Really, this is not the type of recipe I usually make. I mean I don’t even like canned biscuits, and I rarely fry things. And, to top it off, I had planned to make these with Steve’s grandsons, but one of them had a stomach virus when they were here, so we didn’t make them. This is not a new recipe. If you search canned biscuit doughnuts, you will find hundreds of recipes, but I didn’t see any Christmas ones. And, as it turns out, canned biscuits are better fried than baked, so these are really good. I will say that they are much better warm though.
I used Pilsbury’s southern style Grands for this, but I am sure others would work. You do need a pretty big biscuit though – at least big enough to go around the cookie cutter you are using. I flattened them slightly with my hand and then used the cookie cutter to cut them out. You need to make sure the cutter actually goes through the biscuit because biscuit dough is not easy to pull off around the cutter like cookie dough is.
Then, dip them in green glaze, sprinkle with sprinkles, and let dry. After the tops were dry, I tilted them up on the edge of the cookie sheet to help the bottoms dry faster.
Easy Christmas Tree Doughnuts
Yield 8
Ingredients
- 8 large canned biscuits
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid green food coloring
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- sprinkles
- oil for frying – I used canola. You will need enough to fill a skillet about 2 inches deep.
Instructions
- Remove biscuits from can and place on waxed paper. Flatten each slightly and cut with a cookie cutter.
- Stir together sugar, water, food coloring, and vanilla.
- Heat oil about 2 inches deep in a large skillet. to 350 degrees. I used a deep iron skillet.
- Add biscuits and cook until brown on one side. Then, turn and cook until brown on the other side. You want them to be pretty brown, because if they are not, they will not be done in the middle, but this will not take long – no more than a minute on each side, probably less.
- Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain the oil.
- Dip each doughnut in green glaze and set to dry on waxed paper. Sprinkle with sprinkles as you go because you need to add the sprinkles before the glaze dries, so that they will stick.
- Serve as soon as they are dry.
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The honesty about this being outside the usual recipe style is useful, because it makes the idea feel approachable rather than overly polished. The fact that the original plan involved making them with children also suggests a simple way to frame the activity: prepare the decorations first, then let each child assemble one tree at a time. That keeps the process manageable even if frying and canned dough are not regular kitchen habits. A little advance setup can turn these doughnuts into a relaxed holiday project.
The candid introduction makes the recipe feel approachable because it acknowledges that frying and canned biscuits may not be regular staples. Since the original plan involved making the doughnuts with children, a brief note on safe adult handling of hot oil and an alternative baked option could make the instructions more broadly useful. The festive shape is simple enough to keep the focus on decorating and sharing. Christmas treats often work best when the preparation feels manageable.