These tender on the inside, crispy on the outside Sour Cream Donuts. They’re easy to make, fried to perfection and coated with a sweet powdered sugar glaze.
I think everyone should have Sour Cream Donut recipe on their brunch/dessert recipe roster. They’re easy to make and yeast-free and have that delicious old fashioned donut taste and texture!
Sour cream gives these donuts their signature taste and texture. It adds a slightly tangy flavor and lots of moisture.
For more dessert recipes with sour cream, try my Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies and my Lemon Sour Cream Cookies!
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Best texture: These doughnuts are lightly crispy on the outside. On the inside, they are tender and cakey.
- Powdered Sugar Glaze: The simple glaze takes literally a minute to stir together.
- Easy: This old fashioned sour cream donut recipe is so easy to make!
EQUIPMENT
Below is the equipment you’ll need to make this sour cream doughnut recipe:
- A DONUT CUTTER OR ROUND BISCUIT OR COOKIE CUTTER
- A CANDY THERMOMETER: Hook it to the side of your pot. To get an accurate oil temperature, make sure it’s not touching the bottom of your pot.
- A DUTCH OVEN OR DEEP, HEAVY BOTTOMED POT: For frying.
- TONGS: To carefully add donuts to and remove them from the hot oil.
INSTRUCTIONS
To start, make the dough. Here are the basic steps:
- Combine the dry ingredients.
- Beat the butter and sugar together until well combined. Add the vanilla and egg yolks. Add the sour cream alternatively with the dry ingredients.
- Chill the dough for one hour. (This will make the dough less sticky and easier to roll out).
- Roll the chilled dough out onto a lightly floured surface. You may need to first fold the dough over on itself to smooth it out a little before rolling it out. The dough is very easy to roll out and work with. Roll the dough into 1/2 inch thickness. Hot tip: Dip your donut cutter in a small bowl of flour to prevent sticking.
- Chill donuts for at least 15 minutes: This will help the donuts keep their shape when fried.
TIPS FOR FRYING THE DONUTS
While the donuts chill, gather what you need for frying:
- Line a plate with paper towels: You’ll put the donuts here after frying them.
- Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet: You’ll put the donuts here after they’re glazed.
- Take out a spider strainer and/or tongs: Since we’re dealing with hot oil, you’ll want to be careful putting the donuts in oil, flipping them over and removing them. I like to have both a spider strainer and tongs handy. If you don’t have a spider strainer, a spatula will be a little messier but it will work.
HOW TO MAKE THE GLAZE
These donuts are delicious plain, but I recommend them glazed! There is nothing as delicious as a sour cream glazed donut!
To make the glaze, stir together powdered sugar, melted butter and vanilla. Add hot water by the tablespoon until you get the consistency you like.
It’s important to use hot water so that the glaze doesn’t clump up.
I love this glaze with these donuts. It kind of gets absorbed into all the cracks of the donuts and is absolutely delicious!
It’s best to glaze the donuts while they’re still warm. As soon as you finish frying the donuts, dunk them in the glaze. Flip them over and dunk the other half.
There’s nothing not to love about these Sour Cream Donuts! They’re fun and easy to make and are best enjoyed while still warm and as a treat for making them!
For some super simple yeast free donuts that you can bake in the oven, check out these Chocolate Frosted Chocolate Cake Donuts. For a lemony, fruity donut, definitely try these Lemon Blueberry Donuts. Another yummy recipe are these Baked Banana Donuts.
PrintSour Cream Donuts
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 Donuts plus 12 Donut Holes
- Category: Donuts
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
Homemade Sour Cream Donuts made with brown sugar, sour cream, vanilla and nutmeg. Fried to perfection, and coated with a sweet powdered sugar glaze!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- vegetable or canola oil, for frying
FOR THE POWDERED SUGAR GLAZE
- 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2–4 tablespoons hot water
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until well combined. With the mixer running, add the vanilla and the egg yolks. Turn the mixer to low and add the sour cream alternatively with the dry ingredients.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour. While the dough chills, mix the glaze together. (If the glaze has hardened a bit when you’re ready to use it, just pop it in the microwave for about ten seconds then stir to smooth it out).
- Once chilled, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Fold the dough over on itself to smooth it out a little. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into 1/2 inch thickness. Dip your donut cutter in a small bowl of flour to prevent sticking and cut out as many donuts as possible. Reroll out dough if needed. Place donuts on a parchment or wax paper lined baking tray and place tray in the fridge to chill donuts for at least 15 minutes.
- While donuts chill, gather what you need for frying. Line a plate, cutting board or baking tray with paper towels. Take out a spider strainer and/or tongs.
- Fill a large pot with a heavy bottom with about 2 inches of oil. Heat oil to 340 degrees F. Use tongs to carefully drop 2-4 donuts in the hot oil. Fry for 1- 1 1/2 minutes per side until donuts are golden brown. Transfer donuts to paper towel lined plate to cool slightly. Use the thermometer to check the temperature of the oil again (temperature will drop after adding donuts, make sure it has come back up to 340 F). Continue frying the remaining donuts and donut holes. Donut holes will take less time to fry.
- Dip warm donuts in the glaze and flip to cover both sides. Place donuts on a cooling rack to allow the glaze to slight slightly. Enjoy while still warm or once cooled!
FOR THE POWDERED SUGAR GLAZE
- In a medium sized, microwave safe bowl,* whisk to combine the powdered sugar, melted butter and vanilla. Add the hot water a tablespoon at a time until you reach the consistency you desire.
Notes
*If the glaze has hardened a bit when you’re ready to use it, just pop it in the microwave for about ten seconds then stir to smooth it out.
Keywords: donuts, sour cream, sour cream donuts, glazed, icing, glaze, powdered sugar glaze, fried donuts, old fashioned donuts, sour cream donut
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