Stuffed Raspberry Donuts combine soft enriched yeast dough, tart raspberry compote, and thick vanilla cheesecake cream. Each of the 16 fried rounds is rolled in granulated sugar while hot, then filled first with raspberry and more generously with cheesecake for a bright center inside a golden shell.
The listed active time is about 50 minutes—30 minutes of preparation and 20 minutes of cooking—but two rises add 90 to 120 minutes. Keep milk at 90°F to 100°F, develop the butter-rich dough fully, and maintain frying oil between 330°F and 350°F.
Ingredients for Sixteen Filled Donuts
The dough needs 1 cup whole milk warmed to 90–100°F, 1 tablespoon instant or active dry yeast, 3 tablespoons sugar, 4 cups spooned-and-leveled bread flour, 2 room-temperature eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, and 8 tablespoons room-temperature unsalted butter. All-purpose flour also works. Allow about 2 quarts vegetable oil for frying.
Cook 3 cups frozen raspberries with 4 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Whisk 8 ounces softened cream cheese with ¾ cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Reserve 2 cups granulated sugar for coating.
If you enjoy this recipe, you may also like Crispy Cotton Candy Cheesecake Bombs.
How to Make Raspberry Cheesecake Donuts
- Whisk warm milk, yeast, and 3 tablespoons sugar; wait about 5 minutes for foam.
- Add flour, eggs, and salt. Mix 1 minute on low, scrape, then 2 minutes on medium. Add butter 1 tablespoon at a time and knead 5 minutes until smooth, elastic, and almost dry to the touch.
- Rise in a greased covered bowl 60 to 90 minutes until doubled.
- Simmer raspberries, 4 tablespoons sugar, and lemon juice about 8 minutes; cool completely. Whisk cheesecake ingredients thick and refrigerate.
- Divide risen dough into exactly 16 pieces, shape tight balls, cover, and proof about 30 minutes.
- Fry 3 to 4 at a time at 330–350°F for about 2 minutes per side. Drain, immediately coat in 2 cups sugar, then pipe raspberry followed by a larger amount of cheesecake into each donut.
For storage details after serving, the USDA leftovers and food safety guidance.
Confirm That the Yeast Is Active
Measure the milk temperature rather than guessing. Below 90°F yeast activates slowly; excessive heat can damage it. Whisk in the tablespoon yeast and 3 tablespoons sugar, then wait approximately 5 minutes. A foamy surface confirms activity.
If the mixture remains flat with no visible change, start over with fresh yeast. Continuing with inactive yeast wastes the flour, eggs, and butter and produces dense rounds. Both instant and active dry yeast are permitted by the original formula.
If you enjoy this recipe, you may also like Rhubarb Dessert Bars.
Develop the Enriched Dough in Stages
Add all 4 cups flour, the 2 eggs, and 1 teaspoon salt. With a dough hook, mix on low for about 1 minute, scrape the bowl, then mix on medium for 2 minutes. The dough should begin pulling from the sides before butter enters.
Add the 8 tablespoons softened butter one tablespoon at a time while the mixer runs on medium. The dough may look wet and sticky temporarily. Continue kneading another 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. If still tacky, keep mixing until it feels soft and almost dry rather than adding unmeasured flour.
Complete Both Proofing Periods
Transfer the kneaded dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover with greased plastic wrap, and let it rise until doubled, about 60 to 90 minutes. Judge the increase in volume rather than using the shortest time automatically.
After dividing and shaping, the 16 balls need a second proof of about 30 minutes under loosely greased plastic. They should look puffy and nearly doubled. Proper proofing creates a lighter interior and reduces the risk of a dense center during frying.
Cook and Cool the Raspberry Filling
Combine the 3 cups frozen berries, 4 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice in a small saucepan. Stir until sugar dissolves, then simmer for about 8 minutes. The fruit should break down into a thick, jam-like compote.
Transfer it to a clean bowl and cool completely before filling a piping bag. Warm compote can soften the donut interior and loosen the cheesecake cream. Cooling also reveals the final thickness; the mixture should pipe without running like juice.
Whisk a Thick Cheesecake Filling
Whisk the softened 8-ounce cream cheese with ¾ cup heavy whipping cream, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Continue until the mixture is thick, smooth, and able to hold its shape.
Refrigerate it while the dough rises and fries. Cold cheesecake cream pipes more cleanly and contrasts pleasantly with a freshly cooked donut. Place it in its own piping bag; never combine the two fillings before they enter the pastry.
Divide Exactly Sixteen Smooth Balls
Line three large baking sheets with parchment and grease them lightly. Deflate the doubled dough with a few gentle punches, move it to a lightly floured surface, and shape it into a cohesive ball.
Cut the ball into four equal quarters, then divide every quarter into four. This produces exactly 16 portions. Roll each against the work surface or between your hands to make a tight, smooth sphere. Leave generous room between balls before the 30-minute second rise.
Control the Frying Temperature
Heat about 2 quarts vegetable oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven to the specified 330–350°F range. Use a thermometer continuously. Lift the proofed balls carefully without squeezing out their trapped gas and lower only 3 to 4 into the oil at once.
Fry for about 2 minutes per side until evenly golden, then lift with a spider or slotted spoon to a wire rack. Let the temperature recover between batches. Oil that is too cool creates greasy donuts; oil that is too hot browns them before the center cooks.
Sugar and Fill in the Correct Order
While each donut is still hot, roll it immediately in the prepared bowl containing 2 cups sugar. Heat helps the crystals adhere. Return the coated donut to the rack and finish frying and coating all 16.
Use scissors or a sharp knife to make a small side opening. Pipe in raspberry compote first, then a larger amount of cheesecake filling. Stop when the donut feels plump and heavy, before filling forces its way back through the opening.
Serving, Storage, and Troubleshooting
Serve the donuts fresh and still pleasantly warm. Fried yeast pastries are at their lightest the day they are made, while the dairy filling must not sit unrefrigerated for an extended period. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container and accept that the sugar coating will soften.
If dough is sticky after the full knead, continue mixing instead of adding flour hastily. If donuts develop a dark exterior and raw center, lower the oil into range and make sure portions are equal. Thin compote requires the full 8-minute simmer and complete cooling.
Conclusion
Make enriched yeast dough with 90–100°F milk, rise 60 to 90 minutes, divide into 16 balls, and proof about 30 minutes. Simmer raspberry filling 8 minutes and chill thick cheesecake cream. Fry 3 to 4 donuts at a time at 330–350°F for about 2 minutes per side, coat hot in sugar, then pipe raspberry and cheesecake inside.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → How many donuts does the recipe make?
Divide the dough into four quarters and each quarter into four to make exactly 16 filled donuts.
- → What temperature should the frying oil be?
Keep the oil between 330°F and 350°F and allow it to recover between batches.
- → How long does the dough rise?
The first rise takes about 60 to 90 minutes, followed by a second proof of about 30 minutes after shaping.
- → Which filling goes into the donut first?
Pipe in raspberry compote first, then add a larger amount of cheesecake filling until the donut feels plump.