Without any yeast, these no-rise doughnuts can be made in no time at all. They’re still just as fluffy and mouth-watering as the traditional yeasted fried dough.
These easy doughnuts are made without yeast and are super soft and delicious and can be prepared in jiffy without waiting for the leavening time. These donuts taste so amazing and are really easy and fun to make.
I know donuts are supposed to be a sweet snack but once in a while my girls love having the for breakfast with a cup of milk. Well it doesn’t matter if a dish is dessert or breakfast as long as kids love eating them without running behind them. 
You can use any topping on these donuts or simply coat them in plain or cinnamon sugar. And if you are looking for guilt free options the go ahead and bake them in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden. Either way the donuts are real tasty and your kids will love them.
Here are the top 10 tips for making no-rise donuts, so you can enjoy perfectly fried treats every time:
- Use Fresh Ingredients: Make sure baking soda and flour are fresh and well-measured to achieve the best dough texture and a light rise when frying.
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Sour the Milk: Adding vinegar to milk mimics buttermilk, which makes the donuts soft and tender. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes before adding it to the dough.
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Don’t Overmix the Dough: Once you combine the wet and dry ingredients, mix only until just combined. Overmixing can lead to tough donuts instead of a light and fluffy texture.
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Rest the Dough: Letting the cut donuts rest for 10 minutes before frying helps them puff up better in the oil. This short rest period is essential, even for no-rise recipes.
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Cut Evenly: Roll the dough to an even thickness (about 1/2 inch) to ensure the donuts cook consistently. An even cut helps with uniform frying and keeps each donut fluffy.
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Maintain Oil Temperature: Heat oil to 350°F (180°C) and monitor it closely. Consistent temperature helps the donuts cook through evenly and prevents them from becoming greasy.
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Avoid Overcrowding: Fry the donuts in small batches, as adding too many at once can drop the oil temperature and result in soggy or unevenly cooked donuts.
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Fry Briefly: Since these donuts don’t have yeast, they cook faster—typically 1-2 minutes per side. Watch for a golden-brown color to avoid over-frying.
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Drain Excess Oil: Use a slotted spoon to remove donuts from the oil, then drain them on a paper towel-lined plate. This helps keep the donuts light and less greasy.
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Coat While Warm: Roll the donuts in sugar or cinnamon sugar while they’re still warm. The sugar will stick better, giving the donuts a sweet, even coating.
Step by Step Guide to Making No-Rise Donuts
1. Prepare the Wet Ingredients
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the milk, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar. Let it sit for 5 minutes to allow the vinegar to sour the milk slightly, creating a buttermilk-like effect.
2. Mix Butter and Sugar
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the softened butter and 1/2 cup sugar until the mixture is soft and fluffy. This step ensures the donuts are light and tender.
3. Combine the Dry Ingredients
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. This helps prevent lumps and ensures an even rise.
4. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture, alternating with the milk-vinegar mixture. Stir gently until a soft dough forms, being careful not to overmix.
5. Roll Out the Dough
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) thickness. Using a donut or cookie cutter, cut out donut shapes and set aside the donut holes if you’d like to fry them as well.
6. Rest the Dough
- Place the cut donuts on a tray and cover them with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes to help the donuts puff up better during frying.
7. Heat the Oil
- In a heavy-bottomed pan or wok, heat about 1-2 inches of oil over medium heat until it reaches 350°F (180°C). Use a thermometer if possible to maintain a consistent temperature.
8. Fry the Donuts
- Carefully place a few donuts into the hot oil, frying in batches to avoid overcrowding. Fry each side for about 1-2 minutes or until golden brown.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the donuts and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
9. Coat in Sugar and Serve
- While the donuts are still warm, roll them in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar to coat.
- Serve immediately, either plain or with a glass of milk.
Recipe Notes
- Resting Time: Don’t skip the 10-minute resting period before frying; it helps the donuts puff up nicely.
- Oil Temperature: Keeping the oil at a steady 350°F (180°C) ensures even frying. If the oil is too hot, the donuts may burn outside while staying raw inside.
- Flavor Variations: You can add a bit of ground cinnamon to the coating sugar or drizzle the donuts with chocolate glaze for a different flavor.
No-Rise Donuts
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Without any yeast, these no-rise donuts can be made in no time at all. They’re still just as fluffy and mouth-watering as the traditional yeasted dough.
Ingredients
For the Dough:
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp (2g) baking soda
1/2 tsp (3g) salt
3/4 cup (180ml) milk
2 tbsp (30ml) apple cider vinegar
1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter, softened
For Frying and Coating:
Oil, for frying (about 2 cups or enough to fill a pan 1-2 inches deep)
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar, for coating
Instructions
1. Prepare the Wet Ingredients
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the milk, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar. Let it sit for 5 minutes to allow the vinegar to sour the milk slightly, creating a buttermilk-like effect.
2. Mix Butter and Sugar
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the softened butter and 1/2 cup sugar until the mixture is soft and fluffy. This step ensures the donuts are light and tender.
3. Combine the Dry Ingredients
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. This helps prevent lumps and ensures an even rise.
4. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture, alternating with the milk-vinegar mixture. Stir gently until a soft dough forms, being careful not to overmix.
5. Roll Out the Dough
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) thickness. Using a donut or cookie cutter, cut out donut shapes and set aside the donut holes if you’d like to fry them as well.
6. Rest the Dough
- Place the cut donuts on a tray and cover them with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes to help the donuts puff up better during frying.
7. Heat the Oil
- In a heavy-bottomed pan or wok, heat about 1-2 inches of oil over medium heat until it reaches 350°F (180°C). Use a thermometer if possible to maintain a consistent temperature.
8. Fry the Donuts
- Carefully place a few donuts into the hot oil, frying in batches to avoid overcrowding. Fry each side for about 1-2 minutes or until golden brown.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the donuts and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
9. Coat in Sugar and Serve
- While the donuts are still warm, roll them in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar to coat.
- Serve immediately, either plain or with a glass of milk.
Notes
Resting Time: Don’t skip the 10-minute resting period before frying; it helps the donuts puff up nicely.
Oil Temperature: Keeping the oil at a steady 350°F (180°C) ensures even frying. If the oil is too hot, the donuts may burn outside while staying raw inside.
Flavor Variations: You can add a bit of ground cinnamon to the coating sugar or drizzle the donuts with chocolate glaze for a different flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 donut
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
Just what I needed—no waiting, just frying! Donuts were fluffy and lightly sweet, perfect snack!
OMG these were dangerous! Made them in the afternoon and couldn’t stop snacking!! Will def make again.
These donuts were so good, my family didn’t even wait for them to cool. They were literally eating them straight out of the paper towel! If you’re not careful, these will disappear faster than you can fry them
Turned out well, thanks! Really like these donuts.
These turned out perfect!
Nice?
Thank you so much for this step by step guide, it really helped and my donuts where just delicious. Super fluffy!
Ok Im obsessed with these donuts. Thank you!
Spectacular, so fantastic, these were just perfect!