Old Fashioned Gingerbread Donuts

Old Fashioned Gingerbread Donuts

These Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Doughnuts taste exactly like December mornings should — deeply spiced, perfectly crisp around the edges, soft and fluffy inside, and dipped in a thin crackly gingerbread glaze that melts straight into every craggy ridge. The dough chills overnight for incredible texture and flavor, and the fry temperature is engineered specifically for gingerbread (molasses browns faster!), giving you golden doughnuts instead of deep brown or oily ones.

If you’ve ever wanted holiday doughnuts that feel bakery-level but completely doable at home, this is the recipe.

Why You’ll Love It

• Unmistakable gingerbread flavor (1 Tbsp ginger + molasses + warm spices)
  
• Crisp old-fashioned shell with defined cracks
  
• Fluffy, tender interior from sour cream + proper frying temps
  
• No oiliness thanks to controlled oil depth + temperature
  
• Perfect rise after chilling and freezing before frying
  
• Thin gingerbread glaze that sets shiny and crisp
  
• Highly repeatable — the method is simple once you do it once
  

Ingredient Overview

Dry ingredients:

Flour, two leaveners (baking powder + baking soda), salt, a bold gingerbread spice blend (ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg), granulated + dark brown sugar for depth.

Wet ingredients:

Melted butter, eggs, sour cream (structure + moisture), reduced molasses (for better fry behavior), and vanilla.

Glaze ingredients:

Powdered sugar, molasses, spices, salt, and milk — kept thin so it runs beautifully into the cracks.

Step Overview

1. Make the dough: Whisk dry + wet separately, then mix to form a thick, sticky dough.
   
2. Chill: 4 hours minimum, 8–24 hours best for structure + shaping.
   
3. Roll + cut: Roll thick (0.55–0.6”), cut doughnuts and holes.
   
4. Freeze: 7–8 minutes — essential for height, clean flipping, and non-oily doughnuts.
   
5. Fry: Oil depth 2.5–3”, start at 335°F, fry at 320–325°F, 2 minutes per side.
   
6. Drain: Paper towel under a rack to keep bottoms crisp.
   
7. Glaze: Thin gingerbread glaze on warm doughnuts → sets crackly.
   

Tips & Tricks

• Cut and freeze doughnuts briefly — this guarantees clean flipping and prevents absorbing oil.
  
• Use enough oil (2.5–3 inches): If they hit the bottom, they get oily.
  
• Start at 335°F; fry at 320–325°F: Gingerbread dough browns faster than plain dough.
  
• Glaze while warm, not hot: Warm doughnuts + thin glaze = perfect crackle.
  
• Color matters: Golden brown = done. Dark brown = overcooked.
  
• Let dough rest before glazing: 5 minutes prevents glaze from sliding right off.
  

Storage

• Room temperature: 1 day (best fresh).
  
• Fridge: Up to 2 days (glaze softens).
  
• Freezing: Best frozen unglazed; reheat 10 seconds, then glaze.
  
• Re-crisping: 300°F for 4–6 minutes.

These Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Doughnuts are everything warm and nostalgic about the holidays — spiced, cozy, crisp, and impossibly fluffy. They’re shockingly simple to make with the right method, and once you taste the gingerbread glaze melting into all those old-fashioned cracks, you’ll understand why these are a Seasonal Oven must-bake.

Old Fashioned Gingerbread Donuts

Crisp, crackly old-fashioned gingerbread doughnuts with bold spice, a fluffy tender center, and a thin gingerbread glaze that sets beautifully.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 35 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Chill Time 1 day d 20 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Servings: 12 Donuts

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Dry Ingredients

• 360 g 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1 Tbsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp allspice
• ¼ tsp cloves
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• 120 g ½ cup + 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 80 g ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar

Wet Ingredients

• 56 g 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 2 large eggs 100 g
• 200 g ¾ cup + 2 Tbsp full-fat sour cream
• 95 g ⅓ cup molasses
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Gingerbread Glaze

• 360 g 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp molasses
• 1 –2 tsp ground ginger adjust to taste
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 6-8 Tbsp milk to thin to a runny, pourable consistency

Equipment

• Mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Rolling Pin
• 3-inch donut cutter
• Sheet pan
• Wire cooling rack + paper towels
• Dutch oven or deep pot
• Thermometer (highly recommend)

Method

 

Make the Dough

1. In a bowl, whisk together 360 g (3 cups) flour, 2 ½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 1 Tbsp ginger, 2 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp allspice, ¼ tsp cloves, ¼ tsp nutmeg, 120 g (½ cup + 1 Tbsp) granulated sugar, and 80 g (⅓ cup) dark brown sugar until spices are evenly distributed.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk 56 g (4 Tbsp) melted butter, 2 eggs (100 g), 200 g (¾ cup + 2 Tbsp) sour cream, 95 g (⅓ cup) molasses, and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
3. Add wet → dry and fold until a thick, sticky dough forms.
4. Cover and chill 4 hours minimum, best 8–24 hours.

Shape

1. Lightly flour counter + cutter.
2. Roll dough to 0.55–0.60 inch thickness.
3. Cut doughnuts + holes.
4. Transfer to a sheet pan.
5. Freeze 7–8 minutes before frying for clean flips and perfect definition.

Make the Glaze

1. In a bowl, whisk together 360 g (3 cups) powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp molasses, 1–2 tsp ginger, 1 tsp cinnamon, a pinch of allspice, and a pinch of salt.
2. Add 4–6 Tbsp milk, a little at a time, until the glaze is thin, runny, and able to drip into all the cracks of the doughnuts.

Fry

1. Heat 2.5–3 inches of oil in a Dutch oven to 335°F.
2. Add doughnuts — the temp will naturally settle to 320–325°F, the ideal gingerbread frying zone.
3. Fry 2 minutes per side until puffy, crackly, and golden brown (not dark).

Drain

1. Place doughnuts on paper towels → cooling rack.

Glaze

1. Let sit 5 minutes before glazing.
2. Dip warm doughnuts, allow excess to run off, and let the glaze set for 10–15 minutes.

Notes

Tips & Tricks

• Chill dough 4 hours minimum — overnight gives the best height and cleanest cracks.
• Roll slightly thicker than ½ inch for that classic old-fashioned shape.
• Freeze cut doughnuts 7–8 minutes before frying to prevent tearing + absorb less oil.
• Use 2.5–3 inches of oil — shallow oil = greasy doughnuts.
• Start at 335°F; fry at 320–325°F for the perfect golden color.

Glaze warm (not hot) for the crackly finish.

Storage

• Room Temp: Best the same day, up to 1 day.
• Refrigerator: 2 days (glaze softens).
• Freezer: Freeze unglazed doughnuts up to 2 months; thaw and warm before glazing.