The RIGHT Way To Freeze Donuts (Easy Guide)
Donuts are popular worldwide for their sweet taste, crispy coatings, and appealing look. Whether you’ve baked donuts yourself or brought a few home from the store, you may want to preserve them for later. Since donuts will typically only last one to two days, is it possible to prolong donut life by freezing them without damaging the taste or texture?
You can successfully freeze donuts without affecting their taste or texture. Donuts can be stored for several months in the freezer as long as you wrap them properly and thaw them correctly. However, you shouldn’t freeze some types of glazed or coated donuts.
In this article, I will give you an easy guide on how to freeze donuts properly. I will also discuss which types of donuts can be frozen, how to thaw frozen donuts, and how long to keep frozen or refrigerated donuts. So, let’s get into it!
How To Properly Freeze Donuts
You can freeze freshly baked donuts and store-bought donuts, so long as they’re still edible. Always wrap the donuts in plastic wrap before freezing them to prevent frostbite. If you freeze donuts properly, it won’t affect the quality or taste. If not, you’ll end up with a squishy mess or hard, stale donuts.
Always make sure freshly baked donuts have cooled down for several hours before freezing them. Freezing warm donuts can result in rock-hard donuts due to freezer burn.
To prevent this, it’s best to wrap your donuts individually in clear plastic or tin foil to keep out any moisture. It’s best to use an airtight container or freezer bag to freeze donuts.
Follow these steps to freeze donuts properly:
- Cool the donuts down if they’ve been freshly baked.
- Place each individual donut on plastic wrap and completely cover it with the wrap making sure to remove any pockets of air. Note: Air is the number one enemy of donuts in the freezer!
- Place the donuts in an airtight container or freezer bag. If you don’t have these, you can place them in any regular container, but if you’re hoping to keep your donuts frozen for a good long while an airtight container will preserve the donut’s quality the best.
- Place them in the freezer, making sure they avoid contact with any ice or liquids.
By following these steps, you’ll be able to preserve your frozen donuts for much longer. Some people don’t use plastic wrap when freezing the donuts in an airtight or vacuum freezer bag, but it’s best to wrap them just in case.
Can You Freeze Glazed or Coated Donuts?
You can freeze glazed and coated donuts, but it’ll affect their quality and texture. It’s much better to freeze donuts before glazing and coating to preserve their quality and taste. However, if you store them in an airtight container and plastic wrap, you can preserve glazed donuts in the freezer.
If you’re baking donuts yourself, it’s best to always freeze them before glazing and filling. However, if you want to freeze glazed and filled donuts, you must do it properly.
Wrap glazed donuts in a transparent plastic sheet or tin foil to prevent the glaze from being absorbed by the donuts. If you put glazed donuts in the fridge or freezer without wrapping them first, you’ll end up with wet, soggy donuts.
When freezing filled donuts, place them in an airtight container to avoid damaging the filling. You should store filled donuts in the fridge before freezing since it keeps the filling in place. You’ll also have to take special care when thawing frozen filled donuts. If the filling becomes too hot, it could soak in and affect the donut’s texture.
When baking donuts at home, always freeze them before glazing or filling. However, if you’ve purchased glazed or filled donuts know that you can freeze them, even though they may not retain their quality 100%. After all, a donut at 90% quality is still a donut 🙂
How To Properly Thaw Frozen Donuts (Important)
Thawing frozen donuts requires care and precision. You’ll need to adjust the microwave settings correctly to avoid overheating or underheating. Thawing the donuts too fast can cause them to become soggy or stale.
The first (and most popular) way to thaw frozen donuts is to place them for five to ten seconds in the microwave. Remove the plastic wrap and place the donut on 50% power for ten seconds in the microwave. If this doesn’t do the job, you can place it for another few seconds to thaw it thoroughly.
The second method is to thaw the donuts in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (176.66 °C). Let it heat up for ten minutes. Wrap the donut in tin foil and place it in the oven for three to five minutes. The donut should thaw evenly.
The final method is to leave the donuts to thaw in the open for ten to 15 minutes. Always remove the plastic wrap and take it out of the container to thaw it properly. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a soggy mess, especially when thawing glazed donuts.
Once the donuts have been thawed thoroughly, you can glaze them or apply a coating. You can even fill these donuts since the texture will have remained consistent.
How Long Do Frozen Donuts Last?
Freezing donuts can help preserve them for quite some time.
Frozen donuts will last for 3 to 6 months. While there’s no real harm in keeping donuts in the freezer for longer than this, you should avoid freezing glazed or filled donuts for longer than three months.
Unglazed and unfilled donuts can be kept in the freezer for as much as six months without losing their texture or taste.
As a reminder, you’ll have to ensure that the temperature is kept consistent and the donuts are thawed properly. Avoid refreezing defrosted donuts as it will most likely affect the quality and the flavor.
However, you probably won’t be freezing your donuts for much longer than a couple of weeks at most before the cravings kick in again!
Can You Put Donuts in the Fridge?
You can store donuts in the refrigerator to preserve them for a few days. Most donuts can be stored in the fridge for five to seven days before they become dried out and inedible. If you want to store them for longer, place them in the freezer.
Always place filled donuts in the fridge as soon as they cool down to preserve the filling. It’s best to store glazed donuts at room temperature to prevent the glaze from being absorbed. Always store the donuts in an airtight container when refrigerating them to prevent the moisture from making them soggy.
Just as with freezing donuts, wrapping them in a plastic sheet will help preserve the freshness for longer. It will work even better if you have a fridge storage vacuum bag.
Conclusion
Freezing donuts is a great way to preserve them for longer. Always wrap donuts in plastic wrap or place them in an airtight container when freezing. Avoid freezing glazed or filled donuts when you can. Lastly, thaw them using the proper settings to preserve the freshness and taste.
By freezing them properly, you can preserve your favorite donuts for anywhere between three and six months, but only if you don’t eat them before that!
