This website may contain affiliate links and advertising so that we can provide recipes to you. Read my disclosure policy.
Deep-fried to golden brown perfection and filled with strawberry jam, these homemade jelly donuts will win you over! They’re light, fluffy, and just too good to resist.
Homemade donuts are seriously the best. If you’ve never tried making them from scratch but have always wanted to, here’s your sign to start! A few more great recipes to add to the list: classic glazed donuts, Boston cream donuts, and the perfect cake donuts!
Jelly Filled Donuts Recipe
I have recipes for homemade donuts and cake donuts on the blog, but decided I needed to add a recipe for jelly donuts. I don’t know why it has taken me so long, they’re my favorite! There’s nothing better than biting through soft and chewy donut, then getting to that sweet, fruity core. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Donuts are the ultimate sweet treat.
In this recipe I used strawberry jam for the filling, but the great thing about making donuts at home is you can switch this out for any flavor you prefer. Blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, black currant, you name it! You can also use pure jelly instead of jam if you don’t want any pulp in your filling. The donuts themselves are so airy and delicious, your donuts will turn out perfectly no matter what kind of filling you choose. Let’s get started on making some!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Each ingredient plays its part, coming together to create mouthwatering homemade jelly donuts you won’t be able to resist! All measurements can be found below in the recipe card.
- Heavy Cream and Milk: First up, heavy cream and whole milk. This delightful duo adds a rich and creamy touch to the dough, making it oh-so-fluffy and tender. Imagine sinking your teeth into a cloud of sugary goodness – that’s what they do!
- Granulated Sugar: Speaking of sugar, that granulated goodness brings just the right amount of sweetness to the mix. It’s used for activating the yeast and sweetening the dough, as well as coating the cooked doughnuts in.
- Butter: Now, let’s talk butter! It adds richness to the dough, making it melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
- Flour: Next up, our trusty all-purpose flour. It’s the backbone of the whole operation, giving the jelly donuts their perfect texture and structure.
- Rapid Rise Yeast: This little packet of awesomeness is what makes the dough rise to fluffy, puffy perfection. It’s a simple mistake to use the wrong type of yeast, so be sure you get rapid rise.
- Salt: Of course, we can’t forget about salt. It might seem like a small thing, but it’s the salt that balances out all that sweetness.
- Egg Yolks: Help make the donuts nice and tender.
- Vegetable Oil: And now, the transformation happens with the help of some vegetable oil for frying. Once the jelly donuts hit that hot oil, they turn into beautiful, golden balls of happiness.
- Jam or Jelly: And what’s a jelly donut without the jelly? A spoonful of strawberry jam adds the magic, oozing with fruity goodness that’ll have you coming back for more. As I said earlier, you don’t have to stick to strawberry and can use any flavor you want.
How to Make Jelly Filled Donuts
It can be intimidating to make homemade donuts, especially when it comes to frying them in oil. Follow these simple instructions and you will end up with a perfect batch every time!
Preparing the Dough:
- Cream and Sugar Mixture: Combine the cream, milk, sugar and butter in a heat-proof bowl or measuring cup and heat in the microwave in 20 second intervals until it reaches 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Mix Dry Ingredients, Combine: Mix the flour, yeast, and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the liquid to the dry and mix with a dough hook until combined. Add the eggs and mix until combined.
- Knead: Knead on low for 5 minutes before removing from the bowl and transferring to a lightly floured surface. Knead by hand for 5-8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and springs back when you poke it with your finger.
- Rest: Form the dough in a ball and transfer to a large greased bowl. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes
- Shape and Proof: After the dough has rested, punch down and roll out until it is ½ inch thick. Use a 3-inch circle cookie cutter to cut out donuts. Then lay them on a parchment lined baking sheet and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let rise for about an hour, until they are nearly doubled in size.
Deep Frying:
- Heat Oil: When the donuts are close to being ready, begin heating the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Use a candy thermometer to keep track of the temperature until it reaches 360 degrees Fahrenheit. While frying, keep the oil between 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit, though I found the sweet spot to be 360.
- Fry: Fry the donuts for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Remove with a spider or slotted spoon to a cooling rack with paper towels underneath. Let them cool for just a minute or so before rolling the donuts in granulated sugar until they are fully coated. Let cool completely.
- Fill and Enjoy: Once cooled, fill the donuts using this tool with the strawberry jelly and enjoy!
Tips and Variations
These are some of my favorite tips to ensure you end up with the tastiest batch of jelly donuts. With how amazing they are, you’ll want to keep them all to yourself, and I don’t blame you!
- Use a Different Filling: You may use any flavor of jam or jelly you prefer, such as raspberry, grape, strawberry, or blueberry. One of my favorite fillings is lemon curd!
- Maintain Oil Heat: Maintain your oil heat. It’s important to not let the oil get too hot or too cool while you’re frying. This may require some adjusting of the heat during the process to prevent it from changing too much between batches. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Frying too many donuts at a time will cause the temperature of the oil to drop too quickly and result in oily donuts. You may also have your donuts expand into each other and make them harder to flip while maintaining their shape.
- Prepare Your Workstation: Have everything set up before you start frying. Have the donuts resting and within reach, the pot of hot oil with the candy thermometer in it, a cooling rack with paper towels beneath it, the glaze (if using) ready for dipping, and a spider or slotted spoon. Being ready to fry and dip will make things go much smoother and safer.
- Make Cream Filled Donuts: Instead of jelly you can also make cream-filled donuts! Try filling your donuts with Nutella, ermine frosting, chocolate mousse, white chocolate mousse, or fresh whipped cream.
Storing Leftover Jelly Donuts
While these donuts are best enjoyed the same day they are made, they will keep for 1 day in an airtight container in the fridge. Be aware that the sugar on the outside of the donuts will likely melt and get sticky as they chill.
The dough can be prepared the day before. After kneading and forming it into a ball, place in the oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge and pull out when ready to make the donuts. Proceed with step 5.
Other Scrumptious Donut Recipes
Here are a few more great donut recipes that are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth! The great thing about making donuts from scratch is that you get to eat them while they’re fresh and soft. There is seriously nothing better than that!
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
Jelly Donuts
Ingredients
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 3 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 packets rapid rise yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 egg yolks
- vegetable oil for frying
- granulated sugar for coating
- 1 cup strawberry jam
Instructions
- Combine the cream, milk, sugar and butter in a heat-proof bowl or measuring cup and heat in the microwave in 20 second intervals until it reaches 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Mix the flour, yeast, and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the liquid to the dry and mix with a dough hook until combined. Add the eggs and mix until combined.
- Knead on low for 5 minutes before removing from the bowl and transferring to a lightly floured surface. Knead by hand for 5-8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and springs back when you poke it with your finger.
- Form the dough in a ball and transfer to a large greased bowl. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes
- After the dough has rested, punch down and roll out until it is ½ inch thick. Use a 3-inch circle cookie cutter to cut out donuts. Lay them on a parchment lined baking sheet and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let rise for about an hour, until they are nearly doubled in size.
- When the donuts are close to being ready, begin heating the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Use a candy thermometer to keep track of the temperature until it reaches 360 degrees fahrenheit. While frying, keep the oil between 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit, though I found the sweet spot to be 360.
- Fry the donuts for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Remove with a spider or slotted spoon to a cooling rack with paper towels underneath. Let them cool for just a minute or so before rolling the donuts in granulated sugar until they are fully coated. Let cool completely.
- Once cooled, fill the donuts with the strawberry jelly and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can these be frozen if you don’t sugar or glaze them?
These are best eaten fresh!