These donut holes with strawberry dipping sauce are the perfect indulgent treat for an occasion. The donuts are light, airy, and deliciously snackable, and the strawberry sauce has vanilla and bourbon to pump up the flavor.
These donut holes are a twist on my classic jelly filled donuts recipe, which is one of my favorites because I love lighter-than-air donuts, and these holes are the same dough with just a little extra flavor to make up for the lack of filling.
These holes were made to pair with this Vanilla Espresso Old fashioned as the perfect coffee and donut pairing treat!
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Key Ingredients
- Milk and Water: This recipe uses the perfect balance of milk and water as liquid ingredients so that these donuts are light from the water and rich from the milk.
- Honey and Sugar: these are used to sweeten the donuts. I love using honey with sugar because honey adds a slightly deeper flavor profile.
- Yeast: these are yeasted donuts and the yeast is what helps these donuts to rise. It also provides a subtle yeast flavor.
- Bread Flour and AP Flour: a mix of high-protein bread flour and all-purpose flour makes these donuts chewy and a little bread-like, just like all fried donuts should be.
- Vegetable/canola Oil: these donuts are fried in vegetable oil. Use 4-6 cups and make sure that the donuts have enough room and aren't too crowded.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make this recipe:
- Step 1: Activate your active dry yeast with the water and milk by heating it to 105-110 degrees.
- Step 2: Next, mix in your egg, followed by the sugar, honey, extracts, and flours. Mix them well, and then knead in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue to knead the dough for 5-10 minutes.
- Step 3: Next, add the dough to a greased bowl and let rise until its doubled in size (1-2 hours).
- Step 4: Roll out the dough and cut out donut holes (or hearts). Then, let it rise for a second time for 30 minutes.
Step 5: In a heavy-bottomed pot heat 4-6 cups of high heat oil until it reaches about 375 degrees. Then fry each donut hole for 30 seconds-1 minute per side.
Step 6: Roll the holes in sugar.
Step 7: Make the strawberry dipping sauce by adding cut strawberries and sugar to a pot.
Step 8: Cook until the strawberries have softened, then blend the mixture with an immersion blender. Then mix in the bourbon (optional) and vanilla, let cool, and serve with the donut holes.
Tips for success:
- Have all your ingredients at room temp (except for the water and milk, which should be 105-110 degrees); this makes the dough blend together seamlessly.
- Don't drain your used oil down the sink. I find it's best to let it cool, then pour it back into its container, and it is good for 2-3 more uses, then throw out the oil with trash.
FAQ
The donuts will keep in an air-tight container for up to two days, and the sauce will keep for 1 day sealed in the fridge.
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Donut Holes with Strawberry Dipping Sauce
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: about 30 donut holes 1x
- Category: dessert
- Method: fried
- Cuisine: american
Ingredients
For the donuts
- 1 package of active dry yeast
- ⅓ cup milk
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons sugar (plus more for rolling)
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 ¼ all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cup bread or strong flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 4-6 cups of vegetable/canola oil
For the dipping sauce
- 3-4 cups cut and hulled strawberries
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 tbsp bourbon (optional)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat the water and milk in a small pot until it reaches 105-110 degrees. Pour the yeast into a large bowl attached to a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. Pour the warmed milk and water mixture over the yeast and let it activate for 5 minutes.
- Whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl.
- Whisk the egg into the water, milk, and yeast.
- Add in the flour mixture, vanilla and almond extracts, and the honey to the bowl and mix until a dough forms.
- Add in the softened butter one tablespoon at a time and only add in the next tablespoon after the previous one has been fully incorporated.
- Keep kneading on the dough hook until enough gluten has formed to pass the windowpane test (see notes in the blog post) 5-10 minutes.
- Transfer to a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until it's doubled in size. 1-2 hoursdepended on how warm your kitchen is.
- Roll the dough out on a floured surface until it's ½ - ¼ inch thick.
- Cut out circles with a 2 inch round cutter and place each donut on its own individual 4x4 square of parchment.
- Let rise again for 30 minutes.
- While the dough is rising, add the vegetable oil to a large pot and heat to 375 degrees.
- Once ready, add 3-4 donuts to the oil and cook on each side for 2-3 minutes or until they are golden in color.
- Remove from the oil and let cool on a plate lined with a paper towel. Once cooled, roll through sugar.
For the dipping sauce
- Start by adding the cut strawberries and sugar to a medium pot. Heat on medium/medium-low until the strawberries have softened (10-20 minutes, depending on how ripe the strawberries are).
- With an emersion blender (or add the mixture to a blender) and blend until smooth and there are no lumps left.
- Next, mix in the bourbon and vanilla and let cool before serving.
- The donuts will keep in an air-tight container for up to two days, and the sauce will keep for 1 day sealed in the fridge.
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