Spring is here, and I’m all about celebrating with fruity desserts! Lately, I’ve been craving donuts (honestly, when am I not?), but we haven’t found a good spot nearby since we moved. I was planning to make Apple Cinnamon Sugar Donuts, but I wanted something more fruity this time. I’ve never used freeze-dried strawberries before, so I decided to give them a try, and oh boy, they turned out amazing!
TIPS FOR THE RECIPE:
Donut Pans: This recipe makes 12 donuts, so I use two pans that each make 6. I got mine from Amazon, and they worked great! To make sure the donuts don’t stick, I always spray them with Baker’s Joy. You can find a cheaper off-brand version at your local grocery store sometimes! Trust me, it works every time, and your desserts will slide right out of the pan.
Strawberry Flavor: Getting that true strawberry flavor can be tricky. For this recipe, I used freeze-dried strawberries to keep the soft texture intact. You can find them at Walmart, Target, or maybe even your local grocery store. I turned them into strawberry powder using a food processor, but you can also crush them in a ziplock bag!
Filling the Pans: Don’t overfill the pans because these donuts rise! If you do, they’ll end up more like muffin tops. You can also use the larger side of a small piping tip to punch out the centers for a prettier look.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray donut pans with nonstick spray.
- Add about ½ cup of freeze-dried strawberries to a food processor and pulse until it turns into powder. Alternatively, you can crush them in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the melted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, freeze-dried strawberry powder, sour cream, and egg. Once combined, add in all the dry ingredients. Mix on low until just combined, then add in the milk and mix until smooth.
- Fill a large piping bag with the batter or use a spoon to scoop it into each pan. Fill each donut mold about ⅔ of the way full. Bake for 13-15 minutes until cooked through. Remove from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Add melted butter to a medium-sized bowl.
- In another medium-sized bowl, mix together the sugared freeze-dried strawberry powder.
- Dunk both sides of each donut into the butter (or use a pastry brush to brush it on), then dunk and cover the whole donut in the sugar mixture. Enjoy!