These cottage cheese donuts are so fluffy and soft. The donut dough is just 3 ingredients and doesn’t require any yeast or eggs. The donuts are lightly sweet and can be topped with your favorite donut toppings. They can also be customized with different mix-ins.
These cottage cheese donuts come out so soft as a result of the cottage cheese. The donuts taste best fried but you can cook them in the air fryer or bake them.
Ingredients
- Cottage Cheese
- Self-Rising Flour
- Powdered Sugar
Cottage cheese: This recipe works best with whole milk 4% cottage cheese. You will need to blend the cottage cheese until smooth before using.
Self-rising flour: Self-rising flour is a flour blend that already contains a leavening agent. Self-rising flour is used to help the donuts rise since there is no yeast in the recipe. If you don’t have self-rising flour on hand, you can make your own by combining all purpose flour, baking powder and salt.
Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar is used to sweeten the donuts. A little is added into the dough and the donuts are also sprinkled with more powdered sugar. You can also use regular sugar in the dough.
You will also need oil for frying if you plan on frying your donuts.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Donuts
- The flour, cottage cheese and sugar are combined until a dough forms. If needed, you can add more flour so that the dough is not too sticky to work with.
- Scoop dough using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop and roll the dough into smooth round balls.
- Add the dough balls into a pot with oil heated to 350F and cook until golden brown on the surface and fully cooked inside. You can also cook the donuts in the air fryer or oven but the donuts will not be as fluffy and light.
- Allow donuts to cool slightly and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Texture
These donuts have a soft and fluffy texture, just like classic donuts, if you fry them. If you bake them or cook them in the air fryer, they will be soft but will have a more bread-like texture rather than classic donut texture.
Expert Tips
- You can also use regular granular sugar in the dough to sweeten the donut dough.
- You can top the donuts with icing instead of powdered sugar.
- Donuts are best enjoyed soon after they are done cooking. This is when they will be the most light and soft. I recommend reheating leftover donuts so they become very soft again.
More Donut Recipes
3 Ingredient Cottage Cheese Donuts
Ingredients
- 1 cup (235 g) cottage cheese, 4%
- 1 1/4 cups (175 g) self-rising flour see note before starting
- 2 tbsp (14 g) powdered sugar, plus extra for dusting
Instructions
- Add 2 inches of cooking oil of your choice to be used for frying to a medium saucepan.
- Blend the cottage cheese in a blender until completely smooth. This also works with an immersion blender.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the blended cottage cheese, flour, and powdered sugar until a sticky dough forms. If the dough is too sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it's workable.
- Use a 1.5 tbsp cookie scoop to scoop dough. Lightly flour your hands and roll each dough ball between your hands until mostly smooth. You do want the balls to be a little tacky/sticky because if they are too dry, the batter will be more doughy and dense. But you want the balls to be just at the point that you can get them in the oil without them losing their shape.
- Bring oil to 325°F-350°F (163°C-177°C). Fry the donuts in small batches for a few minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Let the donut holes cool before dusting with more powdered sugar and serving. See recipe notes for instructions for baking or air frying the donut holes. Store any uneaten donut holes in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. Reheat any leftovers so they become very soft again.
Notes
- I used Amazon Grocery cottage cheese.*
- Self-rising flour note. There are 2 main kinds of self-rising flour sold in the US. One that is a lower protein (2 grams per 1/4 cup serving) flour and one that has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup (30g) serving). The amount of protein affects how much liquid is absorbed. For this recipe, I tested it with Gold Medal self-rising flour* (regular amount of protein). Please use a self-rising flour with a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup), or make your own self-rising flour with the recipe below.
- *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- Homemade self-rising flour: Whisk together 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tbsp baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Make sure your all purpose flour has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup). Most brands in the US contain this amount but there are some brands with higher protein (4 grams per 1/4 cup) such as King Arthur Flour and Bob's Red Mill, which will not work well for this recipe. Measure out 1.25 cups for the recipe.
- Oven and Air Fryer instructions
- Please note that the donut texture is best fried. The donuts will be soft and light, like classic donuts, when they are fried. If you bake or air fry them, the donuts will have a more bread-like texture.
- Air Fryer: Preheat air fryer to 325F. Grease the air fryer basket insert with cooking oil spray (I used avocado oil spray) and place donuts in a single layer on top. Spray the surface of the donuts with the cooking spray as well. Once air fryer is ready, add donuts and cook for 10-12 minutes or until golden and cooked through. You may need to cook your donuts in several batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Oven: Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place donuts on prepared baking sheet and spray the surface of the donuts with cooking oil spray. Bake donuts for about 25-30 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
- Estimated nutrition is for the donut hole dough only and does not include oil used for cooking or additional powdered sugar dusted on top.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
I. Love cooking and baking and trying new recipes.
That’s great! We hope you loved these donuts!