Olive Garden Donuts (Easy Copycat Recipe)

Olive Garden donuts are those warm, sugar-dusted pastry puffs they bring out at the end of a meal, and this copycat recipe gets you the same pillowy, lightly sweet bites at home. If you have about an hour and basic pantry staples, you can have a fresh batch on the table tonight.

They fry up faster than you’d expect. The dough comes together in one bowl, and there’s no special equipment needed beyond a pot and a thermometer.

Why I Love This Recipe

The texture is what keeps me coming back to this one. The outside crisps up in the hot oil while the inside stays soft and airy, and the powdered sugar soaks into the warm dough just enough to form a light crust.

They’re genuinely better warm, and because you can fry them in small batches, the last ones out of the pot are still hot when you serve them.

Recipe Ingredients

• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 standard packet) – Must be active dry, not instant; instant yeast can be used but may over-proof faster
• 3/4 cup warm water (110°F / 43°C) – Too hot kills the yeast; use a thermometer if unsure
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar – Feeds the yeast and adds a mild sweetness to the dough
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted – Adds richness; salted butter works, just skip any added salt
• 1/2 tsp salt – Balances the sweetness; omit if using salted butter
• 1 large egg – Binds the dough and gives the donuts a slightly richer crumb
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting – Spoon-and-level to avoid a dense dough
• 4 cups vegetable oil, for frying – Canola or peanut oil are solid swaps with similar smoke points
• 1 cup powdered sugar, for coating – Sift it to avoid lumps; apply while the donuts are still warm

Variations / Substitutions

• Gluten-free flour – A 1-to-1 gluten-free baking blend works here; the texture will be slightly denser and a touch more crumbly.
• Dairy-free – Swap the 2 tbsp butter for melted coconut oil or a neutral dairy-free butter; the dough handles almost identically.
• Cinnamon sugar coating – Mix 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon and toss the warm donuts in that instead of powdered sugar for a churro-like finish.
• Spiced dough – Add 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 1/4 tsp cinnamon directly to the flour for a warmer flavor that pairs nicely with the sugar coating.
• Chocolate dipping sauce – Serve alongside a simple ganache made from equal parts heavy cream and semisweet chocolate chips instead of straight powdered sugar.
• Smaller bites – Roll the dough into 1-inch balls instead of 1.5-inch for appetizer-sized pieces that fry in about 1 minute per side.

If you enjoy fried dough desserts like this, Olive Garden Zeppole Recipe is a related recipe worth looking up.

How To Make Olive Garden Donuts

Step 1: Bloom the Yeast

Pour the 3/4 cup warm water into a large bowl and stir in the 2 tbsp granulated sugar. Sprinkle the 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast over the top and let it sit undisturbed for 8 to 10 minutes at room temperature.

After about 8 minutes, the surface should look foamy and smell faintly yeasty. If it stays flat and smells like nothing, the yeast is likely old or the water was too hot, and it’s worth starting over before you build the rest of the dough on a dead batch.

Step 2: Mix the Dough

Add the 2 tbsp melted butter, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 large egg to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add the 2 cups all-purpose flour about half a cup at a time, stirring after each addition, until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.

The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl but still feel tacky when you touch it. Don’t add extra flour to make it feel dry — a slightly sticky dough gives you a lighter interior after frying. If it’s sticking to your hands badly, a light dusting on your palms is enough.

Step 3: Rise the Dough

Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and set it somewhere warm for 45 to 60 minutes, until the dough has roughly doubled in size.

A good warm spot is an oven with just the light on, or on top of the refrigerator. At 70°F (21°C) room temperature, 45 minutes is usually enough. If your kitchen is cooler, give it the full hour.

Step 4: Shape the Donuts

Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently press it down with your hands to release the air. Pinch off pieces and roll them into balls about 1.5 inches across. You should get around 20 to 22 pieces.

Keep them roughly the same size so they fry evenly. Uneven pieces mean some are done while others are still raw in the center, which is the most common frustration with this recipe. Set the shaped balls on a lightly floured tray and let them rest for 10 minutes while the oil heats.

Step 5: Fry the Donuts

Pour the 4 cups vegetable oil into a medium heavy-bottomed pot and heat it over medium to medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F (175°C). Fry the dough balls in batches of 4 to 5, giving each one room to float freely. Cook each batch for about 2 minutes per side, turning once, until they’re a deep golden brown on all sides.

Watch the color closely on your first batch. Golden brown at 350°F means the outside is crisp and the inside has had enough time to cook through. If they brown in under a minute, the oil is too hot and the centers will still be raw. Let the oil return to 350°F between batches.

Step 6: Coat and Serve the Donuts

Lift the fried donuts out with a slotted spoon and set them on a paper-towel-lined plate for about 30 seconds to drain the excess oil. While they’re still warm, roll them in the 1 cup powdered sugar until fully coated and transfer to a serving plate.

Pile them up on the plate and dust any bare spots with a little extra powdered sugar. Serve them right away while the sugar coating is still set and the insides are warm and soft.

Recipe Tips

• Check your oil temp between batches. The temperature drops each time you add cold dough. A cheap clip-on thermometer takes the guesswork out and keeps your results consistent across every batch.
• Don’t skip the 10-minute rest after shaping. Letting the shaped dough balls rest before frying gives them a slightly better rise in the oil and a softer interior.
• Use a heavy-bottomed pot. A thin pan causes hot spots that brown one side of a donut while the other stays pale. A Dutch oven or heavy stockpot holds heat far more evenly.
• Coat while warm, not hot. Pulling the donuts straight from the oil into the sugar causes it to clump and dissolve. A 30-second drain brings them to the right temperature for the sugar to stick cleanly.

Cook times by oil temperature and donut size:

Donut Size	Oil Temp	Time Per Side
1 inch	350°F (175°C)	~1 min
1.5 inches	350°F (175°C)	~2 min
2 inches	350°F (175°C)	~2.5 min

How To Store

• Refrigerate – Store cooled donuts in an airtight container for up to 2 days. They lose their sugar coating in the fridge, so hold off on coating any you plan to store and re-coat after reheating.
• Reheating – Warm them in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5 minutes, then roll in fresh powdered sugar while still warm.

What To Serve With Olive Garden Donuts

A small bowl of warm chocolate dipping sauce made from heavy cream and semisweet chocolate works well because the bitterness of the chocolate cuts through the sweetness of the sugar coating. A fresh fruit compote made from simmered berries and a little lemon juice works for the same reason — the brightness brings the donuts into balance.

If you’re serving them as a dessert after pasta, a small scoop of vanilla gelato on the side gives you a hot-cold contrast that makes both things taste better together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the dough the night before?

Yes. After mixing, cover the dough and refrigerate it overnight instead of letting it rise at room temperature. The next day, let it sit out for 30 minutes to take the chill off before shaping and frying.

Can I bake these instead of frying?

You can, but the texture changes noticeably. Bake them at 375°F (190°C) for 12 to 14 minutes until golden; they’ll be more bread-roll-like and less crisp on the outside.

My donuts turned out doughy in the center. What went wrong?

The oil was most likely too hot. When the outside browns before the inside cooks through, lowering the oil to 350°F (175°C) and frying a touch longer fixes it.

Can I freeze the fried donuts?

Freeze them uncoated in a single layer, then transfer to a bag once solid. Reheat from frozen at 350°F (175°C) for 8 minutes and coat with fresh powdered sugar straight after.

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