I made these baked donuts after one sad bakery box too many. They disappeared fast. They’re soft cake donuts with a bright strawberry glaze.
They look like pretty donuts, but they’re really just a homemade donut recipe that behaves. No pastry degree required.
I love them for Mother’s Day Brunch or Mother’s Day desserts, because one pink frosted donut with berries makes me look wildly organized. A complete lie.
Mother’s Day Strawberry Donuts
EQUIPMENT (PAID LINKS)
- Donut pan
- Blender
- Medium mixing bowl
- Small mixing bowl
- Spoon or piping bag
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
- Avocado oil or nonstick spray for greasing the pan
- 2 1/3 cups fresh strawberries hulled and quartered
- 1 cup strawberry purée
- 2/3 cup cane sugar
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups almond flour
- 2/3 cup potato starch
- 1/4 cup arrowroot starch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup powdered sugar plus more as needed
- 3 tablespoons strawberry purée
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Prep the Pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a donut pan well with avocado oil or nonstick spray.Avocado oil or nonstick spray
- Make the Strawberry Purée: Add the strawberries to a blender and blend until completely smooth. You should get about 1 1/4 cups of purée total, enough for both the batter and the glaze.2 1/3 cups fresh strawberries
- Mix the Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup of strawberry purée, the cane sugar, avocado oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth.1 cup strawberry purée, 2/3 cup cane sugar, 1/4 cup avocado oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the Dry Ingredients: Add the almond flour, potato starch, arrowroot starch, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Whisk until no dry spots remain and the batter is fully combined.2 cups almond flour, 2/3 cup potato starch, 1/4 cup arrowroot starch, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- Fill the Pan: Spoon or pipe the batter into the prepared donut pan, dividing it evenly among 12 donut wells. Smooth the tops if needed.
- Bake the Donuts: Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the donuts spring back when gently pressed.
- Cool the Donuts: Let the donuts cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack and let them cool completely.
- Make the Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons strawberry purée, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, and a pinch of sea salt. If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. If it gets too thick, add a little more strawberry purée.1 cup powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons strawberry purée, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 pinch sea salt
- Glaze the Donuts: Once the donuts are fully cool, dip the tops into the glaze and let the excess drip off.
- Let the Glaze Set: Place the glazed donuts back on the cooling rack and let them sit for 10 to 15 minutes, or enjoy them sooner if you want the glaze soft and drippy.
- Store the Extras: These are best the day they’re made, but you can store them in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days or freeze them for up to 1 month.
Mother’s Day Donuts: Tiny Pink Drama Rings That Are Somehow Worth It
These are the little things I wish someone had told me before I started making pink donuts like it was my full-time job. A cute donut can humble you fast.
Use ripe strawberries, not sad, crunchy ones
If your strawberries taste like watery disappointment, your glaze will too. Go for ripe, fragrant berries that actually smell like strawberries, because this is not the moment for produce with no personality.
Don’t overmix the batter unless you enjoy dense little hockey pucks
Once the dry ingredients go in, mix just until everything comes together. That’s it. You’re making soft-baked donuts, not trying to punish the batter for something it said.
Pipe the batter if you want to feel smarter than you are
You can spoon the batter into the pan, sure, but it gets messy fast. I like to scoop it into a zip-top bag, snip the corner, and pipe it in because less cleanup is a lifestyle, not a shortcut.
Grease the pan like you mean it
Even if your donut pan says nonstick, act like you’ve been betrayed before. Because you probably have. A good coat of oil or spray saves you from peeling half your donut out of the pan in tiny pink pieces.
Almond flour matters more than people want it to
This recipe gets a lot of its texture from almond flour, so swapping it randomly can change the whole situation. If you need to experiment, do it knowing the donut may choose chaos, especially if you replace everything at once.
Arrowroot works better than cornstarch here
Cornstarch can work in a pinch, but these tend to brown faster and dry out a little more with it. If you have arrowroot, use it and enjoy your reward for being weirdly prepared.
Want a stronger strawberry flavor? Cook the purée down a little
If your berries are good but not amazing, simmering the purée for a few minutes can concentrate the flavor. Let it cool before adding it, though, unless warm fruit sludge in batter is your personal brand.
Make the glaze thicker than you think
A too-thin glaze slides right off and leaves you with shiny disappointment. Start thick and adjust slowly, because there’s a fine line between elegant drizzle and pink soup.
Glaze only fully cooled donuts
I know. Waiting is boring. But if the donuts are still warm, the glaze melts into a sticky mess, and you lose that pretty finish that makes everyone think you tried harder than you did.
Add a little extra powdered sugar for a cleaner look
If you want that smooth bakery-style finish, a slightly thicker glaze sets better and looks prettier. If you want a more natural berry flavor, use a little less sugar and accept that the glaze may look a bit more casual. Still cute. Just a less pageant queen.
Mini donuts are great if you’re feeding picky people
Mini versions bake faster, look extra adorable, and somehow make people act like eating six is reasonable. Tiny desserts have been lying to us for years, but I still support them.
Sprinkles are optional, but they do a lot of heavy lifting
If the donuts need a little more Mother’s Day energy, toss on some pink or white sprinkles before the glaze sets. This is especially helpful if your glaze color came out more “muted strawberry” than “romantic brunch fantasy.”
Store them covered, but expect the glaze to soften
These are best the day you make them, when the edges still have a little bite, and the glaze looks fresh. By the next day, they’re still good, just a little softer and less glamorous, which honestly is relatable.
Freeze the unglazed ones if you want to plan ahead
You can freeze the donuts without glaze, then thaw and glaze them later when you need them. This is one of my favorite lazy moves because future you deserves a break too.
A little vanilla helps round everything out
Don’t skip the vanilla just because strawberry is the star. Vanilla makes the whole thing taste warmer and fuller, like the background friend in a rom-com who’s actually doing all the work.
