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Heart Shaped Donuts

Heart shaped donuts are the perfect Valentine’s day treat, whether filled with jam or jelly or even Nutella! Don’t be intimidated by yeast donuts with this step by step recipe that will walk you through the recipe from start to finish.

dish filled with freshly baked yeast donuts filled with jam

Homemade Yeast Donuts

Homemade donuts are such a fun treat that my kids adore helping me make. Sometimes I like to skip all the proofing and opt for my easy Paleo donuts, but for special occasions yeast donuts are definitely the favorite.

For Valentine’s Day this year, I thought it would be fun to make a heart shaped donut. Circular donuts are just fine. But hearts are really cute, especially with a bit of bright red jam oozing out the top!

Doughnuts lined up neatly in a baking dish

Yes, Donuts Can Be Tricky

I will admit that even as an experienced baker, yeast donuts have always been a bit hit or miss for me. After much trial and error, I realized it all came down to two things – accurately weighing the ingredients, and using a thermometer to get the oil to the correct temperature (and keeping it there!).

Close up of a heart shaped donut with jam oozing out the top

Don’t Over Proof

It’s important that yeast donuts are not over-proofed. Stick to the times in the recipe and you’ll be golden. Leave them too long, and they will become hollow inside once cooked. When I’m proofing anything, I like to warm up my oven for 10 minutes beforehand, then turn it off. It’s a nice warm spot that really aides in the process, especially when it’s mid winter and your home may not be the warmest.

Use Whatever Filling You Want

I grew up eating simple donuts like this, filled with strawberry or raspberry jam, or even sometimes Nutella! Personally, I like to use a good quality jam with seeds, but you can use jelly if that’s what you have on hand.

Hand holding up a heart shaped yeast donut

Hopefully, you’ll enjoy these heart shaped donuts as much as my family does! They are such a fun treat and totally worth the effort in my opinion!

Other Valentine’s Recipes

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Heart Shaped Jelly Donut Recipe

heart shaped donuts
A simple but delicious jam-filled donut cut into heart shapes that are perfect for Valentine's Day
Jenna Shaughnessy
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Serving Size 14

Ingredients

  • 4 ⅓ cups all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ⅓⅓ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • teaspoons active yeast 1 packet
  • ¼ cup warm water
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 large whole egg
  • 7 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed
  • 1 cup warm milk
  • vegetable oil for frying
  • ¾ cup strawberry or raspberry jam for filling
  • ½ cup granulated sugar for dusting

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, sift together the flour, salt, nutmeg and ⅓ cup sugar. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl, combine the 1 teaspoon of sugar with the active yeast and warm water. Allow to sit for 5 minutes until it becomes foamy.
  • In a medium sized bowl add the cubed butter and pour the warm milk over it. Allow the butter to melt and for the mixture to come to room temperature.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs together.
  • Add the yeast mixture, butter mixture and eggs to the flour mixture. Attach the dough hook and knead on low-medium speed for 10 minutes. The dough is ready when it starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and feels soft (not overly sticky) to the touch.
  • Meanwhile, grease a large bowl with a drop of oil.
  • When the dough is ready, transfer it to the greased bowl and cover with cling film. Allow it to rise in a warm space for one hour, until roughly doubled in size.
  • Once the dough has risen, punch it back to deflate it a little, and transfer to a floured surface.
  • Roll the dough out to 1½ inches thick , and use a heart shaped cookie-cutter to cut out each doughnut.
  • Place on a lined baking sheet, cover with cling film and allow to rise again for another 20 – 25 minutes.
  • When the dough is ready, heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan or dutch oven until it reaches between 340 and 350°F. Any hotter than this and the doughnuts will brown on the outside but be raw inside.
  • Fry 2 – 3 doughnuts at a time until golden brown, then flip over to the other side. Usually 1 – 2 minutes per side is good.
  • Place the fried doughnuts on a wire rack and allow to cool fully.
  • Once cooled, use a piping big filled with jam and a long narrow tip. Insert the tip into the doughnut and fill with jam. Then lightly roll the doughnuts in granulated sugar. If the sugar is not sticking, use your finger to lightly sprinkle some water on the doughnut prior to rolling in the sugar.

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