Can You Freeze Donuts?

How to Freeze Donuts

The best way to freeze a donut varies depending on how it is decorated.

We’ve all experienced the sadness when you open up a bakery box to find the icing stuck to the lid instead of to the donut. This can also happen in the freezer. But don’t worry, we’ll give you all the tips and tricks you need to make sure you can freeze any kind of donut perfectly. 

To make sure not a single one goes to waste, here’s our guide to freezing plain, glazed, and sugared donuts:

Bag them up: Because of their shape, the best way to freeze donuts is in a freezer bag. Plain donuts are the easiest to freeze as you don’t need to worry about the icing coming off. Glazed donuts are also generally okay as the glaze is usually thin.

Sugared donuts are also fine but there is a risk that once the sugar freezes, it may become detached from the donut. But, this probably won’t be any more than the amount that comes off when you touch them normally.

That said, don’t just throw the donuts into a bag altogether. Even if they are plain, they can stick together when frozen. The best thing to do is to place squares of parchment paper between the donuts. This will stop them from sticking.

Make sure all of the air is out of the bag as this will keep them fresh. Any oxygen left inside the bag can make the donuts go stale.

Then, you can place them in the freezer. Be gentle though, as you don’t want to dent or squish the donuts, especially if they’re filled.

Try and place them on the bottom of the freezer drawer so that there’s nothing underneath them. This will also help the donuts to keep their shape.

Now your plain, sugared, and glazed donuts are safe, let’s move on to iced donuts. 

When we say iced donuts, we’re specifically talking about donuts that have a thick layer of icing across just the top. As you may have guessed, you can’t put these all in a bag together as the icing will be smudged, come off, and generally be ruined.

So, the best way to freeze iced donuts is in a large container. You’re going to need lots of space for this as the donuts will need to be spaced out. Gently place the donuts in the box and then gently place the box in the freezer. 

As with the other kinds of donuts, make sure that the box is sat on the bottom of the freezer drawer. This will make sure that the box is level and that you won’t need to move it to take something out from underneath it.

How to Defrost Donuts

So, now you know how to preserve those precious donuts, you need to know the most important thing: how to defrost them.

As you probably know, defrosting food can be tricky. They can take on water and become soggy and mushy. Soggy and mushy are not two words anyone wants to hear associated with donuts. So, to make sure your donuts are as delicious as before, here’s how to properly defrost them.

Usually, defrosting food in the microwave can be the quickest but often the worst option. Defrosting in the microwave can be uneven and sometimes begin to cook the food as it defrosts. But, for donuts, defrosting in the microwave is actually a good idea.

Donuts may seem tough but their dough is actually quite delicate, so they won’t take too long to defrost. Place the donut in the microwave for only about 10 seconds and then remove it. This should be just enough to defrost the donut and, even more deliciously, warm it up a little.

If it’s still a bit frosty, put it in again for a few more seconds. If you need to, keep putting it in for 10-second increments until it’s as you desire. 

Defrosting iced donuts in the microwave is a little tricky. The icing will likely melt and fall off. So, the best option is to leave these donuts out. Or place them in the microwave for really small amounts of time. Be super gentle with these kinds of donuts.

Factors to Consider Before Freezing Donuts

Donuts are delicious, but because they are so delicate they can go stale pretty quickly. Freezing them is a great way to make sure they stay fresh.

One thing to consider before freezing donuts is how you intend to eat them. If you plan to have a selection of them for a gathering or to eat over a day, then freezing them all together should be fine.

But, you should still try and keep them separate to make sure they don’t stick together.

But, if you will only want one every now and again, it’s a good idea to freeze them separately. This means that you can take one out to defrost and eat whenever you like.

You will have a constant stream of donuts (well, until you run out) as you won’t have to defrost the whole batch and risk wasting them.

Overall, the answer is yes, you can freeze donuts and they will be just as delicious when you defrost them.

Summary

We hope you feel confident in freezing leftover heavy cream so that you can take steps to reduce your food waste. 

Heavy cream can be added to hot and cold recipes and is always a good staple to have on hand. It is best when used in sauces as the whipping capacities may not be as good, but it will still hold air. 

Your dessert presentation will always be fantastic and you never have to worry about not having any heavy cream in. Take care to follow these steps so you freeze heavy cream perfectly every time.