Easy Sour Cream Donut Holes Recipe: These easy fried donuts are moist and delicious, and rolled in cinnamon sugar. They're the perfect treat for breakfast or dessert.
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Old fashioned sour cream donuts are such a favorite of ours. These easy sour cream donut holes are crisp on the outside and moist on the inside, and they're the perfect treat for any donut lover.
For Father's Day, I wanted to make my husband a special breakfast. He LOVES those tiny tim donuts you get at fairs, so I thought I'd make him some sour cream donut holes. He loved them. We all loved them -like we always do. They are delicious and easy to make, and the perfect treat.
Cake Donuts vs. Yeast Donuts
These sour cream donuts are a cake donut instead of a yeast donut, These donuts use baking powder and baking soda for their rise instead of yeast. This tends to make for a much more moist donut, that doesn't dry out as quickly as yeast donuts sometimes do. The texture of these old-fashioned sour cream donuts is a little more dense than yeast donuts and cake like, thus the name. Cake donuts are also quicker to make than yeast donuts, since you don't have to wait for the yeast to rise.
Make Ahead
Freshly fried donuts don't keep very well. They are best eaten the day that you make them. But for these sour cream cake donuts you can make the donut dough the day or two before and keep it in the fridge overnight. They work out really well for a breakfast because you can make the dough the night before, and all you have to do in the morning is fry them.
These sour cream old-fashioned donuts, like most fried food, are best if served while still warm or within a few hours of frying.
Frying Your Donuts
You can fry these donuts in a large pot on the stove or use a deep fryer. If you fry these donuts in a large pot of oil, the challenge is to keep the oil at the right temperature. For this method, a deep-fry thermometer or candy thermometer clipped onto the side of the pot will make it easier. If the frying oil is too hot, the donuts may cook too quickly on the outside and be raw still in the middle. If the oil is too cold, the donuts will absorb too much oil and be greasy.
You need at least two inches of hot oil in the bottom of the pot to fry the donuts. The temperature of the oil should be at 365 degrees F for frying. If you are using a pot of oil, keep your eye on the thermometer and adjust your burner up and down as needed.
It's much easier to use a small at home deep fryer for frying, since they have a built-in thermometer and will keep your oil at the right temperature for frying.
You can use canola oil, vegetable oil or peanut oil for frying. You want an oil that doesn't transfer flavors and has a high smoke point. I usually use peanut oil for frying.
After frying your donuts remove them from the hot oil using metal tongs or a metal slotted spoon and let any excess oil drip off. Place the fried donuts on some paper towels to absorb oil, before rolling them in the cinnamon sugar coating.
Can I Bake These Donuts?
The short answer to can I bake these donuts is no. This recipe is designed to be fried. It gives the donuts their distinct texture of crispy on the outside and soft and moist on the inside. Without frying there is no crispy outside, and the donuts become more like cake... in which case, better to make a really good cake than a bad cake donut. The same goes for making them in the air fryer. They're just better fried in oil. If you're going to make homemade donuts, you need to fry them.
Sour Cream
The sour cream in this recipe helps keep the donuts moist and gives them the perfect cake like texture with a tender crumb. This contracts perfectly with the crispy outside of the donut. For this recipe you want to use full fat sour cream. There's no butter or oil in this batter and the sour cream and egg yolks add fat to the dough which is needed. For the best results, don't substitute low fat or no fat sour cream in this recipe.
Cinnamon Sugar
We love these donuts made as little donut holes and then rolled in cinnamon sugar while they are hot. You can use this recipe to make full size donuts, just increase the cooking time for the larger donuts. Make your cinnamon sugar before frying your donuts. Combine ½ cup of white sugar with 2 tablespoon of ground cinnamon and stir together.
The cinnamon sugar will stick best to the donuts while they are hot. It's important to roll them in the cinnamon sugar as soon as you've drained off the excess oil. Place your cinnamon sugar on a large plate and roll the hot donut holes in it, or place them in a paper bag with the cinnamon sugar and shake it until they're fully coated.
Some people prefer a simple glaze for their sour cream donuts, which is also delicious. Apply the glaze while the donuts are still warm for the most even coating. Dip the whole donut, not just the top and let the excess glaze drip off by resting the dipped donuts on a wire rack. Let the glaze set before serving.
Recipe
Sour Cream Donut Holes
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ½ teaspoon cinnamon.
- In another large bowl beat eggs together until foamy. Gradually add in ½ cup of sugar and fully combine. Next add sour cream and vanilla and stir to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. The dough will be very soft. Pat the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. The dough will never become firm but it will be workable when cold.
- Working on a lightly floured surface, pat or roll the dough out ½ inch thick. Cut out your donuts with a well floured donut cutter into donut holes or circles.
- Heat your oil in a large pot or in a deep fryer to 365 F Fry and fry a several donut holes or full donuts at a time until they are a deep golden brown on one side, and then flipping them over until the other side is cooked. Use tongs to remove them from the hot oil and drain them on a paper towel lined plate.
- To make the cinnamon sugar, combine ½ cup of white sugar and 2 tablespoon of cinnamon, and mix together on a plate. Roll the warm donut holes in cinnamon sugar. These are best if served while still warm or within a few hours of frying.
Notes
Nutrition
Storing Donuts
You can store the donut dough in the refrigerator for up to two days. After frying, these donuts are best eaten the day that they are made. If you do have leftover donuts, they are best left out at room temperature. If you put them in an airtight container they tend to go soft and lose any crispness, and if they are glazed the icing goes soft and runs off. Best to keep them container slightly open and not airtight.
We had a great breakfast of homemade sour cream donut holes, and cafe au laits. Sounds more like dessert doesn't it? These are such an easy donut recipe, and perfect for enjoying with a cup of coffee in the morning or for dessert. If you're a fan of old fashioned donuts, I know you'll love these. These warm donuts are such a delicious treat. The best way to enjoy these homemade sour cream donuts is as soon as they're made.
With sour cream donut holes, life really is a party!
More Great Donut Recipes
You might also like our Honey Cruller Donuts here.
Also check out Nutella Mini Donuts here.
You might also enjoy our Jelly Donuts here.
dnr says
Samantha, so sorry the donuts didn't turn out for you. 🙁 Sounds like the heat was too high. I highly recommend a deep fryer. Good luck next time.
Dannyelle.
Samantha says
I did it and it didn't come out right -.- idk if the heat was too high or what but it got burnt and not cooked on the inside.
ShannonSews says
Oh my goodness those look good! My mouth is watering. Thanks for the great recipe!!
Josalyn says
Yummm!!! So thoughtful!!
Hey, today I was watching City Line and totally thought of you. They were creating a dessert table and it totally looked like one of yours......you could be on TV lady!!