13 Desserts To Make Using Store-Bought Donuts

Grocery stores that offer fresh baked goods always have delicious items to add to your cart — and other ones that you're better off skipping. While bakery items like crunchy bread and chocolate chip cookies are typically must-haves, store-bought donuts may leave you with a bit of buyer's remorse. They always sound good in the moment, but their quality is not always on par with your favorite local or chain donut shop — unless, of course, your grocery store sells Krispy Kreme donuts.

But with a little creativity and a big sweet tooth, you can reinvent your store-bought donuts and give them a new lease on life. We've compiled some unique ways to put store-bought donuts to use and give them the transformation they so desperately deserve.

It isn't uncommon to see fancy (read: overpriced) burgers with donuts for buns — but that isn't too desserty. Rather, there's another sweeter sandwich that may benefit from a fried donut addition: one stuffed with ice cream.

Ice cream donut sandwiches are easy to assemble, as all you need are glazed donuts and your favorite ice cream. Slice each donut horizontally before spooning in your ice cream of choice in between. One hack that will help make the scooping and distributing process easier is to cut up a whole pint of ice cream (packaging still attached) rather than use an ice cream scoop to remove the product from the container. Once the pint is sliced, you can put the piece on your donut and unfurl the wrapper. Alternatively, you can freeze pucks of ice cream ahead of time so that you can easily pop one into a store-bought donut when the craving strikes. 

Besides playing with different ice cream flavors, you can also further customize your sandwich by rolling the ice cream slices in sprinkles, chopped nuts, or crushed M&M's. Or, add a drizzle of your favorite ice cream sauce, be it chocolate or caramel.

Bread pudding is one breakfast/dessert we can't get enough of. Typically, layers of sweet, custard-soaked bread are baked to perfection. But just because its name is "bread pudding" doesn't mean you can't try other items for your base, too. 

Store-bought donuts are an excellent substitute for a brioche, challah, or otherwise dense bread in your pudding. The "bread" needs to be able to soak up the custard, which is why we would recommend using stale glazed donuts, or even mixing them with old -ashioned ones. Cube your donuts into bite-sized pieces before covering them with your custard and letting the mixture sit. What is especially nice about bread pudding is that you can make it the night before you need to serve it and simply uncover and bake when you're ready.

There are tons of ways to customize your donut bread pudding to make it unique. You can add in dried fruit, nuts, or chocolate chips, or drizzle it with a sauce, like caramel or crème anglaise, before serving.

When many people think of the word "dip," their brains (and stomachs) might go straight to the savory dips of the world — like guacamole, salsa, and hummus; however, there are so many unique dessert dips out there that are also worth trying. For one, you can use up a leftover block of cream cheese by combining it with a little bit of melted chocolate and whipped topping to make a dip that tastes great with — you guessed it — store-bought donuts. 

Pairing your leftover donuts with a dessert dip is an easy way to bring new and exciting flavors to an otherwise boring and dull glazed or baked donut. Plus, there's limitless dips that pair well with donuts. For one, you can try a caramel pecan cheesecake fruit dip, which tastes delicious with glazed or frosted donuts. Or for something more nutrient-dense, try your hand at a chocolate hummus dip. The rich flavor complements chocolate cake donuts and plain donuts alike. 

Sometimes, the easiest way to upgrade any food is to change its shape. One of the things you probably didn't know your waffle maker could do is easily transform the flavor and texture of your store-bought donuts. This hack is particularly useful for day-old donuts that could use a little crispiness. It should only be used for yeast donuts (like the classic glazed variety) rather than cake donuts. Yeast donuts will compress better in the iron, which will give you a slightly airy and light texture. The glaze on the outside of the donut will also caramelize as it cooks. However, it is important to always keep an eye on these donuts as they're pressing, as the hot sugar can burn relatively quickly. You'll only need to leave the donuts in the iron for about two minutes, though it may vary based on the size and brand of your waffle maker. 

Your donut waffles can be used for so many things, dessert and breakfast included. You can make your breakfast sandwich a salty-sweet paradise with this simple swap or serve them with a drizzle of maple syrup and pat of butter. Since the donuts are flattened, they are also easier to adorn with toppings and eat as toast. If you're craving a midnight snack, try swiping a layer of Nutella on your glazed donut waffles and relish every bite in the dim backlight of your fridge. 

Most trifle recipes are made with some sort of "cake" layer, whipped topping, and a pudding-like component. But other than that, the possibilities for constructing and enjoying trifles are endless. 

One of the easiest ways to upgrade your trifle is to swap out the standard sponge cake for something more exciting. Store-bought donuts would be an excellent addition here, as they have a unique texture that can elevate the mouthfeel of your dessert. While you can use whole donuts sliced into smaller pieces, you can also use a box of store-bought donut holes to cut down on your prep time. From there, assemble your trifle with your chosen array of sauces and toppings. For something light and summery, consider layering in sliced strawberries, lemon curd, and whipped topping into your trifle. Or, if you're after something more decadent, add a chocolate pudding, Oreo crumbs, and whipped topping instead. 

One of the most important things to know about trifle is that it is always best enjoyed right after it's assembled. Otherwise, the cake (or in this case, donuts) will get soggy. Assemble the portion that you need for your event or dinner party, and leave the leftover components separate so you can make another serving fresh later on. 

Eating a donut can be a tedious task, particularly if it isn't a good one. But when you intersperse it with bites of fresh fruit, you'll have a more balanced treat that is easier to get through. 

The next time you have a ton of leftover donuts or donut holes, try sticking them on a skewer. If you're craving a simple, summery treat, skewer alternating sliced strawberries and plain donut pieces. Or, for something more tropical, add slices of banana, pineapple, and donuts to your skewers. 

Although it might sound a bit odd, it is even possible to grill your donut skewers to give them a better flavor. This works best for glazed donuts, as that sugary coating will caramelize when it hits the flames. Just make sure to soak your sticks ahead of time (or use metal ones) to avoid burning, and only use grill-safe fruits on your skewers, like pineapples or peaches, rather than something that will fall off the stick and onto your grill grates. 

It is hard not to love French toast, especially when it is served alongside a crock of warm syrup. But when you make your tasty breakfast with day-old donuts instead of bread, you'll unlock an even more flavorful and sweet dish worth adding to your Sunday brunch roster or after-dinner treat. 

This would be an excellent way to use up excess apple cider donuts, as they're coated in a cinnamon-sugar coating that will caramelize when they hit the pan. But if all you have are glazed donuts, that is perfectly okay too. Slice your donuts in half horizontally before dipping them into a bowl of custard. You can use the same custard you would use for normal French toast — like one made with eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add a little sprinkle of spice, like cinnamon, or a teaspoon of vanilla extract to make your French toast taste all the more homey.

This hack works best with stale donuts rather than fresh ones, since the dry sponge can better soak up custard. Once your rounds have been cooked and served, you can enjoy them at any time of day and dress them up accordingly. If you're after a tantalizing dessert, for example, you may want to add a swipe of Nutella, fruit preserves, or whipped cream instead of your go-to maple syrup. 

If you love making bagel chips when you have a surplus of bagels, why not try making donut chips with leftover store-bought donuts? This preparation is an easy way to transform a box of average store-bought donuts into something far more useful. No longer will you be relegated to eating plain donuts; when you turn them into chips, you can scoop them into different dips or even use them as a topping for ice cream. 

There are several ways you can go about transforming your donuts into donut chips. If you have access to a panini press, sandwich them that way. Make sure to cut the donuts in half before you place them in the greased iron. If you don't have a panini press, you can make the chips on your stovetop using a heavy-bottomed pan or skillet to press down the donuts as they crisp. Just make sure not to leave the donuts in the skillet for too long, as their exterior sugary coating makes them prime candidates for burning.

Tiramisu is a fantastic and traditional Italian dessert, so you may not want to tell your nonna that you took a creamy hazelnut tiramisu recipe and gave it a little bit of a facelift with the help of store-bought donuts. 

Most tiramisus are made with Ladyfinger biscuits. These spongy cookies readily soak up all that coffee flavor, but it turns out that slightly-stale store-bought donuts can do the same. The key to constructing any dessert is to make sure that you have a balanced ratio of ingredients. To avoid any massive chunks, be sure to chop up the donuts into smaller pieces before assembling. Since you want the donuts to soak up the residual coffee, you're going to want to use cake donuts — like old fashioned, powdered, or chocolate cake donuts — for this recipe. 

The cake donuts are bland enough to work with a variety of tiramisu upgrades as well. Infuse your mascarpone layer with spice or extra chocolate or find ways to give it with a boozy kick.

A donut-infused milkshake will, in fact, bring all the boys (and girls, and really every sweets lover) to the yard. It might seem strange to add donuts to something drinkable, but this simple addition can make for a richer shake. It isn't uncommon to infuse cake mix or cake pieces into a milkshake, so why not try donuts? 

The first thing you're going to want to do is add your donuts to the bottom of the blender to blitz them into small pieces. After all, there's nothing worse than getting one stuck in your straw and having it disrupt your sipping experience. From there, you can add your normal milkshake ingredients, like ice cream, milk, and flavorings. You can use glazed donuts for this recipe or opt for sugar donuts instead. It is an easy way to repurpose donuts that are a little stale, and you can easily customize your milkshake by using a unique ice cream flavor or adding a flavored syrup. Garnishing your shake with a fancy store-bought donut is also a good choice. As Jacqui Passmore, the marketing manager at Dawn Foods UK, told British Baker, "Many supermarkets are ... innovating with increasingly exciting toppings."

If you're in charge of planning the next fun date night, look no further than homemade chocolate fondue. While the idea of it might sound simple — just dipping items into chocolate and eating them — but there's something creative and fun about selecting your dippables, firing up your burner of choice, and spending time with someone you care about over delicious melted chocolate. 

If you need another item to add to your fondue spread, look no further than chopped donuts. Both cake and yeast donuts are fair game here. Just chop them up into small pieces (or better yet, use bite-sized donut holes) and grab some dipping utensils like skewers or forks. The chocolate will elevate the flavor of your donut and complement other dippables, like marshmallows, pretzels, chopped fruit, and the like. This low-budget way to repurpose store-bought donuts will breathe new life into them and give you a fun activity to boot. 

Donuts and pies may not sound like they go together, but it turns out that as long as you think outside the box, you can bring these two sweet treats together in one pie tin. For one, you can use your store-bought donuts to flavor the custard filling of your pie. Think of it kind of like a bread pudding in a pie crust. The donuts will meld together with the sugary custard, giving this toothsome pie a mouthfeel that sugar pie lovers will appreciate. 

The other, arguably more approachable way to make this dessert is to add the donuts to the pie crust itself. This creative way to use extra donuts will give your crust a sweet twist, and it can be used for everything from cheesecake to conventional apple pie. Blitz your donuts in a food processor or blender until they resemble a fine paste before adding a little bit of melted butter to bring the mixture together. You will likely need to par-bake this crust, seeing as you need to ensure that it sticks together before you add your wet filling.  

Strawberry shortcake is one of the most under-appreciated desserts of the summer. Whether you make yours with a piece of angel food cake or assemble it with a quality buttermilk biscuit, there is no wrong way to enjoy it. Yet and still, there is a better way: using a store-bought donut instead of cake as a base.

Right before you're about to serve, top a donut — glazed or cake — with macerated strawberries and a little bit of whipped cream. The donut will soak up all that sugary sweet goodness, and as long as you time it just right, it shouldn't get overly soggy. The best thing about this dessert is its simplicity, though you could always step things up with a little balsamic glaze, drizzle of honey, or fresh mint garnish, too.