I’m home visiting family in Wisconsin and every summer we travel up north to our family cottage in Crandon. This week I’ll be making the 4 hour trip by car with my mom and dog, Dakota. We’ll be meeting my uncle and cousin at the cottage for some much-needed family time on the lake.
Ever since I can remember, it has been tradition to head into town to pick up a couple dozen donut holes for breakfast. One of my favorite ways to enjoy donut holes is to heat them up in an electric skillet with a top. Just turn them on low and heat them for a few minutes and warm donut holes are the most amazing thing!
Since I flew into town last week, my mom and I have been reminiscing about old family recipes and traditions centered around the table. She asked me to recreate our favorite donut hole recipe and together we worked on this recipe.
Cake donut holes are easier to make than traditional yeast donuts. With this recipe, you won’t have to worry about waiting for the yeast to rise. That’s thanks to baking powder. It provides enough expansion in the dough and works wonders for a thick cake-like donut.
I know I just hate when my dough doesn’t rise right with yeast and this way, it’s easier to work with!
These old-fashioned cake donuts are easy to make on a cozy weekend in and they are a favorite during the holiday season. I can’t think of a holiday where we don’t make donuts. These are great for special summer vacations and holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and 4th of July.
If you’re not a breakfast person, wait until you try these no-fuss, yeast-free bakery style donuts. You won’t be able to stop at just one!
Old-Fashioned Sugar Donut Holes
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 quart vegetable oil, to fry donuts
- 1 cup sugar, to coat donuts
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large dutch oven to 375 degrees F. I use a meat thermometer to gauge temperature. Alternatively, add a small piece of food to hot oil and if it immediately sizzles and rises to the surface of the oil, it should be ready.In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to combine. Pour melted butter over dry ingredients. Mix until crumbly. Stir in milk and egg until a thick batter of dough forms.Take 1 1/2 -2 tablespoons of dough and form into a small ball. Repeat until dough is gone. Carefully drop in 5-6 donut holes into hold oil. Fry, turning once, for three minutes or until golden. Place the fried holes on a cookie sheet set above a plate and allow the oil to drain off.Toss 1 cup sugar in a paper lunch bag. Close bag and shake donut holes in batches of 6 until coated.We love to eat these warm or to rewarm them in a skillet on low. Store in air-tight container until ready to eat.
Nutritional information is only an estimate and it's accuracy is not guaranteed to be exact.
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7 Responses
Thanks for this recipe. My great grandmother used to make donut holes.
I followed this recipe exactly and can honestly say it is the best non-yeast donut hole I’ve tried! I did however fry at a lower temperature (around 290-300 degrees) so that the dough wasn’t too crispy or hard. They taste great the next day also when microwaved for 10 seconds. Thank you so much!!
Any tips on how to not get the dough so sticky? I had trouble making them into balls as the dough stuck to my fingers, so they all turned out very wonky! Still delicious though.
Oil! Keep a dish of vegetable oil or cooking spray on hand. Then, coat your hands in it when needed.
Hi, there! I just want to know if I can bake these donut holes in mini muffin pans? Any suggestions about the oven temp. and baking time?
Thanks in advance! 😊
You should be able to. Bake at 350 and check often until they are golden brown.
These are my favorite kind of donut – simple flavor, easy to pop one or three into your mouth! I’ll try these out with the kiddos.