These old fashioned Sour Cream Donuts have slightly crisp exteriors and are soft on the inside. They’re made without yeast and you don’t need any special equipment to make them.
These glazed sour cream donuts are perfectly tender and moist. They are fried til golden and have the perfect crisp edges. They have the perfect hint of nutmeg and taste just like they’re fresh from your favorite bakery!
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 Cookies and my old fashioned rhubarb cake.
Jump to:
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- These glazed sour cream donuts are lightly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
- The donuts are fried to perfection. For another delicious fried donut recipe, try my Italian ricotta donuts.
- They are topped with a simple powdered sugar glaze that only takes a minute to mix up. The cracks in the doughnuts soak up the glaze!
- This Sour Cream Donuts recipe is made without yeast. This makes them faster to make!
Ingredients
- Butter: Use room temperature unsalted butter for the donuts. We are using melted butter for the glaze.
- Sugar: The donuts are made with both granulated sugar and brown sugar.
- Sour cream: Use full fat, room temperature sour cream. Sour cream makes these donuts extra moist and rich.
- Cake flour: I recommend bleached cake flour for the best texture.
- Baking powder: Baking powder helps the donuts puff up when they are fried. These donuts are made without yeast.
- Nutmeg: Nutmeg gives sour cream donuts a distinct and slightly spiced flavor. It’s not overpowering, but you’ll definitely taste it.
- Cooking oil-Use vegetable or canola oil for frying.
Substitutions & Variations
- Swap in all purpose flour in place of cake flour.
- Use additional equal parts granulated sugar instead of brown sugar.
- Dust donuts with powdered sugar instead of dunking them in the glaze.
Instructions
Step 1 (Picture 1 above)– In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until combined. With the mixer running, add the vanilla, and egg yolks. Turn the mixer to low and add the sour cream.
Step 2 (Picture 2 above)– Use a spatula and stir in the dry ingredients until just combined.
Step 3 (Picture 3 above)– Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
Step 4 (Picture 4 above)– Roll the dough out to 1/2 inch thickness.
Step 5 (Picture 5 above)– Cut out as many donuts as possible (reroll out dough as needed). Place donuts on a baking tray. Place tray in the fridge to chill donuts for at least 15 minutes.
Step 6 (Picture 6 above)– 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. Set aside.
Step 7 (Picture 7 above)– Heat 3 inches of oil in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Attach a candy thermometer to the edge and heat to 345-360 F. Fry 3 donuts at a time for a little over a minute on each side. Donut holes will take less than a minute to fry.
Step 8 (Picture 8 above)– Allow donuts to cool 5 minutes then dip warm donuts in the glaze. Place donuts on a cooling rack to allow the glaze to slight slightly.
Expert Tips
- Use a donut cutter or a round biscuit or cookie cutter. Dip your donut cutter in a small bowl of flour to prevent sticking.
- While donuts chill, gather the tools you need for frying. Line a plate, cutting board or baking tray with paper towels. Take out a spider strainer and/or tongs.
- Use tongs or a spider strainer to safely place donuts in the hot oil. Since we’re dealing with hot oil, you’ll want to be careful putting the donuts in oil, flipping them over and removing them.
- It’s best to glaze the donuts while they’re still warm.
Recipe FAQs
Sour cream makes donuts moist and gives them a soft, tender texture.
No. This recipe is meant for the donuts to be fried. I don’t recommend baking them. For a delicious baked donut recipe, try my chocolate frosted cake donut.
Fried donuts are best enjoyed while still warm right after they are made. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
More Recipes You Will Love
Did you try this recipe or any other recipe on my website? Please leave a 🌟 star rating and 📝 comment below.
Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Sour Cream Donuts
Ingredients
Sour Cream Donuts
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 1/4 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- vegetable or canola oil for frying
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
Sour Cream Doughnuts
- 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. Use a spatula to stir in the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour. While the dough chills, mix the glaze together.
- 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 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 with paper towels. Take out a spider strainer and/or tongs.
- Fill a Dutch oven with about 3 inches of oil. Attach a candy thermometer to the edge. Make sure the thermometer doesn't touch the bottom. Heat oil to 345-360 degrees F.
- Use tongs to carefully place 3 donuts in the hot oil. Fry for 1 to 1½ minutes per side until donuts are golden brown. Donut holes will take up to 1 minute to fry. Transfer donuts to paper towel lined plate to cool slightly.
- Check the temperature of the oil again. Adjust heat so that the oil stays within 345 and 360 degrees F. Continue frying the remaining donuts and donut holes.
- Allow donuts to cool for 5 minutes then dip warm donuts in the glaze. (If the glaze has hardened a bit, just pop it in the microwave for about ten seconds then stir to smooth it out). Place donuts on a cooling rack to allow the glaze to slight slightly. Enjoy while still warm or once cooled!
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.
Leave a Reply