Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts are cakey with a tender crumb and a golden-crisp exterior. They’re a classic for a reason because they are delicious!
It costs about $7.37 to make these donuts. The recipe makes twelve donuts for approximately $0.61 per serving.
Try my Baked Pumpkin Donuts or Puff Pastry Cronuts with Buttermilk Glaze for more delicious pastries.
Sour Cream Donuts
There is something so satisfying about a fresh warm donut. You can’t always drive to your favorite bakery to buy one, but you can always make one at home!
This vintage recipe is what your donut dreams are made of. They taste just like the ones you buy at your favorite bakery.
Indulge in the irresistible texture of these sour cream donuts. They have a tender, moist interior complemented by a delicately crispy and slightly crunchy outer layer.
Each bite reveals a maze of nooks and crannies, perfect for absorbing the sweet and luscious glaze that generously coats the top of every donut.
You may be intimidated to make homemade donuts, but this Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donut recipe requires no yeast or special equipment. Instead, the recipe is made with everyday ingredients you may already have in your pantry.
You will feel like a kid again in a donut shop when you sink your teeth into this fried-to-golden-perfection, irresistibly soft, melt-in-your-mouth donuts!
Ingredients and Estimated Cost
Per Serving Cost: $0.61
Recipe Cost: $7.37
- 2 ½ cups cake flour – $1.25
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder – $0.06
- 1 teaspoon salt – $0.01
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg – $0.29
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter – $0.84
- ½ cup granulated sugar – $0.08
- 2 large egg yolks – $0.42
- ⅔ cup sour cream – $1.60
- 3 cups vegetable oil – $1.50
- 2 cups powdered sugar – $0.76
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract – $0.50
- 3 Tablespoons hot water, milk, or half-and-half – $0.06
NOTE: The recipe prices are calculated by using grocery store websites. The recipe cost is calculated by the amounts needed for the recipe. The actual cost of the recipe will vary depending on what ingredients you already have. I updated the pricing for this recipe in March 2023.
How To Make Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts
***For complete recipe instructions, see the recipe card below.
- First, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.
- Using a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for about one minute.
- Then, beat in the egg yolks and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Next, slowly mix in the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the sour cream and scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Add one Tablespoon of cake flour if the dough is sticky before covering the bowl with plastic wrap to chill in the fridge for one hour.
- Roll the dough to ½ inch thick on a floured surface.
- Dip a donut cutter with a hole in the center in flour and then cut out the donuts.
- Place the donut dough on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and place it in the fridge while you preheat the oil.
- Fry the donuts a few at a time for two to three minutes on each side.
- Remove the donuts from the pan when golden brown and place them on a wire rack to drain.
- Next, whisk together the ingredients for the glaze in a medium bowl until the mixture is smooth.
- Finally, submerge the top side of the donuts into the glaze and set them on a wire rack, glaze side up.
Storage Tips
SERVE: Donuts are best eaten within the hour of making them.
STORE: Donuts will stay fresh for up to 24 hours when they’re stored properly at room temperature. To do so, wrap them loosely in plastic wrap and then place them in a plastic bag.
FREEZE: Gently wrap UN-GLAZED donuts with foil and place them in a freezer-safe bag. They will stay fresh for 2-3 months.
DEFROST: Defrost donuts at room temperature. Once defrosted, proceed with glazing them.
Recipe FAQs
It may seem odd to be adding sour cream to the ingredient list when making donuts. However, sour cream is often added to cookies, donuts, and other pastries as it creates moisture in the recipe and smooths the texture.
If you do not have cake flour, you can easily make it. Follow the simple directions in my tutorial for making a Cake Flour Substitute Recipe.
More Breakfast Recipes
- Puff Pastry Chocolate Croissants
- Best Baklava Recipe
- Almond Coffee Cake Ring (Tea Ring)
- Bran Muffin Recipe with Molasses and Raisins
- Carrot Muffins – Healthy and Delicious
- Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes
- Breakfast Egg Rolls
- Apple Donuts
- Old Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits
- Chocolate Glazed Biscuit Donuts
Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts
Equipment
- mixing bowls
- whisk
- Heavy-bottomed pan
- measuring cups and spoons
- stand mixer
- liquid measuring cup
- wire rack
Ingredients
SOUR CREAM DONUTS:
- 2 ½ cups cake flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks room temperature
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- About 3 cups vegetable oil for frying
GLAZE:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 Tablespoons hot water milk or half-and-half
Instructions
MAKE DONUT DOUGH:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.
- In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until sand-like consistency, about 1 minute.
- Add egg yolks and beat until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing on low, just until combined. Alternate with sour cream and scraping down the sides of the bowl in between additions.
- The dough should be smooth and slightly sticky. If it’s too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of cake flour.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or until firm.
ROLL OUT AND CUT DOUGH:
- Roll the dough out to ½ inch thick on a floured surface.
- Use a donut cutter with a hole in the center, dip in flour to prevent sticking, and cut out donuts.
- Place the cutout dough on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and place it in the refrigerator while the oil is heating. The dough should be slightly cold before frying.
FRY DONUTS:
- To fry the donuts, add 2-3 inches of oil into a heavy-bottomed pan with a thermometer attached and heat to 325 degrees F.
- Fry donuts a few at a time for 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on the size of your pan.
- Be sure to monitor the thermometer and adjust the temperature if needed.
- Remove donuts from the pan when golden brown and place them on a wire rack to drain.
MAKE GLAZE:
- Whisk together all ingredients until smooth in a medium bowl.
GLAZE DONUTS:
- While the donuts are still warm, submerge the top side of the donuts into the glaze and place them on a cooling rack, glaze side up.
Notes
Nutrition
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These look amazing! We have a local bakery that I get sour cream donuts from all the time. I can’t wait to start making my own!
Mannnnn…. I just love a good homemade donut! 🙂 And these look absolutely perfect.
I love that these donuts use no special equipment and that the ingredients are commonly found. I made them for an after school snack and they were very well received!
These came out so moist and delicious! They really do taste old fashioned. Loved them!