"Healthy" fried sourdough starter

This healthy fried sourdough starter recipe is so easy and quick to make. These bite-size sweet treats are delightful and full of sourdough starter flavor. Fried in avocado oil, they have crispy cinnamon and coconut sugar coating and are fluffy and soft inside- ready in 20 minutes!

What makes these fried balls so tasty and flavorful is that they are made with sourdough starter. Besides its health benefits, sourdough starter adds a unique flavor to these bites that make them so irresistibly good!

Thes fried sourdough starter are so easy to make without much effort and always available to make in no time whenever you crave them. No need to roll or shape the dough; just grab and drop the batter in hot oil. I used avocado oil to make this recipe healthier.

So do not hesitate and make these yummy fresh fried sourdough starter balls instead of buying those old store donuts.

Other names for these fried sourdough starter balls are homemade donuts, donuts hole, or mini donuts. Whatever you call them, they are going to be just as delicious!

For sweet lovers, here is apple dessert with tortillas to try!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Tips and tricks
• Substitutions and variations to this recipe
• Storage and reheat
• What to serve with it
• Recipe

Ingredients

• Active sourdough starter. I fed my sourdough starter with a cup of all-purpose flour beforehand, so it was bubbly, nice, and ready to go. You may use sourdough discard too. If you are using sourdough discard, add ¼ tsp. baking soda per cup of sourdough discard.
• Honey. You may use sugar instead. 
• Salt. It just takes a pinch to bring out the flavor.
• Oil. I used high-smoke point avocado oil and heated it slowly. I used the leftover oil to make homemade popcorn! 
• Sugar. I used coconut sugar. Use any sugar you have on hand.
• Cinnamon. Use more of any other sweet spices like anise seeds or cardamom.

Instructions

Mix the coconut sugar and cinnamon and put them aside.

Place active sourdough starter, honey, and salt in a bowl and mix.

Pour avocado oil into a saucepan and heat it on medium-low heat.

When the oil looks heated and shiny, take one spoonful of sourdough starter mix and drop it inside the saucepan. I drop two at a time. Do not overcrowd the saucepan.

Be patient and let them fry on each side until golden brown.

Then take them out and coat them with the coconut sugar and cinnamon mixture while they are hot.

Continue with the rest.

Served them hot and fresh as a sweet treat. I served them with tea and milk.

Tips and tricks

• Use high smoke point oil for frying.
• Ensure the oil is hot and shiny before adding the batter; otherwise, it will stick to the bottom of a bot.
• Do not skip coating for extra sweetness. Or use any other glaze you like the best.
• You may add other herbs, spices, or seeds to the sugar coating.
• If you are using sourdough discard, add ¼ tsp. baking soda per cup of sourdough discard.
• Make the balls small for even through frying.
• Fry them on medium-low heat, so the inside cooks through and the oil does not burn.
• I used leftover oil and made popcorn.
• I made this recipe as healthy as possible. So it is sweet enough to call it a delicious dessert. But feel free to adjust the sweetness to your taste.

Substitutions and variations to this recipe

• You may use other toppings such as chocolate or vanilla glaze, powdered sugar, coconut flake, a drizzle of honey, pumpkin, cardamom, or nutmeg sugar.
• To make a glaze, mix powdered sugar with milk and cocoa powder or vanilla.
• You can make these bites/ donuts into apple cider donuts by feeding the sourdough starter with flour + apple cider instead of flour+ water.

Storage and reheat

Store the leftover in an air-tight container for 3 days. Heat them in a microwave for a few seconds and serve them.

What to serve with it

Serve them as a sweet treat after breakfast, lunch, or dinner with tea, coffee, hot cocoa, or milk.

These homemade fried sourdough starter balls are deliciously comforting and so easy, quick, and fun to make from scratch! It is so satisfying to see the sourdough starter batter puff-ups in the hot oil.

Let me know how you did it and what is your favorite topping! I love to hear from you!

Please rate, common, and share it on Pinterest! Thank you!

Find more delicious sourdough starter recipes

• Sourdough bread pizza
• Sourdough breakfast recipe
• Easy sourdough discard naans
• Easy old fashioned salmon patties
• Sourdough starter hamburger patty
• Sourdough starter fried chicken
• Sourdough discard flatbread
• Apple dessert with tortillas

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