Nutella Sourdough Donuts

Light and fluffy, pillowy soft, and bursting with creamy Nutella filling in every single bite – if you love Nutella and you love donuts, you are going to fall in love with these Nutella sourdough donuts. They’re made with my simple sourdough donut dough, fried in coconut oil, tossed in sugar, and then filled with homemade Nutella for a rich and decadent treat that your family and friends will go crazy for. Plus these donuts are sourdough and naturally leavened, so they have an outstanding flavor and all the benefits of a long fermentation. 

If you’re looking for more delicious sourdough recipes, try my Strawberry Sourdough Donuts, Sourdough Brioche, or Blueberry Sourdough Bagels next!

Today we’re making warm, pillowy nutella sourdough donuts filled with a smooth and creamy homemade Nutella filling.

This homemade nutella sourdough donuts recipe starts with a simple sourdough donut that is shaped into a round, rather than cut into a circle with a hole in the center. It’s inspired by the classic Italian pastry called a Bomboloni, which is an Italian donut that is tossed in sugar and filled with all sorts of delicious fillings like pastry cream, jellies, Nutella, and more. It’s common to find Bombolinis in coffee bars and bakeries all across Italy, served warm with a hot cappuccino or shot of espresso. Unlike their American counterparts (like the jelly donut and the Boston cream), Bombolonis aren’t sealed shut, so you can see the cute swirl of filling poking out at the top. 

Making homemade sourdough donuts from scratch is super easy to do and just requires simple, wholesome ingredients and some basic kitchen equipment. Most of the time required for this recipe is hands-off, while the dough proofs and develops flavor, so it’s a perfect weekend activity. I absolutely love the routine of prepping the dough on a Saturday morning and then getting up bright and early on Sunday to reap the delicious rewards! Because these donuts are naturally leavened with sourdough starter and undergo a long and slow fermentation process, they have an incredible flavor and the gut-friendly benefits from fermentation. Pretty soon you’ll be enjoying incredible, bakery-quality donuts warm and fresh from your kitchen! 

Why You’ll Love These Nutella Sourdough Donuts

• Irresistible Flavor: Deep-fried to golden perfection, soft and fluffy, and filled with creamy Nutella, these are crave-worthy donuts that will impress any of the donut lovers in your life. Perfect for sharing!
• Easy to Make: Making sourdough donuts is easy following my simple recipe tutorial below. All you need is active sourdough starter and some simple ingredients to whip up bakery-quality donuts from home. 
• Light and Pillowy: They have an airy, pillowy soft texture and a beautiful tender crumb on the inside. 
• Sourdough: These donuts are naturally leavened with sourdough starter so they have an added depth of flavor and the gut-friendly benefits from natural fermentation. 
• Velvety Nutella Filling: This super rich and creamy filling is easier to make, healthier than storebought, and takes these donuts to a whole new level. 

Best Ingredients to Use For Sourdough Donuts

1. All-Purpose Flour: For this recipe, I use all-purpose flour but you can also do a 50/50 mix of all-purpose flour and bread flour. 
2. Eggs: Acts as a binder and adds flavor and structure to your donuts.
3. Butter: Use unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
4. Milk: This is our liquid for the recipe. Use whole milk for the perfect texture and flavor
5. Salt: Adds flavor and helps control the fermentation process
6. Sourdough Starter: Make sure to feed your starter 8-12 hours before mixing the dough so it is ripe and active. 
7. Sugar: Sweetens the dough and creates a soft and light texture. And for rolling once the donuts are baked! I use cane sugar.
8. Coconut Oil or Oil of Choice: For frying the donuts!

Quick Overview: How To Make Homemade Sourdough Donuts

1. Mix the dough: Combine the flour, sourdough starter, milk, eggs, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed for 3-4 minutes, then add the softened butter and mix for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. 
2. First rise: Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover and let rise for 4-6 hours. Perform 2-3 sets of stretch and folds. 
3. Cold proof: Transfer the dough to the fridge to cold proof overnight. 
4. Shape the donuts: Cut the dough into 12 equal portions and shape each into a ball. 
5. Final Rise: Transfer the shaped donuts to a greased baking sheet or place on individually cut parchment paper squares. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 1-3 hours, until puffy to the touch. 
6. Fry the donuts: Heat oil to 375F and fry the donuts for one minute per side, until golden brown. Transfer donuts to a rack to cool.
7. Add filling: Once the donuts have fully cooled, use a chopstick or similar tool to poke a hole one half or three quarters of the way into the donut. Rotate the chopstock in a circular potion to create a pocket inside the donut. Pipe in the homemade Nutella filling until it is poking out the top. 
8. Serve and enjoy!

Grab these Ingredients for Homemade Nutella Filling

For the homemade Nutella, I used a food processor to blend everything together but a blender or nutribullet will work just as well. This easy chocolate hazelnut filling comes together quickly and can be prepped ahead of time or while your donuts are cooling. If you are not making the Nutella filling from scratch, here is one of my favorite Chocolate Hazelnut Spreads or this budget-friendly version.

1. Hazelnuts: Use raw hazelnuts, often sold in the bulk aisle of grocery stores or online. 
2. Sugar: You can use your preferred sweetener of choice. Powdered sugar will achieve the best results, but granulated sugar or coconut sugar will work as well. 
3. Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder is used to give this spread it’s chocolate flavor and color
4. Optional Chocolate Bar: If you want to make it extra chocolatey and rich, you can use dark chocolate instead of cocoa powder (or a combo). 
5. Coconut oil: Storebought Nutella is made with palm oil but I use coconut oil instead to achieve the desired texture. 
6. Salt: Helps to balance the sweetness and adds flavor.
7. Vanilla Extract: Compliments the rich chocolate hazelnut flavor perfectly.

How to make the Nutella Filling for Donuts

1. Roast Hazelnuts: Roast the hazelnuts at 400F for 6-8 minutes, just until they start to brown. Remove from the oven and, using a towel, rub the nuts together to remove the skins. 
2. Blend: Pour the hazelnuts into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth and creamy (10 – 20 minutes in a food processor). 
3. Add remaining ingredients: Add the sugar, coconut oil, vanilla extra, and salt and continue blending until smooth and creamy like storebought Nutella. 

More Sourdough Baking Recipes

• Strawberry Sourdough Donuts
• Strawberry Sourdough Bagels
• Cookies and Cream Sourdough Cookies
• Homemade Sourdough Croissants
• Blueberry Sourdough Bagels