Baked Strawberry Donuts

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These Baked Strawberry Donuts are speckled with fresh bits of strawberry, topped with a strawberry glaze, and finished with a drizzle of cream cheese frosting. How could breakfast possibly get better?

Baked strawberry donuts with frosting on white parchment paper

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These baked strawberry donuts taste so fresh and sweet, one bite will have you completely hooked – and all of your friends too! They’ll quickly become a staple in your home.

And, since they’re baked, they take no time at all to make! They’re also much healthier than the fried donuts – not to mention prettier!

Strawberry cake donuts are my “birthday donuts”, as I made them for myself to celebrate turning another year older. But they are also perfect for Valentine’s Day or even Christmas. Of course, you can also enjoy them anytime you want without an excuse!

For the strawberry donuts, I turned to my baked donuts recipe. The only changes I made were adding a bit more vanilla, omitting the nutmeg, and stirring in fresh strawberries. I love how they came out and can’t wait to try them with other delicious fruits. Maybe apple cinnamon for fall?

The strawberry glaze was tricky to get right. It’s not a thick frosting type of glaze. Instead, it’s very thin and appears slightly translucent once it’s set on the donut. You could dip them a couple of times to form a thicker layer of glaze if you wanted.

In addition to the strawberry glaze, I added a drizzle of cream cheese frosting. You could also use just the cream cheese frosting if you wanted. Or mix-n-match any way you like.

Since this recipe makes 18 strawberry donuts, it’s perfect for feeding a crowd. Or you can hoard them all for yourself. I won’t judge.

If you make these and you like them, give my strawberry lemon donuts a try. And for the chocolate lovers, these chocolate donuts with peanut butter frosting are phenomenal!

Why This Recipe Works

  • Buttermilk gives the donuts their moist, cake-like texture.
  • All-purpose flour allows the donuts to remain light and fluffy.
  • Butter and oil combined offer flavor and added moisture.
Baked strawberry donuts stacked on wire rack

Ingredients

Don’t let this list of ingredients intimidate you! After all, we’re making not only the donuts but two types of glaze from scratch!

For the ingredient measurements and the entire recipe, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the blog post where the recipe card is located.

  • Strawberries – These donuts are loaded up with fresh strawberries!
  • Butter – You’ll use unsalted butter that has been melted and then cooled.
  • Vegetable oil – You can also substitute canola oil or similar.
  • Granulated sugar – Just enough to make the donuts sweet!
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla Besides strawberry, vanilla is the primary flavor.
  • Flour – All-purpose flour is all you need.
  • Baking soda & baking powder – Help the donuts rise and create a crumbly, fluffy texture.
  • Buttermilk – Adds a moist tang to the donut.
  • Cream cheese – Soften before using for a smooth glaze.
  • Confectioners’ sugar – Sweetens the glaze.
  • Milk – Whole milk works best for the cream cheese glaze

Step by Step Directions

Baked donuts are surprisingly easy to make – way easier, in fact, than creating one.

For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the bottom of the blog post to the recipe card.

  1. Make the strawberry puree. Puree the chopped strawberries until smooth, then push through a fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds. Heat in a saucepan and stir until thick like jam and reduced to ½ cup. Set aside.
  1. Preheat oven. Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray donut pan with nonstick spray.
  2. Make the donut batter. Whisk butter, oil, and sugar until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla. Gently whisk in the cooled puree. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Stir half the batter in, then add the buttermilk, and then the rest of the batter. Fold in the diced strawberries.
  3. Pro tip. Take care not to overmix the batter or the donuts will be tough.
  1. Bake. Pipe into the donut pans. Bake for 7-9 minutes. Don’t overfill the molds or the donuts will overflow during baking
  1. Make the strawberry glaze. Cook strawberries over medium heat. Press through a sieve. Add the confectioners’ sugar and stir well.
  2. You will need to add a little milk to thin out the glaze. Add just a little at a time until the glaze is smooth and pourable.
  3. Dip each donut in the glaze and set them on a wire rack. Once the glaze has started to set, drizzle the tops with cream cheese glaze.
  4. Make the cream cheese frosting. Combine all ingredients and stir until well combined. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe over the glazed donuts.

Tips For Success

If this is your first time making baked donuts, keep these tips in mind!

  • Let the glaze harden. The glaze won’t set completely but it shouldn’t be dripping off. If you want the glaze to harden, you can pop the donuts into the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
  • Make minidonuts. You can make these using a mini or regular-sized muffin tin. For a regular muffin pan, bake them for 18-20 minutes. For a mini muffin pan, bake them for 15-17 minutes.
  • How to tell when donuts are done. The baking time for these strawberry cake donuts will vary based on your oven. A good guideline is about 15 minutes for mini muffins and 20 minutes for regular ones.
Strawberry cake donut with a bite taken out

FAQ

How to serve baked strawberry donuts?

Enjoy these baked strawberry donuts as a treat any day of the year! While they’re perfect for events like Mothers’s Day, Valentine’s Day, or birthdays, you don’t need a special occasion to serve up these donuts.

How to store baked donuts?

Donuts are best the day they are made but will keep airtight in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

How to freeze baked donuts?

Plain or glazed donuts can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight then bring to room temperature before serving.

Baked Strawberry Donuts

5 from 5 votes
Baked strawberry donuts with frosting on white parchment paper
These Baked Strawberry Donuts are speckled with fresh bits of strawberry, topped with a strawberry glaze, and finished with a drizzle of cream cheese frosting. How could breakfast possibly get better?
Jen Sobjack
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 18

Ingredients

For the donuts

  • 1 ½ cup (247 g) chopped strawberries
  • ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • ¼ cup (55 g) vegetable oil
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 ⅔ cups (346 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ cup (180 ml) buttermilk
  • ½ cup (80 g) diced strawberries

For the strawberry glaze

  • 1 cup (160 g) chopped strawberries
  • 2 cups (240 g) confectioners’ sugar
  • 2-3 tablespoon milk

For the cream cheese glaze

  • 2 ounces (57 g) cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup (30 g) confectioners’ sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

Make the donuts

  • Puree the 1 ½ cups chopped strawberries until very smooth. Push the puree through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the seeds. You should have about 1 cup (200g) of seedless puree.
  • Transfer the puree to a small saucepan and heat over medium, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about ½ cup. It will be thick like jam. Set aside to cool slightly.
  • Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly spray three 6-cavity donut pans with nonstick cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the butter, oil, and sugar together until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Gently whisk in the cooled puree.
  • In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Stir with a whisk. Stir half the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, followed by the buttermilk, and the remaining flour. Stir just until combined after each addition. The batter will the thick. Gently fold in the diced strawberries.
  • Transfer the batter into a disposable piping bag or zip-top bag with a small corner cut off. Pipe the batter into the prepared donut pans filling each cavity ⅔ full.
  • Bake for 7-9 minutes or until donuts springs back when pressed lightly with your fingertip. Cool on a wire rack. Dip the donuts in the strawberry glaze. Drizzle with cream cheese glaze.

Make the strawberry glaze

  • Cook strawberries in a small saucepan over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The juice should be thickened.
  • Remove from heat and press through a fine-mesh sieve. Discard the pulp.
  • Add confectioners’ sugar to the juice, one cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. The mixture will become thick and hard to stir. At this point begin stirring in milk, ½ tablespoon at a time, until the glaze reaches a smooth pourable consistency. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

Make the cream cheese glaze

  • Combine all ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl and stir until well combined. Transfer to a plastic piping bag with the tip cut off. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

Notes

  • Baking pans: You can make these using a mini or regular-sized muffin tin. For a regular muffin pan, bake them for 18-20 minutes. For a mini muffin pan, bake them for 15-17 minutes.
Make ahead tip
  1. Donuts are best the day they are made but will keep airtight in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  2. Plain or glazed donuts can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight then bring to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1donut | Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 110mg | Potassium: 122mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 172IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg

The nutrition information provided is for convenience and as a courtesy only. It is not guaranteed to be accurate because nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator and input the exact ingredients and brands you used in the recipe.

Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
5 from 5 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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