Bright Rainbow Filled Doughnuts at Home Recipe
Learn how to make vibrant and delicious bright rainbow-filled doughnuts from scratch with this step-by-step recipe. Featuring a soft yeast dough fried to golden perfection, filled with multi-colored creamy custard, and topped with a smooth sweet glaze, these doughnuts are perfect for a fun and festive treat at home.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 doughnuts 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 2 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
- 1 cup Warm Milk (temperature just right, about 110°F)
- 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar (or coconut sugar)
- 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter (melted)
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (or almond extract)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 3–4 cups All-Purpose Flour (or gluten-free flour)
Filling
- 1/4 cup Cornstarch (or arrowroot powder)
- 1/4 cup Warm Milk
- 2 tablespoons Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 2 Large Egg Yolks
Glaze
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar (or erythritol for sugar-free)
- 1/4 cup Warm Milk (adjust for desired consistency)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Frying
- 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil (canola or peanut oil alternative)
Additional
- Gel Food Coloring (various colors for rainbow filling)
Instructions
- Dough Preparation: In a large bowl, combine warm milk, active dry yeast, and granulated sugar. Let it froth for about 5 minutes until the yeast is activated and bubbly. Then add melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt. Gradually mix in all-purpose flour, kneading the dough for 5-7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- First Rise: Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place for 1 to 1.5 hours until it doubles in size.
- Shaping Doughnuts: Turn the risen dough onto a floured surface and roll it out. Use a doughnut cutter or round cookie cutter to cut dough rounds. Place the cuts on lined baking sheets and re-roll scraps to cut additional doughnuts.
- Second Rise: Cover the shaped doughnuts with a towel and let them rise for 30 to 45 minutes until puffy and slightly doubled.
- Frying: Heat vegetable oil in a large pot or deep fryer to 350°F (175°C). Fry doughnuts carefully in batches for 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown. Drain on a cooling rack lined with paper towels.
- Prepare Rainbow Filling: In a saucepan over medium heat, heat warm milk, sugar, and salt until hot but not boiling. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks. Gradually temper the yolks by adding hot milk slowly while whisking, then return the mixture to the saucepan. Stir in cornstarch and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat and cool completely in the refrigerator.
- Color Filling: Once cooled, divide custard filling into smaller bowls. Add gel food coloring to each bowl to create desired rainbow colors. Transfer colored custards to piping bags for filling.
- Prepare Glaze: In a separate bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, warm milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Adjust thickness by adding more milk or powdered sugar as needed.
- Fill Doughnuts: Using a skewer or piping tip, poke holes into the sides of each doughnut. Pipe in the colorful custard filling from the bags until doughnuts are filled.
- Glaze Doughnuts: Dip or drizzle the doughnuts with the prepared glaze. Allow the glaze to set for a few minutes before serving and enjoying.
Notes
- Ensure the milk temperature is warm (about 110°F) to activate yeast without killing it.
- Knead dough sufficiently for a soft, elastic texture that rises well.
- Maintain oil temperature at 350°F to cook doughnuts evenly without absorbing excess oil.
- Use gel food coloring for vibrant custard colors without thinning the filling.
- Allow doughnuts to cool slightly before filling and glazing to prevent melting.
- Store filled and glazed doughnuts in an airtight container and consume within 2 days for best freshness.
Keywords: rainbow doughnuts, filled doughnuts, homemade doughnuts, yeast doughnuts, colorful desserts, fried doughnuts, custard-filled doughnuts
