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    Home » All Breakfasts

    Published: Jun 12, 2016 · Modified: Sep 9, 2018 by Claire

    4th of July Doughnuts

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·Leave a Review

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    4th of July is practically right around the corner, and you all know what that means!

    On this blog, at least, it means a panicked attempt at some last minute 4th of July post because the upcoming holiday slipped my mind for what is clearly the millionth year in a row. But not today 4th of July, not today!

    I'mma be honest with you ladies and gents: it's not just that it slips my mind, it's that I'm just not particularly inspired the holiday. If you could see the lists of potential recipes I keep for my blog (we're talking lists FOR DAYS people), they go "Halloween"  (clearly the longest list of them all), "Christmas," and "Thanksgiving/New Year's/Literally All the Other Holidays I'm Not Particularly Inspired By." <--Actual list title

    I know, I'm probably the worst American that way.

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    It's not that I don't appreciate everything that the 4th of July stands for, it's just that you can only make so much red, white, and blue stuff. Unless you have mad cake skills, in which case you could probably make a ton of cool revolutionary war, old glory, and Abraham Lincoln flying in on a bald eagle with real fireworks cakes... That last one was oddly specific, I know. Cake goals, people, cake goals.

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    But this year, unlike pretty much every other year EVER, I am prepared. I. AM. SO. PREPARED. Bring it 4th of July. Not only have I remembered you, far enough in advance to not have to cobble something together at the last minute, but I've made TWO recipes. TWO. WHOLE. RECIPES.

    I know, can we just marvel in that accomplishment for a moment? So. Satisfying.

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    Give your 4th of July morning (or your afternoon BBQ) an extra bit of color with these red, white, and blue 4th of July doughnuts! | The Simple, Sweet Life

    If you haven't checked out the first recipe because you didn't even know I'd gotten my shit together and would be doing 4th of July stuff this early (it's ok, I don't blame you), be sure to have a look at my super-easy red, white, and blue tart. Otherwise, be prepared to be shocked and awed by some doughnut deliciousness AND a quick video tutorial on icing these babies ("Video?!" you say. I know, I'm SO on top of it right now!)!

    Print

    Recipe

    4th of July Doughnuts

    Give your 4th of July morning (or your afternoon BBQ) an extra bit of color with these red, white, and blue 4th of July doughnuts! | The Simple, Sweet Life
    Print Recipe

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    Give your 4th of July morning (or your afternoon BBQ) an extra bit of color with these red, white, and blue 4th of July doughnuts!

    • Author: The Simple, Sweet Life
    • Prep Time: 40 minutes
    • Total Time: 40 minutes
    • Yield: 6-8 Doughnuts 1x
    • Category: Breakfast
    • Cuisine: American

    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 6-8 cake doughnuts (Any kind works, so here are somerecipes to choose from)
    • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
    • 3 ½ tbsp. milk
    • Red and blue gel food coloring

    Instructions

    1. Bake (or buy) you're doughnuts and make sure they've cooled to room temperature (if you baked them). In a medium-size bowl, beat the powdered sugar and milk until it holds soft peaks. Make sure there aren't any powdered sugar lumps before stopping.
    2. Separate your icing into three bowls. Using a toothpick, tint one red, one blue, and leave the third one white. Spoon a tablespoon or two of each color onto a plate or shallow bowl. Make sure the colors are close enough to touch.
    3. Using a clean toothpick, swirl the colors together ever so slightly. Dip the top of each doughnut into the icing, making sure you don't push it so far down that it touches the plate (this will make the icing patchy wherever the doughnut touched the plate). Allow the excess icing to drip off before turning the doughnut right side up.
    4. Add another tablespoon of each icing to the plate, swirl with the toothpick, and repeat. Make sure to refresh the icing between each couple of dips.
    5. Allow the icing to harden completely (about 20-30 minutes) before packaging.

    Notes

    Icing recipe adapted from Baker Girl Steph

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @thesimplesweetlifeblog on Instagram and hashtag it #thesimplesweetlife

     

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    Reader Interactions

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    1. Linda @ 2 Cookin' Mamas says

      June 13, 2016 at 1:28 pm

      Yeah! I'm right with you on the 4th! There are only so many ways to do red, white & blue foods. I'd rather think of it as BBQ & family day. But these doughnuts - now you're talking! I just got a doughnut pan and can't wait to make one of your doughnut recipes and then, hopefully, make them look as pretty as yours. They are gorgeous! Thanks for the incentive!

      Reply
      • The Simple, Sweet Life says

        June 18, 2016 at 11:34 pm

        I'm pretty sure doughnut pans are the greatest baking invention since sliced bread. SERIOUSlY. 😀 I may be a little obsessed with them... But they make making doughnuts (almost dangerously) easy and ever so slightly healthier, which is a total win-win in my book. I can't wait for you to try one of the recipes, and I look forward to hearing what you think! 😀

        Reply
    2. Elsa | the whinery says

      June 13, 2016 at 4:46 pm

      Wow the doughnuts looks mesmerizing! Seriously you make the prettiest doughnuts. I can't wait to see what you make for the 4th of July next year! 🙂 the pressure's on now!

      Reply
      • The Simple, Sweet Life says

        June 18, 2016 at 11:36 pm

        Haha, oh man, the pressure's on, but at least I have a whole year left to plan! 😉 And I'm so glad you like the doughnuts Elsa! I've seriously been trying to figure out how to do this kind of multi-colored doughnut icing, and now that I have, I'm pretty sure this is going to become a thing. Actually, I'm not pretty sure, I KNOW this is going to be my new jam! 😀

        Reply
    3. bunsinmyoven says

      June 18, 2016 at 9:06 am

      So pretty and festive! Thanks for linkin' up with What's Cookin' Wednesday!

      Reply
      • The Simple, Sweet Life says

        June 18, 2016 at 11:38 pm

        Thanks so much! 😀

        Reply
    4. The Simple, Sweet Life says

      June 18, 2016 at 11:34 pm

      Thank you Leah! 😀

      Reply

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