You don’t need any fancy equipment or ingredients to make amazing homemade donuts! These old-fashioned sour cream donuts are slightly crisp on the outside and tender in the middle with a simple and delicious donut glaze.
Sour Cream Donuts
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t drool over a box full of colorful donuts. At my old job I had a boss that was a serious donut lover. He’d bring in a huge box of donuts at least monthly for the office–probably part of what made him so popular! It was always fun to see how particular everyone in the office was about their donuts—everyone seems to have their favorite.
When I go to a bakery I absolutely love seeing all of the fun donut flavors, glazes and fillings, but ultimately I get one of my two favorites every single time; a maple bar, or an old fashioned cake/sour cream donut. Out of all the choices in the world, I can never seem to steer away from those two!
This Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts recipe is a total classic. They are soft and cake-y, and who can resist that glaze they’re dipped in? Delicious! The best thing about these homemade donuts (besides how easy they are to make), is that you don’t have to wait hours for them to rise, and you don’t need a special donut pan to make them! They can be whipped together fairly quickly for your snarfing pleasure 😉
How to make sour cream donuts:
The ingredients for homemade donuts are flour, baking powder , salt, nutmeg, sugar, butter, egg yolks, sour cream, and oil. Making old fashioned donuts at home is fairly simple!
First, sift the dry ingredients together. Next, combine the butter and sugar. Then add the egg yolks, and mix it really well. Finally, you add the dry ingredients in batches alternating with the sour cream and ending with the dry mixture.
After letting the dough chill in the refrigerator, you roll it into 1/2 inch thickness and use a round cookie cutter to cut about 12 donuts from the dough. Save the donut holes to fry them too! Fry them in oil, just until golden on both sides, flipping once.
Drizzle a simple glaze on top, and enjoy!
Are donuts healthy?
Unfortunately, these old fashioned sour cream donuts are not the healthiest snack or breakfast option. While donuts come in a variety of flavors and styles, most tend to be very high in sugar and very low in nutrients. So it’s best to save these old fashioned donuts for an occasional treat!
Consider trying these popular desserts:
- Snickerdoodles Bars
- Mississippi Mud Brownies
- Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake
- Mrs. Fields Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Sour Cream Pound Cake
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Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts
Ingredients
For the donuts
- 2 1/4 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons butter , room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- oil , for frying
For the glaze
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar , sifted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup hot water
Instructions
- Mix the glaze ingredients together and set aside.
- In a small bowl sift together the cake flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.
- In a large mixing bowl beat the butter and sugar together until well combined (the texture will be sandy).
- Add the egg yolks and mix well.
- Add the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the sour cream, and ending with flour.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
- When the dough is almost finished chilling, make the glaze by whisking together all ingredients in a large shallow bowl.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it out on a floured surface to about 1/2 inch thickness.
- Use a donut cutter (or two round biscuit cutters) to cut as many donuts out as possible. You should get around 12.
- Pour about 2 inches of canola oil into a heavy bottomed pot. Heat the oil to 325° F. Fry the donuts 2-3 at a time, being careful not to overcrowd the pot.
- Fry for about 2 minutes on each side, being careful not to let them burn. Remove them to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the grease.
- Place a wire cooling rack above a sheet pan. Dip donuts in the glaze, covering on each side, and place on the wire rack. Let sit for 15-20 minutes until glaze is set.
- Donuts are best served immediately, but you may store them in an air tight container at room temperature for a few days.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
*I originally shared this recipe July 2014. Updated July 2018.
Daniella says
Made these tonight and they came out fabulous! Love that they are slightly crunchy on the outside and then cakey on the inside. Everyone at home raved about them, thanks for such a great recipe!
Lauren Allen says
Thanks so much for sharing–Happy you liked them!
Ann says
I love all things fried, especially donuts! But, I’m ashamed to admit, I am terrified of frying things myself. Do you think this recipe could be baked in a donut pan?
Lauren Allen says
Hi Ann, I’m sure that would work fine!
Alicia says
I would love to hear how they came out in the donut pan! Please share
Renee says
What is cupcake flour? Is it different from regular all purpose flour?
Lauren Allen says
Hi Renee, Cake flour is different from all-purpose flour. Cake flour has more protein and is better for baking more “cake” like baked goods. It’s found in the same section as the all-purpose flour, at the grocery store 🙂
K says
You can make it with cornstarch and all purpose flour. My cookbook has it in the substitutions.
Jen says
These sound amazing!!! I am wondering if I could use my air fryer and a donut pan ? I have the breville toaster oven with the air fryer if that helps
Thank you!!!
Lauren Allen says
Hi Jen, I have to be honest, I don’t have any experience with air fryers, so I’m really sorry I couldn’t say. I’d love to hear if you try it!
Angela says
I would love to know how these turn out in the air fryer!! Please let us know. Thanks!!
Suzanne says
recipe made perfect textured donuts, however i increased the nutmeg… to 2 teaspoons… these were an absolute hit with my group of friends!!!! Thanks for sharing these
Lauren Allen says
Thanks Suzanne! Happy you liked them 🙂
Charlie says
I hadn’t planned on making donuts today, but I came across this recipe and couldn’t resists. They did not disappoint! I served them to my kids and their friends and they devoured them! Glad I saw this today and I will be making them again.
Brenda Martin says
Hey Lauren- my husband loves old fashioned sour cream doughnuts!! So I mixed up your recipe last night and fried them this morning, wow great success!! They were better than any bakery donut (if I must say so myself)!! Thanks so much for sharing your awesome recipe!!
Joan says
Can I bake these instead of frying?
Lauren Allen says
Honestly, I’ve never tried baking. Let me know how it works.
Tiffany says
Did you try baking these? I’ve seen baked recipes for sour cream donuts but they were more cakey than these. I’d love to know if these turn out well baked
Gena says
Can I replace the nutmeg with cinnamon? I just can’t do nutmeg.
Lauren Allen says
Sure! Enjoy 🙂
Jackie says
I don’t know what happened with these. I’m I pretty experienced baker but these didn’t puff at all when fried. They were like fried cookies, not donuts. I had to throw out the whole batch. 🙁
Lauren Allen says
Hi Jackie,
I’m sorry you didn’t have success with the recipe. I can’t be sure exactly what went wrong but I’m wondering if maybe your baking powder didn’t react appropriately. Have you check the date on it?