Are Glow-In-The-Dark Donuts Safe To Eat? Try This Recipe

What are glow-in-the-dark donuts?

Honestly, glow-in-the-dark donuts sound like a trend straight out of The Simpsons. But since these donuts are all-too-real, that brings us to the obvious question: where did this wild trend come from?

It all started with a shop called Black Star Pastry in Newton, Australia. They went viral last year when users found out about their tasty strawberry watermelon cakes. Now, the glow-in-the-dark donut is their latest viral treat, and the mere existence of this delicacy looks like it is going to break the internet.

Some customers call them “glonuts” or “glownuts.” But one thing is for sure: glow-in-the-dark donuts are here to stay!

And you don’t have to travel to Australia to enjoy glonuts. Continue reading for a glow-in-the-dark donuts recipe you can make yourself!

Where did the idea for glow-in-the-dark donuts come from?

A donut that glows in the dark is a pretty strange idea. And even if it tastes amazing, you can’t help but wonder: how, exactly, did someone come up with this idea in the first place?

Fortunately for all of us, Daily Mail Australia did an interview with the pioneer of these donuts. And the owner of Black Star Pastry and architect of the Strawberry Watermelon Cake, Christopher Thé, has a lot to say about the matter!

According to him, “I was thinking hard about a way to tie in food with lights. And glow-in-the-dark popped in my head. Just the thought of people eating glow-in-the-dark food at the world famous Vivid festival of light was an amazing challenge we just couldn’t resist!”

The Vivid in question is Vivid Sydney, an annual festival of lights and music. In short, the glow-in-the-dark donut is a way of recreating (and eating) the magic of that festival.

What do glow-in-the-dark donuts taste like?

These so-called “glonuts” may be a way for dessert lovers to get a taste of magic. But what does magic really taste like?

There are now different recipes floating around online for glow-in-the-dark donuts, and each recipe will yield a slightly different taste. But as for the one being sold by Black Star Pastry, the short answer is that it tastes like a mixture of sour and sweet.

That is because the primary ingredient, fueled by Vitamin B, tastes pretty tart on its own. And the yuzu glaze on the donut makes the tart taste even more pronounced. At the same time, the butter in the recipe helps cut the tartness and make the whole thing a pleasant little treat.

And as treats go, these donuts aren’t alone!

An entire galaxy of treats

While they are all completely different brands, it didn’t take fans of these glow-in-the-dark donuts long to connect the dots. Specifically, these users soon lumped these glonuts in with a growing galaxy of other galactic-themed treats.

For example, you can grab a galaxy cake from Dairy Queen. Alternatively, multiple vendors have started selling galaxy donuts and bagels. And those who make it to Disney World or Disneyland can enjoy chomping into some glow-in-the-dark cotton candy.

In other words, Black Star Pastry didn’t create our collective crazy for galactic goodies. But with their glonuts, they may have managed to perfect the formula for these stellar sweets.

What makes the donuts glow?

It’s one thing to say that these donuts glow-in-the-dark. But no matter how much you enjoy the magic of the glow, you’re eventually left with a big question: “what makes these donuts glow?”

Technically, the only part of these donuts that glows is the frosting. And not just any frosting: this tasty topping is derived directly from Vitamin B.

In other words, these donuts glow due to natural ingredients. Despite their radioactive appearance, they are perfectly safe to eat. And with the recipe we found, you can recreate this taste right at home!

Glow-in-the-dark donuts recipe

Want to make your own “glonuts” at home? Fortunately, the recipe is quite simple!

The following recipe will yield about 10-12 donuts and 10-12 donut holes. You will need the following ingredients, plus a black light in order to see the donuts glow-in-the-dark.

Donut ingredients:

3½ cups all-purpose flour
1¼ cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups (approximate) vegetable oil for frying

Frosting ingredients:

3 cups powdered sugar
4-6 tablespoons tonic water
½ teaspoon vanilla extract”

To start, whisk your baking powder, baking soda, flour, and salt together. Next, whisk your buttermilk, eggs, vanilla extract, and melted butter together. Next, you pour your buttermilk mixture with the dry components until you get the desired thick dough, and you can wrap this in plastic wrap and then refrigerate it for a minimum of 45 minutes.

Next, flour a work surface and then press the dough until it is about half an inch thick. A donut cutter will help you cut out the donut rounds you need. You can repeat the process with scrap dough until you have as many raw donuts as you need.

After that, bust out a big saucepan, add four inches of oil, and heat it to 360 degrees Fahrenheit. Drop donuts in one at a time and heat for about three minutes on each side or until they achieve a golden brown appearance. From here, you can transfer the completed donuts to a rack lined with paper towels to cool.

All that is left is the glowing frosting. Whisk three cups of powdered sugar and four tablespoons of tonic water and your vanilla extract together until the consistency is both thick and smooth. Dip the donuts in the icing you have made.

Now, all you have to do is turn off the lights, turn on your black light, and watch the donuts glow! Enjoy eating your tasty glow-in-the-dark treat!