Old-Fashioned Glazed Donut Sticks
By Vallery LomasPublished on October 27, 2025
Time
1¼ hours, plus 1 hour chilling
Yield
Makes 18 doughnut sticks
Ingredients
Donuts
2½ cups (10 ounces/283 grams) cake flour 1½ teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon table salt ½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) granulated sugar 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature2 large egg yolks ⅔ cup sour cream 2 quarts vegetable or peanut oil, for fryingGlaze
1 cup (4 ounces/113 grams) confectioners' sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus more as needed1 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch table saltBefore You Begin
Use a Dutch oven that holds 6 quarts or more for this recipe. If you prefer, you can coat the donut sticks in cinnamon sugar instead of the glaze: In step 7, combine ½ cup granulated sugar, ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl and toss the warm doughnuts in the cinnamon sugar until thoroughly coated.
Instructions
- Whisk 2½ cups (10 ounces) cake flour, 1½ teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon table salt together in large bowl; set aside.
- Using stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat ½ cup (3½ ounces) granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add 2 large egg yolks, 1 at a time, and beat until combined, about 1 minute, scraping down bowl as needed.
- Reduce speed to low. Add flour in 3 additions, alternating with ⅔ cup sour cream in 2 additions. Mix until combined and no streaks of flour or sour cream remain (dough will be sticky).
- Transfer dough to lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- Turn dough onto well-floured surface and sprinkle top of dough with additional flour. Roll dough into 8-by-9-inch rectangle (about ½ inch thick). Use pastry brush to brush off excess flour. Cut dough lengthwise into 3 long rectangles, then cut each rectangle crosswise into 6 strips, making 18 equal pieces.
- Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and line with triple layer of paper towels. Add 2 quarts vegetable oil to large Dutch oven until it measures about 1½ inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. Add 6 donuts to oil and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Using slotted spoon or spider skimmer, transfer donuts to prepared wire rack. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 325 and 350 degrees. Repeat with remaining donuts in 2 batches. Discard paper towels.
- Whisk 1 cup (4 ounces) confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and pinch table salt together in large bowl until smooth. Adjust consistency with extra lemon juice as needed, ½ teaspoon at a time (glaze should easily drizzle from spoon).
- Working with 1 donut at a time, dip side with more ridges in glaze while donut is still warm. Return to wire rack, glaze side up. Serve warm or let cool to room temperature.
for the doughnuts
for the glaze
Time
1¼ hours, plus 1 hour chillingYield
Makes 18 doughnut sticksIngredients
Donuts
Glaze
Ingredients
Donuts
Glaze
Ingredients
Donuts
Glaze
Why This Recipe Works
With their crisp golden ridges, ultratender crumb, and light sweet glaze, these cake donuts are a delectable ode to Little Debbie’s Glazed Donut Sticks, which debuted in the 1980s. Unlike round doughnuts that require special cutters and the re-rolling of dough scraps, their rectangular shape made them easy to create and perfect for dunking in coffee. To achieve their velvety-soft interior, we opted for cake flour and its low protein count over all-purpose flour. Three sources of fat—butter, egg yolks, sour cream—also limited gluten formation, further enhancing tenderness. Adding lemon to the glaze provided a tangy counterpoint to the donuts’ richness.
Before You Begin
Use a Dutch oven that holds 6 quarts or more for this recipe. If you prefer, you can coat the donut sticks in cinnamon sugar instead of the glaze: In step 7, combine ½ cup granulated sugar, ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl and toss the warm doughnuts in the cinnamon sugar until thoroughly coated.
Instructions
- Whisk 2½ cups (10 ounces) cake flour, 1½ teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon table salt together in large bowl; set aside.
- Using stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat ½ cup (3½ ounces) granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add 2 large egg yolks, 1 at a time, and beat until combined, about 1 minute, scraping down bowl as needed.
- Reduce speed to low. Add flour in 3 additions, alternating with ⅔ cup sour cream in 2 additions. Mix until combined and no streaks of flour or sour cream remain (dough will be sticky).
- Transfer dough to lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- Turn dough onto well-floured surface and sprinkle top of dough with additional flour. Roll dough into 8-by-9-inch rectangle (about ½ inch thick). Use pastry brush to brush off excess flour. Cut dough lengthwise into 3 long rectangles, then cut each rectangle crosswise into 6 strips, making 18 equal pieces.
- Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and line with triple layer of paper towels. Add 2 quarts vegetable oil to large Dutch oven until it measures about 1½ inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. Add 6 donuts to oil and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Using slotted spoon or spider skimmer, transfer donuts to prepared wire rack. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 325 and 350 degrees. Repeat with remaining donuts in 2 batches. Discard paper towels.
- Whisk 1 cup (4 ounces) confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and pinch table salt together in large bowl until smooth. Adjust consistency with extra lemon juice as needed, ½ teaspoon at a time (glaze should easily drizzle from spoon).
- Working with 1 donut at a time, dip side with more ridges in glaze while donut is still warm. Return to wire rack, glaze side up. Serve warm or let cool to room temperature.
for the doughnuts
for the glaze
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