Strawberry Glazed Donuts
intro
Fluffy, pillowy fried yeast donuts coated in bright fresh strawberry glaze, with a tender crumb and sweet fruity flavor, perfect for casual Spring outdoor meals.
Ingredients
Steps
Mix and knead dough
In a large mixing bowl, combine warmed 110°F (43°C) whole milk, 1 tsp granulated sugar, and instant yeast; let rest 5 minutes until foamy. Add remaining granulated sugar, melted cooled butter, room temperature eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, salt, and all-purpose flour. Mix on low speed with a dough hook for 8 minutes until a smooth, soft, slightly tacky dough forms that pulls away from bowl sides.
Let dough rise
Coat the inside of a clean bowl with 1 tsp neutral oil, place the kneaded dough inside, and turn to coat evenly. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm, 75°F (24°C) spot for 1 hour, until the dough doubles in size and springs back slowly when poked with a floured finger.
Cut and shape donuts
Punch down the risen dough to release air, then roll it out on a lightly floured surface to ½-inch (1.25cm) even thickness. Use a 3.5-inch (9cm) round donut cutter to cut donut shapes, punching out 1-inch (2.5cm) center holes from each round. Gather dough scraps, re-roll once, and cut remaining donuts to make 8 total donuts and 8 donut holes. Place cut donuts on parchment-lined baking sheets, cover loosely, and let rest 15 minutes while heating oil.
Fry donuts until golden
Heat 4 cups neutral frying oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat to 350°F (175°C), monitoring temperature with a candy thermometer. Carefully lower 2-3 donuts at a time into the hot oil, frying 1.5 minutes per side until deep golden brown on both sides. Use a slotted spoon to transfer fried donuts to a wire rack set over paper towels to drain excess oil, adjusting stovetop heat as needed to bring oil back to 350°F between batches.
Make strawberry glaze
While donuts cool for 10 minutes, add chopped fresh strawberries to a small saucepan over medium heat, cooking 5 minutes until berries break down into a juicy sauce. Strain the cooked strawberry sauce through a fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds, collecting ¼ cup (60ml) smooth strawberry puree. Whisk the puree with remaining ½ tsp vanilla and powdered sugar in a medium bowl until completely smooth, with a thick, dippable consistency.
Glaze and set donuts
Dip the top half of each slightly warm (not hot) donut fully into the strawberry glaze, twisting gently to coat evenly. Hold the dipped donut over the bowl for 10 seconds to let excess glaze drip off, then place it back on the wire rack, glaze side up. Let donuts rest 15 minutes at room temperature until the glaze sets to a slightly firm, shiny finish before serving.
Tips
2.Dip donuts in glaze only when they are slightly warm (10-15 minutes out of the fryer); piping hot donuts will melt the glaze and cause it to slide off instead of setting to a shiny finish.
3.For extra texture and strawberry flavor, stir 2 tbsp of finely diced fresh strawberries into the finished glaze before dipping, for tiny, juicy fruit flecks across each donut top.
OMG these strawberry glazed donuts were an absolute hit at our weekend soccer team snack! My kids begged for seconds before I even finished passing them out. The glaze has that perfect fresh strawberry zing, not that artificial fake syrup taste you get at the grocery store. Will 100% be making these again for next month’s potluck!
Tasted amazing when I finally got them right! Full transparency, I messed up the first rise because my kitchen was way too cold, so my donuts were a little dense the first batch. The strawberry glaze is chef’s kiss though, even my roommate who hates sweet stuff stole half a donut. Definitely worth the 2+ hour time investment, just don’t rush the dough steps!
Game. Changer. I brought these to our church potluck last Sunday and the platter was empty in 8 minutes flat. Multiple people asked for the recipe before we even got to the dessert table. I added a tiny sprinkle of crushed freeze-dried strawberries on top of the glaze for extra crunch and color, chef’s kiss. SO good.
Flavor is great, but man is this a time suck! I didn’t realize how long the rise times were when I started making these for my girlfriend’s birthday breakfast, ended up being 2.5 hours total because I misjudged the first proof. Tasted great, but next time I’ll plan way ahead.
I’ve been making old-fashioned cake donuts for 40 years, and this recipe just replaced my go-to glazed donut! The fresh strawberry glaze tastes just like the ones I used to get at the county fair when I was a kid. My grandkids went nuts for them, even my picky teen grandson who only eats energy drinks and chips ate three in one sitting.
Made these this morning for brunch with my roommates, super solid recipe. I didn’t have a donut cutter so I used a mason jar and a shot glass for the holes, worked like a charm. Only note is I’d add a little more lemon juice to the glaze next time to cut the sweetness, but that’s just personal preference. No leftovers, so that’s a win.
I was so excited for these but my glaze came out super runny? I followed the measurements exactly, used fresh ripe strawberries, but it just dripped right off the donuts instead of setting up. Did I do something wrong?
Made these in my tiny dorm kitchen with a $10 countertop fryer I got off Facebook Marketplace, and they turned out insane. I split the batch with my whole floor, and people are still sliding into my DMs asking when I’m making more. 10/10, way better than the overpriced donut shop down the street that charges $4 a donut.
Just finished dipping the last donut and had to leave a review immediately. The glaze is perfectly balanced, not too sweet, you can actually taste the fresh strawberries instead of just sugar. I fried up the donut holes too and tossed them in leftover glaze and a little cinnamon sugar, chef’s kiss. Already bookmarked this to make for my roommate’s birthday next month.
These are delicious, but heads up they don’t stay fresh super long! I made a batch on Sunday for weekday breakfasts, and by Tuesday the donuts were a little stale and the glaze got sticky. Next time I’ll freeze half the unglazed donuts and glaze them fresh the day I want to eat them, that seems like a better move for meal prep.
I was nervous to try yeasted donuts because I always thought they were too fussy, but this recipe’s instructions were so clear! The strawberry glaze is so bright and summery, I added a little drizzle of white chocolate on half the batch for my chocolate-obsessed partner and he said they’re better than the fancy donut shop we go to on date night.
Solid donut recipe! I added a tiny pinch of cayenne to the strawberry glaze to give it a little kick, and it was unreal. The sweet strawberry with that tiny heat hit worked so well, my friends lost their minds when I brought them to our game night. Only reason it’s not 5 stars is I wish the recipe had a note about oil temperature, my first couple donuts burned because my oil was too hot.
Just pulled these out of the fryer and they’re perfect! I used strawberries I picked myself from a local farm last weekend, and you can really taste that fresh, ripe berry flavor in the glaze. My whole house smells like a donut shop, I can already tell these are going to be a summer staple for our family cookouts.