Ring-shaped, filled, drizzled with chocolate, covered in sprinkles, iced, dipped, baked and fried – doughnuts come in some of the most delicious forms, and it’s no surprise that they’re one of the most consumed sweet treats in the world. But are they freezable?
Can You Freeze Doughnuts?
Yes, you can freeze doughnuts for up to 2 months. To freeze doughnuts, wrap each in clingfilm, then store in an airtight container. When you fancy one, simply defrost it in the fridge overnight to enjoy the following day.
Do Doughnuts Freeze Well? Sometimes
Can You Refreeze Doughnuts? No
How to Freeze Doughnuts
There are some caveats though which you might find a little frustrating. When it comes to freezing doughnuts, the plainer, the better.
So we’re going to start with basic, plain doughnuts. That means no filling and no fancy icing (a glaze is fine though). To freeze a plain doughnut, this is all you need to do:
- Protect Them: Wrap it in plastic wrap and then place in an air-tight bag or container. When you seal it up, make sure you remove as much air as you can.
- Freeze Them: Label the bag with the contents. This is especially important if you have filled/flavoured doughnuts as it’s tough to tell the flavour once they are frozen. Finally, place in the freezer.
That’s all there is to it. Sealing your doughnuts in this way will help the doughnuts retain their moisture. You can also use this method for freezing Yum Yums, ring doughnuts and even cronuts.
How to Freeze Filled Doughnuts
The same method outlined above can be used for filled and topped doughnuts; however, you risk causing freezer burn to toppings and creams inside doughnuts to crystallize or split inside.
You can freeze these doughnuts in the same way, but they won’t be as good as fresh ones.
That’s why it’s highly recommended that you stick with plain doughnuts when it comes to freezing doughnuts. You can always add toppings to the plain doughnuts once you have defrosted them.
3 Tips for Freezing Doughnuts
Now you know how to freeze doughnuts, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing them to have the best results:
Avoid Fillings and Topping
Toppings and fillings, especially those with dairy, will split and crystalise in the freezer, making them unenjoyable to eat. Instead, we would recommend icing your doughnuts once they have thawed.
Avoid Store-Bought Doughnuts
It’s hard to know whether store-bought doughnuts have previously been frozen. We wouldn’t recommend refreezing doughnuts so would advise against freezing store-bought doughnuts.
Protect
The most important aspect of freezing doughnuts is to keep them airtight. Try wrapping doughnuts in multiple layers of cling film to ensure they are well protected in the freezer.
How Long Can You Freeze Doughnuts?
Frozen doughnuts significantly outlast their fresh counterparts, but still don’t last very long – doughnuts with toppings and fillings are only safe for about four weeks, while plain baked doughnut dough can last for up to two months.
Normal, unfilled doughnuts will keep in the fridge for around 1 week. If they have been filled, especially with a cream filling, then they will only keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
How Do You Defrost Doughnuts?
When defrosting, it’s best to thaw your doughnuts in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, and then microwave them for two to three minutes.
If you’re short on time, you can put the doughnut directly into the microwave, but you run the risk of the oils and creams separating and drying out your doughnut this way, so you need to be very careful and check it every 30-60 seconds.
You will easily know if your doughnuts have gone bad, because when they have – they tend to attain a very strong smell of yeast, indicating that mould is about to form.
The taste is also very strong and bitter. If you’re in any doubt, then your best bet is to err on the side of caution and throw them out, as depressing as that might be.
Can You Refreeze Doughnuts?
We would not advise refreezing doughnuts, unfortunately. By refreezing, you run the risk of completely ruining the texture of your doughnuts. No one wants a mushy, slimy doughnut and that’s what you could end up with.
Refreezing is an even worse idea if your doughnuts are filled or covered.
Do Doughnuts Freeze Well?
If you freeze very fresh plain doughnuts and use them within the next couple of weeks, then you’re perfectly good to go.
Freezing filled, store-bought or old doughnuts might pose a greater risk of mould, so be cautious and, as discussed above, filled doughnuts tend not to freeze that well, unfortunately.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing doughnuts or doughnuts in general, then these may help:
There’s something addictive about Krispy Kreme doughnuts. But perhaps you’ve got a couple going spare that you want to freeze. Well, can you freeze them? You certainly can. It’s not even difficult. You can follow the exact method outlined above to freeze them.
Like most yeast doughs, doughnut dough can also be frozen. We recommend making the dough, shaping it in doughnuts and then proofing it. Once you’ve done that, flash freeze your proofed doughnuts on a tray. When they have frozen solid, you can store them in the freezer in a thick freezer bag.
Yes, jam doughnuts can be frozen for around 1 month. The jam might change in texture slightly but not drastically.
The icing on doughnuts will not freeze well. Although you can safely freeze iced doughnuts, the icing will become gritty and unpleasant when frozen then thawed.
