My strawberry donuts are soft, fluffy, and packed with real strawberries! Made with boxed cake mix and baked instead of fried, these easy glazed donuts come together in under an hour with just a handful of ingredients. My kids are especially obsessed with the pink glaze, and I’m obsessed with how low-effort they are to make. They work equally well for brunch, after-school treats, or dessert.
Easy Baked Strawberry Donuts with Cake Mix
When I want donuts without the mess or time commitment of frying, I always reach for this baked strawberry donut recipe. Inspired by my favorite baked vanilla donuts, I use cake mix to keep the batter foolproof. Fresh strawberries add real flavor and color without any artificial dyes. The donuts bake quickly, hold their shape beautifully, and stay soft instead of cakey or dry.
To top it all off, my homemade strawberry donut glaze comes together in just minutes with powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and strawberries. It gives these donuts a classic bakery finish with minimal effort.
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Don’t Overbake Them!
I’ve tested these strawberry glazed donuts several times, and one thing matters more than anything else: don’t overbake them. Cake mix donuts can go from perfectly soft to dry in minutes. As soon as the tops look set, check them with a toothpick and pull them out right away.
Baked Strawberry Donuts Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Donut Tin
- Piping Tip Set (optional)
Ingredients
For the Donuts
- 13.25 ounces vanilla cake mix (1 box)*
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup chopped fresh strawberries **
For the Strawberry Glaze
- 2 fresh strawberries finely diced
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a donut tin with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
- Mix the cake mix, water, oil, and eggs together in a medium bowl.13.25 ounces vanilla cake mix, ¾ cup water, ¼ cup vegetable oil, 2 large eggs
- Gently fold in the chopped strawberries.½ cup chopped fresh strawberries
- Pour the batter into a piping bag or Ziplock bag. Cut the end off of the piping bag or corner of the Ziplock bag and fill the donut cavities ¾ full.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the donuts comes out clean.
- Allow the donuts to cool for 10 minutes in the tin. Flip the donut tin upside-down over a wire rack to completely cool.
- Make the glaze. Place the finely diced strawberries into a medium bowl. Use a fork to mash and puree the strawberries until almost smooth. Add the vanilla, milk, and powdered sugar and mix until combined. If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If the glaze is too thick, add milk.2 fresh strawberries, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1-2 tablespoons milk
- Dip the donuts into the glaze or drizzle the glaze over the donuts.
Notes
- Chop strawberries small. Fine pieces distribute better and help the donuts bake evenly.
- Mix the batter just until combined to keep the donuts light and fluffy.
- Fill the donut cavities ¾ full; overfilling can cause the donuts to lose their shape.
- A piping bag or zip-top bag makes filling the pan faster and neater.
- Bake just until a toothpick comes out clean; overbaking dries them out.
- Let donuts cool completely so the glaze sets instead of melting off.
- Add powdered sugar to thicken or milk to thin the glaze for easy dipping or drizzling.
How to Bake Strawberry Donuts Step-by-Step
Mix the Batter: Preheat your oven to 400°F and generously spray a donut tin with nonstick baking spray. Cake-mix donuts like to stick, so don’t skip this step. In a medium bowl, whisk together 13.25 ounces (1 box) of vanilla cake mix, ¾ cup of water, ¼ cup of vegetable oil, and 2 large eggs until just combined. You don’t need to beat it for long. Overmixing can make the donuts dense instead of soft and fluffy.
Fold in the Strawberries: Gently fold in ½ cup of chopped fresh strawberries using a spatula. Chop them fairly small so they spread evenly through the batter and don’t sink or release too much moisture as they bake. Fresh strawberries work best here. Frozen ones tend to make the donuts gummy.
Pipe the Donuts: Transfer the batter to a piping bag or zip-top bag, then snip off the tip. Pipe the batter into each donut cavity, filling them about ¾ full. This helps the donuts keep their shape and bake evenly without overflowing. Piping is much cleaner than spooning and gives you smoother edges.
Bake the Donuts: Bake your strawberry donuts in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, just until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Keep a close eye on them; they can dry out if left in too long. Let the donuts cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then flip the pan upside down onto a wire rack to release them. Allow them to cool completely before glazing so the glaze doesn’t melt off.
Glaze the Donuts: While the donuts cool, make the glaze. Add 2 finely diced strawberries to a medium bowl and mash them with a fork until mostly smooth. Stir in ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1-2 tablespoons of milk, and 2 cups of powdered sugar until combined. If the glaze feels too thick, add a splash more milk. If it’s too thin, sprinkle in a bit more powdered sugar. You want it thick enough to cling to the donuts but still easy to dip. Dip each cooled donut into the glaze or drizzle it over the tops using a spoon. Let the glaze set for a few minutes before serving, or enjoy them right away while they’re soft and fresh.
How to Store
Store leftover strawberry donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
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