Old Fashioned Donuts

Old Fashioned Donuts will melt in your mouth. These glazed buttermilk beauties are so easy to make and are better than store-bought!

Old Fashioned Donuts are soft and tender with a classic buttermilk flavor. For more donuts to add to the box, try Grandma’s Famous Homemade Donuts and Homemade Biscuit Donuts with Chocolate Gravy.

Classic Buttermilk Donut

There are two main types of donuts: yeast donuts and cakey donuts. Old Fashioned Donuts are made with common cake ingredients particularly using baking soda or baking powder as a leavening agent.

They are cylindrical, often sporting a tapered edge, almost like a ballerina’s tutu. Once fried, the exterior will have that signature crinkle look. They are denser than yeast donuts but just as delicious! 

Donut day is long anticipated in our home. We love donuts: a cake donut, fritters (especially apple fritter), and sour cream donuts, but Grandma’s version has been our go-to.

However, there is something so delicious about Buttermilk Donuts made at home from scratch with just a simple glaze! They are especially yummy with a cup of Hot Cocoa or a glass of milk!

Making Old Fashioned Donuts yourself may seem like a daunting task but it’s quite simple. The dough comes together easily. Frying to golden perfection might take a few tries, but you are sure to master it in no time!

How to Make Old Fashioned Donuts

Soon, you’ll be dunking these shiny beauties or just eating them straight from the oven when they are melt-in-your-mouth perfection.

DOUGH. Add eggs to a large bowl and whisk. Then mix in the sugar and shortening. Stir in the buttermilk and add all of the dry ingredients.

ROLL. Once the dough is mixed divide it in half. Flour the counter and turn the dough balls onto the floured surface. Lightly flour the dough before rolling them out to 1/3 inch thickness.

Once the dough had been rolled allow it to sit for 20 minutes. During this time you can heat up your oil.

PREP. Pour oil into a high sided skillet. Heat it to 370-380°F.

CUT. Use a donut cutter to cut out donuts and holes. Once hot, fry one donut to test. Adjust the oil temperature accordingly.

FRY. Use a wide spatula to place the donuts in the oil. Place as many as can easily be turned, usually about 3. Turn donuts as they rise to the surface. Fry for about 3 minutes until golden all over. Use a long fork to lift out. Be careful they don’t get poked or smashed.

DRAIN. Drain on wire rack on top of a sheet pan and cool on paper towel.

SERVE. Serve glazed, frosted, or sugared.

We love Glaze: To make it, just whisk together 4 tablespoons melted butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 4-6 tablespoons half and half, until smooth and somewhat runny, about the consistency of honey.

Frying Tips

Oil temperature. It is important that the oil temperature is correct. Too low and the donuts will get soggy. Too hot and they’ll burn before cooking all the way through.

Using a deep-fry thermometer is the easiest way to ensure the correct oil temperature. If you don’t have one here is a trick I have used: 

• Set the burner to medium-high heat.
• Take a wooden chopstick or the end of a wooden spoon and dip it into the oil. If you see a steady stream of bubbles, then the oil is ready. However, the stream should not be vigorous and splatter.

Oil. Fry in peanut oil or vegetable oil. You need enough oil for the donut to float. If the oil level drops, add more and let it heat up again before adding another donut.

Recipe Tips

Donut holes. One of the best parts of making donuts is the cute little donut holes. Fry them in the same manner as the regular donuts, just cut down the fry time by about half.

Toppings. Top these delicious donuts with a cinnamon-sugar mixture, a sweet glaze, dusted with confectioners’ sugar, drizzled with White or Milk Chocolate Sauce, or topped with ganache. 

• A simple glaze recipe: 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 2 tablespoons hot water. Mix until smooth. Add food flavoring to make flavors like orange glaze, maple glaze, or pistachio glaze.

Cutting donuts. Instead of a donut cutter, use a biscuit cutter or cup to make the larger circles and then locate a smaller-sized circle to cut out the center. I remember my mother once using a cup for the larger circle and a plastic bottle cap for the smaller center circle. 

Dough scraps. After stamping out the donuts, gather the scraps and reroll them to make even more donuts. If there’s not enough to create a full donut, divide it into balls and make a few more donut holes. 

Buttermilk substitute. Make your own buttermilk using 1½ cups of regular milk and 1½ tablespoons of vinegar. Let it rest for a few minutes before using it in the recipe.

how to store + freeze

Make ahead of time. Due to the baking soda, the dough cannot be refrigerated for long otherwise the leavening agent will not work properly. Make the dough and chill it covered in the fridge for 3-4 hours, but I don’t recommend too much longer.

STORE. Place the cooled Buttermilk Donuts in an airtight container and store them at room temperature for 1-2 days. They can last longer but will start to become dry and stale.

FREEZE. Old Fashioned Doughnuts can be frozen for up to one week. Place the individual donuts into a sandwich bag or cover with plastic wrap and place them all in a freezer Ziploc.

For more yummy fried desserts, try:

• Angel Food Cake Churro Bites
• Churro Funnel Cake
• Beignets
• Churros
• Fried Oreos