mixing bowl.^{[1]
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- Powdered sugar is also known as confectioner’s sugar or icing sugar.
- This recipe will make a delicious classic, vanilla-flavored donut glaze.
2
Stir ¹⁄₄ c (59 mL) of milk into the powdered sugar using a whisk. Use a liquid measuring cup to measure out ¹⁄₄ c (59 mL) of milk. Pour it slowly into the bowl of powdered sugar while simultaneously stirring it in. Keep stirring until the mixture becomes uniformly smooth.^{[2]
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- If the glaze is not smooth and creamy yet, try adding more milk ¹⁄₄ US tbsp (3.7 mL) at a time.
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3
Mix in ¹⁄₄ tsp (1.2 mL) of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Use a measuring spoon to measure out ¹⁄₄ tsp (1.2 mL) of vanilla extract and pour it into the glaze mixture. Grab a pinch of salt, which is about 1/8 tsp (0.75 g) of salt, and dump it into the bowl as well. Stir the vanilla and salt in thoroughly.^{[3]
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- If you want a stronger vanilla flavor, you can use up to ¹⁄₂–1 tsp (2.5–4.9 mL) of extract.
- You could also add other flavoring ingredients at this point if you want. For example, try adding the zest from 1/4 of a lemon for a lemony glaze.^{[4]
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- You can also try adding a dry spice like cinnamon to your glaze for a different flavor. Try mixing in about ¹⁄₂ tsp (2.5 mL) of ground cinnamon and see how it tastes, then add more if you want a stronger flavor.
4
Dip your donuts into the glaze and put them on a rack until the glaze hardens. Grab a homemade or store-bought unglazed donut and dip the top half into the glaze until the donut is half submerged. Place the donut unglazed-side-down on a metal rack and let it sit until the glaze hardens. Repeat this for each donut you want to glaze.^{[5]
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- You don’t have to stop at glazing just half the donut! Feel free to cover the whole thing in glaze if you want to.
- You can also dip the donuts into other toppings, such as rainbow sprinkles, while the glaze is still liquid.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Chocolate Glaze

1
Set up a double boiler on your stovetop using a saucepan, water, and a bowl. Fill a small saucepan up about 1/3 of the way with water and place it onto one of your stove’s smaller burners, without turning the heat on yet. Put a metal or glass bowl that is slightly larger than the saucepan on top of the pan, so it rests securely on top without touching the water.^{[6]
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- A double boiler allows you to melt things at lower temperatures in the bowl on top by using steam generated by the water below. That way, you don’t burn the ingredients.
- A glass bowl is ideal because you can see the water below to keep an eye on whether it’s boiling or just simmering.
2
Heat chocolate chips, butter, and corn syrup in the bowl over medium heat. Turn your double boiler's burner on to medium heat and wait for the water to start simmering before you measure out your ingredients. Use a dry measuring cup and measuring spoons to measure out 3/4 cup (120 g) of semisweet chocolate chips, 2 tbsp (28 g) of butter, and 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of light corn syrup into the bowl.^{[7]
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- Reduce the temperature of the burner to medium-low if the water starts to boil. You don’t need it to heat up past a simmer to get the job done.
3
Stir the ingredients often until they are melted and thoroughly combined.^{[8]
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Research source} Keep heating up the ingredients and stir them with a spoon or other utensil as they begin to melt. Melt and stir the ingredients together until the mixture is completely smooth.
- Keep an eye and ear on the water in the saucepan below the whole time you’re doing this and turn the temperature down if it starts to boil in order to avoid too much steam buildup.
4
Stir in ¹⁄₄ tsp (1.2 mL) of vanilla extract. Measure out ¹⁄₄ tsp (1.2 mL) of vanilla extract using a measuring spoon and pour it into the bowl. Stir it in thoroughly using your spoon or other mixing utensil.^{[9]
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- Be very careful during this step because the bowl will be very hot. Never touch it without some kind of hand protection.
5
Dip the tops of your donuts into the glaze and place them on a rack. Hold a donut top-side-down over the bowl of chocolate glaze and dunk it in until it’s halfway submerged, then put it unglazed-side-down on a rack until the glaze cools and hardens. Repeat this for each donut you want to glaze. ^{[10]
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- Alternatively, arrange all your donuts side-by-side on the rack and pour or drizzle the glaze over top of them, letting it drip down the sides.
- It’s totally up to you to get creative at this point. For example, you could dip 1 side of a donut into the glaze instead of the top half or you can drizzle patterns of glaze onto the tops of your donuts. You can make every donut unique!
- This glaze could be delicious on either plain unglazed donuts or on chocolate donuts for extra chocolatey flavor.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Vegan Brown Sugar Glaze

1
Blend 1 cup (170 g) of brown sugar in a blender until it becomes powdery.^{[11]
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Research source} Measure out 1 cup (170 g) of brown sugar using a dry measuring cup and put it into a blender, then put the lid on. Pulse the blender until the brown sugar becomes finer and has an even powdery texture.
- You can also use cane sugar or coconut sugar instead of brown sugar if you want.
2
Combine the sugar with unsweetened soy milk and vanilla extract in a bowl.^{[12]
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Research source} Pour the sugar out of the blender into a mixing bowl. Add in 3 US tbsp (44 mL) of unsweetened soy milk and ¹⁄₂ tsp (2.5 mL) of vanilla extract, then mix everything together with a whisk until it has a uniform texture.
- You can use another type of unsweetened plant-based milk if you want. For example, almond milk or cashew milk would work well in this tasty vegan recipe!
- If you want to make a maple glaze, you could add in 2 US tbsp (30 mL) of maple syrup at this point as well.^{[13]
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Use this glaze to top vegan donuts or other vegan desserts.^{[14]
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Research source} Dip a donut top-side-down into the glaze until it is half submerged. Place it bottom-side-down on a metal rack and let it sit until the glaze hardens. Repeat this for each donut you want to glaze.
- If you have any leftover glaze, you can store it in a sealed container in the fridge for 4-5 days. You never know when you might have another tasty dessert to top with your vegan glaze!

Warnings

Be extremely careful whenever you use a double boiler to melt ingredients. Don’t let the water boil and don’t ever touch the top bowl without an oven pad, glove, or other hand protection.

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