Strawberry donuts

Name: Strawberry donuts
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 cup strawberries (diced); 3 tablespoons granulated sugar; ⅛ teaspoon sea salt; 1 tablespoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed); 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1 whole vanilla bean; 1 ¼ cup milk (whole or 2%); 3 large egg yolks; ¼ cup sugar; ⅓ cup all purpose flour; 1 cup heavy whipping cream; ½ cup water (warm (body temperature)); 1 packet activated dry yeast (7g); 1 teaspoon sugar; 5 cups all purpose flour (600g); ⅛ teaspoon sea salt; ½ cup granulated sugar; ¾ cup unsalted butter (very soft - almost melted); 2 large eggs (room temperature); 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; ¾ cup milk (warm (body temperature)); ¾ cup sour cream (room temperature); 100 oz vegetable oil I used canola 3 L or 0.8 gallon; 1 ½ cup powdered sugar; 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream; ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1-4 tablespoons milk; Pink food colouring (alternatively use a bit of beetroot juice instead of the milk)

Jump to Recipe

These no knead strawberry donuts are filled with an easy strawberry and custard filling, and are covered in a pink glaze. The dough is so easy to make and you literally just need 3 minutes to throw it together. The donuts turn out so soft and fluffy! They’re packed with a mixture of homemade strawberry sauce and homemade custard.

torn apart strawberry and custard filled donut

Purchasing the items in this post supports this blog, at no additional cost to you. As an Affiliate Product marketer and Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Why you will LOVE this recipe:

Soft: They’re so soft inside and have a beautiful golden, crunchy crust.
Easy: The dough is so quick and easy to make, giving you time to focus on frying. This recipe has all the instructions to make it a stress free experience.
Filling: Custard AND strawberries. You get a combination of creamy and tangy in these strawberry filled and glazed donuts.
Glaze: A simple, creamy and sweet glaze brings it all together and gives it that irresistible sweet coating.

Jump to:

heart shaped donut with fresh strawberries

No knead dough

The strawberry donut dough is so easy to make. First you want to make sure the yeast is active by dissolving it in warm water and sugar. Once it bubbles up and you’re all set, combine everything together in a large bowl and mix until it comes together. It’s ok if the dough still has some lumps of butter. As long as there are no dry streaks of flour it’s all good. The dough should be pretty sticky.

Let the dough rise, fold it a few times, roll out, and cut your donut shapes. Folding before rolling helps create layers that will create an air pocket inside the donut - perfect for the strawberry filling!

Fillings

I really couldn’t decide on strawberry or custard so there are both in here. Custard is very easy to make, and the strawberry filling is even easier.

They do need time to cool so I recommend making them a day or two before just so that it makes your life even easier.

half of a strawberry filled donut with custard and strawberry

Frying

It’s actually really easy to fry donuts! All you need is a large shallow pot, a whole lot of oil, and something to take the donuts out. I used a wire spider but you can also use tongs. Tongs will help put the dough into the oil.

I highly recommend using a thermometer that clips onto the side of your pot. I used a candy thermometer that goes up to very high temperatures for frying. It will make it so much easier to track the temperature of the frying oil making sure you get a crisp exterior and a perfectly cooked inside.

The best frying temperature

The best temperature for frying is 370°F (190°C). This lets the donuts cook through perfectly without being soaked in grease. I found that anything above or below really didn’t work well for the donuts:

Oil too hot = burnt donuts
Oil too cold = very oily donuts

How to calibrate any thermometer for frying

Make sure your thermometer is calibrated. Calibrate it by using the hot water method here.

Here's where you can see what your boiling point is because it varies based on altitude.

It’s so important to calibrate your thermometer because even a small difference will impact the frying a lot.

How to control frying oil temperature

If the oil temperature rises above 383°F (195°C), you can add a bit of room temperature oil into the hot oil to lower the temperature. If it’s below 370°F (190°C), raise up the heat and wait for it to reach 370°F (190°C). Keep in mind that when you put the donut dough into the oil, the oil temperature will drop a bit.

heart shaped donut covered with glaze and fresh strawberries

Key ingredients

Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below. But read through these for all the tips you will need for success!

Strawberries: Fresh or frozen strawberries work just fine.

Vanilla bean: If you can't find a whole vanilla bean, substitute with 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.

Heavy whipping cream: Don't use anything less than 32% milk fat or it won't whip up.

Activated dry yeast: I prefer activated dry but you can also use the same amount of instant yeast for similar results.

All purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.

Vegetable oil: Canola or peanut oil also work great for deep frying these strawberry donuts.

heart shaped strawberry donuts with glaze dripping off

How to make the strawberry sauce

Step 1 - Combine strawberries, sugar, salt, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Place on medium heat and stir until the strawberries release their juice. Keep stirring as it thickens. Add a tablespoon of water if it’s too thick.

Step 2 - Finish & chill. When strawberries are very soft, take off the heat and add butter. Stir until melted. Use a potato masher or immersion blender to mash the strawberry pieces so they don’t get stuck in the piping bag when filling the donuts. Let cool to room temperature and refrigerate until chilled.

How to make the custard

Step 1 - Steep vanilla. Cut vanilla bean in half longwise. Use the blunt side of your knife to scrape out the seeds. Add seeds and vanilla pod to a medium saucepan. Add milk and bring to a simmer. Once simmering turn off and let steep for 5 minutes.

Step 2 - Whisk yolks. While the milk heats, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until smooth. Add flour and whisk to remove any lumps.

Step 3 - Temper yolks. Pour half of the milk into the egg mixture, whisking until smooth. This tempers the yolks so they don’t scramble. Pour the mixture back into the pot and heat on medium-low until thickens.

Step 4 - Strain & cool. Strain the custard by pushing it through a mesh sieve and take out the vanilla bean pod. Cover the surface of the custard with cling wrap or parchment paper so that it doesn’t form a skin. Let cool completely before refrigerating until cold.

Step 5 - Fold in whipped cream. Before filling the donuts the day of serving, whisk cream to medium-stiff peaks. It should hold its peak well enough but not be stiff so that it doesn’t overwhip when mixing with the custard. Gently fold the cream into the chilled custard in two additions. It’s easiest to gently fold with a wire whisk.

How to make the dough

Step 1 - Dissolve yeast. In a medium bowl combine yeast, warm water, and sugar. Mix together until yeast dissolves and let sit for 5-10 minutes until you start to see foam on top. If that doesn’t happen, try again with a different packet or container of yeast.

Step 2 - Make dough. In a large bowl combine flour, salt, and sugar. Make a well in the flour and add yeast mixture, whisked eggs, sour cream, milk, and vanilla. Stir just until a very wet dough forms. Let rise in a warm place (see notes) until doubled, about 30-45 minutes.

Step 3 - Roll and cut. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Dump the dough out onto a generously floured surface. Sprinkle the top with flour and roll out to ¾” thick. Cut out 3” hearts and/or circles with a cookie cutter or the bottom of a glass. Re-roll and cut more shapes. Save a few scrap pieces for testing the oil.

Step 4 - Rise. Transfer the cut out dough onto the lined baking sheets, leaving 2” of space between each dough shape. Let rise in a warm place until puffed and doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Step 5 - Pour oil. Pour the oil into a large, wide, heavy bottomed pot. Make sure there is enough space between the oil and the top edge of the pot. I leave at least 3” of space from the top so that there’s enough space for the donuts and in case some oil splashes.

Step 6 - Heat oil. Clip a thermometer to the side of the pot. Heat the oil until it reaches 370°F (190°C). While the oil is heating, prepare a tray lined with 4 layers of paper towel and a separate cooling rack beside.

Step 7 - Test oil. Once the oil is hot, drop the pieces of scrap dough into the hot oil. Fry on each side for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oil with tongs or a spider, gently shake for a few seconds to remove excess oil and place onto the paper towel lined sheet. Once cooled enough, check the inside to make sure it’s cooked through. This helps you practice frying.

Step 8 - Fry donuts. Drop the first few donuts into the oil gently, being careful not to touch the oil. Use a metal spatula or tongs to help drop it in. Continue frying them as before. Once the paper towel lined tray fills up, transfer the cooled donuts to the cooling rack. Let all of the donuts cool completely before filling. Make sure the temperature stays at around 370°F (190°C).

Filling and glazing

Step 1 - Mix glaze. In a clean medium bowl, stir together powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream. Add water until you get a thick, dippable consistency. Add food colouring to get a baby pink shade.

Step 2 - Fill a piping bag with custard and another piping bag with the strawberry sauce. Cut the tops off both the bags and place them into a larger piping bag or large zippered bag. Cut the end off.

Step 3 - Fill. Poke a chopstick through the tops of all the donuts and move it around inside so that it makes a pocket. Insert the piping bag as far into the donut as you can and fill the donut, moving the piping bag up and out as it fills. Fill all of the donuts.

Step 4 - Glaze. Dip each of the strawberry filled donuts into the glaze, wiggle it around and shake off any excess glaze. Transfer to a cooling rack and let any excess glaze drip off. Enjoy!

Variations

Powdered donuts: Swap the glaze and dust the donuts with a bit of powdered sugar.
Strawberry filling only: Double the strawberry filling and ditch the custard.
Custard filling only: Double the custard filling and ditch the strawberry.
Fresh strawberries and cream: Slice donuts in half (not all the way) and fill with homemade whipped cream and chopped fresh strawberries.

FAQ

Can I make regular, unfilled strawberry donuts from this recipe?

Yes. Just omit the fillings and cut out circles of dough. Cut out the middles with a smaller cookie cutter or a shot glass. Fry and dip in glaze. You can add pureed strawberries into the glaze to make it taste like strawberries.

How do I avoid tough donuts?

Don't knead the recipe! The less you knead it the softer it will be. Weigh the flour instead of using a measuring cup for the most accurate results. Lastly, make sure the butter is really soft, almost melted. This will help it combine easier and prevent over mixing.

Can I bake these donuts?

You can but they will just taste like buns, not like donuts. If you're into that then go for it! Whisk an egg with a tablespoon of milk to make an eggwash. Brush the donut shapes and bake at 355°F (180°C) for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Fill and glaze as usual.

Can I cut these into different shapes?

Yes! Use uncomplicated shapes because they will lose their definition after rising. A complicated shape will look like a blob. Circles, hearts, stars, triangles, and letters will all work great!

What oil should I use for frying donuts?

I used canola oil for frying the donuts because it has a high smoke point and is light and neutral tasting. Other popular oils for deep frying are peanut oil and vegetable oil. Do not use avocado or olive oil, they will burn.

Check out these other recipes:

Happy baking!

Did you make this recipe? I would love for you to rate this recipe and hear what you think in the comments below! Share your creation on Instagram and tag @flouringkitchen. Follow me on Pinterest to save and for more recipe ideas.