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This old fashioned donut recipe 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 our Classic Homemade Donuts and Biscuit Donuts.
We love Old Fashioned Donuts!
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.
Why we love them:
- Delicious. There’s nothing better than donuts made at home from scratch with just a simple glaze.
- Perfect for dipping! They are especially yummy with a cup of Hot Cocoa or a glass of milk.
- 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!
Ingredients
- eggs
- sugar
- shortening
- buttermilk – Check out our How to Make Buttermilk for buttermilk substitutes.
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- nutmeg
- cinnamon
- vegetable oil – or canola or peanut 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.
- butter
- powdered sugar
- vanilla
- half and half – or whole milk
How to Make Old Fashioned Donuts
- 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 using a rolling pin to roll it out to ⅓ inch thickness.
- Once the dough has been rolled allow it to sit for 20 minutes. During this time you can heat 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 the Donuts
- FRY. Use a wide spatula to place the donuts in the oil. (Use a metal slotted spoon for donut holes) 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 the outside is golden all over. Use a long fork to lift out. Be careful they don’t get poked or smashed.
- DRAIN. Drain on a wire cooling rack on top of a sheet pan to catch the oil. Then finish cooling on a paper towel.
Frying Tips
Oil temperature. 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.
To Make the Glaze
- Whisk together 4 tablespoons melted butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 4-6 tablespoons half-and-half until smooth and somewhat runny, about the consistency of honey.
- Dip the donuts into the glaze and let dry in a wire rack over a cookie sheet (for easier clean up).
Recipe Tips
- Donut holes. Fry them in the same manner as the regular donuts, just cut down the fry time by about half.
- Toppings. Top with a cinnamon-sugar mixture, a sweet glaze, dusted with confectioners’ sugar, drizzled with White or Milk Chocolate Sauce, or topped with ganache.
Storing Info
- 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. Keep cooled buttermilk donuts in an airtight container 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 them with plastic wrap and place them all in a freezer Ziploc.
For More Donut Recipes:
Old Fashioned Donut
This old fashioned donut will melt in your mouth. These glazed buttermilk beauties are so easy to make and are better than store-bought!
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- ¼ cup shortening, soft
- 1½ cups buttermilk
- 7 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- vegetable oil
Glaze
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4-6 tablespoons half and half
Instructions
- Add eggs to a large mixing bowl and beat. Then mix in the sugar and shortening. Stir in the buttermilk and add all of the dry ingredients.
- Once the dough is mixed divide it in half. Flour the counter and turn the dough balls onto the surface. Lightly flour the dough before rolling them out to ⅓ inch thick.
- Once the dough had been rolled allow it to sit for 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, pour oil into a high sided skillet. Heat it to 370-380°F.
- Cut donuts (and holes) out using a donut cutter.
- Once the oil is hot, fry one donut to test. Adjust the oil temperature accordingly.
- Use a wide spatula to place the donuts in the oil. Place as many as can easily be turned, usually about 3 – 4. 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 on wire rack and cool on paper towel.
- Make glaze by whisking together melted butter, powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 4-6 tablespoons half and half until smooth. (Glaze should be runny and about the consistency of honey).
Video
Notes
*The amount of spice added can vary according to taste. You can even use 2 tsp vanilla instead of nutmeg and cinnamon.
*To make sweet milk donuts use regular milk instead of buttermilk and use 4 tsp baking powder and omit the baking soda.
Nutrition
Calories: 210kcal, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 23mg, Sodium: 155mg, Potassium: 95mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 22g, Vitamin A: 88IU, Vitamin C: 0.02mg, Calcium: 40mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Haven’t made this but wondered if you could use butter in place of shortening?
Can’t wait to try & devour
Can’t wait for you to try either!!
I personally haven’t tried, but you could use equal measures.
how and when do you put the hole in the doughnut…you didn’t say in your recipe
So sorry, I will need to fix that. I have a donut cutter, so once it is rolled out, I will cut the donuts out & then let sit for 20 min. Hopefully, that makes sense.
What no yeast?
Correct, no yeast 🙂
Really yummy alternative to yeast rise donuts. These were really good.
The best ever quickest donuts!
There is nothing better than homemade donuts! I love this recipe! It makes the softest donuts & the icing is perfectly smooth & creamy!
These were incredible, so fluffy and perfect! We loved them! The kids even added sprinkles to their donuts😊
My morning just got better! Definitely make these when others are home otherwise you might end up eating them all by yourself, haha! Too good to resist.
There is nothing better than homemade donuts! These are SO good!
What is the amount of milk? It says 1 1.2 cups, I’m going to guess 1 1/2 and hopefully it works! Thank you!
Yes, you are correct 🙂 Thank you for asking!