Homemade Crumb Donuts
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Leave the Entenmann's on the shelf, and try these homemade crumb donuts instead! Once you've tasted the rich, tender cake, the sweet cinnamon glaze, and the buttery crumb topping, you'll never go back to store-bought!
I think I cracked the code!
I'm talking about those soft, yet slightly crunchy, buttery, cinnamon-sugary streusel on the top of those melt-in-your-mouth crumb donuts you pick up at the local convenience store.
Yes, I eat them too. And I enjoy every last morsel. And so do my kids. Which kind of freaks me out a little. Because how can something sit on a convenience store shelf for weeks on end without getting moldy or stale? Unless it's loaded with chemicals.
I prefer my crumb donuts to be loaded with farm fresh eggs. And nutmeg. And tangy sour cream. And drowned in a cinnamon-vanilla glaze. And totally encrusted with buttery brown sugar crumbly-crumbs.
The fact that you're even here at all tells me that you need little convincing that homemade is better than store-bought, so let's just talk about how fabulous these babies are. The cake is so tender it's almost creamy. They're subtly sweet with the barest whisper of freshly grated nutmeg.
They're totally immersed in this sweet glaze that forms a thin crust all around. The outside is dry, but it shatters and gives way to a moist interior. The cinnamon and vanilla hit you like whoa.
And the crumbs. Those crumbs! A little crunch, a little tender, almost granular quality between your teeth. Butter, brown sugar, a little flour, and a lot of warm, spicy cinnamon.
It took me a few tries but I think I totally nailed it. At first, I was thinking the streusel should be baked on a sheet pan, but that made it really crunchy, like a cinnamon tuile or something. The key is to cook it on the stovetop! It only takes 5 minutes or so. Just melt the butter and stir in the remaining ingredients. Cook the "raw" taste out of the flour for a few minutes and you'll have what resembles wet sand. As it cools, it firms up and it can be crumbled and pressed into the wet glaze. A flurry of powdered sugar and you're in crumb donut heaven!
Do you guys know about Fasnacht Day? It happens to be tomorrow. Here in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, it's a pseudo-holiday that we very much look forward to. In other parts of the world, you may know it as Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, or Carnivale. It's basically an extravaganza of sugar, butter, and fat consumption, in preparation for Lent, which begins the following day. During Lent, these types of indulgences are typically abstained from, as an act of devotion. These homemade crumb donuts are not exactly authentic fasnachts, since they are baked and not fried, but they are a super yummy and fun treat! And there's no going back to the convenience store after you've had one of these!
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Homemade Crumb Donuts
Ingredients
For the Crumb Topping:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (55 g) light brown sugar,, firmly packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup (93.75 g) all-purpose flour
For the Donuts:
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg,, or a few scratches of whole nutmeg (on a microplane)
- ¼ cup (59.15 ml) vegetable oil
- ½ cup (115 g) sour cream
- ⅓ cup (66.67 g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg, (large)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Glaze:
- 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (59.15 ml) milk
- additional powdered sugar, for garnish
Instructions
Make the Crumb Topping:
- Melt the butter in a small pot, over low heat.
- Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add the flour, and continue to cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat to cool, and set aside.
Make the Donuts:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lightly mist a donut pan with nonstick spray.
- Place the flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Place the oil in a large liquid measuring cup, and add the sour cream, sugar, egg, and vanilla. Whisk until well-combined.
- Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry, and stir just until combined. (Overmixing will result in tough donuts. Batter should be lumpy.)
- Pipe or spoon the batter equally into the wells of the donut pan, and bake for 14 minutes or until just barely beginning to brown around the edges.
Make the Glaze:
- Place the powdered sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and milk in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
- When the donuts have completely cooled, dunk them in the glaze, turning to coat.
- Press crumbs onto the tops of the donuts while the glaze is still wet.
- Turn them onto a wire rack to allow the glaze to harden and the crumbs to fully adhere.
- Dust with powdered sugar to garnish.
It's 2025 and I've been making these donuts for my husband for years!! Finally decided to leave a review. These are fantastic!!! Thank you!
Aloha from Maui. It is very hard to find a cake donut over here in the islands that isn't a $4.00 one. I looked up this recipe a few months back, bought a couple Wilton donut baking pan's & I was off to the races. Loved Winchell's Crumb donuts growing up in the '50's so thought I would give it a try to make my own. WOWIE indeed, they turned out absolutely Great. Will make these Gems more often & stay away from the store bought for sure. I did use salted butter & will change over to what you recommend, un-salted. I would like to make the glaze a little bit more thicker on my next batch also, but overall these were a real hit in our family for sure. Thank You & Mahalo from Maui, HI., George Ligmal
not sure where I saw your post but I just made these donuts for the Memorial Holiday My husband and I love them and it was easy to prepare. I liked the tasty flavor of cinnamon I think I need to double dip glaze before adding crumbs next time Now I see all of your donuts listed the photos are inviting!
So glad you enjoyed Maurita! Thank you for the 5-star review!
Made these tonight! They were amazing! What a great recipe!! Lots of leftover glaze and crumble...can I save and use again with another batch of donuts?
Thanks in advance!
No problem! That will absolutely work! Just wrap everything up tight, and it should keep for at least a week or two in the fridge. Good luck!
Those look great, for sure going to try them!!! Thanks
You bet! Hope you enjoy!
Can hardly wait to make these. Is there a chocolate version? Local bakery used to make a Devils food crumb donut but appear to not be doing so any more. Maybe I’ll try adding some dark cocoa powder to the recipe. Thanks for so generously sharing your recipe.
There is a chocolate version; you can find it here: Chocolate Crumb Donuts. Hope you enjoy!
Made these for the first time this morning, and they were AMAZING! The flavors and different textures were so good, and the donut itself was buttery and tender. You’re a genius!
I'm so happy you liked them Tiffany! Thank you so much for the awesome feedback!
I made these donuts and they were delicious! I took some to work and everyone loved them. I will definitely make again.
So happy you enjoyed Donna! Thank you so much for the positive feedback!
I'm not even usually a doughnut fan (I know. I'm a weirdo!) but these look WONDERFUL!
Oooh, that crumb topping pushes these donuts over the top!!
Homemade donuts are the best - and that crumb topping? Yum!
These are lovely! I want one with a cup of coffee right now!
I always have time for good doughnut!!