These strawberry filled donuts are a strawberry lover’s dream: pillowy, yeasted donuts fried to a golden brown, filled with tangy roasted strawberries and a light whipped vanilla ricotta cream.
These soft donuts are made from a yeasted dough, fried until golden, then filled with a simple whipped ricotta cream and sweet roasted strawberries. The roasted fruit concentrates the berry flavor and keeps the filling tender and slightly jammy without overpowering the fresh ricotta cream.
If you enjoy filled donuts, this strawberry version is a lovely seasonal twist. The recipe also pairs well with other fillings such as lemon curd or whipped cream for variety.
Why We Love This Recipe
- Real, fried donuts: Soft, yeasted donuts with the classic fried texture you expect from a bakery.
- Roasted strawberries: Roasting intensifies sweetness and creates a tender, jam-like texture that works beautifully as a filling.
- Whipped ricotta cream: Light, creamy and slightly tangy — more stable and distinctive than plain whipped cream.
- Optional lemon sugar: Rolling the warm donuts in sugar with lemon zest adds a bright finishing touch.
Ingredients
Notes on key ingredients:
- Ricotta: Use whole-milk ricotta for the best texture and flavor in the whipped filling.
- Powdered sugar: 3/4 cup is suggested for the whipped ricotta; adjust to taste.
- Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and rounds out the ricotta cream.
See the ingredient list in the recipe card below for full amounts and measurements.
Instructions
Overview: make the dough, allow it to rise, roast the strawberries while the dough proofs, fry the donuts, whip the ricotta, then fill and serve.
- Make the dough: Bloom the yeast in warm water. Combine with milk, butter, egg and yolks, sugar, salt, cinnamon, vanilla and flour. Knead until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
- First rise: Lightly oil a bowl, place the dough inside, cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled (about 1–2 hours).
- Roast the strawberries: Toss hulled berries with sugar, honey, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Roast at 350°F (175°C) for 20–30 minutes until tender and beginning to caramelize. Stir once while roasting and cool slightly. Reserve the berries but leave most of the cooking liquid behind to avoid soggy donuts.
- Shape the donuts: Turn the dough onto a floured surface, roll to about 1/2 inch thickness and cut 3-inch rounds. Place on a floured baking sheet, cover with a towel and let the rounds puff for about 30 minutes.
- Heat the oil: About 15 minutes before frying, add roughly 3 inches of vegetable oil to a heavy pot or Dutch oven and heat to 350°F (175°C).
- Fry: Fry a couple of donuts at a time, about 1 minute per side, until golden. Drain on paper towels and, while still warm, roll in granulated sugar or sugar combined with lemon zest if you like.
- Whip ricotta: In a food processor, blend whole-milk ricotta until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and lemon zest; pulse until combined and smooth. Taste and adjust sweetness.
- Fill the donuts: Discard excess strawberry juice, fold the roasted berries into the whipped ricotta, then slice each donut about halfway through and spoon the filling inside. Dust with powdered sugar before serving if desired.
About Roasted Strawberries
Roasting strawberries makes them tender and concentrates their sweetness, so they become rich and jammy without added pectin. Roasted berries are especially useful when fresh berries are out of season, but the flavor is excellent year-round. If your strawberries are exceptionally sweet and ripe, you can skip roasting and use them fresh, though roasting yields a more consistent filling texture.
Whipped Ricotta Cream
Whipped ricotta is simple to prepare in a food processor or blender. It becomes airy and smooth while keeping a pleasant tang from the cheese. Combined with a touch of powdered sugar, vanilla and lemon zest, it complements the roasted strawberries without overpowering them.
Whipped Ricotta – Quick Method
- Blend ricotta until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar, vanilla and lemon zest; pulse to combine.
- Adjust sweetness to taste and chill until ready to fill the donuts.
Expert Tips
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot and about 3 inches of oil for steady frying temperature.
- Filling by slicing each donut halfway is the easiest way to get a neat, generous filling without leaking.
- Keep most of the strawberry cooking liquid out of the filling to prevent soggy donuts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Heat the oil to about 350°F (175°C) and maintain that temperature while frying for even color and texture.
Fried donuts are usually golden brown on the outside and should feel springy. For a precise check, the interior temperature should be around 200°F (93°C).
Donuts are best the day they’re made. Whipped ricotta can be prepared and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2–3 days; keep assembled donuts refrigerated and consume within a day for best texture.
Strawberry Filled Donuts
Ingredients
For the Donuts
- 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (one package)
- 3 tbsp warm water (105–115°F / 40–46°C)
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- 1/3 cup butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 3 1/2–4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- About 6 cups vegetable oil for frying
- Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
For the Roasted Strawberries
- 1 lb strawberries, hulled (halve large berries)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8–1/4 tsp rose water (optional)
For the Whipped Ricotta Cream
- 8 oz whole-milk ricotta
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon zest
Instructions
Donuts
- In a small bowl dissolve yeast in warm water with a pinch of sugar and let it foam, about 5 minutes. Add to the mixer with milk, butter, egg and yolks, sugar, salt, cinnamon, vanilla and most of the flour. Mix into a soft, slightly sticky dough, adding up to 1/2 cup more flour only if necessary.
- Grease a large bowl, place the dough inside, cover with plastic wrap and a towel, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 1–2 hours.
- Turn dough onto a floured surface, roll to 1/2 inch thickness and cut 3-inch rounds. Place on a floured baking sheet, cover and let rise until slightly puffed, about 30 minutes.
- Heat 3 inches of oil in a heavy pot to 350°F (175°C). Fry 2 donuts at a time for about 1 minute per side until golden. Drain on paper towels and roll in sugar or lemon sugar while warm. Cool before filling.
- Slice each donut about halfway through and spoon in the ricotta-strawberry filling. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Roasted Strawberries
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Toss strawberries with sugar, honey, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Roast on a lined sheet for 20–30 minutes, stirring once, until tender and slightly caramelized. Transfer to a bowl, add vanilla and rose water if using, and reserve for filling.
Whipped Ricotta
- In a food processor blend ricotta until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and lemon zest and pulse until combined. Chill until ready to fill the cooled donuts.
Notes
Rose water: Use sparingly — swap extra vanilla if you prefer.
Yeast: If the yeast fails to foam, discard and start again; active yeast must bloom for a good rise.
Rolling scraps: Avoid re-rolling the dough repeatedly; gently gather scraps and rest briefly before rolling once more to prevent dense donuts.
Storage: Donuts are best the day they are made. Store whipped ricotta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 donut — Calories: 181 kcal (approximate).
Please note that nutritional values are estimates calculated by an online tool.