The Key Differences Between Iced And Glazed Donuts

There is no bad donut. Truly. From old-fashioned to cake, and the always delicious yeast-based donut, there's a reason donuts got so popular: they are incredibly versatile. Still, the intricacies of donut variations can be difficult to parse. Gordon Ramsay has a secret to better donuts, but shapes, fillings, and preparation styles vary widely by region, and even by shop. Then there is the sweet stuff that goes on top. 

One particularly sticky donut subject is icing. Or is it glaze? Sometimes, a donut can have both. But really, what is the difference between an iced and a glazed donut? The two biggest distinctions between them are in thickness level and coating style.

Glaze has more liquid and is typically runnier than icing. It can be used on tarts, buns, and other pastries to add moisture, a touch of sweetness, or an attractive sheen. On donuts, a glaze forms a shell-like coating over the entire surface and gives the pastry a mirror-like shine. Icing, on the other hand, is thicker and tends to go only on the top of a donut. (Though it isn't as thick as frosting, which is a creamy base of fat and sugar.) Icing often starts off thin enough to be drizzled, but dries solid after application. It can also be shiny, but tends to be colorful and opaque.

Now, icing and glaze are by no means mutually exclusive. Often, icing is found on top of glazed donuts, with the glaze providing general sweetness and the icing a specific flavor. (Think chocolate-iced glazed donuts.) Both icing and glaze are made with a liquid, such as milk or water, and powdered sugar, which you can easily make at home. Icings and glazes tend to lack the creamy, spreadable consistency that frostings have, and instead conform to the shape of whatever they are drizzled on. 

If you're hoping to add flavor to your donut, then you'll probably want to use an icing, since most donut glazes are made simply of sugar and water. They are used to form a sweet, shiny coating rather than add a specific flavor. Still, this doesn't mean you can't add flavor with glaze. After all, Krispy Kreme has had plenty of fun with their strawberry glazed donuts.