These easy Red Velvet donut holes have no yeast, are ready in under 30 minutes, and taste like they came straight out of the bakery! They’re crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, covered in sugar, and taste delicious!

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I am so excited to share this recipe with you today! I’ve been working hard these past few weeks trying to create an easy recipe that would be perfect for the holidays that wasn’t a cookie, and after much trial and error, these donuts came out even better than I ever imagined! They have all the usual Red Velvet Cake ingredients like cocoa powder, butter, vanilla, and of course, red food color.

I initially intended to make donuts with yeast but decided not to since the holidays are stressful enough! These donuts don’t need yeast, kneading, or any special tools. They come together in about 30 minutes or less and are a crowd pleaser!

Another great thing about these donuts is that they are a perfect little gift for your friends and family! I found cute Christmas-themed cookie boxes at Dollar Tree that are perfect for gifting.

Easy step-by-step instructions with video

In a small bowl mix the milk, butter, vanilla, and a small amount of red food color. Add more food color if the mix is too pink.
Heat up about 1 inch of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan on medium-low heat.
In a separate bowl mix all the dry ingredients well, making sure there aren’t any clumps of sugar or cocoa. Add the wet ingredients and mix well with a spatula just until well combined (don’t over-mix!). The batter should be thick and sticky.
With a spoon take a small amount of the batter and carefully drop it into the oil with the help of another spoon (check the video for reference). Fry 4 donuts at a time and cook them for 2 – 3 minutes until slightly golden on the outside, turning them a few times to cook evenly.
Remove the donuts from the oil and place them on a plate with paper towels. Continue with the rest of the batter.
Add granulated sugar to a small bowl and toss the donuts until coated.

My best frying tips

I know frying can be a little bit of a hassle sometimes, but follow my tips for perfectly fried donuts:

Make sure to add enough oil to your pot/saucepan (at least 1 inch) because the donuts need enough oil to do their thing – you'll see them get fluffy as soon as they hit the oil.
Put the heat on medium-low, If the oil gets too hot it will burn the donuts and they will be raw in the center.
To test if the oil is ready, add a little bit of batter in the oil. If it bubbles immediately all around the batter, your oil is ready.

Don’t overcrowd the saucepan too much, I like to do no more than 4 at a time to not lower the temperature of the oil drastically.

Keep an eye on the donuts! Don’t step away while frying since they can go from brown to burnt very quickly.
Turn the donuts every 20 – 30 seconds to make sure they cook evenly.

A few other tips

Don’t make the donuts too big! These donuts get nice and fluffy once they hit the oil, so try to not add too much batter to each (check my video for reference).
The donuts are best enjoyed fresh the same day, if you have any left (I doubt you will), place them in an airtight container for another day or two.
Sift the cocoa into the dry ingredients to prevent clumping.

Try this recipe and let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Relax, bake, enjoy!

This recipe is also available in Spanish: Donas Veganas Red Velvet