refried donuts

"Refried donuts" are leftover donuts pan-fried in butter, lard, or grease until crisp and caramelized. An Appalachian and Southern farmhouse treat, it turned day-old sweets into a hot, rich dessert or snack.

#Appalachia #Food #Southern

Hillbilly Dude Says...

Anytime donuts started to get stale, we'd melt a bunch of butter and make 'refried donuts' - and still do to this day. It's not like a regular ol' donut. It's caramelized and sticky and tacky and crispy and melty inside. If you want to make sure you're sleepy the rest of the day, do it now.

Pronunciation

[REE-fried DO-nuts]

Meaning & Usage

- Donuts fried again in a skillet (noun dish)

Mae:

What’s that smell?

Earl:

Just makin’ refried donuts for the kids.

- A farmhouse way to use up stale sweets (noun dish)

Mae:

We didn’t waste nothin’ growin’ up - even donuts got refried.

other spellings: refriend doughnuts, fried donuts again, day-old donuts fried, donut fritters, skillet donuts, pan-fried donuts, and refried Krispy Kremes

★ Refried donuts taste different than fresh - denser, richer, and crispier. Best with a drizzle of syrup or a cold glass of milk. ★

Origin

Rooted in Appalachian and Southern thrift cooking, where nothing went to waste. Stale bread became bread pudding; stale donuts went into a skillet.

Notes

Still remembered in Southern and Appalachian kitchens, though less common today. Refrying turns day-old donuts into a nostalgic, comforting treat.

Say It Like a Southerner

Said plain: "ree-frahd dough-nuts."

Kin Topics

Kin Words, Stories and More

Common Questions

Do you have to use old donuts?

Not always, but that’s the tradition - it’s about not wasting.

What kind of grease is best?

Butter is classic, but bacon grease or lard give it an old-time flavor.

Is it the same as frying donuts?

No - these are already baked or fried donuts cooked a second time for texture and flavor.