Spiced Nut-Coated Hot Doughnuts with Salted Caramel Sauce Recipe
These hot doughnuts coated in a fragrant spiced sugared nut mixture combine a crispy, golden exterior with a tender, fluffy inside. Infused with warming cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom spices, they’re perfect for dipping into rich salted caramel sauce, making an indulgent treat ideal for gatherings or cozy desserts.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 24-26 doughnuts 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: British
Ingredients
Scale
Doughnuts
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 300ml soured cream
- 50g salted butter, melted
- 400g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ whole nutmeg, finely grated
- 3 tbsp golden caster sugar
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Spiced Sugared Nut Coating
- 100g salted mixed nuts
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 cardamom pods, crushed and seeds removed
- ½ whole nutmeg, grated
- 3 tbsp light brown soft sugar
To Serve
- Salted caramel sauce
Instructions
- Prepare the nut coating: Pulse the mixed nuts, ground cinnamon, crushed cardamom seeds, and grated nutmeg in a food processor until achieving a very fine, dusty texture. Stir in the light brown soft sugar thoroughly, then transfer the mixture to a large bowl and set aside for coating the doughnuts later.
- Make the dough: In a jug, whisk together the beaten eggs, soured cream, and melted salted butter until fully combined. In a large bowl, sift together the self-raising flour, ground cinnamon, finely grated nutmeg, golden caster sugar, bicarbonate of soda, and ½ tsp fine salt. Whisk these dry ingredients to mix, then pour in the wet mixture and stir gently to form a shaggy dough.
- Knead and shape doughnuts: Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead it briefly and gently for about 5 minutes until soft and smooth. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 1.5cm thick. Using a 5cm round cutter, stamp out circles and then roll each circle into a ball to form 24 to 26 doughnut balls.
- Heat the oil: In a large saucepan, pour vegetable oil to not more than one-third full and heat it over low heat until reaching 180°C. Test the temperature by dropping a cube of bread in the oil – it should sizzle immediately and turn golden brown within 30 seconds, indicating the oil is ready for frying.
- Deep-fry the doughnuts: Carefully lower a few doughnut balls into the hot oil at a time, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry the doughnuts for 4 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until they are golden brown and cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the oil.
- Coat the hot doughnuts: Immediately transfer the hot doughnuts to the bowl with the spiced sugared nut mixture. Gently shake the bowl to evenly coat each doughnut ball in the crunchy, flavorful nut coating.
- Serve: Arrange the coated doughnuts on a serving plate and accompany them with salted caramel sauce for dipping, enhancing the sweet and spicy flavors of the doughnuts.
Notes
- Ensure the oil temperature stays steady at 180°C throughout frying to cook the doughnuts evenly without burning.
- If you don’t have a thermometer, the bread cube test is a reliable way to check oil readiness.
- The doughnuts should be fried in small batches to avoid lowering the oil temperature.
- The spiced nut coating adds texture and flavor, so do not skip this step.
- Salted caramel sauce complements the sweetness and spice beautifully, but you can substitute with honey or maple syrup if desired.
- Leftover doughnuts can be stored in an airtight container and lightly warmed before serving.
Keywords: doughnuts, deep-fried doughnuts, spiced nut coating, salted caramel, British dessert, cinnamon nutmeg cardamom, sweet fried dough, festive treats
