10 Global Doughnut Recipes To Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

Picture biting into a pillowy doughnut dusted with sugar, filled with sweet cream, or dripping with honey syrup.

Around the world, people have been frying up their own versions of this beloved treat for centuries, each with unique flavors and traditions.

From crispy spirals in India to fluffy clouds in New Orleans, doughnuts take on incredible forms depending on where you are.

Ready to travel the globe without leaving your kitchen?

Disclaimer: This article shares general cultural and culinary information about traditional doughnut styles from around the world.

10. Classic Glazed Ring Doughnut – United States

America’s iconic ring doughnut has captured hearts since the 1950s, when machines started pumping them out by the dozen.

That shiny sugar glaze catches the light like edible glass, while the inside stays fluffy as a cloud.

Recipe: Mix 2 cups flour, ¼ cup sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 packet yeast, ½ cup warm milk, 2 tbsp melted butter, and 1 egg.

Knead until smooth, let rise 1 hour, roll out, cut rings, fry at 375°F until golden (about 90 seconds per side), then dip in glaze made from 2 cups powdered sugar and 3 tbsp milk.

9. Berliner / Bola De Berlim – Germany / Portugal

Germans call them Berliner, Portuguese call them Bola de Berlim, but everyone agrees they’re stuffed with pure joy.

These round beauties hide jam or custard inside a sugar-dusted shell that practically melts on your tongue.

Recipe: Prepare dough with 3 cups flour, ⅓ cup sugar, 1 packet yeast, ¾ cup warm milk, 3 tbsp butter, 2 eggs, and a pinch of salt.

Rise 90 minutes, shape into balls, rise again 30 minutes, deep fry at 350°F for 3 minutes per side, cool, inject with jam using a piping bag, dust with powdered sugar.

8. Sufganiyah – Israel

When Hanukkah lights start twinkling, Israeli bakeries overflow with these jelly-stuffed wonders fried in oil to celebrate the miracle of the oil lamp.

Bite carefully or risk a jam explosion down your shirt (totally worth it, just saying).

Recipe: Combine 4 cups flour, ⅓ cup sugar, 2 tsp yeast, 1 cup warm milk, 2 eggs, ¼ cup oil, and ½ tsp salt.

Knead, rise 1 hour, roll and cut circles, rise 45 minutes, fry in oil at 360°F until puffed and golden, fill with jelly using a pastry syringe, top with powdered sugar.

7. Malasadas – Portugal / Hawaii, United States

Portuguese immigrants brought these eggy, holeless doughnuts to Hawaii, where they became a breakfast obsession served hot from food trucks and bakeries.

Their pillowy interior and crispy sugar crust create the ultimate texture combo that’ll have you reaching for seconds immediately.

Recipe: Mix 4 cups flour, ½ cup sugar, 1 packet yeast, 1 cup warm milk, 4 eggs, 4 tbsp melted butter, and 1 tsp vanilla.

Let rise 2 hours, scoop dough with an ice cream scoop, fry at 350°F for 2-3 minutes per side until golden, drain, roll generously in granulated sugar while still warm.

6. Bomboloni – Italy

Italy does everything with style, including doughnuts stuffed with velvety custard or fruit preserves that taste like summer captured in pastry form.

Romans grab these from corner cafes for breakfast, paired with espresso strong enough to wake a sleeping superhero.

Recipe: Make dough from 3½ cups flour, ¼ cup sugar, 2 tsp yeast, ¾ cup warm milk, 3 eggs, 5 tbsp butter, and lemon zest.

Rise 2 hours, shape into balls, rise 1 hour more, fry at 340°F until golden brown, cool slightly, fill with pastry cream or jam, dust with powdered sugar.

5. Beignets – New Orleans, United States

New Orleans turned French fried dough into a cultural icon served at Café du Monde since 1862, where powdered sugar clouds fill the air like sweet snow.

These square pillows arrive hot and demand immediate consumption before the sugar avalanche covers your lap (wear white at your own risk).

Recipe: Combine 4 cups flour, ¼ cup sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 packet yeast, 1½ cups warm water, ¼ cup evaporated milk, and 1 egg.

Knead, refrigerate overnight, roll ¼-inch thick, cut into squares, fry at 370°F until puffy and golden, bury under mountains of powdered sugar.

4. Mochi Donut – Japan / United States

Japan’s mochi rice flour meets American doughnut culture in this Instagram-famous hybrid with a chewy, stretchy texture that’ll blow your mind.

Those connected bubbles forming the ring aren’t just adorable – they’re engineered for maximum fun and flavor in every bite.

Recipe: Whisk 1 cup mochiko flour, 1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, ½ cup milk, 2 eggs, and 2 tbsp melted butter.

Pipe into special mochi donut pans (or make freeform rings), bake at 350°F for 20 minutes, glaze with flavored icing in matcha, strawberry, or chocolate.

3. Jalebi – India And South Asia

Street vendors across India squeeze batter into hot oil, creating these neon-orange spirals that get dunked in rose-scented sugar syrup until they’re dripping with sweetness.

Crunchy outside, syrupy inside, and utterly addictive, one bite transports you straight to a bustling bazaar filled with spices and celebration.

Recipe: Ferment batter overnight using 1 cup flour, 1 tbsp cornstarch, ¼ tsp baking soda, ½ cup yogurt, and water to thin.

Pipe spirals into 375°F oil, fry until crispy, soak in hot syrup made from 2 cups sugar, 1 cup water, saffron, and rose water for 30 seconds, serve warm.

2. Oliebollen – Netherlands

When Dutch clocks strike midnight on New Year’s Eve, everyone’s munching these raisin-studded doughnut balls that bring good luck for the coming year.

Street stalls pop up everywhere in December, frying these irregular spheres that taste like cinnamon-spiced happiness with every imperfect, delicious bite.

Recipe: Mix 4 cups flour, 2 packets yeast, 2 cups warm milk, 2 eggs, ⅓ cup sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 cup raisins, and diced apple.

Let rise 1 hour, scoop spoonfuls into 375°F oil, fry until deep golden (about 4 minutes), drain well, dust heavily with powdered sugar, eat while hot.

1. Koeksisters – South Africa

South Africa’s answer to doughnuts comes braided like edible rope, fried golden, then shocked in ice-cold syrup that creates a crackling sugar shell around a tender center.

That temperature contrast is the secret weapon here, transforming simple dough into something that crunches, then melts, then makes you reach for another immediately (resistance is futile).

Recipe: Make dough with 4 cups flour, 4 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt, 4 tbsp butter, 1 cup milk, and 1 egg.

Roll, cut strips, braid into twists, fry at 350°F until golden, immediately dunk in ice-cold syrup made from 4 cups sugar, 2 cups water, lemon juice, and ginger.