A Step-by-Step Guide to Perfect Jelly Donuts

These homemade jelly donuts, deep-fried to golden brown perfection and filled with strawberry jam, are sure to please! They're light, fluffy, and irresistible. Homemade donuts are the very best. If you've never made them from scratch but have always wanted to, now's the time to start! Additional recipes include classic glazed donuts, Boston cream donuts, and 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! 

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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. 

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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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Rest: Form the dough in a ball and transfer to a large greased bowl. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes
5. 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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Fill and Enjoy: Once cooled, fill the donuts using this tool with the strawberry jelly and enjoy! 

Ingredients 

• 1/2 cup heavy cream.
• 1/2 cup whole milk.
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar.
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter.
• 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour.
• 2 packets of rapid rise yeast.
• 1 teaspoon salt.
• Two egg yolks.
• vegetable oil for frying.
• Use granulated sugar for coating.
• 1 cup of strawberry jam.

Instructions 

• In a heat-proof bowl or measuring cup, combine the cream, milk, sugar, and butter. Microwave for 20 seconds at a time until it reaches 130 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix the liquid and dry ingredients together with a dough hook until well incorporated. Add the eggs and stir until well blended.

• Knead on low for 5 minutes, then remove from the basin and place on a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough by hand for 5-8 minutes, until it is smooth and springs back when pressed with your finger.

• Form the dough into a ball and transfer to a large, greased basin. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.

• After resting, punch down the dough and roll it out to ½ inch thickness. To cut out donuts, use a 3-inch round cookie cutter. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise for approximately one hour, or until nearly doubled in size.

• When the donuts are almost ready, begin heating the oil in a big, heavy-bottomed pot. Use a candy thermometer to keep track of the temperature until it hits 360 degrees Fahrenheit. While frying, maintain the oil between 350 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit, though I found 360 to be the sweet spot. 

Read also: Healthy Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

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