Gramma John’s Buttermilk Donuts have been a favorite in our family for decades. They are delicious and perfect for freezing.
My childhood summers were spent in South Dakota and Minnesota. Though I was born and raised in California, my parents both grew up in Minnesota. With loads of family on both sides, and my dad hankering for farm-stomping, we spent every summer on the road, driving to the midwest and then hopping from family to family for visiting.
The highlights of my summer were hanging out my cousins Laurie, Kristin, and Jenny, and playing cards with my Gramma John. Oh and scotcharoo bars at Aunt Peggy’s house . And broccoli cauliflower soup at Aunt Sandy’s house.
My Gramma John was a character. She married young and survived an abusive husband. She raised eight kids as best she could on a farm with little money. I only knew her in her town-living retirement years, when she would babysit my cousins, garden in her backyard, can and bake in her basement kitchen, and play cards and watch soaps all afternoon.
Gramma John was one of my best friends growing up. We were great penpals right up until she passed away in 2000. She listened to me when no one else did. And quite honestly, I miss her terribly, though she’s been gone for almost 16 years.
One of my sweetest memories of her is sitting in her last kitchen in a small apartment in a retirement building. She was able to fit a small deep freeze in that minuscule kitchen.
In said deep freeze were stacks of lefse and plastic boxes filled with buttermilk donuts. When she wasn’t looking, I’d sneak donuts from the freezer, eating them before they had a chance to thaw completely. Mmmm. They were good.
I was 18, and could eat all the donuts without gaining an ounce. Those were the days.
What’s the difference between cake donuts and yeast donuts?
A few years ago after watching a few seasons of Good Eats, FishPapa started pining for a fryer. He’s not one to usually request kitchen appliances, so I figured he had really thought it through.
When my dad said that a neighbor had a brand-new, commercial fryer to give away, I said yes. I figured if it wasn’t exactly what Alton recommended, we could probably find a home for it. As it turns out, it is exactly what FishPapa wanted in a fryer.
We’ve tested Alton’s recipe for Yeast Doughnuts. They are excellent. They puff up light and fluffy and crisp. FishPapa would recommend that you omit the nutmeg. He isn’t crazy about nutmeg.
But, my heart belongs to Gramma John and her Buttermilk Donuts. These buttermilk donuts are cake donuts, which means they puff up from baking powder and baking soda. And honestly, when I’m too lazy to go to the garage for the fryer, I just make these in a pot. No fryer required.
What ingredients do you need to make buttermilk donuts?
- eggs
- sugar
- vanilla
- oil
- buttermilk
- flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
How do you make buttermilk donuts?
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla, vegetable oil, buttermilk, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. The dough will be quite sticky.
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Roll out the dough on a floured board. Cut into rounds with a donut cutter.
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Heat a pot of oil to a depth of at least two inches, and fry the donuts, flipping once, until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on a rack set over paper toweling.
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Cooled donuts can be packed in an airtight container and frozen for up to 6 weeks.
I hope you will give these a spin. They aren’t super fancy. They’re what FishChick9 would call “a friendly dessert”. They’re not too fancy to eat. And you have my permission to eat them cold from the freezer.
This recipe makes a very sticky dough. My cousin Laurie and I recently compared notes when I sent her a picture of my donut dough and asked if hers was as sticky. Turns out her dad, my Uncle Donny, used only egg yolks when he made these donuts. I am going to be testing that theory soon to see how they fare. I’ll update this post when I do.
Tools that come in handy when making this recipe:
- stainless steel mixing bowl
- Pyrex glass measure
- rubber spatula
- rolling pin
- pastry board
- donut cutter
- fryer or heavy pot
Buttermilk Donuts
Ingredients
- 2 egg
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup neutral oil
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 4 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- oil for frying the donuts like peanut or avocado
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla, vegetable oil, buttermilk, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. The dough will be quite sticky.
- Roll out the dough on a floured board. Cut into rounds with a donut cutter.
- Heat a pot of oil to a depth of at least two inches, and fry the donuts, flipping once, until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on a rack set over paper toweling.
- Cooled donuts can be packed in an airtight container and frozen for up to 6 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
Do you make donuts?
Dian
I just made these and they are absolutely delicious! Very easy to make and I used 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup splenda. I have always loved the unglazed cake donuts at the bakeries and these taste exactly like them. I am looking forward to coffee in the morning with a fresh low sugar donut. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Jessica Fisher
Yay! Now I want donuts. Thanks for sharing your subs.
Alisha
I’m going to try to make these gluten free, they look delicious!
Jessica Fisher
Let me know how they turn out!
Jessica Fisher
Not silly. I wondered the same thing when I looked at that post the other day. I think those were the yeast donuts from Alton Brown. Gramma’s look a lot like the baked kind.
Allie Z
open mouth, insert foot. i just read that you are now in san diego. funny thing, i just moved from carlsbad to phoenix. my feet are wet…
~Allie
Allie Z
Speaking of donuts… we just made donuts this weekend!!
I followed this recipe: http://www.recipezaar.com/Incredible-Easy-Raised-Donuts-203062
I will follow the recipe again if I’m making crumb donuts. If I’m making a regular glazed donut, I’ll omit the cinammon. No complaints from the kiddos or hubby though!!
What city do you live in? I just stumbled onto your blog!! We live in Phoenix, and there are Albertsons here, but these are owned by the LLC so they run different deals. I figured I’d ask before running to stock up on the flour!
~Allie
Suz
Yum… my mom used to make doughnuts once and awhile as a treat for us when we got off the bus. She didn’t fry them, but had a handy machine like a waffle maker that made doughnuts… made more of a cakey doughnut.
thanks for bringing back the memory… now I’ll have to see if they still make those machines so I can do the same for my son when he gets of the bus in a few years 🙂
Kara
I have worked with my great-grandma’s recipe to make little jelly donut holes for my kids. I love them!! They are so fatty and bad that I make them a rare treat, but I just love homemade donuts!
CountryMama@The Cozy Country Home
Jessica…they look great!! What did you dip them in when they were done? Did you have to dip them in butter and then cinnamon and sugar?
I made fried donuts once with biscuit dough from a can and they were horrible!! I also bought a donut pan and tried to make baked ones (with a healthy sneaky recipe) and they were worse!! No one ate them and we wasted so many ingredients! But maybe if they tasted as good as yours look they will!
Heather
These look very yummy. That is so cool that you got an awesome fryer for free. 🙂
Katie @ 3 Blondes and a Redhead
Oh my goodness, I’m DYING over here. You don’t show a picture of a homemade donut for pregnant gals to see!!! I don’t have a fryer or the energy to try these at the moment, so I may have to make a run to Dunkin Donuts. I. Am. Drooling.
Stephanie
I have not made donuts in a long long time. We had a fryer but when it died I never replaced it. We were too in love with it, but my waist line wasn’t !
Chawksgirl4ever
wow they look really yummy!nope i have never made donuts before.maybe someday
JessieLeigh
My grandma always made fresh donuts and they were out of this world delicious!
I have made them only once, a cinnamon-applesauce recipe. They were good and my husband was a huge fan, but I burned myself something fierce doing it! Until I can master the technique, I’ll have to live vicariously through you. 😉 Yours looks delicious!
Trisha
Would you be willing to share that recipe, JessieLiegh?
steph
YUM! I have never even thought about making donuts. My mouth is watering right now.
Bridgett
Can you make substitute regular milk for buttermilk?
Jackie
Oh my goodness! Those donuts look super yummy! The only way I ever knew to make them was taking biscuit dough and putting a hole in the center. Then fry them up in a pan of hot oil. I will definitely be trying the ones you shared! And way to go on the new FREE fryer! YAY!