What a delight these strawberry jam donuts are! Pillowy jam donuts (or jelly doughnuts) are a tad crisp on the outside and light and airy inside. Their golden crispy crust shatters in your mouth, oozing out sweet jam filling and melting away with the very first bite!
It was the first time I made donuts the traditional way โ fried. Usually, I like to bake my donuts because they are a bit healthier.
Frying them had been on my to-do list for a long time, but I was so petrified that the task seemed too daunting. Imagine my surprise when the recipe turned out rather simple. And the donuts were just incredibly scrumptious!
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How to make strawberry jam donuts?
These vegan jam-filled, plump treats are made with a dough that proofs twice before deep-frying to give you that melt-in-the-mouth texture.
- Begin by combining all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, and coconut oil in your stand mixer bowl. The oil has to be slightly softened.
- In another bowl, mix warm almond milk with active dry yeast. Let it sit in the cozy nook of your kitchen for 10 to 15 minutes.
- When the yeast is nicely bubbly and frothy, make a well in the center of your dry ingredients and pour it in.
- Combine the ingredients using the hook attachment of your stand mixer. Set the speed at the lowest. Increase it to 3 or 4 as the ingredients mix.
When the dough begins to leave the bowlโs sides and form a ball, it is ready. This will take about 4 to 5 minutes.
Strawberry jam donut recipe without a stand mixer
You donโt have to have a stand mixer to make donuts. Itโs easy to knead the dough by hand. Keep at it for 8 to 10 minutes. Thatโs what makes the donuts fluffy and light instead of a fat lump of dough in your mouth.
It requires a little elbow grease, but thatโs the only effort. I thought it was the frying that would take time, yet that went blazingly fast.
Proof 1
The dough is very smooth, supple elastic, and not sticky at all. So, you wonโt have to flour the work surface.
- Simply turn the dough on your prep area.
- Knead it for a couple of minutes and then place it in a lightly greased bowl.
- Cover it with a tea towel and let it rest in a draft-free, cozy alcove of the kitchen.
In 1 to 2 hours, or when it has doubled in size, the dough is ready to be divided.
Shaping the donuts
Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead briefly.
- Divide the dough into 16 to 18 equal parts. I recommend measuring each division rather than eyeballing it.
- Roll each into a ball and place them on a floured tray.
I choose to shape the donuts after dividing the dough. Another method is to roll the dough and then use a round cookie cutter to make donuts.
Deep frying the donuts
Cover the tray containing the donut with a tea towel. In about 30 to 40 minutes, the balls will puff up and be ready for frying.
- In a deep pan, heat oil. Since I donโt have a thermometer, I used a wooden spoon (or chopstick) to test the temperature. Put one end in the oil. If it bubbles, then the oil is hot enough.
- Lift and slide the dough balls gently into the oil, making sure that the donuts do not deflate.
- Each side will take barely 2 minutes to fry.
Based on your pan size, youโll be able to fry 2 or 3 donuts simultaneously. Just ensure you donโt overload the pan.
Filling the strawberry jam donuts
Let the golden-brown donuts cool enough to be handled. Then sprinkle them with powdered sugar.
Fill a piping bag with jam and attach a sharp-tipped icing nozzle to the bag. Pick a still-warm donut and plunge the nozzle into its side. Push the jam in till it begins to ooze out.
I advise using a long nozzle for the piping bag. I didnโt have one, so the jam didnโt fill my donut all the way.
Variations of strawberry jam donut recipe
The recipe is so adaptable that you can enjoy dozens of different flavors. Make a big batch and fill them with all the things you want to try.
- Use any jam you prefer โ strawberry, raspberry, cherry jam, or homemade persimmon jam.
- Nutella is another great option.
- Orange or lemon curd or a custard filling will be sublime here.
You can also dip them in a light lemon glaze if thatโs a journey your taste buds want to take. If you opt for the glaze, drizzle it on still-warm donuts. Let it set and then devour.
Ingredient substitutes
What can I use instead of coconut oil?
I wanted to make vegan strawberry jam donuts, that's why the oil. You can use regular butter as long as it is slightly softened.
What can I use instead of almond milk?
Regular milk or any kind of milk you fancy will work like a charm for the recipe.
I made 18 strawberry jam donuts. When I sat down to write the blog only 8 were left. The kids went crazy on them, and itโs not tooting my own horn when I say they were far superior to any donuts that Iโve bought. Try the recipe once, and youโll be a convert for life!
Half the joy of cooking is sharing it with others. Thatโs why Iโm always eager to hear from you. So go right ahead & drop a comment or reach out onย Instagram,ย Pinterest,ย YouTube, orย Facebook. I hope you love these strawberry jam donuts as much as we do!
๐ Recipe
Strawberry Jam Donuts
Ingredients
- 1 cup Almond milk, warm You can use any milk you prefer
- 2 tsp Dried active yeast
- 3.5 cups All-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 3 tbsp Coconut oil, slightly softened You can use regular butter
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 1/3 cup Powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup Strawberry Jam
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine warm almond milk and yeast. Keep aside for 10 minutes until frothy.
- Combine all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, and coconut oil in your stand mixer bowl.
- When the yeast is nicely bubbly and frothy, make a well in the center of your dry ingredients and pour it in.
- Combine the dry and wet ingredients using the hook attachment of your stand mixer. Set the speed at the lowest (1). Increase it to 3 or 4 as the ingredients mix.
- When the dough begins to leave the bowlโs sides and forms a ball, it is ready. This will take about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Bring the dough onto your work surface. Knead briefly for a minute.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover and rest the dough for 1-2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Take the dough out of the bowl onto your work surface, knead briefly for 2-3 minutes.
- Divide the dough equally into 16-18 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball.
- I highly recommend measuring the dough balls.
- Place on a floured tray. Cover the dough balls with a kitchen towel and rest for 30-40 minutes, until puffy.
- In a deep pan, heat oil. Since I donโt have a thermometer, I used a wooden spoon (or chopstick) to test the temperature. Put one end in the oil. If it bubbles, then the oil is hot enough.
- Lift and slide the dough balls gently into the oil, making sure that the donuts do not deflate. I worked with 2-3 donuts at a time. Don't overload your pan.
- Each side will take barely 2 minutes to fry.
- Let the golden-brown donuts cool enough to be handled. Then sprinkle them with powdered sugar.
- Fill a piping bag with jam and attach a sharp-tipped icing nozzle to the bag. Pick a still warm donut and plunge the nozzle into its side. Push the jam in till it begins to ooze out.
- I advise using a long nozzle for the piping bag. I didnโt have one, so the jam didnโt fill my donut all the way.
- Serve warm. These donuts taste the best the day they are made. Store the leftovers in an airtight jar. Enjoy!
Madhura says
Hey is it possible to bake the donuts instead of frying them. If yes how long and temperature
Natasha Minocha says
Hello Madhura, I haven't tried baking these, so I'm not sure how they will turn out. I do have baked donut recipes on the blog though, if you would like to see. xx
Neha Sharma says
Hands down the easiest filled donut recipe I've tried! I used a little more jam, they were so good!
Natasha Minocha says
Thanks so much, Neha! Extra jam is always good! xoxo