Sourdough Krispy Kreme Donuts
These Sourdough Krispy Kreme Donuts are incredibly soft, fluffy, and tender on the inside with a beautifully golden exterior that is just slightly chewy in the most irresistible way. Made with sourdough discard for a subtle tang and depth of flavor that takes these donuts completely over the top, then coated in a silky vanilla bean or strawberry glaze that gets perfectly crackly on the outside. Served warm with a hot cup of coffee — these donuts are the ultimate homemade treat that rivals your favorite Krispy Kreme every single time!
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Ingredients You Need:
Full ingredients and recipe are in the recipe card below. Read through this section for all the ingredients substitution and baking tips!
Milk: Warmed to around 110F to activate the yeast — it should feel like a warm bath. Any milk of choice works well in both the dough and the vanilla bean glaze.
Granulated Sugar: Feeds the yeast during activation and adds a subtle sweetness to the sourdough donut dough throughout.
Active Dry Yeast: The leavening agent that gives these donuts their incredibly soft, fluffy, and pillowy texture — make sure it is properly activated and frothy before adding to the dough.
Sourdough Discard: The key ingredient that gives these Krispy Kreme-style donuts their signature subtle tang and incredible depth of flavor that takes them completely over the top — Greek yogurt or sour cream works as a substitute.
Salted Butter: Melted into the donut dough for richness and flavor, and melted into the vanilla bean glaze for a rich, buttery depth that makes it silky, smooth, and absolutely irresistible.
Eggs: Provide structure, richness, and stability to the dough while helping the donuts hold together and fry up perfectly golden and fluffy throughout.
Vanilla Bean Paste or Extract: Adds a warm, sweet, and aromatic flavor that enhances both the donut dough and the silky vanilla bean glaze throughout.
Bread Flour: Gives the donuts a slightly chewier, more structured texture that holds up beautifully during frying and creates that signature Krispy Kreme-style chew — all-purpose flour works as a substitute.
Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances all the flavors throughout the donut dough and the vanilla bean glaze.
Avocado Oil: A neutral, high smoke point oil that is ideal for frying the donuts to a perfectly golden exterior without any unwanted flavor throughout.
Powdered Sugar: The base of both the silky vanilla bean glaze and the strawberry glaze that creates a smooth, beautiful coating that gets perfectly crackly on the outside of each warm donut.
Freeze-Dried Strawberries: Crushed and whisked into half of the vanilla bean glaze to create a bright, beautiful, and naturally flavored strawberry glaze that coats each donut in a stunning pink and perfectly crackly finish.
Why You’ll Love Sourdough Krispy Kreme Donuts:
Incredibly Soft, Fluffy, And Tender: These donuts are incredibly light, airy, and pillowy soft on the inside with a tender, melt-in-your-mouth interior that makes every single bite absolutely irresistible and completely unforgettable.
That Beautifully Golden And Slightly Chewy Exterior: Each donut fries up with a beautifully golden and just slightly chewy exterior that gives the most satisfying texture contrast with the soft, fluffy inside — just like your favorite Krispy Kreme.
Made With Sourdough Discard: The sourdough discard adds a subtle tang and incredible depth of flavor that takes these homemade donuts completely over the top and makes them truly unique from any other glazed donut recipe.
That Silky Crackly Glaze: The vanilla bean or strawberry glaze coats each donut in a silky, glossy layer that gets perfectly crackly on the outside for that signature Krispy Kreme glaze experience in every single bite.
Two Glaze Options: Choose between a classic silky vanilla bean glaze or a bright and beautiful strawberry glaze — or make both for the ultimate homemade donut spread that everyone will love.
Rivals Your Favorite Krispy Kreme: These donuts look and taste just like the real thing — soft, fluffy, and perfectly glazed — but are made completely from scratch right in your own kitchen with simple, everyday ingredients.
Served Warm For The Best Experience: These donuts are at their absolute best served warm straight from the glaze with a hot cup of coffee — the glaze is perfectly crackly and the inside is incredibly soft and fluffy.
Perfect For Any Occasion: Whether it's a weekend morning, a holiday brunch, a special breakfast treat, or any time a donut craving hits, these sourdough Krispy Kreme donuts are always the ultimate crowd-pleasing treat.
Tips for Making Sourdough Krispy Kreme Donuts:
Activate The Yeast Properly: Make sure the milk is warmed to around 110F — too hot and it will kill the yeast, too cold and it won't activate. It should feel like a warm bath. Look for a frothy, bubbly mixture after 5–7 minutes to know it's ready.
Use Room Temperature Sourdough Discard: Make sure the sourdough discard is at room temperature before adding it to the dough — cold discard can slow down the yeast activity and affect the texture of the final donuts.
Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Eggs and sourdough discard should both be at room temperature so they incorporate evenly into the dough for the smoothest, most consistent result.
Let The Flour Rest Before Kneading: After mixing the dough on low for 1 minute, let it rest for 5 minutes before kneading — this allows the flour to fully absorb the liquids for a smoother, more elastic dough.
Don't Overdo The Flour: The dough should be slightly sticky — only add extra flour one tablespoon at a time if it's too sticky to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Too much flour will result in dense, dry donuts.
Let The Dough Rise Fully: Give the dough a full 1–1.5 hours to double in size for the lightest, fluffiest, and most tender donuts. Don't rush this step — a full rise is what gives these donuts that incredible soft and pillowy texture.
Make The Glaze While The Donuts Proof: Prepare the vanilla bean glaze and strawberry glaze during the 30–45 minute proofing time so they are ready to go the moment the donuts come out of the oil.
Use Parchment Paper Squares: Placing each shaped donut on a floured parchment paper square makes it so much easier to transfer them into the hot oil without misshaping them or deflating the proofed dough.
Roll The Dough To The Right Thickness: Roll the dough out to approximately 1/2 inch thickness — too thin and the donuts won't be fluffy enough, too thick and they may not cook through evenly during frying.
Proof Until Visibly Puffy: Allow the shaped donuts to proof for 30–45 minutes until they are visibly puffy before frying — under-proofed donuts will be dense and won't fry up as light and fluffy.
Use A Thermometer For The Oil: The oil should be between 350F–365F before frying. Too low and the donuts will absorb too much oil and be greasy; too hot and they'll brown too quickly on the outside before cooking through.
Fry In Small Batches: Fry only 2–3 donuts at a time to keep the oil temperature consistent and give you enough room to flip them easily without crowding the pot.
Let The Parchment Paper Release Naturally: After placing the donuts in the oil, wait about 10–15 seconds until the parchment paper naturally releases before pulling it away — this keeps the donuts perfectly shaped and round.
Save The Donut Holes: Don't discard the donut holes — fry them alongside the donuts and glaze them for the most delicious bite-sized treat that everyone will love.
Dip In Glaze While Still Warm: Dip the donuts into the vanilla bean or strawberry glaze while they are still warm so the glaze coats them evenly and sets into that signature silky, crackly finish.
Make Both Glazes: Make both the vanilla bean glaze and the strawberry glaze for the ultimate homemade donut spread — simply pour half of the vanilla bean glaze into a separate bowl and whisk in the crushed freeze-dried strawberries for a bright and beautiful strawberry glaze in minutes.
Serve Immediately For The Best Experience: These donuts are at their absolute best served warm straight from the glaze with a hot cup of coffee — the glaze is perfectly crackly and the inside is incredibly soft, fluffy, and tender.
How to Store Sourdough Krispy Kreme Donuts:
Best Served Fresh: These sourdough Krispy Kreme donuts are at their absolute best served warm and fresh the day they are made. The exterior is perfectly golden and slightly chewy and the glaze is at its most silky and crackly right after glazing.
Room Temperature (Short-Term): The glazed donuts can sit covered at room temperature for up to 1 day. The glaze will set and the exterior will soften slightly as they sit but they will still be incredibly delicious.
Refrigerator: Store leftover glazed donuts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Keep in mind the texture will soften slightly after storing and the glaze may lose some of its crackly finish.
To Reheat: Warm individual donuts in the microwave for 15–20 seconds until just warmed through — this brings back that soft, fluffy interior without affecting the glaze too much.
Freezer: Freeze individual unglazed donuts in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature, and dip in a fresh batch of vanilla bean or strawberry glaze before serving.
Make Ahead (Dough): The dough can be made, allowed to rise, and then stored covered in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to use, let it come to room temperature before rolling, cutting, and proofing the donuts.
Make Ahead (Shaped Donuts): Shape the donuts, place them on their parchment squares on a baking sheet, cover tightly, and store in the refrigerator overnight instead of doing the second proof. When ready to fry, let them sit at room temperature for 20–30 minutes while the oil heats up.
Make Ahead (Glaze): The vanilla bean and strawberry glazes can be made in advance and stored in airtight containers at room temperature. Whisk before using and warm slightly if needed to bring back a smooth, pourable consistency.
FAQs:
Q: Can I make these sourdough Krispy Kreme donuts ahead of time? A: Yes. The dough can be made, allowed to rise, and then stored covered in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to use, let it come to room temperature before rolling, cutting, and proofing the donuts. You can also shape the donuts, place them on their parchment squares on a baking sheet, cover tightly, and store in the refrigerator overnight instead of doing the second proof. When ready to fry, let them sit at room temperature for 20–30 minutes while the oil heats up.
Q: Can I make these with an active sourdough starter instead of discard? A: Yes. To use an active sourdough starter, substitute the sourdough discard with the same amount of active starter and omit the yeast. For a long overnight ferment, mix the dough together, skip the first rise at room temperature, cover tightly, and place directly into the refrigerator to cold ferment overnight for 8–12 hours. The next day, remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature for 1–2 hours before rolling, cutting, and proofing the donuts as directed. The donuts will most likely need about 45 minutes-1 hour to proof before frying! The long cold ferment will develop a deeper, more complex sourdough flavor throughout.
Q: Can I make the glaze ahead of time? A: Yes. Both the vanilla bean and strawberry glazes can be made in advance and stored in airtight containers at room temperature. Whisk before using and warm slightly if needed to bring back a smooth, pourable consistency.
Q: Can I substitute the sourdough discard? A: Yes. Greek yogurt or sour cream works well as a substitute for the sourdough discard in this recipe. Keep in mind that the subtle tang and depth of flavor that the sourdough discard adds will be slightly different with the substitution.
Q: Can I use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast? A: Yes. If using instant yeast, there is no need to activate it first — simply add it directly into the dough mixture and proceed with the recipe.
Q: Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour? A: Yes. All-purpose flour works as a substitute for bread flour, though bread flour gives the donuts a slightly chewier, more structured texture that holds up beautifully during frying and gives them that signature Krispy Kreme-style chew.
Q: Can I make just one glaze instead of both? A: Absolutely. You can make just the vanilla bean glaze or just the strawberry glaze depending on your preference. If making both, simply pour half of the vanilla bean glaze into a separate bowl and whisk in the crushed freeze-dried strawberries for a quick and easy strawberry glaze.
Q: What oil is best for frying? A: Avocado oil is recommended for its neutral flavor and high smoke point, but any neutral oil of choice works well for frying these donuts.
Q: How do I know when the oil is ready? A: Use a kitchen thermometer to make sure the oil reaches 350F–365F before frying. This temperature range ensures the donuts fry up perfectly golden on the outside while staying soft and fluffy on the inside.
Q: Can I freeze these donuts? A: Yes. Freeze individual unglazed donuts in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature, and dip in a fresh batch of vanilla bean or strawberry glaze before serving for the best result.
Love these? Check out my other breakfast recipes:
Make sure to tag me @wellmadebykiley on Instagram and leave a review or comment if you make these sourdough krispy kreme donuts. Happy baking!
