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    Home » Breakfast

    Buttermilk Doughnuts

    Published: Oct 6, 2008 Last updated: Sep 23, 2022 by Shelby Law Ruttan · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    Mom's tried and true recipe over 50 years old, this vintage recipe will have your family begging for you to make them every weekend!
    Jump to Recipe
    A tray of golden brown homemade buttermilk doughnuts with one deep fried doughnut broken in half to show the inside
    A tray full of homemade buttermilk doughnuts on paper towel lined baking sheet.

    Mom's Buttermilk Doughnuts are an old-fashioned, deep fried donut recipe that are also known as fry cakes. This cake like doughnut is deep fried until golden brown and delicious freshly made.

    A tray full of homemade buttermilk doughnuts on paper towel lined baking sheet.
    Use paper towels or paper bags to drain the hot doughnuts.
    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love It
    • 🍩 Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • FAQ's
    • 💭 Top Tips
    • Donut or Doughnuts?
    • Lucille Brewer's Doughnuts
    • Related Recipes
    • The Last Word
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Why You'll Love It

    • The vanilla flavored cake encased in the crispy brown exterior is melt in your mouth delicious.
    • It's pairs perfectly with a glass of Hot Fireball Apple Cider
    • Deep Fried Buttermilk Doughnuts are a great way to treat your family on the weekend.
    Mom standing in her kitchen with a tray of homemade buttermilk doughnuts on the counter beside her.
    We all love my Mom's Homemade Buttermilk Doughnuts, and we love her too!
    Mom holding the deep fried doughnut recipe card
    Mom's tattered recipe card for her famous Buttermilk Doughnuts!

    🍩 Ingredients

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Sugar

    Large Eggs

    Vegetable oil

    Buttermilk

    Lemon juice

    Pure vanilla extract

    All-purpose flour

    Baking powder

    Baking soda

    Salt

    Ground nutmeg

    Solid shortening (Crisco is the best)

    Blending together the liquid ingredients
    First blend all of the liquid ingredients into a blender until fully incorporated.
    Mixing wet and dry ingredients with hand mixer.
    Then, using a hand mixer to incorporate flour into the dough.
    Hand mixing the remaining flour into dough.
    Then work the remaining dry ingredients in by hand until dough is workable.

    Instructions

    1. In a blender, combine the sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla.
    2. In a large mixing bowl, sift 2 cups of flour with baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.
    3. Using a hand mixer, blend the wet and dry ingredients together until a sticky dough forms.
    4. Gradually add the remaining 2 cups of flour to the dough until it becomes stiff and pliable.
    5. Cover dough and place in refrigerator to chill up to 30 minutes.
    6. Remove dough from refrigerator and pat down and out with floured hands until round and approximately 1" thick.
    7. Cut out doughnuts with cutter and set aside on floured board.
    8. Once doughnuts are cut, let rest while you prepare the vegetable shortening for frying.
    9. Add shortening to a large frying pot and heat until 375 degrees.
    10. Gently place doughnuts in hot grease. Once they go into the grease, they will sink, then float up to the top, with the hot oil bubbling around them.
    11. Cook for approximately 2 minutes per side, until golden brown.
    12. Be sure oil does not get too cool or too hot. Temperature should be maintained at 375 degrees.
    13. Remove fried doughnuts from hot grease and transfer to a paper towel lined cookie sheet.
    14. Let any excess oil drain from doughnut and cool at least 5 minutes before handling.
    Mom's hand patting down and shaping the doughnut dough
    Using your hands, gently flatten the dough out into a circle, then finish with a rolling pin.
    Doughnut Dough that has been cut into circles with a biscuit cutter.
    Using a biscuit or donut cutter, cut the dough into circles, if using a biscuit cutter, us a smaller cutter to cut out the donut hole.
    A pair of hands cutting out hole in center of the buttermilk doughnut.
    Cut the small center hole for a ring.

    FAQ's

    What is an old-fashioned doughnut?

    An old fashioned doughnut is a cake like ring of fried dough that has been leavened with baking powder. It has a tender interior with a crispy exterior.

    Is a yeast donut the same thing as a fry cake?

    No, a yeast donut is a doughnut made with active yeast. The interior will be more like a sweet yeast bread and exterior is smooth and golden brown.

    What is the difference between deep fried donuts and a baked donuts?

    Deep fried donuts will have a crispy exterior with a soft interior. A baked donut will have more of a cake like texture all around.

    💭 Top Tips

    • Use a blender to combine the sugar, eggs, oil, buttermilk, and lemon juice. This will completely mix all the wet ingredients together well.
    • Measure dry ingredients and add together with flour in sifter, then sift into a large bowl.
    • Start the mixing with a hand mixer, then move to a spoon as the dough becomes stiffer.
    • The dough should be pliable when your turn it out onto a floured board. Finish mixing by hand until you have a stiff and workable dough.
    • Make sure you refrigerate the dough at least 30 minutes.
    • Once the doughnuts are cut, set them aside to rest for 30 minutes.
    • When you remove the dough from fridge, gently pat out and shape the dough until about 1 inch thickness.
    • To cut the donuts, use a donut cutter or a biscuit cutter. My mom uses a round biscuit cookie cutter for a bigger donut. Then she will cut out the donut holes using the removable center of the doughnut hole cutter.

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Donut or Doughnuts?

    All of my life a Doughnut was a doughnut! The spelling of donut was always around, but spelling of donut became the more popular version when Dunkin' Donuts came into existence. Neither one of these spellings are incorrect and actually, if you search either word on the internet, you get recipes with both spellings!

    A tray of golden brown homemade buttermilk doughnuts with one deep fried doughnut broken in half to show the inside

    Deep Frying Tips

    • Keep in mind when deep frying doughnuts, you will need to keep the heat at a steady temperature. I recommend using a heavy bottomed stock pot or electric deep fryer to fry your doughnuts.
    • I also recommend using a deep fry thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature of the oil.
    Deep Fried Doughnut recipe bubbling in hot oil
    A pile of freshly deep fried buttermilk doughnuts lined on a cookie sheet

    Lucille Brewer's Doughnuts

    The recipe card shown below does not show the recipe the way my mom makes it. She has made this deep fried doughnut recipe for longer than I have been around, and the recipe has evolved with her over the years.

    Mom's tattered deep fried doughnut recipe card

    The card is the original recipe my Nanny used and she passed it on to mom. I shared this card with you so you could see the original version. Mom's version is in my recipe card below.

    Related Recipes

    It is very rare you will need to find a way to use doughnuts, other than just eating them. However, there are a couple of different ways to enjoy a doughnut that I thought I would share with you.

    Try making Doughnut Bread Pudding! Or, I find this grilled cheese donut intriguing. I'm not sure I would want it with a glazed donut, but a cake donut maybe?

    This is a donut sandwich I would eat in a heartbeat! A Maple Donut Breakfast Sandwich would be hard to resist with the sweet maple icing and bacon! Another sweet and savory treat to try is this Donut Monte Cristo Sandwich. A little spicy jam with that sandwich would add another layer of flavor that would make it a killer sandwich!

    We love our homemade donuts! My favorite yeast donut is this recipe for Apple Cider Glazed Doughnuts. When I make this recipe, I often will save a few doughnuts to glaze with a maple frosting.

    collage of deep fried doughnut recipe

    I prefer deep fried doughnut recipes. However, I do bake them often too! Some of my favorite baked donut recipes are for Baked Banana Doughnuts with Browned Butter Rum Glaze, Raspberry Lemon Baked Donuts, and Baked Chocolate Mocha Doughnuts.

    Raspberry Lemon Baked Donuts
    Raspberry Lemon Baked Doughnuts

    The Last Word

    My mom has always been an amazing maker of all things bread-like. Three things she would make regularly in the home were biscuits, bread, and doughnuts. I remember as a young girl, I would watch her make her doughnuts, and anxiously wait until they would come out of the hot grease. We loved to eat them warm, either shaken up with a little powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or dipped in some pure maple syrup.

    If you have never eaten a freshly made fry cake, then you are certainly missing out. There is nothing else like it. I felt this method of making an old-fashioned doughnut should not disappear. Because of this, I decided to document my Mom's method of making homemade buttermilk doughnuts.


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    When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!

    If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating

    📖 Recipe

    A tray of golden brown homemade buttermilk doughnuts with one deep fried doughnut broken in half to show the inside

    Homemade Buttermilk Doughnuts

    Shelby Law Ruttan
    Mom's tried and true recipe over 50 years old, this vintage recipe will have your family begging for you to make them every weekend!
    4.75 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Go to Collections
    Prep Time 45 mins
    Cook Time 5 mins
    Refrigeration Time 30 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 20 mins
    Course Breakfast & Brunch
    Cuisine American
    Servings 36
    Calories 194 kcal

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
    • 1 cup buttermilk
    • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 4 cups flour
    • 3 tablespoon baking powder
    • 1 tablespoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg or cinnamon
    • 2 cups vegetable oil for frying

    Instructions
     

    • In a blender, combine the sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla.
    • In a large mixing bowl, sift 2 cups of flour with baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.
    • Using a hand mixer, blend the wet and dry ingredients together until a sticky dough forms.
    • Gradually add the remaining 2 cups of flour to the dough until it becomes stiff and pliable.
    • Cover dough and place in refrigerator to chill up to 30 minutes.
    • Remove dough from refrigerator and pat down and out with floured hands until round and approximately 1" thick.
    • Cut out doughnuts with cutter and set aside on floured board.
    • Once doughnuts are cut, let rest while you prepare the vegetable shortening for frying.
    • Add shortening to a large frying pot and heat until 375 degrees.
    • Gently place doughnuts in hot grease. Once they go into the grease, they will sink, then float up to the top, with the hot oil bubbling around them.
    • Cook for approximately 2 minutes per side, until golden brown.
    • Be sure oil does not get too cool or too hot. Temperature should be maintained at 375 degrees.
    • Remove fried doughnuts from hot grease and transfer to a paper towel lined cookie sheet.
    • Let any excess oil drain from doughnut and cool at least 5 minutes before handling.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1doughnutCalories: 194kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 2gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 276mgSugar: 6g
    Keyword Buttermilk Doughnuts, Fry Cake, Fry Cakes, Mom's Homemade Buttermilk Doughnuts
    Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!

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    About Shelby Law Ruttan

    Shelby is the author/owner of Grumpy's Honeybunch. Established in 2007, she shares and preserves family recipes as well as recipes for cooking light and keto. She has authored the One-Pot Paleo Cookbook and The Pescatarian Keto Cookbook. She is an experienced, self-taught home cook who loves to share recipes with others. She also authors the websites Honeybunch Hunts and The Best Vegetarian Recipes. You can see her work on websites such as Veal Made Easy, Parade, Community Table, SoFab Food, Yummly, and FoodGawker.

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    Comments

    1. Ellen

      July 16, 2017 at 12:20 pm

      Mom's handwritten recipes are the best! It looks well loved with all the stains and creases on the card! The doughnuts look delicious!

      Reply
      • Shelby

        July 18, 2017 at 6:23 am

        Ellen, my mom and dad used to go to the Farmer's Market with garden and baked goods, and people looked for them and her doughnuts! Believe me, every time I go home, I'm happy if she has some in her freezer too. They are great thawed and warmed in the microwave a few seconds too!

        Reply

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    Welcome! I'm Shelby Law Ruttan, author and content creator at Grumpy's Honeybunch. She is self taught in the kitchen and has been sharing keto low carb recipes and family recipes since 2007.

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