These classic powdered donuts will taste just as good as they did when you were a kid and felt like you hit the jackpot getting a sugary sweet breakfast treat.
If you ask me what powdered donuts taste like, I couldn’t really tell you. They are sweet and cakey and a little bit like vanilla but I couldn’t have told you if there was anything beyond that. They are sort of a nostalgic flavor for a lot of people. I’m not a huge donut person, but I think every once in a while a powdered donut really is just going to be the perfect treat.
These aren’t going to taste exactly like the packaged kind you get in a sleeve or bag, but I promise you they are similar and they are just as delicious. These are going to be a little more buttery and airy.
Powdered donuts are a cake donut which means they are baked and have no yeast like a glazed donut. That also makes them pretty simple to make at home, the main thing you’ll need is a donut pan. Making donuts at home can be really fun and you can make flavors that you can’t find in stores like French Toast Donuts.
Baking Notes & Tips
I tested baking these powdered donuts in a metal donut pan. I know there are a lot of silicone molds out there for things like donuts, and while they probably will perform the same I can’t guarantee the same results. I used this pan which is a regular sized donut. Many of the 12 donut pans are for mini donuts so the amount of donuts you get out of this recipe will also vary depending on the pan you use.
The key to getting a good powdered sugar coating is two coatings. First, you’ll dunk the donuts in the powdered sugar while they are warm – but not hot. This will allow some sugar to adhere, then once they have completely cooled you will do it again and the second coat will leave you with that classic powdered sugar donuts look.
That being said, these donuts are best enjoyed the day they are made. When they are stored in an airtight container the sugar will dissolve by the next day into the moist cake. From my research they do make powdered sugar that won’t do this, but I didn’t try this. Alternatively, leaving it out in an uncovered container will help but also will dry out the donuts. Storing them in a paper bag or cardboard pastry box will help, but really the donuts won’t keep well beyond an extra day.
Powdered Donuts Key Ingredients
- Powdered sugar – CLEARLY we need powdered sugar to make a powdered donuts. There are no substitutions, I’m sorry to tell you.
- Buttermilk – Buttermilk is going to help make the donuts really tender but add a lot of flavor. You can substitute for milk or probably non-dairy milk and the donuts will turn out fine but I would recommend using real full fat buttermilk if you can swing it.
- Browned Butter – A lot of recipes include cinnamon or nutmeg, but I really didn’t want to use cinnamon because even if store bought ones have it (which I looked a lot of them didn’t list it in the ingredients), I just wanted the cake part to be really buttery. I figured browning a little bit of butter would add some extra flavor but maintain the same flavor profile.
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Equipment
- Donut Pan
Ingredients
- 200 g AP Flour 1⅔ cup
- ½ tsp Salt
- 50 g Granulated sugar ¼ cup
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- ¼ tsp Baking soda
- 1 large Egg + 1 Yolk Room temperature
- 112 g Buttermilk ½ cup, room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla bean paste
- 2 tbsp Unsalted butter browned
- 55 g Vegetable oil ¼ cup
- 120 g Powdered sugar 1 cup, sifted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Brown your butter. Take your two tablespoons of butter and put into a small stainless or light colored sauce pan over medium heat. Stir after butter melts. Butter will bubble then foam, and the milk solids will brown and begin to smell nutty and fragrant. When toasted, remove from heat and pour into a small bowl immediately.
- Thoroughly grease donut pan (if not non-stick) with either butter or cooking spray
- In a medium bowl, mix together, flour, salt, granulated sugar, baking powder and baking soda.
- In another medium bowl, whisk together egg plus additional yolk, buttermilk, browned butter, oil, and vanilla paste.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix with a spatula or spoon until just combined.
- Transfer batter into a piping bag or spoon batter into donut pans. Cavities should be about 2/3 full.
- Bake donuts for about 12 minutes. You can test one with a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean.
- While donuts bake, fill a large ziplock bag with your powdered sugar.
- Let donuts cool in pan for about 5 minutes. Remove from donut pan and put into bag of powdered sugar while warm. Toss in the sugar. Place on a wire cooling rack to allow cooling.
- When donuts are cool, put them back into the powdered sugar for a second coating of sugar.
- Keep donuts in a paper bag, pastry cardboard box or uncovered container for up to 1 day. Enjoy!
