Mini Donuts Recipe

Sour cream mini donuts, made with buttermilk, sour cream, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla are rich, tasty, and totally a crave-worthy dessert!
Cinnamon sugar mini donuts recipe.pinitView Gallery5 photos

Mini Donuts Recipe is a real treat and definitely worth the effort! These cake donuts do take some time with the deep frying, but, I always make a double batch because these mini sour cream donuts freeze so well!

Finished mini donuts recipe with cinnamon sugar or icing sugar.

We always do our deep frying outside, even in the winter. The children all love to help with making mini donuts recipe. So, one will be frying the donuts while another is tossing the donuts in the sugar. Usually, I’m the donut roller, cutter, and carrier, plus dish doer!! We are all the donut tasters…

Cinnamon sugar mini donuts recipe.

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Doughnut or Donut? That is the Question!

Are donuts spelled doughnut, or donut? Well, I guess the official dictionary spelling is doughnut, and donut is just a variation. I suppose I spell it donut because I’m originally American? However you spell it doesn’t change the delicious tempting taste of these addictive morsels! For more about the spelling of doughnut/donut and how it changed read: Doughnut or Donut: What’s the Difference?

Powdered sugar mini donuts.

Nothing spells comfort food, tasty treats, like freshly fried donuts! I don’t know why, but sometimes I just get a craving for cinnamon sugar mini donuts! And the powdered sugar mini donuts are even better! For just a fraction of the cost, we can fry up some scrumptious mini donuts that taste even better than the ones at the fair!

Who doesn’t get a longing for some mini donuts when they pass the donut truck at the fair? And of course, for a rare special treat, spending $8-$10 for a small bag of freshly fried cinnamon sugar mini donuts is totally okay. But, what if you could have a pile of cinnamon sugar, and/or powdered sugar, or glazed sour cream mini donuts for just a dollar or so more than the price of one small bag at the fair?

Mini donuts recipe finished cooking.

Price of Homemade Mini Donuts Recipe!

Don’t believe me? Here in Canada even with the exorbitant grocery prices, this is what it cost me to make a DOUBLE batch of sour cream mini donuts! Which is 72 mini donuts!!!

  • Eggs-$1.23
  • Sugar-$.40
  • Sour Cream-$2.50
  • Sour milk-$.70
  • Vanilla extract-$.25
  • Flour-$1.00
  • Baking Powder-$.38
  • Nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt $.25
  • Fat for frying, which I also reuse, so I’ll say $4.50 if I only use it twice.
  • then, whatever I put on top like cinnamon sugar might be another $2.00?

So, for $13.21 I get OODLES of homemade, fresh, delicious, better than fair, mini donuts!!

Totally worth the little bit of extra effort!

Mini Donuts Recipe can also be baked, if you prefer. The flavor will not be the same, but these sour cream donuts will still be light, fluffy, rich and sweet. Then, adding a vanilla glaze will really take them over the top!

The sour cream and buttermilk in mini donuts recipe ensures a super moist, light, and airy donut. Mini donuts made with sour cream do NOT taste like sour cream. They have a rich, crunchy-on-the-outside, yet fluffy-on-the-inside texture. The flavor is rich, cakey, with a hint of cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla.

Super Easy No Fuss Recipe

Mini Donuts Recipe is super easy. There is no need to chill the dough, or use special flour. There is no complicated mixing instructions or waiting for the donuts to rise before frying!

Ingredients for mini donuts recipe.

Ingredients in Mini Donuts Recipe

  • Eggs
  • Granulated sugar
  • Sour cream, regular or light will work. I use the 14% fat for the richest batter.
  • Buttermilk, or sour milk, which is 1 tsp of vinegar and milk to make 1/2 cup.
  • Vanilla extract
  • All purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt for the dry ingredients.
  • Oil for deep frying, the amount will depend on whether you are using a deep fryer or a deep saucepan. I used a deep fryer so used a whole jug of canola oil.
  • Cinnamon sugar mixture, or powdered sugar for coating.

How to Make Mini Donuts Recipe

1.Beat the eggs in a large bowl until frothy. Then, beat in sugar. Add the sour cream, buttermilk, and vanilla and mix well.

Sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla and eggs ready to be mixed.

2.In a seperate bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt together.

Flour baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.

3.Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just to moisten.

Dry ingredients added to wet ingredietns.

4.Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface. It should be thin, about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Cut with a 2″ diameter biscuit cutter. Tear a small hole in the center with your fingers.

Cutting out donuts.

5.Deep fry a few at a time in hot 375°F (190°C) fat until browned on both sides. You will have to flip them part way through the cooking.

Mini donuts recipe in a deep fryer.

6.Remove with a slotted spoon onto paper towels. Stand on edge to drain any excess oil.

Mini donuts recipe finished cooking.

7.Place either a cinnamon sugar mixture or powdered sugar in a small bowl. Put 2-3 donuts at a time in the bowl and shake them until coated. Then put the finished sugared donuts on a seperate plate or tray.

Coating the mini donuts with cinnamon sugar.

Variations

Freezing Instructions

  • Sour cream mini donuts are best eaten the same day, or frozen, if you want to eat them later.
  • Frozen, then thawed, mini donuts taste almost as great as fresh-from-the-fryer donuts!
  • Mini donuts recipe will stay the freshest if frozen.
  • To freeze, place the completely cooled donuts in a sealed bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
  • To thaw, place the donuts on a plate at room temperature. It only takes 20 minutes to thaw these sour cream mini donuts.

Why You Will LOVE Mini Donuts Recipe!

  • Distinctive, well-balanced, sweet but not too sweet flavor.
  • No weird aftertaste like store bought donuts.
  • Light, melt in your mouth texture.
  • Crispy on the outside.
  • Hint of nutmeg, which is totally necessary for old-fashioned donut yumminess!

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Other Tasty Dessert Treats to Try!

Mini Donuts Recipe

Nothing spells comfort food, tasty treats, like freshly fried donuts! I don't know why, but sometimes I just get a craving for cinnamon sugar mini donuts! And the powdered sugar mini donuts are even better! For just a fraction of the cost, we can fry up some scrumptious mini donuts that taste even better than the ones at the fair!

Prep Time15 minsCook Time30 minsTotal Time45 minsDifficulty:IntermediateServings:36Calories:140Best Season:Suitable throughout the year

Ingredients

Instructions

Video
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How to Make Mini Donuts Recipe

  1. Beat the eggs in a large bowl until frothy. Then, beat in sugar. Add the sour cream, buttermilk, and vanilla and mix well.

    20220810 115814 Scaled
  2. In a seperate bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt together.

    20220810 120001 Scaled
  3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just to moisten.

    20220810 120055 Scaled
  4. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface. It should be thin, about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Cut with a 2" diameter biscuit cutter. Tear a small hole in the center with your fingers.

    20220810 120625 Scaled
  5. Deep fry a few at a time in hot 375°F (190°C) fat until browned on both sides. You will have to flip them part way through the cooking.

    20220810 123636 Scaled
  6. Remove with a slotted spoon onto paper towels. Stand on edge to drain any excess oil.

    20220810 123602 Scaled
  7. Place either a cinnamon sugar mixture or powdered sugar in a small bowl. Put 2-3 donuts at a time in the bowl and shake them until coated. Then put the finished sugared donuts on a seperate plate or tray.

    20220810 122257 Scaled
Nutrition Facts

Servings 36


Amount Per Serving
Calories 140kcal
Calories from Fat 62kcal
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 7g11%
Sodium 47mg2%
Potassium 98mg3%
Total Carbohydrate 17g6%
Dietary Fiber 0.4g2%
Sugars 5.8g
Protein 2g4%

Thiamin 10 mg
Riboflavin 8 mg
Folate 11 mcg
Phosphorus 10 mg
Selenium 10 mg

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

Note

Use a candy thermometer to measure the heat of the oil. 375°F or 190°C is perfect. Too hot, and the donuts don't cook all the way through, too cool and your donuts will taste greasy.

Do NOT overwork the batter, it will be sticky, just use as much flour as you need for rolling them out. Overworked donut batter will cause tough donuts.

Use a good quality cooking oil for frying, the cheap oils will cause a bitter aftertaste and have high trans fats. I usually use canola oil.

Cut out as many donuts as you can the first time you roll them, as every time they get rolled out, the donuts will get a little bit tougher.

Frequently Asked Questions

Expand All:
What is the best oil for deep-frying mini donuts?

I always use canola oil. It has basically no flavor so the taste of the mini donuts will come through.

Why are my donuts so tough?

You may have overmixed the donut batter. Just gently incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. The dough will be sticky, so use only enough flour when rolling out.

How long does Mini Donut Recipe keep?

Mini Donut Recipe will stay fresh on the counter for only 2 days. If you want to keep the donuts fresh longer, place in a sealed bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.

What is the difference between a yeast donut and a cake donut?

A cake donut like mini donuts recipe uses baking powder and doesn't need to rise before frying. A yeast donut uses yeast and will need to rise for at least an hour before being deep fried.

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Rebekah Callahan

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