Classic Valentine’s Day Strawberry Donuts

Finding a fun and festive treat to make with your family for Valentine’s Day can feel like a lot of pressure. Between wanting something special enough for the occasion but not so complicated that you’ll spend hours in the kitchen, it’s easy to just grab store-bought sweets and call it a day.

Luckily, these Valentine’s Day strawberry donuts hit the sweet spot perfectly: they’re packed with fresh strawberry flavor, simple enough for kids to help make, and way more impressive than anything you’d find at the grocery store bakery.

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What Kind of Strawberries Should I Use?

Fresh strawberries are your best bet for these Valentine’s Day donuts, and you’ll want to look for berries that are bright red and firm to the touch. If fresh strawberries aren’t in season, frozen strawberries will work just fine – just make sure to thaw them completely and drain off any excess liquid before using them in your recipe. When picking fresh berries at the store, avoid any that have soft spots or look mushy, as those won’t give you the best flavor. For the most strawberry flavor, try to use berries that smell sweet and fragrant, which is a good sign they’re ripe and ready to go.

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Options for Substitutions

These donuts are pretty forgiving when it comes to swapping ingredients:

• Buttermilk: No buttermilk? Mix 1/2 cup regular milk with 1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar. Let it sit for 5 minutes before using, and you’ll get that same tangy flavor.
• Cake flour: If you don’t have cake flour, you can make your own. For 3/4 cup, measure out 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, remove 1 1/2 tablespoons, and replace it with 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch. Sift it together a few times.
• Fresh strawberries: Fresh is best here for that bright flavor, but if you’re in a pinch, thawed frozen strawberries will work. Just make sure to drain them well and pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
• Butter: You can swap the butter with vegetable oil or melted coconut oil if needed. Use the same amount.
• Vanilla essence: Vanilla extract works just as well, or try almond extract for a different twist that pairs nicely with strawberries.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making baked donuts is overfilling the donut pan, which causes the batter to spill over and eliminates that classic donut hole – stick to filling each cavity only halfway, even though it might seem like too little.

Overbaking is another common issue that leads to dry, cake-like donuts instead of soft ones, so pull them out at 7 minutes and check with a toothpick rather than leaving them in for the full 8 minutes.

Make sure your strawberry puree isn’t too watery by gently pressing out excess liquid with a paper towel after pulsing, otherwise your batter will be too thin and the donuts won’t hold their shape.

Finally, let the donuts cool completely before glazing – if they’re even slightly warm, the glaze will slide right off instead of setting into that pretty coating.

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What to Serve With Strawberry Donuts?

These strawberry donuts are perfect for a Valentine’s Day breakfast in bed alongside a hot cup of coffee or a glass of cold milk. I love serving them with fresh whipped cream and extra sliced strawberries on the side for anyone who wants to go all out with the strawberry flavor. They also pair really well with a fruit salad made with berries, grapes, and melon, or you could keep it simple with some scrambled eggs and crispy bacon if you want to balance out the sweetness. For a fun brunch spread, set out the donuts with yogurt parfaits and mimosas for a celebration everyone will love.

Storage Instructions

Store: These strawberry donuts are best enjoyed fresh, but you can keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If they have frosting or glaze, store them in the fridge instead and they’ll last about 3 days.

Freeze: You can freeze unfrosted donuts for up to 2 months in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers. Just let them thaw at room temperature for about an hour before adding any toppings or glaze.

Refresh: If your donuts lose a bit of their softness after a day or two, pop them in the microwave for about 10 seconds to bring back that fresh-baked texture. You can also warm them in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes if you prefer.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 950-1100
• Protein: 15-18 g
• Fat: 16-20 g
• Carbohydrates: 200-225 g

Ingredients

For the donuts:

• 1.5 tbsp butter (I like Kerrygold unsalted butter for this)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg (room temperature, about 70°F)
• 3/4 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup cake flour (I always use King Arthur to ensure a light crumb)
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup strawberries (hulled and diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

For the glaze:

• 1.5 cups powdered sugar (sifted to remove lumps)
• 2-3 tbsp milk

Step 1: Prepare Mise en Place and Preheat

• 1 cup strawberries
• 1.5 cups powdered sugar

Preheat your oven to 400°F.

While it heats, hull and dice the strawberries into 1/4-inch pieces, then pulse them in a food processor until chunky but not completely smooth—you want some texture remaining for flavor bursts in each bite.

Sift the powdered sugar to remove any lumps, which will help create a smooth glaze later.

Ensure your egg is at room temperature, as this helps it incorporate better with the butter and sugar, creating a lighter, airier batter.

Step 2: Cream Butter and Sugar, Then Build Wet Base

• 1.5 tbsp butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 3/4 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• strawberry puree from Step 1

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

This step incorporates air into the batter, which is essential for a tender crumb.

Add the room-temperature egg and beat until fully combined and pale, about 1 minute.

Stir in the vanilla extract, then add the buttermilk and pulsed strawberries, mixing until just combined.

I find that folding gently at this stage rather than overmixing helps keep the strawberry pieces intact and distributed evenly throughout the batter.

Step 3: Mix Dry Ingredients and Combine with Wet Mixture

• 3/4 cup cake flour
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• wet ingredient mixture from Step 2

In a separate bowl, whisk together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground nutmeg.

This ensures the leavening agents and salt are evenly distributed.

Gently fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet mixture from Step 2 until just combined—do not overmix, as this will develop gluten and result in tough donuts.

The batter should be thick and chunky with visible strawberry pieces.

Transfer the batter into a piping bag and snip off about 1/2 inch from the corner to create a small opening for piping.

Step 4: Fill Donut Tin and Bake

• batter from Step 3

Lightly grease a donut tin with non-stick cooking spray or butter.

Using the piping bag from Step 3, fill each donut cavity about halfway with batter—this allows room for the donuts to rise without overflowing.

Bake in the preheated 400°F oven for 7-8 minutes, until the tops are set and a toothpick inserted into a donut comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

The donuts should be light golden and spring back slightly when lightly touched.

Remove from the oven and let cool in the tin for 2-3 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 5: Make Glaze and Coat Donuts

• 1.5 cups powdered sugar from Step 1
• 2-3 tbsp milk
• cooled donuts from Step 4

While the donuts cool, whisk together the sifted powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl to create a smooth glaze.

Start with 2 tablespoons of milk and add more as needed, one teaspoon at a time, until the glaze reaches a consistency that’s pourable but still clings to the donuts—it should be thicker than milk but thinner than cake batter.

Once the donuts have cooled completely, dip the top of each donut into the glaze, allowing excess to drip off, then place back on the wire rack.

I prefer to glaze donuts while they’re still slightly warm so the glaze sets beautifully and looks glossy.

Step 6: Set Glaze and Serve

• glazed donuts from Step 5

Allow the glazed donuts to set for 20-30 minutes at room temperature, during which time the glaze will firm up and become glossy.

These donuts are best enjoyed the same day they’re made, when the cake is still tender and fresh.

They’re perfect for a Valentine’s Day breakfast or dessert celebration.

Classic Valentine's Day Strawberry Donuts

Delicious Classic Valentine's Day Strawberry Donuts recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 32 minutes mins

Servings 12 donuts

Calories 1025 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the donuts::

• 1.5 tbsp butter (I like Kerrygold unsalted butter for this)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg (room temperature, about 70°F)
• 3/4 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup cake flour (I always use King Arthur to ensure a light crumb)
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup strawberries (hulled and diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

For the glaze::

• 1.5 cups powdered sugar (sifted to remove lumps)
• 2-3 tbsp milk

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 400°F. While it heats, hull and dice the strawberries into 1/4-inch pieces, then pulse them in a food processor until chunky but not completely smooth—you want some texture remaining for flavor bursts in each bite. Sift the powdered sugar to remove any lumps, which will help create a smooth glaze later. Ensure your egg is at room temperature, as this helps it incorporate better with the butter and sugar, creating a lighter, airier batter.
• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy. This step incorporates air into the batter, which is essential for a tender crumb. Add the room-temperature egg and beat until fully combined and pale, about 1 minute. Stir in the vanilla extract, then add the buttermilk and pulsed strawberries, mixing until just combined. I find that folding gently at this stage rather than overmixing helps keep the strawberry pieces intact and distributed evenly throughout the batter.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground nutmeg. This ensures the leavening agents and salt are evenly distributed. Gently fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet mixture from Step 2 until just combined—do not overmix, as this will develop gluten and result in tough donuts. The batter should be thick and chunky with visible strawberry pieces. Transfer the batter into a piping bag and snip off about 1/2 inch from the corner to create a small opening for piping.
• Lightly grease a donut tin with non-stick cooking spray or butter. Using the piping bag from Step 3, fill each donut cavity about halfway with batter—this allows room for the donuts to rise without overflowing. Bake in the preheated 400°F oven for 7-8 minutes, until the tops are set and a toothpick inserted into a donut comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. The donuts should be light golden and spring back slightly when lightly touched. Remove from the oven and let cool in the tin for 2-3 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• While the donuts cool, whisk together the sifted powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl to create a smooth glaze. Start with 2 tablespoons of milk and add more as needed, one teaspoon at a time, until the glaze reaches a consistency that's pourable but still clings to the donuts—it should be thicker than milk but thinner than cake batter. Once the donuts have cooled completely, dip the top of each donut into the glaze, allowing excess to drip off, then place back on the wire rack. I prefer to glaze donuts while they're still slightly warm so the glaze sets beautifully and looks glossy.
• Allow the glazed donuts to set for 20-30 minutes at room temperature, during which time the glaze will firm up and become glossy. These donuts are best enjoyed the same day they're made, when the cake is still tender and fresh. They're perfect for a Valentine's Day breakfast or dessert celebration.