Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts

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These Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts are deliciously soft and cakey on the inside, but with a nice crust on the outside, covered in a sweet vanilla glaze. You have got to try these perfect donut shop donuts.

For more tasty donut creations, you should try our Nutella-filled brioche donuts and Zeppole-Italian donuts.

Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts in a stack with the top one missing a bite.

Table Of Contents

Recipe Details
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
How to Make Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts
Recipe Tips
Add-ins and Substitutions
FAQs
Serving Suggestions
Make These Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts in Advance
More Tasty Pastries!
Full Recipe Instructions

Recipe Details

These amazing Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts are exactly what I want when I have a donut craving. No need to run to the donut shop, these taste just as good.

TASTE: These donuts are nice and sweet, and covered in a delicious vanilla glaze. The sour cream and nutmeg add wonderful flavor to them.
TEXTURE: With a moist cakey texture inside and a slightly crunchy crust on the outside, these tasty homemade treats are perfectly balanced.
TIME: These Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts will take about an hour and 40 minutes to make.
EASE: Don’t be intimidated by homemade donuts, they’re easier than you think! With this recipe and numbered pictures, you’ll have no trouble making these donuts.

What You’ll Need

Ingredients for Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts, including flour, sugar, powdered sugar, sour cream, brown sugar, cornstarch, butter, vanilla, salt, nutmeg, baking powder, and egg yolks.

Ingredient Notes

Sour cream- This ingredient thickens the dough while giving the donuts a moist richness that’s so delicious.
Nutmeg- This is a major component of sour cream donuts and gives them a slightly spiced taste that pairs really well with the sweetness.
Cornstarch- This will thicken the dough as well as give it structure. This is important when you’re cutting out the donut shapes!

How to Make Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts

Mix most of the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, add the sugars and butter. Mix with an electric hand mixer to combine, then add the egg yolks and vanilla. Mix again.
Sift the dry ingredients. Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg together in another bowl.

Steps for making Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts, including mixing the wet ingredients and then sifting in the dry and mixing with an electric hand mixer.

Combine. In an alternating pattern, add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and work them together with a spatula. Then add 1/3 of the sour cream, and mix. Another 1/3 of the flour mixture, mix, 1/3 of the sour cream, mix, and so on until they are all incorporated.
Chill and roll out the dough. Wrap the donut dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour, or until firm. Then dust the work surface with flour and roll the dough out until it is about 1/2-inch thick.
Cut out the donuts. Dip the donut cutter or 2 different-sized biscuit cutters in flour and then cut out the donuts. Roll out the dough scraps and cut out more, repeating until you have 12 donuts.
Prep the frying oil. Put about 2 inches of corn oil in the bottom of a heavy-bottomed pot. Heat the oil to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Check that the temp stays at the right heat with a thermometer.
Fry the old fashioned sour cream donuts. Carefully fry the donuts in batches, about 2 minutes per side, until they are a golden brown. Place them on a paper towel-lined plate when done to get rid of excess oil.

Pro Tip: Make sure you take the time to chill the dough, otherwise it is too sticky to roll out and it won’t hold its shape when you cut the donuts out.

Steps for making Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts, including adding the dry ingredients and sour cream in phases, then chilling and rolling out the dough, cutting out the shapes, and frying the donuts.

Glaze the donuts. Mix the ingredients for the glaze together in a bowl and dip each donut into it before laying them on a cooling rack. Allow the glaze to set before serving. Try to glaze them while they are still slightly warm.

Steps for making Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts, including making the glaze, mixing it with a whisk, and then dipping the donuts in it.

Recipe Tips

Dust the donut or biscuit cutter with flour- This will keep the cutter from sticking to the dough, pulling it out of shape.
Adding 1/3 of dry ingredients and 1/3 of sour cream at a time- This will help the ingredients incorporate fully, giving you smooth dough.
Use an instant-read thermometer- You want to keep the oil temperature within the right range, so this will help you monitor it.
Glaze them while they’re still warm- The glaze will hold better if the temperature of the donut keeps it from going solid too soon.

Add-ins and Substitutions

Substitute the glaze- Instead of a vanilla glaze, use a chocolate, caramel, or maple glaze on these Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts.
Add sprinkles- Top these donuts with sprinkles or colorful sugar for a holiday theme.
Bake them- If you are using donut pans, you can place these donuts in a 350-degree-oven for 12-16 minutes until they are springy and golden brown.
Make them gluten-free- You can adjust this recipe by substituting rice flour and tapioca starch for the all-purpose flour to make these without gluten.

Horizontal image of Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts on a cooling rack.

FAQs

What is the difference between old-fashioned donuts and sour cream donuts?

An old-fashioned donut is one that is made with flour, sugar, eggs, and sour cream or buttermilk, then deep-fried to give it a slight crunch on the outside and soft, cakey inside. It usually has cracks and small holes. A sour cream donut is very similar but uses nutmeg along with the sour cream in the dough, and it is also normally glazed.

What is the best oil temperature for frying donuts?

The best temperature for frying your sour cream donuts is between 325 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature is too low, the donuts will absorb too much oil. But if it’s too high, the outside will get too dark while the inside remains raw. Keep the temp between 325 and 375 degrees for best results.

Vertical image of a pile of Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts stacked on a white plate.

Serving Suggestions

These delicious Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts are so good, you can pair them with almost anything. Here are some yummy ideas.

Proteins: Serve these donuts for breakfast with Crispy Air Fryer Bacon, Eggs, Ham, or a Yogurt Parfait. You could also use them in a sandwich, like this Croissant Breakfast Sandwich.
Coffee: Enjoy your Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts with hot coffee, tea, or cold milk. Or try them with a Pumpkin Spice Latte, Caramel Frappuccino Recipe (Starbucks Copycat), or Iced Caramel Macchiato

Horizontal image of a pile of Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts, the one on top missing a bite.

Make These Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts in Advance

Make ahead: Though these donuts taste best fresh, you can make them ahead of time. Put them in an airtight container once the glaze has set to keep them from getting stale.

Storing: Place these Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts in an airtight container. They can be stored at room temperature for 1-2 days, or in the refrigerator for about 4 days.

Freeze: Freeze these donuts in a freezer-safe container with a layer of parchment paper in between to keep them from sticking together. They will last for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight and then heat in the microwave for about 5 seconds before serving.

More Tasty Pastries!

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Hi, I’m Dina, so glad you stopped by! I believe life is too short for bad coffee and boring meals. With my easy to follow step-by-step recipes, you’ll be surprised at how quickly a wholesome and delicious meal can come together. I hope you find something you enjoy!