Professional solutions for delicious donuts and other fried pastries

Step Up Your Game of Fried Dough Goods: professional solutions for donuts, Berliners, and more

Classic glazed rings or a pastry filled with jam, donuts are a beloved treat and therefore a global bakery favourite. At Puratos, we help artisan and industrial bakers create consistently high-quality donuts with the right mix of ingredients, fillings, and innovations. Our donut and fried pastries solutions support both large-scale production and artisan baking, making it easy to deliver consistent quality, great taste, and products your customers love.

What is a donut? And what it’s not?

A donut is a sweet dough product, traditionally fried but sometimes baked, and typically shaped as a ring or a round filled ball. Donuts are known for their wide variety of finishes, ranging from glazes and coatings to sprinkles, fillings, and creative toppings. This versatility makes them a popular choice across markets, offering bakers room for innovation in flavour, texture, and presentation.

While other fried dough pastries may look similar, they differ in dough composition, shape, and consumer expectations. For example:

Berliners (also named Krapfen), bomboloni, and sonhos are made from enriched doughs (often containing eggs and butter), resulting in a softer, lighter crumb. These are typically filled with custard, jam, or cream and finished with powdered sugar or glaze, and with no central hole.
Traditional beignets are square or pillow-shaped, dusted with powdered sugar and sometimes filled with fruits, jam or chocolate. They are often lighter than donuts due to a leaner dough and they can be savoury as well.

Despite shared frying techniques, the donut stands apart through its iconic ring shape, sweeter dough, and focus on toppings and coatings over fillings. Understanding these distinctions helps you tailor your recipes and production processes to meet your consumer’s preferences and expectations.

Most popular variations

🍩Glazed donut: Coated with a smooth, shiny layer of sweet sugar glaze, this classic donut is a favourite for its simple yet indulgent taste.

🍨Mochinut: A delightful fusion of donut and mochi, offering a chewy, soft texture that’s both unique and satisfying. Popular for its variety of flavours and innovative shape.

🍭Mini donut: Perfect bite-sized treats that are great for snacking, sharing, or enjoying at events. Their compact size makes them irresistibly cute and easy to eat.

🍬Donut Holes: Small, round pieces of fried dough made from the centers of donuts, ideal for popping into your mouth as a quick, sweet treat.

🍏Apple cider donut: Infused with apple cider and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, these donuts bring warm, comforting flavours that are especially enjoyed during autumn.

🥯Old fashioned donut: With a dense and crispy texture, this donut stands out for its rustic appearance and deep, buttery flavour, offering a timeless charm.

🌱Vegan donut: Created without any animal products, these donuts cater to plant-based diets while delivering delicious flavours and textures for everyone to enjoy.

Blend tradition and innovation in every donut and berliner

Great donuts start with the right foundation. Our ingredient solutions are developed to give your fried goods the perfect texture—soft, moist, and consistent—and adding the flavour and finish that your consumers expect.

We develop products that support a healthier lifestyle and enhance well-being, while also being committed to sustainability. With our innovative solutions, we can help you have a better impact on consumer health and on the planet. Learn more

Ingredients for donuts and berliners

Ingredients to create the donuts and berliners basis
Add flavour and texture to your donuts and berliners

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donuts and berliners recipes

Need a hand with your donut?

At Puratos, we pride ourselves on having the expertise and solutions to support every type of production, from artisan bakeries to large-scale industrial operations.

A story of the donut

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Dutch immigrants brought a delicious tradition to New York—“olie koeken,” or “oil cakes.” These were fried dough balls with crispy exteriors and soft, tender interiors, often stuffed with fruits such as apples or raisins, and occasionally nuts. While they lacked the iconic ring shape of modern donuts, olie koeken were a comforting and flavorful treat that delighted many.

As time passed, the popularity of these doughy delights grew, and their form began to evolve. By the mid-19th century, the modern donut took shape, thanks to Hansen Gregory, a sailor who is said to have invented the ring design. Gregory punched a hole in the center of the dough, allowing it to cook more evenly and efficiently. This small innovation transformed olie koeken into the iconic donuts we know today.

What is the difference between a donut and a berliner?

The key difference between donuts and Berliners lies in their shape and texture

Donuts are typically circular, often with a hole in the middle. Made from sweet dough, they are fried and usually glazed, iced, or topped with sprinkles. Their texture is slightly chewy and less rich than Berliners. Berliners, on the other hand, are round pastries without a hole. They are made with enriched dough that typically contains eggs, creating a soft, fluffy texture. Berliners are fried to a golden perfection. They are often dusted with powdered sugar or glazed. Berliners tend to have a richer and lighter texture compared to donuts.

Both are delicious fried treats with distinct styles, celebrating sweetness and tradition in their own way!

What consumers say

Who says indulgence can't be packed with protein? Today's consumers are looking for treats that satisfy both their cravings and their nutritional goals—so why not donuts! Read more how health meets indulgence in protein-packed pastry and baked goods