Sour Cream Donuts

Sour cream makes these old-fashioned donuts stay moist and taste amazing! I like to coat the donuts completely with the sweet glaze while they are still warm so they soak it up and get that shiny glazed look you see at your favorite donut shop!

looking down at a wire rack of sour cream donuts with one split in half
Prep Time:
30 mins
Cook Time:
30 mins
Additional Time:
2 hrs 30 mins
Total Time:
3 hrs 30 mins
Servings:
8
Yield:
8 glazed donuts
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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 8 servings

Donuts

  • 2 ¼ cups bleached cake flour (such as Swans Down®), plus more as needed

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • cup sour cream, room temperature

  • ½ cup granulated sugar

  • 2 large egg yolks, room temperature

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • vegetable oil as needed for frying

Glaze

  • 4 ½ cups powdered sugar

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted

  • 6 tablespoons hot water

  • 1 ½ teaspoons light corn syrup

  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon together in a bowl until well combined.

    Flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon whisked together in a bowl until well combined.

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  2. Whisk sour cream, granulated sugar, egg yolks, melted butter, oil, and vanilla together in a large bowl until well combined.

    Granulated sugar, sour cream, egg yolks, melted butter, oil and vanilla whisked together in a separate bowl until combined.

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  3. Gradually fold flour mixture into sour cream mixture just until combined. (Dough will be quite soft and sticky.)

    Flour mixture gradually folded in with the sour cream mixture until a sticky dough forms.

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  4. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator until dough is cold and just slightly firmed, about 2 hours.

  5. Turn dough out onto a heavily-floured surface and pat or roll to 3/8- to 1/2-inch thickness, flouring hands or rolling pin as needed. Cut dough using a floured 3 ½-inch round cutter. Cut holes in the center of the dough circles using a floured 1 ¼-inch round cutter. Transfer dough rings to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Reroll, and cut dough scraps, repeating process as needed.

    Dough turned out onto floured surface, rolled out and cut into donut shapes.

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  6. Heat 3 inches of oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 360 degrees F to 365 degrees F (182 degrees C to 185 degrees C).

  7. Fry 1 to 2 donuts at a time until golden brown and cooked through, about 1 to 1 ½ minutes per side, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain oil temperature.

    A golden-brown donut that is done frying.

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  8. Transfer donuts to a baking sheet lined with paper towels using a spider strainer. Let drain, and cool for 5 minutes (see note).

    a top down view of perfectly fried donuts drying on a paper towel

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  9. Whisk together powdered sugar, melted butter, hot water, corn syrup, salt, and vanilla in a large bowl for the glaze until smooth and well combined.

    Glaze ingredients mixed together until smooth.

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  10. Place 1 warm donut in the powdered sugar mixture, craggy side up; use a spoon to coat donut completely in the glaze.

    Donuts placed in glaze, using a spoon to completely cover the donut.

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  11. Remove donut from glaze using two forks placed underneath; let excess drip off, and then transfer donut to a wire rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining donuts and glaze.

    two forks being used to lift a donut out of a bowl of glaze.

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  12. Let donuts stand until glaze is set before serving, about 25 minutes.

    Place on a wire rack and let glaze set before serving.

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Cook's Note:

Cook’s Note

For that almost translucent glazed look, coat donuts while still warm after just 5 minutes of cooling. Work in batches as needed, glazing donuts ready to be dipped while frying or cooling the others.

Donuts are best enjoyed the same day, but any leftovers can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 days.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

643 Calories
22g Fat
107g Carbs
6g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Calories 643
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 22g 28%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Cholesterol 115mg 38%
Sodium 309mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 107g 39%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 75g
Protein 6g 11%
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 108mg 8%
Iron 3mg 18%
Potassium 92mg 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.