Homer Simpson Donut Recipe

The pink frosted donut with rainbow sprinkles is the most iconic food in Simpsons history. More than Duff Beer. More than Steamed Hams. More than any Krusty Burger menu item.

Homer has sold his soul for a donut. He's eaten donuts in heaven and hell. He's worked at a donut factory and been caught sleeping in the break room surrounded by crumbs. The man's relationship with donuts borders on spiritual.

This is how you make them at home. We're covering both fried (authentic) and baked (easier) versions, plus the exact frosting color and everything you need for a proper Lard Lad experience.

Quick Facts

• Prep Time: 2-3 hours (including rise time)
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Yield: 12 donuts
• Homer Approval Rating: 100%

The Anatomy of a Simpsons Donut

Before we start, let's establish what makes a Homer donut a Homer donut:

The Shape: Classic ring donut. Not a filled donut. Not a cruller. A ring with a hole.

The Color: The frosting is bright pink. Not pastel. Not salmon. Bright, aggressive, artificial pink. Think birthday party, not French bakery.

The Sprinkles: Rainbow jimmies. The long cylindrical ones, not the round nonpareils. This is non-negotiable.

The Size: Generous. Homer doesn't eat dainty donuts. These should be substantial.

The Texture: Soft, slightly cakey interior. Not too dense, not too airy.

Now let's make them.

Part 1: The Donut Dough

This is a yeast-raised donut dough. It needs time to rise, so plan accordingly.

Ingredients (Dough)

• 240ml whole milk, warmed to 40°C (105°F)
• 7g instant yeast (one packet)
• 50g granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 115g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 420g all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting)

Method (Dough)

Step 1: Bloom the Yeast

Combine warm milk, yeast, and a pinch of the sugar in a large bowl. Let sit 5-10 minutes until foamy. If it doesn't foam, your yeast is dead. Start over with fresh yeast.

Step 2: Mix the Wet Ingredients

Add the remaining sugar, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and salt to the yeast mixture. Whisk until combined.

Step 3: Add the Flour

Add flour gradually, mixing with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Switch to your hands and knead in the bowl for 2-3 minutes until smooth. The dough should be soft, slightly sticky, but not wet.

Don't add too much flour. Sticky dough makes tender donuts. Tough dough makes hockey pucks.

Step 4: First Rise

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let rise in a warm spot for 1-1.5 hours until doubled in size.

Step 5: Shape the Donuts

Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Roll to about 1cm (1/2 inch) thickness. Cut with a donut cutter or use two round cutters (one 8cm, one 3cm for the hole).

Place cut donuts on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them apart. Keep the donut holes. They're bonus snacks.

Step 6: Second Rise

Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise another 30-45 minutes until puffy. They should spring back slowly when poked.

Part 2: Frying (Traditional Method)

This is how Lard Lad would do it. And how you should do it if you want authentic texture.

What You Need

• Large pot or Dutch oven
• 2 liters vegetable or canola oil
• Thermometer (crucial)
• Spider skimmer or slotted spoon
• Wire rack over baking sheet

Frying Method

Heat the Oil: Fill your pot with oil to a depth of about 7cm (3 inches). Heat to 175°C (350°F). Use a thermometer. Guessing doesn't work.

Fry in Batches: Carefully lower 2-3 donuts into the oil. Don't crowd the pot. Fry 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown.

Drain: Remove to the wire rack. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before frosting.

Maintain Temperature: The oil will drop in temperature when you add donuts. Adjust heat to maintain 175°C between batches.

Don't Forget the Holes: Fry the donut holes for about 1 minute, turning once.

Frying Tips

Oil temperature matters more than anything else. Too hot and the outside burns before the inside cooks. Too cool and the donuts absorb oil and become greasy.

Flip gently. Splashing hot oil hurts.

These are best eaten within a few hours of frying. They don't keep well overnight.

Part 2 (Alternative): Baking

If you don't want to deal with hot oil, baked donuts are a solid option. They're lighter, less greasy, and easier. They're not quite the same texture, but they're still delicious.

Baking Method

Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F).

Prepare the same dough. After shaping and second rise, place donuts on parchment-lined baking sheets.

Brush lightly with melted butter.

Bake 10-12 minutes until golden and cooked through. They should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Cool on a wire rack before frosting.

Part 3: The Pink Frosting

This is where we achieve Homer-level accuracy. The pink matters.

Ingredients (Frosting)

• 300g powdered sugar, sifted
• 3-4 tbsp milk or cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pink food coloring (gel preferred)

The Color

This is the critical part. Simpsons pink is specific. It's not bubblegum pink. It's not coral. It's a warm, slightly reddish pink.

If using gel food coloring: Start with 1/4 tsp pink. Add a tiny drop of red to warm it up. Mix thoroughly. Add more as needed.

If using liquid food coloring: You'll need more. Start with 8-10 drops pink, 2-3 drops red.

The Target: Bright but not neon. Warm but not orange. If it looks like it came from a cartoon, you're there.

Making the Glaze

Combine powdered sugar, 3 tbsp milk, and vanilla in a bowl. Whisk until smooth. The consistency should be thick but pourable. Add more milk if too thick, more sugar if too thin.

Add food coloring and mix until uniform. No streaks.

Glazing the Donuts

The donuts should be completely cool. Warm donuts melt the glaze.

Dip the top of each donut into the glaze, twist slightly, and lift out. Let excess drip off.

Add sprinkles immediately. The glaze sets fast. Rainbow jimmies, applied generously, while glaze is wet.

Place on a wire rack to set, about 15 minutes.

The Lard Lad Connection

In Springfield, the best donuts come from Lard Lad Donuts, identifiable by its giant fiberglass mascot holding a donut. The store appears in numerous episodes, most notably "Treehouse of Horror VI" where the Lard Lad statue comes to life and rampages through town.

The menu at Lard Lad includes:

• The classic pink frosted (Homer's go-to)
• Chocolate glazed
• Jelly filled
• The Colossal Donut (displayed in the statue's hand)

Fun fact: The Lard Lad is a parody of Big Boy restaurant statues. The character has been with the show since the early seasons and became an unofficial mascot of Springfield's culinary scene.

Donut Variations from The Simpsons

Over 30+ seasons, we've seen plenty of donut variations:

The Soul Donut ("Treehouse of Horror IV"): Homer sells his soul to the Devil for a donut. The last bite triggers the deal. He spends the episode with the donut around his neck, unable to finish it.

The Forbidden Donut: Same episode. It's just a regular donut that Homer was forbidden from eating. He ate it anyway.

The Donut Head ("Treehouse of Horror IV"): Homer in donut hell, force-fed donuts for eternity. He loves it. "More please."

Donut-Shaped Pillow: Not a food item, but Homer owns one. Priorities.

The World's Largest Donut: Several episodes reference giant donuts, usually as attractions or prizes.

Troubleshooting

Donuts are dense and heavy: Dough didn't rise enough, or you added too much flour. Let it rise longer next time.

Donuts absorbed too much oil: Oil wasn't hot enough. Use a thermometer.

Donuts are raw inside: Oil was too hot. Lower the temperature.

Frosting is too runny: Add more powdered sugar.

Frosting is too thick: Add milk, one teaspoon at a time.

Wrong shade of pink: Keep adjusting. Take photos in natural light to compare. Phone screens can distort color.

Sprinkles fell off: You waited too long to apply them. Glaze sets quickly.

Serving Suggestions

Classic Homer Style: On a plate, with a cup of coffee. Eat at least three.

Donut Wall: Stack on a tiered stand for parties.

Deconstructed: Serve plain donuts with bowls of different colored glazes and toppings. Let guests decorate their own.

A la Mode: Cut in half, add ice cream. It works.

Storage

Glazed donuts don't store well. The glaze gets tacky, the donut gets stale.

Best: Eat within 4-6 hours of glazing.

Acceptable: Store unglazed donuts in an airtight container overnight. Glaze fresh the next morning.

Don't: Refrigerate. It makes them rubbery.

Freeze: Unglazed donuts can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, then glaze.

Scaling Up

This recipe makes 12 standard donuts. For a party:

• Double the recipe for 24 donuts
• Make dough in two batches if your bowl is small
• Fry in batches, maintaining oil temperature
• Make frosting in larger batches
• Have extra sprinkles on hand (you'll use more than you think)

The Homer Philosophy

Homer's love of donuts isn't about sophistication. It's about pure, uncomplicated pleasure. A pink frosted donut with sprinkles is joyful. It's colorful. It tastes like sugar and fried dough and happiness.

You could make a matcha-glazed donut with black sesame. You could do a salted caramel crumble situation. And those would be fine.

But sometimes the move is bright pink frosting and rainbow sprinkles. Sometimes the obvious choice is the right one.

Homer figured that out decades ago.

---

More Springfield Sweets: Pair your donuts with a Squishee for the full Kwik-E-Mart experience, or try the Moon Waffles for breakfast.