Valentine’s Heart Shaped Donuts
Soft homemade heart shaped donuts with chocolate glaze—perfect for Valentine’s Day breakfast, dessert, or gifting.
Servings: 13
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1/3 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil for deep-frying
- 2/3 cup white chocolate chips
- 3 drops red food coloring
- 1/3 teaspoon red and gold hearts
- sugar sprinkles
- 2 freeze-dried strawberries
Instructions
- Warm the milk in the microwave until it reaches about 98°F. Pour it into a large mixing bowl and whisk in the sugar, vanilla, and yeast until combined. Stir in 1 cup of flour, then continue adding flour a little at a time, mixing with a wooden spoon, until a dough starts to come together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it’s smooth, soft, and no longer sticky.
- Place the dough in a bowl lightly coated with vegetable oil, turning once to grease the top. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Roll the risen dough out to about ¼-inch thickness. Use a heart-shaped cutter to cut out the donuts. Arrange them on a board or baking sheet, cover with a clean cotton towel, and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Add oil to a nonstick pan and heat it to 356°F. Fry 3-4 donuts at a time, turning as needed, until golden brown on both sides.
- Remove the donuts from the oil and place them on paper towels folded into quarters to absorb excess oil.
- Melt the chocolate and coat some of the donuts. Decorate with sprinkles, finely ground freeze-dried strawberry powder, and red hearts. Tint part of the remaining chocolate red and coat the rest of the donuts. Decorate with gold hearts. Let the glaze set completely before serving.
Notes
- Use fresh whole milk for the dough—it creates softer, more flavorful donuts.
- This dough is egg-free, which keeps the texture tender, airy, and uniform rather than dense or springy. Egg-free doughnuts break cleanly, don’t crumble, and have a fine, delicate crumb.
- Choose high-quality wheat flour to ensure a light, soft dough.
- For the glaze, use good-quality white chocolate and gel food coloring for smooth color and finish.
- Fry in a neutral, heat-stable oil to avoid unwanted flavors.
- Decorate creatively with chocolate glaze, sprinkles, freeze-dried strawberry powder, edible hearts, or chocolate drips.
- Serve on a pretty platter, wooden board, or paper cups. Add flowers or ribbons for an extra-special touch.