By HaRav Yosef Yeshaya Braun shlita, Mara D’Asra and member of the Badatz of Crown Heights.

Brachos: The brachos recited before and after eating doughnuts fried in oil are mezonos and al hamichyah, respectively. This is because the brachos for any of the five types of grain (wheat, barley, oats, rye and spelt) that are maaseh kedeira (boiled, as opposed to baked) are mezonos and al hamichyah, according to most poskim. The consensus among poskim is that deep frying is halachically the same as boiling in water—it makes no difference whether the food is cooked in water or in oil.

Even if a person is koveia seudah (establishes a meal) on doughnuts alone—as some might do on Chanukah—and they eat kedei seviah (to satiety), the brachos are still mezonos and al hamichyah, and one does not have to wash for hamotzie regardless of how many doughnuts they eat.

It should be noted that some stores sell cake doughnuts that are not deep fried in oil—such doughnuts consumed for the sake of satiation must be eaten during a meal, and thereby included in the blessing of hamotzie.

In the Midst of a Meal: The custom is to make a brachah on doughnuts that are served as a snack in middle of a bread meal, or as a dessert at the end of the meal. However, if they’re being eaten to satisfy one’s hunger, and not as a snack, they’re considered like any other dish served during the course of a bread meal, and no separate brachah is made.

Squeezing on Shabbos: On Shabbos, one may squeeze out the excess oil from fried doughnuts prior to eating them—if the intent is simply to eliminate the excess oil, and they are not squeezing the doughnuts for the oil.

Hafrashas Challah: A batch of dough intended for fried doughnuts are exempt from the requirement of separating challah.

Bishul Yisroel: Doughnuts need to be bishul yisroel (=cooked, even in a commercial setting, with the participation of a Shabbos
observant Jew). – See #18021.

Netilas Yadayim: Netilas yadayim (without a blessing) is required for doughnuts fried in olive oil that retain enough moisture on the surface to transfer liquid when touched.

Commercially fried doughnuts that are generally cooked in vegetable oil or the like, do not need hand-washing. It can be assumed that olive oil is not used—see footnotes for why we are lenient in all circumstances.

Doughnuts that are iced or jam-laced may be an issue, however, since these confections are usually water-based.

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