Chewy, pillowy-soft yeast doughnuts—yes, please! This homemade jelly doughnut recipe shows you how to make perfectly light, fluffy doughnuts at home in under two hours of hands-on time. The result is tender, slightly elastic dough with a sweet jam center that’s well worth the effort.
These doughnuts use yeast rather than baking powder, and they contain only a small amount of butter compared with many cakes. That slight difference gives them a springy, slightly chewy texture that sets them apart from ordinary fried sweets—think of them as a soft, tender cake with some bounce.
To make the process clear and approachable, step-by-step photos are included so you can confidently follow along. I experimented with video but found photos to be more reliable for illustrating each stage. Whether you make them yourself or share the recipe with a friend who will, fresh homemade jelly doughnuts are a delightful treat—especially when they’re filled with bright raspberry jam.
Homemade Jelly Doughnuts
Makes 18-20 doughnuts
2 hours 40 minutes
20 minutes
15 minutes
3 hours 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup milk (100°F to 110°F)
- 1/3 cup + 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
- 1 cup seedless raspberry jam
Instructions
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart
In a small bowl, combine the yeast, warm milk, and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Set aside until foamy and approximately doubled in volume, about 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, place the flour and make a well in the center. Add the egg yolks, yeast mixture, 1/4 cup sugar, butter, and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough begins to come together and feels sticky. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes; add a little more flour if needed. The dough should feel soft and bounce back when gently poked. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to rise until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Lightly flour your work surface and roll the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2 1/2-inch round cutter, cut approximately 20 rounds. Cover the rounds with plastic wrap and let them rise for 15 minutes.
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer reads 370°F. Carefully lower two rounds at a time into the oil using a slotted spoon. Fry until the undersides are golden, about 40 seconds, then flip and fry the other side for another 40 seconds. Transfer fried doughnuts to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and roll them in sugar while still warm. Continue frying and sugaring the remaining dough rounds in batches.
Fit a pastry bag with a medium round tip (approximately #4) and fill it with jam. Poke a small hole in the side of each doughnut with a wooden skewer or toothpick, insert the tip, and pipe about 2 teaspoons of jam into each doughnut. Repeat until all doughnuts are filled.
Notes
Adaptations made to the original recipe:
- This version allows the yeast to proof until it doubles, which produces a slightly chewier texture. If you prefer a softer, pillowy doughnut, proof the yeast only until foamy (about 10 minutes).
- Milk is used instead of water to retain warmth a bit longer during proofing.
- Flour has been reduced slightly from 2 1/2 cups to 2 1/4 cups.
- Three egg yolks are used here instead of two whole eggs for added richness and a denser crumb; use two whole eggs if you want a lighter result.
- Nutmeg is omitted in this adaptation.