These Jam-Packed Strawberry Donuts Get An Extra Flavor Boost With A Special Ingredient

If soft, fluffy donuts that are crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside, and bursting with strawberry flavor are your jam, then you simply have to make these jam-packed strawberry donuts. But pay close attention, because one secret ingredient makes all the difference in these puffy treats, giving them vibrant strawberry flavor through and through.

As the recipe developer for At the Immigrant's Table, I love modernizing old-fashioned recipes. And while everyone loves a good donut, few want to spend their precious time waiting for yeasted dough to proof, or dealing with strawberry donuts that have little actual strawberry flavor. That's why I took a traditional vintage jam-filled strawberry donut recipe and converted it to rise with baking powder. And to get the strawberry flavor across, these donuts have a double hit of strawberry flavor, from freeze-dried strawberry powder baked right into the dough, plus a filling of strawberry jam in the center.

Thanks to the baking powder, these strawberry donuts require no rising time, but puff up expertly when added to hot oil. They're ready in about 30 minutes, making them easily achievable on the weekend, or even as a fun weeknight dessert. Dust them with sugar and more freeze-dried strawberry powder for a natural pink blush, and serve these old-fashioned bites to someone you love.

To make these jam-packed strawberry donuts, you'll need all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, sea salt, sugar, and freeze-dried strawberries that have been crushed into fine powder. For the wet ingredients, you'll need a large egg, whole milk, melted butter, vanilla extract, vegetable oil for frying, more melted butter, granulated sugar, and a runny strawberry jam without clumps for the filling.

Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, sugar, and freeze-dried strawberry powder in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract until combined.

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix; the batter should be slightly lumpy.

Heat the oil to 350 F in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Use a candy or deep-fry thermometer to maintain the temperature.

Using a donut hole scoop or two small spoons, carefully drop batter into hot oil in batches of 6-8. Fry for 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown. Do not overcrowd the pan.

Remove the donuts with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels.

While still warm, brush the donuts with melted butter, and toss them in granulated sugar.

Add the strawberry jam to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip.

Fill each donut by inserting the tip into the side and piping about 1 teaspoon of strawberry jam into the center.

Sprinkle with more ground freeze-dried strawberries.

Serve immediately.

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Strawberry jam is a great classic option to use in these donuts that will give you plenty of strawberry flavor. But if you are feeling adventurous or want to play around with your filling, here are some ideas for what you can stuff your donuts with.

For a richer strawberry filling, swap the jam for strawberry cream. Beat together cream cheese, whipped cream, powdered sugar, and a spoonful of strawberry jam until smooth. It's denser and more decadent, closer to custard sauce than pastry cream, and it's completely delicious in a donut. In that vein, you can also make traditional pastry cream and fill the donut with that.

Another option is to go the chocolate route. You can use straight-up Nutella, or make a dark chocolate ganache and use that as a filling. The bitterness interacts surprisingly well with the sweet strawberry-flavored donut, and the result is a balanced chocolate-strawberry donut.

Freeze-dried strawberries are the secret star of this recipe, giving the dough its rosy hue and pronounced strawberry flavor. If you're unfamiliar with freeze-dried fruit, you're not alone: It truly is one of the most underused ingredients in home baking, but once you try it, you'll look for excuses to use it in everything.

Unlike frozen or fresh fruit, freeze-dried fruit provides concentrated flavor without adding moisture to your bakes, so it doesn't disrupt the delicate balance of ingredients that gives baked goods their texture. Freeze-dried fruit can be ground into a powder, like in this recipe, and used to flavor creams and to make sauces. It can also be kept whole and used in muffins or no-bake cheesecakes, or in chocolate mousse and layered desserts.

To help your freeze-dried fruit last a while, make sure you keep it in an airtight container away from humidity, since it absorbs moisture quickly and will clump together if not properly stored. Once you master how to work with it, you'll want to always have freeze-dried fruit in your pantry for when inspiration strikes.

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