Recipe updated: April 2nd, 2024
This is an easy, fun, and tasty cinnamon sugar knots recipe that the kids can help you make. My granddaughter helped her mommy make these sugar knots and they turned out amazing. She had so much fun!
These cinnamon knots are super yummy! Cinnamon sugar knots are homemade donuts that are tied in a knot and then deep-fried. After that, cinnamon and sugar are sprinkled on top. We couldn’t resist so we drizzled some icing on them (optional) to really make them taste fantastic! These sugar knots can be enjoyed with homemade whipped cream as a delicious topping too.
If you are in the donut mood and need an easier recipe to whip up super fast other than these sugar knots, then you must try these air fryer biscuit donuts.
🔪 Key Ingredients
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter (melted or softened)
- 1 cup of granulated sugar
- Pinch of table salt
- 3 large eggs
- 4 cups of all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- Put 1 ¼ inches of vegetable oil in a deep dish frying pan (for deep frying)
- 2 tablespoons of cinnamon sugar mixture (or make your own = 1 ½ tablespoons of granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon)
👩🍳 How to Make Sugar Knots
These step-by-step instructions are accompanied by detailed photos for enhanced clarity and guidance.
Step 1. Soften the Butter
Put 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter in a small bowl that is safe for the microwave. Microwave the butter for 30 seconds. If you don’t have a microwave, set the butter on the countertop at room temperature for about 15 minutes so it can soften. If your butter is frozen, it will take longer than 15 minutes to soften on the countertop.
Step 2. Add the Butter, Sugar, Salt, and Eggs
In a large bowl add the melted butter together with 1 cup of granulated sugar, a pinch of salt, and 3 large eggs.
Step 3. Mix Thoroughly
Combine sugar, butter, salt, and egg mixture thoroughly until smooth, then set aside for now. You can use a spoon, spatula, hand mixer, or stand mixer if you prefer to do so.
Step 4. Make the Dough
In another large bowl, add 4 cups of flour together with 2 teaspoons of baking powder. Mix thoroughly until the flour and baking powder are well blended.
Step 5. Add the Sugar, Butter, and Egg Mixture to the Flour
Pour the sugar, butter, salt, and egg mixture into the bowl together with the flour and baking powder. Start mixing with a spoon and be sure to include scraping the sides of the bowl to get all of the dough mixed thoroughly.
Tip: You can put the dough in a bowl of a stand mixer and use a dough hook or paddle attachment on low speed to knead the dough instead of doing it by hand.
Step 6. Knead the Dough
Keep mixing the dough, or kneading it, until it is thoroughly blended. By the time you are finished mixing the dough, it should stick together well.
Tip: Knead means to work (mix and blend) the dry ingredients (flour mixture) with the wet ingredients (the sugar, butter, salt, and egg mixture) by turning it over and over again (pressing and squeezing with your hands) until it turns into a smooth dough.
Step 7. Wrap and Refrigerate the Dough
Shape the dough into a ball, then wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Step 8. Get the Dough Ready
Take the dough out of the refrigerator and remove the plastic. Lightly sprinkle some flour on a work surface before we roll out the dough in the next step.
Step 9. Roll out the Dough
With a rolling pin, roll the dough out on the lightly floured surface. Keep rolling the dough until it is about 1/4 of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, try shaping it into a square which will make it easier to cut strips as we will do in the next step.
Step 10. Cut the Dough into Strips
Cut about 13 strips of dough each about 8 inches long by 3/4 inches wide. The best way to do that is to use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut through the dough. Do not cut the strips too thin or they will be very skinny donuts.
Tip: If you have any remaining dough that is not enough to make a sugar knot, just roll it out into a mini ball and deep fry it like that.
Step 11. Tie Dough
The next step is to tie a knot in each of the strips of dough we cut.
- Take one of the strips of dough and roll it into a semi-ball shape.
- Then, flatten the ball with the palms of your hands rolling the dough back and forth, and outwards to the left and right to make a long tube-like shape.
- After that, make an upside-down U with one of the strips of dough. Then, tie a knot with the dough by taking the right side of the dough and laying it over the left side of the dough. Then with the end of the right side, and holding on to the end of the left side, loop the right side underneath the left side and pull it up and out tightly laying it towards the left without breaking the dough apart.
- Put some additional flour on a plate and lay the finished knot on it.
Tip: If the dough seems to be a little bit on the dry side, put some warm water in a small bowl. Wet your fingertips, then wet the dough just a little until the dough sticks together enough to make a knot.
Step 12. Finish Tying the Knots
Continue to tie knots with the rest of the dough. Each knot doesn’t have to be perfect in size but you will be surprised how they will end up pretty close to that. Set the unbaked donut knots aside for now.
Step 13. Put Vegetable Oil in a Deep Dish Frying Pan
Put 1 and 1/4 inches of vegetable oil in a deep dish frying pan, or deep fryer. Heat the oil to 360 degrees Fahrenheit using an instant-read food thermometer.
Tip: The frying pan should be deep enough to accommodate 1 and 1/4 inches of vegetable oil and also wide enough to hold about 4 or 5 donut knots. Measure up the inside of the skillet 1 and 1/4 inches before you put any oil in it. Get a visual of where that mark is. Measure the 4 or 5 dough knots on the plate to see if the pan you are using is wide enough.
Step 14. Fry the Donut Knots
Place 4 or 5 donut knots into the hot oil and cook for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, flip each donut knot over once halfway through the cooking time.
Tip: A slotted spoon is a spoon with holes in it to allow any liquid to fall back into the skillet, pot, or container you are using.
Warning: Be very careful when cooking with hot oil, it is exactly that, extremely hot. Like just about 3rd degree burn hot! This is part of the recipe that my granddaughter did not get to do. Do not drop the dough into the oil as it will cause a splash effect back at you. Instead, lower each of the sugar knots into the oil and let them slide off of the spoon.
Step 15. Sprinkle on the Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
After the donuts are done, use the slotted spoon to remove them from the oil in the frying pan. Place them on a paper towel to drain. Sprinkle a little bit of the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of the sugar knots while they are still warm.
✨ Recipe Variations
- Instead of using the hot oil in the deep dish frying pan method or deep fryer, try making air fryer cinnamon sugar knots in the air fryer.
- Add some vanilla glaze to the sugar knots after adding the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Try spreading some whipped cream on top of the sugar knots. So good!
- Add 1 tablespoon of rum to the sugar, butter, salt, and egg mixture.
❓ FAQs
A pinch of salt is whatever salt you can pick up with your thumb and index finger. But if you don’t want to dump some salt out on the countertop, or in a bowl just to turn around and pick it up with your thumb and index finger, go ahead and do a couple of quick shakes of your salt shaker.
Another dilemma about the pinch of salt question is everyone has different size thumbs and index fingers. Usually, depending on the size of a person’s fingers, you can figure about 1/16 to 1/8 teaspoon for a pinch of salt. A great way to be completely accurate is to use these mini measuring spoons. The description for these mini measuring spoons says 1/8 of a teaspoon is a dash, 1/16 of a teaspoon is a pinch, 1/32 of a teaspoon is a smidgen, and 1/64 of a teaspoon is a nip.
A pinch of salt is such a small amount you wonder how can it make a difference if you add it to a recipe or not. Well, believe it or not, a pinch of salt does make a difference in the recipe you are making. It enhances the recipe just right!
Any leftover sugar knots will last about 2 or 3 days in an air-tight container or ziplock bag on the countertop. After that, the donuts will start to lose their quality and freshness so eat them up or you can freeze them in a freezer-safe container.
💭 Final Thoughts
Our new favorite sweet treat is cinnamon sugar knots. These sugar knots are great for breakfast, brunch, or an after dinner dessert. These sugar knots are also a big winner at potlucks, weddings, bridal showers, and birthday parties.
We love trying new recipes, and if you try these sugar knots they will surely be a family favorite of yours too for a long time to come. So what are you waiting for? Give this sweet treat a try! Enjoy!
📄 Recipe Card
Cinnamon Sugar Knots Recipe
🫕 Equipment
- Mini measuring spoons (optional)
🧂 Ingredients
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter (melted or softened)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Pinch of table salt
- 3 large eggs
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 ¼ inches vegetable oil in large skillet (for deep frying)
- 2 tbsp cinnamon sugar (Or make your own – combine 1 ½ tbsp granulated sugar and 1 tsp ground cinnamon.)
👩🍳 Instructions
- Melt the butter.
- Mix the melted butter, sugar, eggs, and salt.
- Mix the flour and baking powder.
- Add the melted butter, sugar, eggs, and salt mixture to the flour mixture.
- Mix and knead until a ball of dough forms.
- Wrap the ball of dough in plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, take the dough out of the refrigerator. Lightly flour a working surface and roll out the dough 1/4 inch thick.
- Cut about 13 strips of dough approximately 8 inches long by 3/4 inches wide.
- Make a knot in each strip. To do that roll each strip into a semi-ball, then roll the dough into tubes with the palms of your hands. After that, tie a knot in each tube of dough.
- Put 1 and 1/4 inches of oil in a deep dish frying pan or deep fryer and heat to 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Using a slotted spoon, place about 4 or 5 donut knots into the hot oil.
- Deep fry the donuts for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Flip over halfway through the cooking time.
- Remove the donuts from the oil with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel.
- Sprinkle each donut with the sugar and cinnamon mixture while they are still warm.
- Drizzle icing on each donut (optional).
*️⃣ Recipe Notes
- The icing is optional but it sure adds to the flavor of these amazing sugar knots.
- You can also spread some whipped cream on top of the sugar knots.
- You can use a deep fryer for this sugar knots recipe if you have one.
💑 More Easy Recipes You Will Love
- A snickerdoodle bars recipe the whole family will rave over. Ingredients include unsalted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, sugar, flour, cream of tartar, and a cinnamon sugar topping.
- These lemon squares are amazing! They are made with 100% freshly squeezed lemon juice, eggs, butter, sugar, all-purpose flour, and baking powder, and then sprinkled with powdered sugar on top.
- If you haven’t tried sugar cream pie, you must. It’s a classic recipe that goes way back in time. The recipe has simple ingredients such as sugar, heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, unsalted butter, and ground cinnamon. So delicious!
A wife, a mother to a son and a daughter, and a grandmother to three granddaughters. Flo loves sharing recipes passed down from her own mother, her mother-in-law, and her grandmother as well as new recipes created with her daughter, Tamara Ray.
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