Best Rainbow Doughnuts

Name: Best Rainbow Doughnuts
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 27 min
Ingredients: 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp buttermilk; 3 tbsp unsalted butter (melted); 1 cup all-purpose flour; 1 tsp baking powder; ¼ tsp salt; ¼ cup sugar; 2 tbsp honey; 1 large egg; ½ tsp vanilla extract; pink, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple food colouring; 3 tbsp whipping cream; 1 cup powdered sugar; rainbow sprinkles

By: Cayla Gallagher

Published: August, 24 2016 Last Updated: August, 17 2023

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I’ve always loved carefree weekends when my family would huddle at the table playing board games in the evening with a delicious plate of doughnuts. Munching these soft, fluffy doughnuts always reminds me of quality family time.

I love to be creative with my food so I have since upgraded my childhood doughnuts with rainbow coloring in my doughnut batter.

Here’s my take on the best rainbow doughnuts recipe and if you want to learn more colorful recipes like these, check out my cookbook, Unicorn Food, where you can dive into the world of glittery, rainbow treats.

This recipe is great to make for both kids and grown-ups, because who doesn’t like treats that look AND taste good?

Recipe Ingredients

Here is what you’ll need to make this easy rainbow doughnuts recipe.

For the batter:

Buttermilk
Unsalted butter
All-purpose flour
Baking powder
Salt and sugar
Honey
Ggg
Vanilla extract
Food coloring – pink, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple

For the glaze:

Whipping cream
Powdered sugar
Rainbow sprinkles – For toppings

How to Make Rainbow Doughnuts

Make the doughnut ring:

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, honey, egg, and vanilla extract.
Add the buttermilk and mix until combined.
Add the dry ingredients and milk until just combined – make sure not to overmix.
Divide the mixture into 6 bowls and dye them the colors of the rainbow.
Spoon the batter into a greased doughnut pan, creating a rainbow pattern.
Bake at 400F for 7 minutes.
Cool for 1 minute in the pan, then flip the pan over to remove the doughnuts and cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the glaze:

Whisk together the whipping cream and the confectioner’s sugar. Whisk until fully combined.

Assemble the doughnuts:

Dunk each doughnut into the glaze and return to the wire rack.
Top with rainbow sprinkles and enjoy!

What to Serve with Rainbow Doughnuts

Which foods and drinks are perfect for this rainbow doughnuts recipe?

Tea, coffee, or hot chocolate – Rainbow doughnuts can be sweet because of the glaze and the sprinkles, so it’s nice to have a hot beverage to balance it out.
Fruit salad with yogurt – Fruits such as apples, bananas, and strawberries are always a great accompaniment to any dessert or snack. You can also spice it up by adding granola, various nuts, and chia seeds to create a yogurt parfait.
Ice cream – There’s always a good reason to add ice cream to your snacks or desserts. Imagine a cold and sweet ice cream together with your warm and soft doughnuts. What a yummy combination!

Recipe Variations

There are a few ways you can improvise this rainbow doughnuts recipe.

Toppings – Instead of the colorful sprinkles, you can add chocolate sprinkles, finely chopped nuts, or fruit loops.
Flavors – Instead of vanilla extract, you can drop some maple syrup and caramel extract. For the batter, try to change it up with a chocolate-flavored one instead of buttermilk. Do this simply by adding some cocoa powder to your flour mixture.
Icing – Instead of a glaze, try dipping or drizzling your doughnuts with colored icing.

Expert Tips

Follow these tips to create a perfect batch of rainbow donuts recipe every time:

Do not overmix the dry ingredients and milk – This will make your doughnuts dense and chewy.
Using doughnut pans – This will give your dessert a fluffy cake-like texture.
Tap the doughnut pan after filling in the batter – This will release any air bubbles in the batter and ensure that your doughnuts bake evenly and have a nice rounded shape.
After baking, let the rainbow doughnuts cool – This will prevent your glaze from melting or running off the doughnuts.

Storage and Reheating Instructions

These vibrant treats can be stored in an airtight container for up to two days. To keep them overnight, wrap them in a napkin and store them in a paper bag.

Microwave heating – Cover with damp paper towels to restore softness and keep the doughnuts moist. Heat at 5-second intervals until you are satisfied. Be careful not to heat too long, or else the glaze will run over.

Oven heating – Preheat the oven to 350 to 400F. Wrap doughnuts individually in aluminum foil. Bake for about 5 to 10 minutes. After the 5-minute mark, unwrap and check the doughnuts. If they’re not warm enough, return them to the tray to reheat.