Sourdough Donuts With Cinnamon Sugar

Learn how to make irresistible sourdough donuts made with whole wheat flour and covered in cinnamon sugar. These donuts are soaked overnight and fried in coconut oil giving them an amazing flavor texture.

I’ve already confessed my love for fermented foods. We make Kefir and Sauerkraut on a regular basis, but there is usually one more ferment that hangs out on my countertop, happily collecting the yeasts of the air.

And that beloved ferment is called sourdough.

If you have been around here awhile, you may know that basically all bread products we make are sourdough. From cinnamon rolls, to flatbread, English muffins, and more. 

We love this traditional way of fermenting grains to make them healthier and easier to digest. Plus, it just adds a depth a flavor that can’t be beat.

It is also make breakfast simple since some of the prep work is done the night before. 

Sourdough donuts are the perfect way to start a weekend morning, or really any morning. My kids absolutely devour them and I love that they contain fresh milled whole wheat, and healthy fats. 

You really can’t go wrong starting off the day with this tasty treat. 

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What is sourdough?

Sourdough is a way to ferment grains, so that the nutrients are more readily available for digestion. The “souring” process helps to break down the anti-nutrient called phytic acid that is found in the bran of a whole grain. The natural bacteria in sourdough helps to predigest the starches in the grains and the resulting product also usually has a lower glycemic index. Just like other fermented foods, sourdough is a gut healing food, because it provides the body with beneficial bacteria.

Basically, if you’re going to eat grains, it is best if they are first soaked or fermented.

I learned how to make a sourdough starter on a website called GNOWFGLINS about 8 years ago and my starter has been thriving ever since, becoming better with age. We use it to make pancakes, English muffins, bread, cake, brownies and even doughnuts!

Sourdough is the way Ma Ingalls made bread. Those handy little packets of yeast that you find in the store today weren’t available back then. She relied on the yeasts of the air to rise her baked goods. And if its good enough for Ma, it’s good enough for me.

UPDATE: You can make your own starter, if you’ve got that DIY spirit, using the directions from a post I wrote on how to make your own sourdough starter. You can also order it from a good company called Cultures For Health.

Tips for making sourdough donuts:

• If you are sensitive to wheat, try fermenting them for up to 24 hours. This can really help make those grains easier to digest.
• Use freshly milled wheat or whole grain flour.
• For this recipe I topped the donuts with cinnamon sugar, but you could also make a homemade glaze.
• You don’t need fancy equipment to cut out the donuts. I usually just find whatever objects we have on hand. A wide mouth mason jar and a bottle cap for the holes will work perfectly fine.

Whole Wheat Sourdough Donuts Ingredients

2 cups whole grain flour (We grind ours fresh in a Nutrimill.)

1/2 cup fed sourdough starter

1/2 cup water

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar (organic cane or coconut sugar)

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

Coconut oil for frying

Topping:

1/2 cup coconut sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

How To Make Sourdough Donuts:

1. The night before you plan to make the donuts combine the flour, starter and water in a bowl. Cover with a tea towel and let sit overnight.
2. The next morning add the sourdough mixture and the rest of the ingredients to a mixer and combine.
3. Roll out on a lightly floured surface. Only use as much flour as needed because if you add too much these tend to get dense and bready.
4. Next use a doughnut cutter to cut them out. We used a cup and a smaller bottle type cup to cut the center, since we don’t have a doughnut cutter.
5. That little finger there is trying to point out which one he wants to eat.
6. Cover the doughnuts with a tea towel and allow them to rise for an hour or two.
7. Next, heat the frying oil over medium heat until it sizzles when something is added.
8. Add the doughnuts and turn the oil down to low. The goal is for them to still sizzle, yet not cook so rapidly that they become done on the outsides and not the insides.
9. Flip once and cook on the other side.
10. Toss the freshly fried doughnuts in the cinnamon sugar topping mixture.
11. Pour yourself a large mason jar of fresh milk and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Why long fermented donuts?

The longer the grains are fermented with the active sourdough starter the more easily digestible they become and the more the phytic acid is broken down. Some people that are more sensitive to wheat or gluten can tolerate sourdough products where the grain has been fermented for 24 hours. These donuts can be fermented for 8-24 hours.

How do you store sourdough donuts?

If somehow you have a few leftover, you can store them in a air tight container (or bag), or wrap them in a napkin and place in a paper bag folding over the top.  like to add a napkin to help absorb any extra oil and keep them fresh longer. 

How do you eat leftover donuts?

I like to pop them in the oven for a few minutes just to warm them up without drying them out. 

Check out my other sourdough recipes and posts

• Sourdough English Muffins
• Sourdough Pizza Crust
• Our Favorite Sourdough Pancake Recipe
• Healthy One Pot Meal- Sourdough Skillet
• Sourdough Tortillas

Whole Wheat Sourdough Donuts Recipe Card

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Whole Wheat Sourdough Donuts

Yield: 5

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Additional Time: 14 hours

Total Time: 14 hours 30 minutes

Enjoy delicious and healthy whole grain sourdough donuts for breakfast or for dessert!

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Ingredients

• 2 cup whole grain flour, We grind ours fresh in a Nutrimill.
• 1/2 cup sourdough starter, fed
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup sugar, organic cane or coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• coconut oil for frying

Toppings

• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground

Instructions

1. The night before you plan to make the doughnuts, combine flour, sourdough starter, and water in a bowl. Cover with a tea towel and let sit overnight.
2. The next morning add the sourdough mixture and the rest of the ingredients to a mixer and combine.  
3. Roll out the mixture on a lightly floured surface. Only use as much flour as needed because if you add too much these tend to get dense and bready.
4. Cut out the donuts with a doughnut cutter or use a large cup and a small cup to make the donut shape.
5. Cover the doughnuts with a tea towel and allow them to rise for an hour or two.
6. Next, use a pan to heat the frying oil over medium heat until it sizzles when something is added.
7. Add the doughnuts and turn the oil down to low. The goal is for them to still sizzle, yet not cook so rapidly that they become done on the outsides and not the insides.
8. Flip once and cook on the other side.
9. When done, take donuts out of the frying pan and place on plate
10. Toss the freshly fried doughnuts in the cinnamon sugar topping mixture.
11. Pour yourself a large mason jar of fresh milk and serve immediately.

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This post was updated September 2019.