How to Cook Donuts Without a Donut Pan

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Maybe you are not a perfectionist. Maybe you are a chaos baker. Good news: Donut holes are always welcome. Instead of shaping rings, just roll your dough into small, 1-inch balls. They fry in half the time and are impossible to resist.

Another wildcard move? Donut sticks. Roll the dough into long, finger-shaped logs, about 3 inches long. Deep-fry them until golden, then toss in cinnamon sugar. They look like churros’ sophisticated cousin, and they hold glaze better than rings do.

For the truly rebellious, use a muffin tin. Press a small ball of dough into each greased cup, then poke a hole through the center with your finger. Bake at 375°F until puffed and golden. It won't be a perfect ring, but it will taste like a donut, and that’s the only metric that matters.

Cultural Detour: The Global Donut Philosophy

Think about the Italian zeppole—little fried balls of dough dusted in powdered sugar. No ring. No pan. Just pure, unadulterated joy. Or the Indian vada, a savory lentil donut that is free-formed by hand in the palm of a cook. These cultures don't apologize for missing equipment.

The donut pan is a modern Western convenience, not a global standard. When you fry without it, you are connecting to a much older, more tactile tradition of cooking. You become the sculptor, not the machine operator.