Easy Bacon Doughnuts

If you’ve never heard of bacon doughnuts before, you might be going ‘What the hell?!’ right about now. But I assure you, these sweet and savory treats are nowhere near as repulsive as their name makes them sound. They are rich, creamy, and deliciously filling.

In other words, comfort food at its finest.

The sweetness and saltiness of this recipe complement each other wonderfully as the glaze and crispy bacon bites come together to become a two-in-one bacon sandwich and pancake that just leaves you wanting more.

And then the soft and fluffy texture of the doughnuts, luscious icing, and crumbly bacon take this dish to the next level. These doughnuts are so amazingly perfect that they’re guaranteed to be gone in a flash. Even the pickiest people love them!

And if you’re wondering how this strange breakfast dessert came to be, the bacon doughnut first originated in The Swirls bakery in Omaha from where it took off. Doughnut shops all over the U.S. started serving their versions of this popular dessert, and soon there were vegan bacon doughnuts, custard-filled bacon bars, and even some variations with bananas and peanut butter!

So if you can’t choose between sweet and savory and wish you could have both, this easy doughnut recipe is for you. And while it’s hardly healthy, doughnuts are meant to be indulged in every once in a while.

And the best part? This recipe only takes 30 minutes to make from scratch.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Perfect mix of sweet and salty. The sweet maple glaze and salty bacon come together perfectly in this recipe for sweet and savory bacon doughnuts unlike any other.
• Straightforward. This bacon doughnut recipe is so incredibly straightforward and simple, you can even get kids to help. It’s a family favorite, and what’s better than snuggling with your loved ones on a cold evening with some hot chocolate and tasty doughnuts?
• Short active cooking time. With the use of refrigerated biscuit dough drastically cutting down the prep time, this recipe takes as little as 30 minutes to make from start to finish. Most of which is inactive cooking time.
• As good as the restaurant version. Missing your favorite bacon doughnut restaurant? Well, with this easy doughnut recipe, you can now enjoy restaurant-style bacon doughnuts at home.
• Highly customizable. This doughnut recipe is incredibly customizable, thanks to how basic it is. You can use it to make other flavors of doughnuts, try combos like caramel bacon doughnuts, or even make a mini maple bacon doughnut cake.

Preparation

1. Cut a hole in the middle of each biscuit of refrigerated biscuit dough using a small cookie cutter or apple corer. Save the centerpieces for making doughnut holes.
2. Fry the doughnuts in a pot of oil at 350 °F. Add 2-3 doughnuts at a time and cook for 2-3 minutes until browned. Then flip and cook an additional 2-3 minutes until nice and golden. Carefully remove the doughnuts from the oil and place on paper towels to drain.
3. Give the doughnuts 10-15 minutes to cool. In the meantime, whisk together butter, powdered sugar, maple extract, and enough half-and-half to make a smooth and runny maple glaze.
4. Dip the cooled doughnuts into the maple glaze, sprinkle tiny pieces of crispy bacon on top, and enjoy!

Tips

• Candy thermometer. Measure the temperature of the oil using a digital food or candy thermometer to ensure proper cooking temperatures.
• Thick-cut Bacon. Thick-cut bacon is perfect for this recipe as it adds a ton of flavor and texture. Bake the bacon at 400 °F for 15-20 minutes or fry on medium-low heat till browned and crispy enough to crumble. Remove from the oven or pan, cool, and chop into pieces.
• Butter substitute. This recipe is best made using unsalted butter, but you can use vegan butter, margarine, or other alternatives instead if you’re dairy-free or have an allergy.
• Maple extract. It’s very important to use maple extract and not maple syrup for this doughnut recipe, as pure maple syrup just won’t give the intense flavor maple bacon doughnuts are known for.
• Doughnut holes. Fry the biscuit dough centerpieces for about 30 seconds on each side until golden for homemade doughnut holes. Dip them in glaze and top with icing sugar, bacon, or shredded coconut to enjoy.
• Oil. You don’t have to use the exact amount of oil mentioned in this recipe but be sure to have at least enough to fill up ⅓ of the pot. Do not pour the hot oil down the drain once you’re done. Either reuse the leftover oil or discard it once cool.
• Bacon substitute. You can substitute the bacon in this recipe with turkey bacon for delicious turkey bacon doughnuts that taste just like the real thing. Other bacon substitutes like fried shiitake mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, shallots, or coconut bacon can also be used to give this recipe a fun twist.

FAQ

How to store?

While these bacon doughnuts are best enjoyed fresh, you can store any leftovers on the counter for 1-2 days and refrigerate in an airtight bag or container for up to 7 days.

You can also freeze unglazed doughnuts in a tightly sealed plastic bag or container for about 2 months. Thaw these frozen doughnuts in the refrigerator or at room temperature and microwave for 20-30 seconds on a microwave-safe plate to reheat.

How to serve?

Use plating and garnishing to make this easy doughnut recipe look fancy. Top with large pieces of crispy bacon, drizzle glaze on top, and have extra toppings and dips ready to take this doughnut recipe from breakfast snack to fancy dessert.

Can you bake these instead?

Most refrigerator biscuit doughs can be baked. Refer to the packaging of the biscuit dough you’re using for baking instructions and keep the rest of the doughnut recipe as-is for some healthy baked maple bacon doughnuts.