• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact Me

Beyond The Chicken Coop logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact Me
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact Me
×
Home » Baking

Published: Jan 21, 2021 · Modified: Jun 22, 2021 by Kathy

Buttermilk Bars

Jump to Recipe

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here.

Fried donuts topped with a glaze on a white dish.

An old-fashioned donut shaped into a rectangular bar. These bars are made with buttermilk and flavored with nutmeg and dipped into a light vanilla glaze.

These are delicious treats to serve anytime you are craving a donut!

Buttermilk bars piled on a white plate.

Delicious homemade donuts

These buttermilk bars are delicious fried donuts that are made without yeast. It's really an old-fashioned donut or a cake donut and is similar to these cinnamon cake donuts.

I love a good donut and I seem to have several recipes - some are fried and some are baked. The one thing they all have in common is they are all delicious!

If you are a donut lover too, you'll want to try these maple bars, apple fritters, baked chocolate donuts, baked mini powdered sugar donuts, and these apple cider baked donuts.

An old fashioned donut on a white plate.

Key ingredients

  • Buttermilk - after all, these are buttermilk bars! Read all about what type of buttermilk to use!
  • Flour - all-purpose flour
  • Nutmeg - freshly grated if available
  • Sugar - granulated for the dough and powdered sugar for the glaze

Steps to make

  • Combine sugar, melted butter and vanilla
  • Add eggs, one at a time
A yellow batter in a mixing bowl.
  • Mix in buttermilk
A liquid yellow mixture in a bowl.

  • Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg
  • Add flour mixture to buttermilk mixture. Stir just until combined. Use a spatula to fold any remaining flour into batter
A cakey batter in a mixing bowl.
  • Place batter into a smaller bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour
A bowlful of batter in a white bowl.
  • Place dough on a heavily flour surface
  • Shape dough with flour hands, into a long rectangle
  • Slice dough into rectangles
Dough cut into small rectangles.

  • Place a slit in the center of each rectangle, slicing almost all the way through. This helps the bars cook through the center
An indentation cut into the center of dough.
  • Cook in preheated 375-degree oil
Buttermilk donuts frying in a pot with oil.
  • Place on a baking rack to cool
Fried bars on a baking rack.
  • Make glaze by combining powdered sugar, vanilla and boiling water
  • Dip the top of each bar into the glaze
A bar being dipped into a bowl of white glaze.
  • Allow the glaze to dry before eating

Tips for successful bars

  • Once you add the flour, do not overmix. Just stir until combined. Overmixing will cause the donuts to be tough
  • Be certain to fully chill the dough. It is very sticky and chilling makes the dough more manageable to work.
  • Use a generous amount of flour on your surface and on your hands. Even though the dough is chilled, it will still be sticky.
  • Cut bars into evenly sized pieces for consistent cooking time
  • The slit in the center helps make certain the donuts cook in the center and it also gives the bars an interesting look.
  • Make certain oil is preheated to 375 degrees. Use a thermometer and check temperature often to make certain it doesn't go above 380 or below 365.
  • Only cook a few bars at a time. Do not overcrowd pan or the donuts will not cook evenly.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make ahead of time?

The dough or batter can be made ahead of time. It needs at least an hour in the refrigerator to chill. You can chill the dough for up to 24 hours before frying. Once the bars are made, they are best eaten the same day. Leftovers are still good, but they tend to go stale quickly. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

Can this recipe be doubled?

Yes, this recipe can be doubled and you will still get great results.

Do I need to add the glaze?

No, but the glaze really makes these bars look and taste great.

Glazed bars  on a white plate with coffee and cups in the background.

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop

Be sure to check out all my delicious baking recipes!

  • Homemade Croissants stacked on a cooling rack.
    How to Make Croissants
  • Homemade Focaccia Bread cut into squares.
    Homemade Focaccia Bread
  • A circle of round dinner rolls each with a different finished glaze.
    Bread Glazes
  • A loaf of homemade white bread on a wooden cutting board.
    Homemade White Bread
Buttermilk bars piled on a white plate.

Buttermilk Bars

Kathy Berget
An old fashioned donut made from a quick dough and deep fried.
4.72 from 39 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Chilling Time 1 hour hr
Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins
Course Baking, Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 Bars
Calories 256 kcal

Equipment

  • Instant Read Thermometer
  • Measuring Cups
  • Measuring Spoons
  • Cooling Rack
  • Cookie Sheet
  • Stand Mixer
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients
  

Donuts

  • 2 cups flour (plus additional flour for rolling out dough)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons butter (melted)
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • ⅓ cup buttermilk
  • oil for frying (I use canola oil)

Glaze

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ cup boiling water

Instructions
 

Donuts

  • Combine sugar, melted butter and vanilla
    2 tablespoons butter, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • Add eggs, one at a time and mix well
    2 eggs
  • Mix in buttermilk
    ⅓ cup buttermilk
  • Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg
    2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • Add flour mixture to buttermilk mixture. Stir just until combined. Use a spatula to fold any remaining flour into batter
  • Place batter into a smaller bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour

Shaping and Frying

  • Place oil in a heavy pot. You will need at least two inches of oil (amount will vary depending on size of pot) Heat oil until it reaches 375 degrees.
    oil for frying
  • Generously flour surface for shaping dough. Place dough on surface and sprinkle top of dough with a light coating of flour. Flour your hands and shape into a long 24"x3" rectangle. You can use a well floured rolling pin, but your hands work just as well with this soft dough. The dough will still be sticky!
  • Cut into 12 evenly sized pieces - 2"x3" bars
  • When oil reaches 375 degrees, you are ready to begin frying. Place a slit down the center of each bar. You want the slit to be deep, but do not cut the bar in half.
    An indentation cut into the center of dough.
  • Place 2-3 bars in oil. Do not overcrowd pot. The size of your pot will determine how many you can cook at one time. Cook bars for 1 ½ minutes - 2 minutes per side. You want a nice brown color.
  • Remove bars from oil and place on a baking sheet lined with a rack. Continue cooking remaining bars. Be certain to recheck temperature to make certain the oil stays between 365-380.

Glaze

  • While bars are still slightly warm, begin mixing glaze.
  • Combine powdered sugar, vanilla and boiling water to a bowl. Whisk until smooth.
    2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, ¼ cup boiling water
  • Dip the top of each bar into the glaze. Place bars back on rack to allow excess glaze to drip off.
  • Let bars sit for 10-15 minutes before serving so glaze will set up.

Notes

Tips:
  • Once you add the flour, do not overmix. Just stir until combined. Overmixing will cause the donuts to be tough
  • Be certain to fully chill the dough. It is very sticky and chilling makes the dough more manageable to work.
  • Use a generous amount of flour on your surface and on your hands. Even though the dough is chilled, it will still be sticky.
  • Cut bars into evenly sized pieces for consistent cooking time
  • The slit in the center helps make certain the donuts cook in the center and it also gives the bars an interesting look.
  • Make certain oil is preheated to 375 degrees. Use a thermometer and check temperature often to make certain it doesn't go above 380 or below 365.
  • Only cook a few bars at a time. Do not overcrowd pan or the donuts will not cook evenly.
 

Nutritional Disclaimer:

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Serving: 1BarCalories: 256kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 3gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 178mgPotassium: 77mgFiber: 1gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 109IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 31mgIron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @BeyondTheChickenCoop or tag #beyondthechickencoop!

More Baking

  • A stack of slices of orange pound cake topped with a glaze.
    Orange Pound Cake
  • An old glass jar filled with Homemade Vanilla Sugar
    Homemade Vanilla Sugar
  • Rustic Flatbread Crackers on a wooden board with salami and grapes.
    Flatbread Crackers Recipe
  • Slices of Cranberry Walnut Bread with swirls of cranberries.
    Cranberry Walnut Bread

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Inga Hicks says

    December 17, 2023 at 12:29 pm

    1 star
    I tried this recipe and all sorts of wrong bells and whistles went off as I'm making it. The hydration is way too high, it creates a batter not a dough stiff enough to make a bar type donut. The texture was more like a pancake than a donut because the batter again, not stiff enough and the hydration is too high. I think a cup more flour or using cake flour of the same amount would have achieved much better results. My simple suggestion would be make an old fashioned donut recipe, cut the shapes into bars, then fry them, if you want really crispy craggy edges, fry them in lard. Then glaze as usual.

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      December 19, 2023 at 6:04 am

      Hi Inga,
      Thanks for you comment. I appreciate your suggestions, however these are not old fashioned donuts and the batter and the bars are very different. Yes, the dough is very sticky. This is the way it is intended. After you refrigerate the dough, it does become workable. You can certainly add additional flour, but the bars will not be the same.
      Kathy

      Reply
  2. Raal says

    October 22, 2023 at 2:46 pm

    2 stars
    I really appreciate the detail and very clear directions given in the recipe. However, as the another person commented, mine also came out undercooked in the middle and bland in flavor. I really wanted to love these, but it unfortunately did not turn out successful for us and I had to throw the batch out. I did keep a close watch with a candy thermometer on the oil temp. as well.

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      October 23, 2023 at 3:20 pm

      Hi Raal,
      I'm sorry these didn't work for you. If the dough is too thick, they won't cook all the way through. You also need to have that slice in the center to help them cook. As far as the flavor, the sweetness comes from the glaze. The donuts or bars themselves are made just like the ones I had as a child. Everyone has different tastes and if you wanted you could always add cinnamon or other spices.
      Kathy

      Reply
  3. Rebecca says

    August 03, 2023 at 3:14 am

    Do you think I could make the dough in the evening and fry first thing in the morning? Just trying to catch a little more sleep before I make these for someone!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      October 23, 2023 at 7:10 am

      Yes! That should work fine!

      Reply
  4. Jamel Wright says

    April 23, 2023 at 3:28 pm

    5 stars
    Game changer! LOVE this recipe! I've been wanting to make these forever. The only change i made was frying them in olive oil and dipped them in melted dark chocolate. They did NOT last long!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      April 24, 2023 at 5:33 am

      Thanks so much!!! Love that you've dipped them in chocolate! Now I'm going to need to make them again and do a little dipping! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Millie says

    May 22, 2022 at 7:57 am

    5 stars
    have you cooked in an air fryer, I love buttermilk bars, but would like to try a little more "healthy" version.

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      May 23, 2022 at 6:49 am

      Hi Millie,
      I'm afraid I have not used an air fryer before so I don't know how they would turn out. I do have a few baked donut recipes (not the same as a buttermilk bar!) that you may want to try.
      Kathy 🙂

      Reply
  6. Arrow says

    March 15, 2022 at 11:16 am

    1 star
    These donuts turned out very poorly for us. They didn't cook all the way through, they weren't very flavorful and were a big disappointment. Not sure why they didn't turn out for us because it looks like it worked for other people. Very unfortunate.

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      March 15, 2022 at 1:54 pm

      Hi Arrow,
      I'm sorry these didn't turn out for you. Did you use a thermometer to measure the temperature of your oil? If the oil is too hot, the outside will look cooked before the inside of the donut is cooked. The taste is mimicked after an old fashioned donut I ate as a child. It's different than a regular donut.
      Kathy

      Reply
      • Jamel Wright says

        April 08, 2023 at 11:01 am

        for those who want a 'healthier' version, use avocado or olive oil to fry.

        I did it for my bagels and they turned out great!

      • Kathy says

        April 08, 2023 at 11:33 am

        Thanks for the tip. I don't fry my bagels. They are boiled first in water and then baked.

  7. Tiffani says

    February 06, 2022 at 6:02 am

    Thanks for the great recipe. I made one change and I added chopped, drained maraschino cherries and a drop of almond extract to recreate a buttermilk bar I had in Oregon a few years ago. A definite keeper.

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      February 06, 2022 at 7:00 am

      Hi Tiffani,
      Thanks for your comment! Glad you enjoyed these buttermilk bars. The addition of the maraschino cherry sounds so interesting. I'll have to give that a try!
      Kathy 🙂

      Reply
  8. Riley says

    May 17, 2021 at 12:34 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe I fried 3 and baked the remaining 9 (400F 18 minutes) of course there’s nothing like the fried version, still, very tasty! I glazed them hot out of the oven so it set up nice and crackly. I also injected some raspberry jam. I would make these again a bit less nutmeg next time for me. Thanks for the recipe 🙏

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      May 17, 2021 at 7:46 pm

      Thank you! I think now I need to try baking them and I love the idea of filling with raspberry jam. Great idea!

      Reply
  9. David @ Spiced says

    January 22, 2021 at 4:31 am

    5 stars
    For when "you are craving a donut"....so you mean all the time!? 🙂 I love a good donut, and these look fantastic, Kathy. They remind me of the donuts that Little Debbie makes - at least I think it was Little Debbie. I used to love those as a kid! I need to make a batch of these ASAP!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      January 22, 2021 at 5:14 am

      They are similar to those Little Debbie snacks. I was testing these one day for my husband and his friend. They were calling them Little Debbie's but after eating a few they started calling them "Little Kathy's". Who knows, maybe we have a new name!

      Reply
4.72 from 39 votes (32 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

The author holding a chicken.

I'm Kathy, and I love to create delicious recipes from scratch utilizing many ingredients that we grow and raise. I'm a recipe creator, food photographer, and cookbook author!

More about me →

Grilling Time

  • Skewered shrimp on a plate.
    Honey Lime Shrimp
  • Grilled ribs on a bed of lettuce.
    Smoked Baby Back Ribs
  • Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers on a white dinner plate.
    Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers
  • Grilled chicken thighs on a white plate.
    Italian Dressing Chicken
  • Flatbread rounds on a brown paper bag.
    Grilled Flatbread
  • Grilled lemon chicken breast on a plate with baby potatoes and a green salad.
    Honey Lemon Chicken
  • A glass jar filled with an orange glaze with jalapenos.
    Jalapeno Apricot Sauce
  • A whole chicken on a can of beer on the grill.
    Beer Can Chicken on Grill

Popular Recipes

  • A single muffin topped with a crumbly topping on a plate.
    Banana Oatmeal Muffins
  • Breakfast sausage cooked in the oven.
    Breakfast Sausage in Oven
  • Crispy fish fillets topped with lemon wedges.
    Pan Fried Walleye
  • Gravy pouring over a pile of mashed potatoes.
    Homemade Brown Gravy
  • Crispy fish cakes on a white platter with lemon wedges.
    Fish Cakes
  • Pasta twirled around a fork and in a large white bowl.
    Garlic Butter Pasta

Cookbooks

Two cookbooks piled on a counter.

Featured In...

Beyond the Chicken Coop recipes have been featured in many different sites.

Footer

↑ back to top

Beyond the Chicken Coop recipes have been featured in many different sites.

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Disclosure Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact

Copyright © 2025 Beyond the Chicken Coop LLC ®

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.