9 Canned Ingredients That Upgrade Store-Bought Donuts

Most store-bought donuts are delicious enough on their own, but sometimes you can make a good thing even better. Whether you're buying a dozen for a special event and want to impress your guests, or you're just tired of eating plain glazed and sprinkled donuts every morning, canned ingredients can take your breakfast to the next level. Using these simple upgrades is also a fun way to allow family members to customize their pastries.

Another benefit of these canned ingredients is that you most likely already have them in your pantry. You can use basic canned items such as sauces, desserts, and even savory treats to transform your store-bought donuts from blah to bakery-worthy. Not only will they taste better, but they'll also make for a more creative presentation when added to a brunch table as well.

No matter whether you prefer frosted, fruity, or nutty donuts, there is a canned ingredient to match your tastes. You can purchase your donuts anywhere you'd like (although according to dessert lovers, you may want to skip Walmart donuts).

Donuts and fruity fillings go together like a match made in culinary heaven, and you know this if your go-to breakfast order is fruit-filled pastries. If it's hard to find a delicious store-bought, fruit-filled donut where you live, or if you're just stuck with a box of boring glazed fried dough, you can make your taste buds sing with just a can of pie filling. You may even already have a can sitting in the back of your cupboard, a reminder of that holiday pie you forgot to make.

The beauty of this donut hack is that you can completely customize the flavor according to your preferences. The grocery store didn't have a fruit-filled donut in the case this morning? No worries, you can transform your plain pastry with a can of apple pie filling. You can also use cherry, blueberry, or any other type of filling that you have. Simply top the store-bought donut with the fruity filling, or scoop a bit into the hole for a pretty (albeit messy to eat) presentation. 

If you want to take this idea a bit further and enjoy an even more decadent dessert, add a layer of cream cheese with the fruit filling between the two donuts. As a summer treat, you could even swap out that cream cheese for ice cream. When combined with the pie filling, you'll have a donut sundae sandwich. Who says you can't eat ice cream for breakfast?

If you have a plain store-bought donut and a can of sweetened condensed milk, you're in for a real breakfast treat. Unless you like your donuts super-sweet, this tip will probably work best on unfrosted or unglazed pastries.

Sweetened condensed milk is typically made from just two ingredients — whole milk and sugar — but is processed in a way that gives it a creamy, syrupy texture. It's often used as a base ingredient in glazes and other culinary creations, such as dulce de leche, where it is boiled until it takes on a caramel color and flavor. If you can boil water, you can make dulce de leche. Top the store-bought donuts with this concoction for an instant gourmet upgrade.

If you have a can of sweetened condensed milk on hand, you can open it and drizzle the syrupy goodness over the store-bought donuts as a simple topping. You can also transform it into a rich frosting by combining it with the likes of heavy cream and vanilla extract. For an extra treat, add cocoa powder or melted chocolate chips.

There isn't much that a swirl of creamy, golden salted caramel sauce doesn't improve, and donuts are no exception. If your store-bought pastries leave much to be desired, jazz them up with some canned caramel. Drizzling ribbons of the rich, decadent sauce over the doughy treats will elevate even the most boring of pastries. You can enhance almost any type of store-bought donut with the caramel sauce, but starting with a plain cake one will prevent the breakfast treat from becoming too sweet. You can also use the golden sauce to add an extra layer of flavor to a chocolate or even jelly-filled donut.

As another option, pour the canned salted caramel sauce into a bowl and microwave it a bit to soften. Dip the donuts directly into the bowl, completely covering them with the caramel. To make breakfast treats extra-special, add sprinkles. You can even get festive with the topping, using red and green sprinkles for Christmas, or red and pink for Valentine's Day. Add some texture and interest with crushed nuts, chocolate chips, or even toasted coconut flakes. If you're hosting a brunch, set out bowls of salted caramel and a variety of toppings, and allow your guests to customize their own store-bought donuts. This would also make a fun activity for a child's (or, let's be real, an adult's) birthday party.

If you love nutty donuts, you don't have to take the time to hunt one down at your local bakery. With just a few simple steps, you can enjoy the taste of your favorite pastries at home. Not only will the nuts give store-bought donuts a roasted flavor, but they will also add a crunchy texture. Nut-topped donuts are perfect for those who crave a sweet-and-salty flavor combination, or who can't decide between a sugary or savory breakfast treat. Canned chopped nuts are available in a wide range of varieties, such as plain roasted peanuts, walnuts, almonds, pecans, or combinations of two or more. 

Since you'll need to make the canned, crushed nuts stick to the donuts, start by slathering them with either frosting, glaze, or icing. If you don't have any of those on hand, you can drizzle the store-bought donuts with maple syrup, honey, or sweetened condensed milk. Next, either sprinkle the crushed nuts over the pastries or roll the donuts in a bowl of them to cover every inch with nutty goodness. The result is a breakfast treat that's soft, crunchy, sweet, and salty all at once. 

Ever make a can of cinnamon rolls and end up with leftover icing? Instead of just eating it directly out of the container (no judgment here), save it for the next time you bring home store-bought donuts. Yes, the same sweet, sticky glaze that makes canned cinnamon rolls swoon-worthy can also take your grocery store donuts to the next level. To make these creative culinary treats, start with a basic pastry without any type of glaze or frosting, such as a cake donut or a plain long john.

Warm up the cinnamon roll frosting a bit, and then drizzle it over the donuts, or use a knife to spread it evenly over the tops. To create a cinnamon roll donut, start with a cinnamon-flavored pastry. After it's topped with the ooey-gooey icing, this fusion of two breakfast favorites will leave you craving more.

Before looking at your boring store-bought donut with disdain, consider transforming it into a cake-inspired breakfast goodie. If you have a can of pineapple on hand, you have the makings of a delicious pineapple upside-down cake-inspired donut. Sweet with a touch of tart, these fancied-up donuts will have you making more for dessert after dinner. For this hack, it's best to use a plain cake or glazed donut since they'll give you the most authentic flavor. 

To assemble this twist on a classic dessert, drizzle a simple, homemade glaze made with butter, pineapple juice, and brown sugar over each store-bought donut. This will give the donuts a traditional pineapple upside-down cake taste. To add to the nostalgic flavor, top each glazed donut with a canned pineapple ring. If you don't want to go the classic route, you can top the donuts with either canned or homemade frosting instead of the glaze. Firmly press the pineapple rings into the glaze or frosting so they stick to the donut, ensuring fruit in each bite. Drop a maraschino cherry into the centers of the donuts to complete the treat.

If you're a lover of all things autumn, you don't have to wait until the fall to get a taste of the season. You can instantly upgrade a boring, store-bought donut with just a leftover can of pumpkin puree. When combined with a few other ingredients that you most likely already have in your kitchen, the puree becomes the ultimate fall-inspired donut topper. Although the pumpkin will enhance a variety of donut flavors, stick with a plain, cinnamon, or maple-glazed pastry for the most authentic taste.

While you can just plop the pumpkin puree directly on the donut as it is straight out of the can, it probably won't be very tasty. Instead, use it to create an easy pumpkin spice sauce using kitchen staples such as milk, maple syrup, sugar, cinnamon, and allspice. Combine all of the ingredients in a pan, and heat until it thickens. After the sauce cools, spoon it over your store-bought donuts. Enjoy with a pumpkin spice latte for an extra autumnal buzz.

If you want to give your store-bought donuts a touch of festive flair, you can't go wrong with a can of cranberry sauce. Whether you're preparing a holiday brunch or an after-dinner delight, decadent cranberry-topped donuts will hit the sweet spot. While you can simply open a can of cranberry sauce and scoop it over a plain donut as a tart topping, transforming it into a delicious frosting or glaze will make a celebratory breakfast even more special. In a matter of minutes, you can whip up a vibrantly-colored donut topping that's as tasty as any bakery treat. 

To make the donut frosting, combine the cranberry sauce, butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar in your mixer until it's creamy. Slather the rosy-hued frosting over a plain cake donut, and top with festive sprinkles if you desire. If you prefer to go the glaze route, mix the cranberry sauce with sugar, powdered sugar, and orange juice and zest. Heat the ingredients on your stovetop until they form a thick glaze that you can drizzle over your store-bought donuts. 

As another option, heat the canned cranberry sauce on the stove with a few extra ingredients, such as orange zest, cinnamon, and cloves, for a spicy touch. Hollow out a portion of the store-bought donuts and scoop some of the warm cranberry sauce into the center. Finish with a sprinkle of homemade zesty orange cinnamon sugar.

Sweet meets savory meets spicy in this creative spin on a plain store-bought donut. If you've never considered topping a pastry with chopped jalapeños, think again. Although it may seem strange at first, the result is a donut that works double duty as breakfast and a mid-day snack. When you add cheddar cheese to the mix, you're left with a highly crave-worthy flavor combination you never knew you needed. The magic begins with a humble glazed or cake donut and a can of pickled jalapeños. 

While you may have already experienced a cheese and jalapeño bagel, the flavor combination is even more intense when topping a sweet donut. The creamy, mild cheese balances the slightly spicy and pickled jalapeños, while the sugar adds an unexpected twist. One way to assemble this treat is to melt the cheddar cheese over the donut and then sprinkle the chopped jalapeños on top. You can adjust the spice level according to your preference by choosing mild or hot jalapeños, keeping in mind that canned jalapeños are rarely as spicy as fresh peppers.

If you want to turn this spicy and sweet treat into lunch or dinner, think of your store-bought donuts as burger buns. Cook a hamburger patty to your liking, and slide it in between two halves of a sliced donut. Top the donut burger with chopped jalapeños for a flavor explosion. As an alternative, press the jalapeños into the raw hamburger patties before cooking so that the flavor infuses the meat.