Long John Doughnut

Growing up, my mother did most of the cooking. My father had two specialties in his recipe arsenal: peach pancakes and taking my sister and me to the local doughnut shop on Sunday mornings. My sister and I always picked long john doughnuts with rainbow sprinkles, and our dad always went for an apple fritter. We never deviated.

While my doughnut repertoire has expanded as an adult, long john doughnuts still conjure strong memories of happy nostalgia. This homemade long john doughnut recipe tastes exactly like those treats from my youth.

Learning how to make long john doughnuts is a great place to start on your yeasted doughnut journey. Their simple rectangular shape means you don’t need a fancy round doughnut mold, just a sharp knife. Plus, once you master this basic glazed recipe, you can get creative with other icings, fillings and toppings. Homemade long john doughnuts are endlessly versatile.

What is a long john doughnut?

Long johns are a type of yeast-risen doughnut with a rectangular shape. The differences between yeast and cake doughnuts is, of course, the yeast, the kneading and the rising time for the dough. Long johns also don’t have holes like their circular counterparts (sorry, no scraps for doughnut holes), but they are just as versatile in taste and appearance. A long john doughnut recipe can be simply glazed or topped with various colored or flavored icings, such as maple, chocolate or vanilla. Long johns are also often filled with creams, custards or jam and garnished with sprinkles, nuts or other toppings.

No one knows the exact origin of long john doughnuts, perhaps because the term long john is regional. For example, long john is most commonly used in the Midwest, Canada and sometimes Texas. Other parts of the U.S. and Canada refer to these doughnuts as bar doughnuts, éclairs, finger doughnuts, maple or chocolate bars (depending on the icing), or cream sticks.

Long John Doughnut Ingredients

• Yeast: Unlike cake doughnuts, which do not contain yeast, homemade long john doughnuts rely on yeast to help them rise and become soft and fluffy. This long john doughnut recipe calls for active dry yeast, but you may also use instant yeast. Whenever baking with yeast, it is important to heat the water to the proper temperature. If it is too cold, the yeast may not fully activate. If the water is too hot, you may kill the yeast, causing your recipe not to rise.
• Milk: Milk adds moisture and fat to the dough. Baked goods made with milk rather than water alone will typically have a softer, more tender crumb and richer taste, which is precisely what you want when making long johns or other doughnut recipes.
• Butter: Similar to brioche or cinnamon rolls, homemade long john doughnuts require butter to enrich the dough with more fat to make them soft and tender.
• Sugar: Sugar adds sweetness to the dough and provides the yeast with extra food to speed up the fermentation process.
• Salt: Don’t skip the salt. It balances and enhances the flavor of the long john doughnuts.
• Egg: Eggs impact the taste, texture and structure of the long john doughnut recipe. For the best results, bake with room-temperature eggs.
• Flour: While some homemade doughnut recipes call for other types of flour, such as bread flour, for a chewier texture, this long john doughnut recipe uses all-purpose flour, which yields an equally tasty result.
• Oil: The most intimidating part of making homemade long john doughnuts is deep-frying them in hot oil. With a bit of guidance, including knowing which oil to use, you can deep-fry with confidence.
• Glaze: This easy long john doughnut recipe is finished with a simple confectioners’ sugar glaze that also calls for brown sugar, vanilla, water and a pinch of salt.

Directions

Step 1: Make the dough

In a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment), dissolve the yeast in warm water. Add the milk, softened butter, sugar, salt, egg and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth, then slowly stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Do not knead the dough.

Editor’s Tip: Avoid overmixing the dough. Doing so will overwork the gluten in the flour, causing the doughnuts to be tough rather than soft and pillowy.

Step 2: Let it rise

Transfer the dough to a large greased bowl, turning once to the grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about one hour.

Editor’s Tip: If your kitchen is cold, you can still proof dough using your oven or a proofing box, among other things.

Step 3: Shape the doughnuts and let the dough rise again

Once the dough has risen, punch it down and turn it onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll the dough into a 15×10-inch rectangle and cut it into 5×2-1/2-inch rectangles. Arrange the rectangles on greased baking sheets, cover and let rise in a warm place until slightly risen, about 15 minutes.

Editor’s Tip: If your kitchen is cool, the doughnuts may need up to 30 minutes to rise. Once they appear slightly puffy, they are ready for frying.

Step 4: Deep-fry until golden

In a deep-fat fryer or electric skillet, heat the oil to 375°F. Fry the doughnuts, a few at a time, until golden brown, about one minute on each side. Carefully remove the doughnuts from the oil and drain on paper towels. Let cool slightly.

Editor’s Tip: Once the doughnuts are in the oil, let them be. Ideally, you should need to turn the doughnuts only one time each. Turning the doughnuts too often may result in doughnuts that are not evenly cooked.

Step 5: Glaze the doughnuts

Combine the confectioners’ sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, water and a pinch of salt. Stir well until smooth and glossy. Dip the tops of the long johns into the glaze while warm, then arrange the doughnuts on wire cooling racks to allow the glaze to set and the doughnuts to cool completely.

Editor’s Tip: For the doughnut glaze, choose a large bowl to allow the doughnuts to be dipped easily.

Taste Recipes

Recipe Variations

• Make maple long john doughnuts: A maple glaze is a classic option for a long john doughnut recipe.
• Try chocolate-glazed long john doughnuts: To appease the chocolate lovers in your household, try the chocolate glaze from our favorite potato doughnut recipe.
• Go with coffee-glazed doughnuts: Use instant coffee to whip up a coffee glaze.
• Prep pumpkin-spiced long john doughnuts: Add up to 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice to the glaze recipe for a fall-ready pumpkin spice glaze.
• Try other extracts: Use lemon, orange or almond extract instead of vanilla.
• Toss on some toppings: You can top your homemade long john doughnuts with sprinkles, finely chopped nuts, a drizzle of chocolate ganache, crushed candy bars or even crumbled cooked orange-glazed bacon. The options are truly unlimited.
• Include a filling: You can fill homemade long john doughnuts with any filling you enjoy, similar to other cream-filled doughnuts or berry-filled doughnuts.

How to Store Long John Doughnuts

Doughnuts are always best the day they are made, but leftovers can be stored at room temperature or in the freezer.

How long do long john doughnuts last?

You can keep your long johns in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. If you need the doughnuts to last longer, keep them in the fridge.

Can you freeze long john doughnuts?

Freezing doughnuts is a great way to extend their shelf life. If the doughnuts are glazed, arrange them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze them until firm. Then, transfer them to an airtight container, separating the doughnuts with layers of parchment to prevent them from sticking together. You can keep long john doughnuts in the freezer for up to two months. To enjoy, defrost at room temperature until fully thawed.

Can you make long john doughnuts ahead of time?

Doughnuts are always best enjoyed fresh from the fryer. For the best taste, we suggest making them no more than 24 hours ahead. Otherwise, freezing and thawing is your best route for a fresh-tasting homemade long john doughnut recipe.

Long John Doughnut Tips

Taste Recipes

What can you serve with long john doughnuts?

Coffee and doughnuts are a classic pairing that’s perfect for breakfast, brunch or even an afternoon snack. We also like these doughnuts with homemade hot chocolate, or add them to your brunch spread alongside mimosas, fruit juice or milk.

Why do my long john doughnuts taste like oil?

When learning how to make long john doughnuts, getting the oil temperature just right for deep-frying is critical. If the doughnuts are placed into the oil before it is hot enough, they will absorb the oil during the first few minutes of cooking and taste oily. For best results, invest in an affordable deep-fat fryer or candy thermometer to verify the oil temperature before frying.

Why are my long john doughnuts raw in the middle?

Doughnuts that are raw in the middle were likely not cooked long enough or were cooked at too high a temperature. Too hot oil will cause the doughnuts to look fully cooked on the outside but leave raw, uncooked dough in the middle. This deep-fryer temperature chart can help you get things just right.

What is the best oil for frying doughnuts?

The best oils for frying doughnuts are canola, vegetable, sunflower or soybean oil. They each have a mild flavor and a high smoke point, making them great for creating golden long john doughnuts.

Can I bake long john doughnuts?

While you could technically bake these doughnuts, they taste like authentic long john doughnuts when deep-fried. There’s nothing that can truly replicate a deep-fried yeast-raised doughnut. Cake-style doughnuts typically lend themselves better to baking. Try this baked doughnut recipe if you prefer this method. You could also try these air-fryer doughnuts.