Sweet and festive, these gingerbread Christmas donuts will become your ultimate holiday dessert!
Fill your home with sweet warmth and the aromas of cinnamon and cloves, and enjoy them with family and friends. Try this gingerbread Christmas donuts recipe by Chef Giorgos Tsoulis and experience the sweet magic of Christmas!
Gingerbread Christmas Donuts
Giorgos Tsoulis
These gingerbread man shaped Christmas donuts are fluffy, golden treats infused with warm ginger, cinnamon, and clove. Each donut is coated in a festive sugar-spice mixture that adds a touch of holiday magic in every bite.
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Mix with a spoon and set the mixture aside.
For the donuts:
In the mixer bowl, combine the milk, ginger, sugar, flour, cinnamon, cloves, yeast, eggs, and butter. Knead with the hook attachment on medium speed for 8 minutes until a dough forms.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise for 1 hour until doubled in size.
Place the dough on a floured surface and roll it out into a rectangle, about 1 cm (~1/3 inch) thick.
Use a gingerbread man-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the donuts.
Heat a deep frying pan over medium to high heat, add the sunflower oil, and fry the donuts until they turn a beautiful golden color.
Transfer the donuts to a plate lined with paper towels, then dip them into the sugar-spice mixture, making sure the sugar sticks all around.
Serve the donuts and enjoy!
Notes
Chef’s tip: The oil shouldn’t be too hot to ensure that the donuts cook thoroughly on the inside.
Celebrity Chef Giorgos Tsoulis specializes in modern Mediterranean cuisine and his recipes are widely appreciated not just in Greece and Cyprus but also around the world.
He has been the executive chef of numerous successful Greek restaurants, while at the same time hosting many popular culinary TV shows in Greece and Cyprus. Giorgos Tsoulis is passionate about educating his fans in more sustainable and healthy cooking and eating while making the most of the flavors of the ingredients.
As sustainable cuisine ambassador for WWF Hellas, he plays a key role in cooking activations that relate to the European #Eat4Change program, as well as the #Farm2Fork program.
Hi Bryan,
Great question! For frying donuts, the ideal oil temperature is between 350°F and 375°F (175°C to 190°C).
If the oil is hotter than 375°F, the donuts will brown too quickly on the outside while staying undercooked on the inside. If the oil is cooler than 350°F, the donuts will absorb more oil, making them greasy instead of light and fluffy.
If you don’t have a kitchen thermometer, you can test the oil by dropping in a small piece of dough:
If it sinks and then rises to the surface slowly while sizzling, the oil is ready.
If it browns too quickly or burns, the oil is too hot. Reduce the heat and test again.
How hot exactly is ” The oil shouldn’t be too hot”? Maybe be a little more specific and give a temperature range?
Hi Bryan,
Great question! For frying donuts, the ideal oil temperature is between 350°F and 375°F (175°C to 190°C).
If the oil is hotter than 375°F, the donuts will brown too quickly on the outside while staying undercooked on the inside. If the oil is cooler than 350°F, the donuts will absorb more oil, making them greasy instead of light and fluffy.
If you don’t have a kitchen thermometer, you can test the oil by dropping in a small piece of dough:
If it sinks and then rises to the surface slowly while sizzling, the oil is ready.
If it browns too quickly or burns, the oil is too hot. Reduce the heat and test again.
Hope this helps!