Homemade Donut Recipe

These homemade donuts have become a new favorite around our house. They are flavorful, delicious and you most likely have all the ingredients laying around already! 

Ingredients For Donuts:
3 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk (sub: mixture of 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp white vinegar)
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter (melted then cooled)
Olive Oil for frying

Ingredients for Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Ingredients for Cinnamon Sugar:
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 tbsp cinnamon 

*We also used only powdered sugar for one topping and they tasted like funnel cakes. ;)

Directions:
1. Make the Donuts: Line one baking sheet with parchment paper and another baking sheet with two layers of paper towels.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, and sour cream until combined. Add the melted, cooled butter and whisk again.

4. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the liquid ingredients into the well. With a rubber spatula, slowly fold the flour into the liquid center until the mixture forms a sticky dough.

5. Turn the dough out onto a work surface lightly dusted with flour. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and pat it out until it is about ½-inch thick. Use two round cutters (3¼-inch and 1½-inch). Dip the large cutter in flour and press out the rounds. Dip the smaller cutter in the flour and cut out the center of each dough round. Arrange bough doughnuts and doughnut holes on the parchment-lined baking sheet, pat the dough scraps back together, and use them to make as many more doughnuts and doughnuts holes as possible. Chill the dough while you heat the oil.
*Tip: If you don't have donut cutters, we used the brim of different size cups to make the circles.

6. Pour enough oil into a deep skillet to make a layer approximately 1 inch to 1½ inches deep. Slowly heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is 365 to 370 degrees F.

7. While you are waiting for the oil to reach temperature, make the toppings.

8. Make the Vanilla Glaze: In a medium wide-mouthed bowl, whisk together the sugar, the milk, and the vanilla extract.

9. Make the Cinnamon Sugar: In a medium wide-mouthed bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon.

10. Make the Powered Sugar: In a medium wide-mouthed bowl, add powdered sugar to dip doughnuts.

11. Fry the Donuts: Once the oil reaches temperature, gently lift the large doughnuts off the baking sheet and place them in the hot oil. Do not crowd the skillet - make no more than 3 doughnuts at a time. Once they have browned on one side (this takes 2 to 3 minutes), turn them over with tongs or a slotted spoon and continue to cook for another minute or just until browned (they can overcook or burn rather quickly). Using a slotted spoon, transfer the doughnuts to the paper towel-lined baking sheet and continue to fry the rest of the dough until finished. The doughnut holes will cook faster (only about 1 minute on each side) and can be made in two or three batches after the doughnuts are done.

12. Assemble the Donuts: Once you have finished frying, work quickly to dip the them in the vanilla glaze, powdered sugar or the cinnamon sugar. If you like, decorate the vanilla doughnuts with sprinkles. 

Lastly, put them on a plate and let the little ones go to town...have fun, enjoy the mess and the smiles and let me know how they turn out! 

Enjoy!