Old Fashioned Buttermilk Donuts are plain cake donuts with a simple glaze, but they’re scored to create more surface area so that when they’re fried they get extra crispy and extra delicious on the outside.
Old Fashioned Buttermilk Donuts
Old fashioned donuts are never my first choice, but that is changing after this recipe. These donuts are crisp on the outside and tender and moist on the inside with a sweet glaze that you’ll want to lick off your fingers.
An old fashioned donut was never my first choice at a donut shop. Recently, though I’ve fallen in love with old fashioned buttermilk donuts.
Ingredients
- Flour
- Sugar
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Ground nutmeg
- Buttermilk
- Unsalted butter
- Eggs
- Vegetable oil
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
Recipe Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together 1 cup of flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.
- In small mixing bowl, whisk together buttermilk, butter, and eggs. Add wet ingredients to the dry and mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds.
- With speed on low, gradually mix in the remaining flour a little at a time. Add more or less flour as necessary to make a soft dough that is moist and slightly tacky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
- Place oil in a Dutch oven and heat to 375°.
- Prepare the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar, vanilla and water until smooth. Add additional powdered sugar or water if necessary for a thin glaze.
- On a lightly floured surface, use a floured rolling pin to roll out the dough to ½ inch thick. Use a floured donut cutter or a large and a small biscuit cutter to cut out the donuts and donut holes. Gather scraps together and roll out again to cut more donuts. Lightly score the donuts three times, making a triangle in the ring of the donut to help create the “petals”.
- Cook several donuts at a time scored side up, flipping them over as they rise to the surface and turn golden brown, about a minute per side. Drain on a wire rack. Before frying another batch, make sure oil temperature has returned to 375 degrees and cut one open to make sure they are cooked through. The exteriors should be deep brown and light and not doughy.
- Remove the donuts from the oil and set them on the rack to drain and cool slightly.
- While still warm, dip the donuts, petals side down, into the glaze. Swirl the donut in the glaze a little, then pick it up and let the excess glaze dribble back into the bowl.
- Return the glazed donut to the rack to let the glaze dry.
- Repeat the process until all donuts and donut holes have been cooked and glazed.
Frequently Asked Questions
They get a bad wrap but they are actually quite simple. The dough was really easy to work with and they were super fun to make.
Making sure your oil is at the correct temperature is the key to successfully frying donuts. An instant-read thermometer is an essential too
These two donuts vary greatly in appearance but also how they are cooked. Old fashioned donuts are fried at a lower temperature and produce a bumpy, cracked surface that also resembles petals of a flower.
Yes, you can do that! Just allow time in the morning for the dough to warm up and start to rise again.
More Recipes
- Apple Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins
- Chocolate Caramel Pecan Turtle Donuts
- Banana Bread Cinnamon Chip Donuts
- Baked Apple Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
- Cinnamon Sugar Malasadas (Hawaiian Donuts)
If you’ve tried this Old Fashioned Buttermilk Donuts or any other recipe on Barbara Bakes, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some pictures of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories.
Old Fashioned Buttermilk Donuts
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour*
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs plus one egg yolk
- 6 cups vegetable oil
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup water
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together 1 cup of flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.
- In small mixing bowl, whisk together buttermilk, butter, and eggs. Add wet ingredients to the dry and mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds.
- With speed on low, gradually mix in the remaining flour a little at a time. Add more or less flour as necessary to make a soft dough that is moist and slightly tacky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
- Place oil in a Dutch oven and heat to 375°.
- Prepare the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar, vanilla and water until smooth. Add additional powdered sugar or water if necessary for a thin glaze.
- On a lightly floured surface, use a floured rolling pin to roll out the dough to ½ inch thick. Use a floured donut cutter or a large and a small biscuit cutter to cut out the donuts and donut holes. Gather scraps together and roll out again to cut more donuts. Lightly score the donuts three times, making a triangle in the ring of the donut to help create the “petals”.
- Cook several donuts at a time scored side up, flipping them over as they rise to the surface and turn golden brown, about a minute per side. Drain on a wire rack. Before frying another batch, make sure oil temperature has returned to 375 degrees and cut one open to make sure they are cooked through. The exteriors should be deep brown and light and not doughy.
- Remove the donuts from the oil and set them on the rack to drain and cool slightly.
- While still warm, dip the donuts, petals side down, into the glaze. Swirl the donut in the glaze a little, then pick it up and let the excess glaze dribble back into the bowl.
- Return the glazed donut to the rack to let the glaze dry.
- Repeat the process until all donuts and donut holes have been cooked and glazed.
Notes
Old Fashioned Buttermilk Donuts are just what you need in your life. They are really simple and you will fall in love with this style of donut.
Evelyn McKinney
On the recipe, it states 3 1/2 cups of flour, in the directions it says mix 1 cup of flour. What happens with the other 2 cups of flour?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Evelyn – the rest of the flour gets mixed in during step three. I live in a dry climate and most recipes that add the flour all at once don’t work very well for me because I generally need less flour. So almost all my dough recipes I advise adding the flour gradually. Enjoy!
Nagi@RecipeTinEats
This is my kind of donut! The simple yet flavorful one. It’s amazing!
Marie Buschenko
HORRIBLE! Burnt and raw in the middle. I used a thermometer, ruler for thickness and so on. Now…my house stinks of burnt food. In the garbage they went.
Barbara Schieving
Sorry you had trouble Marie – sounds like your oil was too hot. Next time you’re frying, if the first one burns, turn down the temperature and wait for the oil to cool a bit before adding the next one.
Foodiewife
Groan. These are my favorite doughnuts. Ever. I’ve been wanting to make them myself, and now…you’ve done the hard work for me. Okay… I’m diving in. Wish me luck.
sharlet
I just made these and added lemon zest to the glaze which was delicious. I also tossed some in cinnamon and sugar. Flavor was really good but they donuts were heavier then I expected. Is this because they do not have yeast in them to make them light and fluffy?
Thanks!
Barbara Schieving
Hi Sharlet – lemon zest does sound like a delicious addition to the glaze. They aren’t a light and fluffy yeast donut for sure, more of a cake donut. You do have to be careful not to overwork the dough, which can make them heavier.
cindy3539
I made these today. They were so tender! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Cindy – I love that you made them and loved them. Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen
They look absolutely perfect!
Annamaria @ Bakewell Junction
Barbara,
I’m not a fan of old fashioned donuts either unless they are liberally glazed but my hubby loves them plain. Can’t wait to try them. I’ll make half without glaze and half with double glaze.
Annamaria
Felicia@Ingredient1
Homemade donuts are no easy feat, but these look really terrific. Is baking these an alternative option to frying?
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Felicia – they’re really not that hard, just keeping the oil at temperature is key.
Liz
These look better than the best bakery!! Irresistible!
Annalise @ Completely Delicious
Old-fashioned doughnuts are my fave and the ones from Blue Star were incredible! Now I’ve got a craving. 🙂
Jess @ Sweetest Menu
Wow! These are so beautiful! I tried one in Seattle once and they were so delicious, very different to the donuts we have over here. I can’t wait to try!
TidyMom
I’ve never met a donut I didn’t like! these look fabulous Barb!!
Carol
I’d love to stop by and have a donut with you Barbara-I’ll bring the coffee! 🙂 There’s nothing better than homemade donuts…gosh, I haven’t made them in years. I love making both the old fashioned donuts and yeast raised ones…..SO good. One of these days I’ll have to make some to take to NH. The boys would be happy. I have my Mom’s donut cutter with the little circle that attaches inside….lots of good memories attached to that cutter that’s for sure.
Your donuts look DELICIOUS! I’ve never seen the scored top like that-what a great way to hold on to that yummy glaze.
Melissa @ My Recent Favorite books
Donuts are my weakness! I love all kinds! And these sound so good!!!
I have always wanted to visit Portland, Oregon. The city sounds amazing!
Liren
These look incredible, Barbara! Who needs to fly to Portland? I will definitely be trying these, thank you 🙂
Laura
This recipe looks amazing! I live in Portland, and Blue Star Donuts are indeed amazing! The Old Fashioned is delicious, although I think my favorite is the Hard Apple Cider Fritter. :o)
Thank you for this recipe!
Barbara Schieving
Now I wish I’d tried the fritter 🙂
June @ How to Philosophize with Cake
Old fashioned cake doughnuts wouldn’t be my first choice at a doughnut shop either, but homemade?? Sounds amazing! These look delicious! 🙂
Maria
They look perfect! My boys would go crazy for these!
Rosa
They look irresistible and incredibly delicious!
Cheers,
Rosa