Quick and Easy Buttermilk and Apple Spoon Doughnuts
How to make fluffy buttermilk and apple doughnuts—no yeast, spooned right into the oil.
Quick and Easy Buttermilk and Apple Doughnuts
Course: DessertCuisine: RomanianDifficulty: Easy10
servings20
minutes40
minutes364
kcal1
hourI don’t think there’s a childhood in Romania without having tasted spoon-fried doughnuts at least once—no yeast, no kneading. In many Romanian homes, Sundays started with the sweet and slightly tangy aroma of buttermilk doughnuts, later replaced by yogurt or kefir. These were days when desserts were made quickly, either due to lack of time or ingredients.
There was no written recipe—“just add flour until you get a thicker sour cream-like batter.” Even now, whenever I say this, I can almost hear my mom or grandma saying it.
A wooden spoon was used, often the same one for years, and the batter would drop straight into hot oil, forming rounded doughnuts, each with its own shape. Sometimes grated apples were added, other times raisins, to make them “more festive.” And we kids would sit by the table, eyes fixed on the plate piled with sugar-dusted doughnuts, having to wait “for them to cool down a bit,” even though we rarely resisted for long.
This time, I made these doughnuts together with my mom — it’s her recipe. She not only guided me but helped me as well.
It’s a simple, cheap, and quick dessert, but with a taste that, no matter how sophisticated today’s sweets are, you just can’t forget.
Now that I’ve shared a bit about the memories and tradition behind these doughnuts, let’s move on to making them.
Ingredients:
4 eggs
3–4 tablespoons sugar (to taste)
3 packets vanilla sugar
vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder (about 10 g)
4 small apples
250 ml buttermilk
100 ml soda water (or sparkling mineral water)
A pinch of salt
Approx. 400–450 g flour (depending on how much the apples and buttermilk absorb; aim for a soft batter, not too thick)
Oil for frying
Preparation method :
- Preparing the ingredients is simple and quick. The most important step is handling the apples, which should ideally be fresh and in season. For this recipe, I used apples straight from my parents’ garden, leaving the peel on for extra flavor and texture.
- Of course, you can use apples with or without the peel, depending on your preference—make sure to remove the peel before grating if you prefer them peeled.
- In a bowl, I whisked together the eggs, sugar, vanilla sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Then I added the buttermilk and soda water, followed by the grated apples (without squeezing out the juice) and gently combined everything.
A tip: use slightly tart apples, as they give the doughnuts a nicer, more balanced flavor. - Next, I gradually added the flour, mixing gently until the batter reached the consistency of a thick sour cream. It’s very important not to overmix, to avoid developing too much gluten in the flour — otherwise, the doughnuts will turn out tough instead of soft and fluffy.
- I chose to fry the doughnuts just like they used to— in a cast-iron pot. And since the weather was beautiful—summer, sunshine, warmth—I fried them outdoors, so we could enjoy the atmosphere and send that delicious aroma to the neighbors as well.
- Using a large spoon or a small ladle, scoop the batter and let it drop into the hot oil, forming small, rounded doughnuts. Fry them until golden on both sides, about 2–3 minutes per side.
What I learned from my mom: before scooping the batter, she would dip the spoon into the hot oil, and she’d break the first doughnut while it was still hot to check if it was cooked through in the middle. That way, she knew if the heat was just right or needed to be lowered. - The doughnuts are placed in a bowl lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. If you’re serving them right away, you can dust them with sugar while still hot, but if you plan to keep them for later, it’s better to dust them after they’ve cooled a bit, otherwise the sugar will melt immediately.
- Buttermilk and apple doughnuts can be served warm or cold — plain, dusted with sugar, or accompanied by jam. My personal favorite is plum and walnut jam, made by my mom (of course!), which pairs perfectly with these doughnuts.
- Dear friends, this has been the spoon doughnuts recipe — with buttermilk and apples — either short or long, a quick dessert perfect for any day when you’re craving something sweet. If you try the recipe, let me know—I can’t wait to hear your own variations!
See you with love at the next recipe.
