Can You Freeze Donuts?
If you have a few too many sweet treats on hand, you may wonder: “Can you freeze donuts?” And if so, what kinds? In this article, we’ll fully answer this question, providing top tips and advice on how to freeze and defrost these delicious treats so you can enjoy them at a later date.
We also cover what types of donuts aren’t great candidates for freezing and what you can do with donuts that have already gone stale. Whether you have extra homemade or store-bought donuts, read on for an extensive guide to freezing these yummy sweets.
Jump to Section
Can You Freeze a Donut?
If you’ve been looking to answer the question: “Can donuts be frozen?”, the answer is yes, you can freeze donuts to eat at a later date in most cases. With that said, keep in mind that the freezing process can change the taste and texture of your donuts and that certain types of donuts are better for freezing than others.
Unfilled donuts without a glazed or powdered topping are best at retaining taste and texture when frozen, followed by glazed donuts. Jam and jelly-filled donuts can be frozen in a pinch but are best consumed fresh.
On the other hand, varieties like cream or custard-filled donuts and powdered sugar donuts don’t hold up well when frozen. It's best to eat these varieties fresh or re-purpose them before going stale, for example, using them in a dessert.
Can You Freeze Glazed Donuts?
As one of the most common types of donuts, you may be wondering: “Can you freeze glazed donuts?” For the most part, absolutely! You can freeze donuts that are glazed without a problem, as long as you’re prepared for the glaze itself to change slightly. It could get stiffer and more easily broken when thawed, losing some of its glossiness and sheen.
Consider the thickness of the glaze as well when deciding whether to freeze this kind of donut or not. Donuts with thinner glaze, such as strawberry donuts, work best for freezing, with minimal changes to the texture occurring, while thicker glazed donuts can melt during the defrosting process, leaving a sticky mess of melted frosting.
Can You Freeze Donuts With Filling?
Another question you may have is: “Can you freeze donuts when they are filled?” Unfortunately, it’s not a good idea to freeze these delicious treats. Custard or cream-filled donuts, such as Bavarian cream donuts, are best enjoyed fresh. This is because the filling makes direct contact with the donut dough, starting the process of making them wet and soggy once they’re assembled. Interestingly enough, the same goes for mochi donuts. While they aren’t filled with cream, their soft and bouncy texture also depends on being eaten fresh.
Freezing and thawing donuts with filling would ultimately result in a deflated dish that will barely resemble its original form and just won’t taste great at all. Cream fillings may also curdle during the freezing and defrosting process. Additionally, cream fillings often defrost at a quicker rate than the dough, so by the time the donut dough is defrosted, the filling will be very liquid and may have even leaked out of the donut.
While it’s easy to freeze donuts of certain kinds, donuts with cream or custard filling aren’t one of them. Due to having a more stable and thick filling, jam and jelly donuts can be frozen and defrosted with better results. Notably, the filling will retain a lot of its pre-frozen texture and consistency during thawing. However, try to consume jam donuts fresh when possible.
Can You Freeze Krispy Kreme Donuts?
Rejoice; you can freeze donuts from Krispy Kreme! The same rules apply, however, as with any other kind of donut — it’s best to freeze Krispy Kreme’s original glazed or unglazed donuts and avoid freezing the ones with filling or toppings like sprinkles.
When you’re ready, simply take them out of the freezer and allow them to come back to room temperature or microwave each donut for exactly eight to 10 seconds. Once thawed, you’ll have a gorgeous dessert in front of you, almost like new, in no time at all.
How To Freeze Donuts
Now that you’ve got an answer to the question: “Can you freeze donuts?”, how do you go about freezing them for best results? Luckily, freezing donuts is quite easy. The best method is to stack them in an airtight freezer bag, separating each donut with wax paper so they don’t freeze together. Adding a layer of wax paper between the donuts also allows individual frozen donuts to be taken out of the freezer easily when you’re ready for them to thaw.
It can also be a good idea to flash freeze donuts on a baking tray before stacking them for longer-term freezing. For glazed donuts, make sure to pre-freeze them for two to three hours until the frosting is completely solid, minimizing the chance of frosting sticking to the wax paper. If your donuts aren’t glazed, flash freezing can be skipped or just freeze them until they feel solid to the touch (this will take around an hour).
Once you have the donuts flash frozen and stacked, placing them in freezer-safe ziplock bags is recommended to avoid freezer burn. When freezing the stacked donuts in bags, push as much of the excess air out of the bag and then seal it. As an added measure, you can take a straw and suck out the rest of the air before sealing, effectively creating a vacuum seal to keep your donuts fresh.
Types of Donuts You Shouldn’t Freeze
When covering how to freeze donuts, it’s important to reiterate which types of donuts you shouldn’t freeze. Notably, don’t freeze cream-filled or custard-filled donuts. These types of donuts can get soggy during the freezing and thawing process and the fillings are likely to melt and even leak out before the dough is fully defrosted. You also can’t use the microwave method to defrost them (discussed more below) as this will turn the fillings into liquid.
Donuts with thick glazing, powdered donuts and donuts with sprinkles generally don’t freeze well either. This is because the toppings will change drastically in texture when frozen and defrosted. However, unlike filled donuts, these kinds could be frozen in a pinch, but be aware that the texture of the donuts will be altered quite a bit.
How Long Can You Freeze Donuts
So, now we know that you can freeze donuts, how long can you freeze donuts for? On average, donuts can be kept in the freezer for up to three months. As with all frozen foods, the sooner you defrost and eat them, the better the texture and taste will be, but you shouldn’t see any major differences in quality between one-month frozen donuts and donuts that have been frozen for two or three months.
As long as you follow the steps above, including storing the donuts in air-tight bags, you can freeze donuts for a few months and enjoy them whenever the craving hits!
How To Thaw Donuts
Arguably, the most important part when you freeze donuts is knowing how to properly thaw them. Start the process by taking your frozen donuts out of the freezer shortly before you want to eat them. If you have more time, you can simply leave them covered on the counter or in the refrigerator, allowing them to thaw out. If placing them in the refrigerator to defrost, move them to the counter just before you plan to eat them to allow them to reach room temperature.
Another great way to prepare frozen donuts for eating is to warm up each donut on a plate for 10 seconds in the microwave. Results are going to vary depending on the density and overall size of your donut as well, so be patient.
If your donut isn’t defrosted after 10 seconds, pop it back into the microwave in additional five to 10-second increments, testing it each time and being careful not to overheat it. If you overheat the frozen donut, it can become hard and dry. You also want to take care that the glaze doesn’t melt more than it needs to if you’re defrosting donuts with a glaze.
What To Do with Stale Donuts
As discussed, the answer to: “Can you freeze donuts?” is generally yes. If you have plain or lightly glazed donuts, freezing them works great to preserve them for later. However, what if you haven’t frozen your extra donuts in time and they have become stale? While you can freeze donuts that are fresh, it isn’t recommended to freeze donuts that are already going or have gone stale.
While it might be disappointing to realize that your donuts aren’t fresh enough to be frozen, you can still salvage them. One way to do this is by giving your stale donut a quick spin in the microwave, with a 15-second heating usually doing the trick. You can also repurpose them in desserts like bread pudding or French toast, both of which actually benefit from stale baked goods as they soak in liquid without going too soggy.
Answering the question: “Can you freeze donuts?” will help you to enjoy these delicious treats for a longer time. As this article has explained, you can freeze donuts for later use, provided they are relatively fresh and aren’t filled or overly decorated on top. Make sure to use our tips and tricks for freezing and thawing your donuts with ease and you’ll have the perfect snack within reach when the craving hits!
For even more ways to explore your favorite foods, check out other experiences happening on Cozymeal.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
Join the conversation.