
Donuts are versatile, as you can enjoy them as breakfast, desserts, or snacks. They are enough to make you feel full. And the best part is that donuts store well and often, and all you need to do is reheat them to restore their soft, light texture and remove any odors of staleness. But here is the catch: you need to use the perfect method to reheat your stored or leftover donuts to restore their original taste and texture.
So, if you have leftover or stored donuts, and are looking for the best way to reheat them, keep reading this article till the end to find the method that suits you the best.
The 5 Best Ways to Reheat Donuts
Here are five methods for reheating your donuts. You can choose any of the reheating techniques based on the kitchen equipment you have.
Reahting Method | Result |
---|---|
Using Microwave | Yields the best result. Soft, evenly warmed, and delicious donut. |
Using Oven | Dries out the donut but add crunch to it. |
Using Oven Toaster | Same as the oven. |
Using Air-fryer | Doesn’t add much softness to the donuts. |
Using Frying Pan | Doesn’t heat the donut evenly and also doesn’t add much softness |
How to Reheat Donuts in the Microwave
This is my favorite method to reheat both fresh and little stale donuts because microwaving yields wonderful results fast and effortlessly. Though, due to microwaving, the glaze lost its crispiness, it made the donuts soft.
To microwave the donuts, follow the below steps:
- Choose a microwave-safe dish and place your donuts in it.
- If stale, add moisture by covering it with a damp paper towel.
- On medium-high power, microwave the doughnut for 10 to 20 seconds.
- Serve hot straight away.
How to Reheat Donuts in an Oven

This is the second-best donut reheating method. When you reheat the donut in an oven, it adds a beautiful crunch to the glaze. Also, an oven is a great tool to rewarm all types of donuts. However, the oven doesn’t add as much softness to the donuts as the microwave does, and unfortunately, using the oven to revive stale donuts doesn’t actually work. They remain dry even when you add a little moisture.
So, if you have to reheat many donuts at a time and want to enjoy the crunch of the glaze, follow the below steps:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Transfer your donuts onto the wire rack of a baking tray.
- If your donuts are stale, sprinkle some water and wrap them in foil.
- Let them heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy.
How to Reheat Donuts Using Toaster Oven
If you don’t have an oven or don’t have many donuts to reheat, you can use a toaster oven. The result will be the same as in the oven.
Here is how you can use a toaster oven to reheat donuts.
- Set the toaster oven to 350°F.
- If you want a crispier donut, you can spritz or brush some oil on the donuts before toasting them.
- Place the donut in the toaster oven. If you want, you can wrap donuts in a damp paper towel or in foil to avoid getting a dry donut.
- Heat the donut on low for around 5 minutes and check to see if the texture is to your liking. If not, leave them in for a little longer.
- Once done, serve and enjoy.
Reheating Donuts Using an Air Fryer
The air fryer does a fairly good job of reheating your delicious donut, but the reheated donuts won’t be soft. However, they will be edible.
Let’s see how to warm donuts using an air-fryer.
- Preheat your air fryer to 350°F.
- Fold the corners of the parchment paper as you line the fryer basket to avoid burning yourself on the glaze when you remove the warm donut from the basket.
- Cook the donut for 1–2 minutes.
- Lift the parchment paper out of the basket to remove it.
- Serve right away.
Reheating Donuts Using Frying Pan
I am really not a fan of this method and consider it as only my last resort. When you use the stovetop to reheat your donuts, though you will get your warm donuts to enjoy, it will be difficult to control the heat. Also, this method doesn’t guarantee you evenly heated donuts.
However, using this method while reheating donuts, you can change the donuts’ texture in a good way. Try adding powdered sugar to your donuts before you fry them, and you will get a deliciously crunchy and caramelized outer texture.
Here are the steps to rewarm donuts in a frying pan:
- Grease a pan very lightly with butter or oil. I prefer butter.
- Set the heat on your stovetop to medium.
- Fry your donut for a minute on each side. (If you don’t want to warm the glaze, slice the donut in half horizontally, then warm each half, cut side down, for a minute.)
- If your donuts are stale, drizzle water in the pan and keep the lid on for another minute.
- Remove from the pan and serve right away.
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FAQ
1. How to Keep Donuts Fresh?
Here are some tips that will help you keep your donuts fresh for a while.
- Put the donut in an airtight bag or container for storage. Then place them in a refrigerator or freezer. Donuts that have just been baked can be stored at room temperature for a maximum of 2 to 3 days.
- Keep the donuts in a dry, cold place.
- If you want to store donuts in a paper bag, make sure to wrap them with napkins.
- To store them, you can also use aluminum foil to wrap them.
2. How to Warm Up Krispy Kreme Donuts?
You can use any of the above methods to reheat Krispy Kreme donuts. If you have a microwave, then go for it.
3. How Long Do Krispy Kreme Donuts Last?
Donuts will remain fresh at room temperature for two to three days. However, a few factors may affect this. For instance, the doughnuts might not last as long if the weather is especially warm or humid.
And if you refrigerate them, they will remain fresh for a further 5-7 days in the fridge.
With all this information, you can now enjoy donuts to your heart’s delight, but in moderation, of course.

Monica Nash is the seniormost writer at www.limitlesscooking.com. She is excellent at designing the content, and she understands how the audience will receive each piece of work. And yes, she cooks very well! Her 3-year of experience and dedication make the whole team energized.