Speedy donuts are near and dear to my heart! Growing up my mom would always make these on my birthday or other special occasions, it was an all morning event that always ended with sugar all over the floor. These Easy Valentine’s Day Speedy Biscuit Donuts are a fun and festive treat that both kids and adults will love! Flaky donuts are dusted in a strawberry flavored sugar and filled with jelly or jam.
TL;DR (Quick Recipe Overview)
Recipe: Valentine’s Speedy Biscuit Donuts
Ready In: 30-40 minutes (depending on frying!)
Difficulty: easy
Serves: 16 donuts + donut holes
Staple Ingredients: canned biscuits, granulated sugar, oil for frying, freeze-fried strawberries, jam or jelly
What Makes It Special: you can get the homemade donut feeling without making your own dough using biscuit dough, that’s where the term “speedy” donuts comes from! These are slightly crunchy on the outside and extra soft and buttery on the inside. Rolling them in sugar is a must, but they can also be rolled in powdered sugar for that classic powdered sugar donut look.
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I used a medium and large heart cookie cutter to give these their heart shape, then I used a mini heart cutter to cut out the donut holes in the middles. Those are probably the most fun to eat! Using freeze-dried strawberries in the sugar give a touch of flavor and a fun pink/red color without using food coloring.
You can also roll these in colored sanding sugar or plain granulated sugar, roll your donuts in sugar while still warm for best results! I filled a few of these with jam but not all of them, that part is optional! These can be super fun as part of a Valentine’s Day Brunch or Galantines or make them a special event for your kids like my mom did for me!
More Valentine’s Treats
Key Ingredients
- Strawberry Jelly: Adds a sweet, fruity center. Any seedless strawberry jelly or jam works well, or swap in raspberry for a similar flavor.
- Biscuit Dough: Refrigerated canned biscuits make these donuts quick and foolproof. Stick with classic, non-flaky biscuits for the best texture when frying.
- Freeze-Dried Strawberries: Crushed and mixed with sugar to create a naturally pink, strawberry-forward coating without added coloring. Sanding sugar will also work.
- Oil or Shortening: Used for frying. Vegetable oil, canola oil, or shortening all work, just be sure to keep the temperature steady around 350°F. Any neutral oil will work.
- Granulated Sugar: Forms the base of the strawberry sugar coating, this is a must – it makes the speedy donuts!
How to Make The Biscuit Donuts
Let’s talk a little about how to make the speedy donuts (The printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Quick overview:
- Cut biscuit dough into desired shapes.
- Heat oil, fry, dip in sugar, fill with jelly if desired.
- Enjoy warm!
- Place canned biscuits on a clean work space, use heart cookie cutters or desired shapes to but out heart donuts (if needed, use a rolling pin to slightly roll out each biscuit). You can alternate shapes and sizes, if desired use a small cookie cutter to cut hole out in the middle of each donut, the donut holes can be fried to.
- Line a plate with a few paper towels to place the donuts on after frying. In a medium mixing bowl combine the granulated sugar and freeze-dried strawberries. The strawberries are optional but add a fun pink color, colored sanding sugar will also work.
- Once the biscuits are ready, heat vegetable oil or Crisco in a large saucepan or Dutch oven, you want at least 3″ of oil to give donuts room to fry. Heat over medium-high heat until oil reaches 350-360 degrees F.
- Reduce heat to medium and keep around 350 degrees F, so donuts don’t burn but so oil stays hot enough. Add in a few donuts at a time, careful not to overcrowd the oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes per side or until the outside is golden and the middle is cooked through.
- Remove donuts from the oil and let set on the paper towel lined plate to absorb any excess oil before coating in the sugar mixture. Repeat with the remaining donuts, smaller donuts or donut holes may not take as long to fry. watch donuts so they do not burn.
- If desired, you can fill donuts will jam or jelly. After donuts have cool slightly use a small pairing knife to cut a small circle in the top of a donut, spoon or use a small piping bag to fill with jam of choice.
- Donuts are best enjoyed immediately but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, best served warm.
Rachel’s Tips & Tricks
- Use cookie cutters for easy shapes: A small heart-shaped cookie cutter makes these extra festive, but circles work just as well. Save the centers to make donut holes so no dough goes to waste.
- Fry the holes too: Donut holes cook faster and are perfect for testing oil temperature before frying the larger donuts.
- Roll while warm: Toss the donuts in strawberry sugar while they’re still warm so the coating sticks evenly and doesn’t fall off!
- Natural color, better flavor: Freeze-dried strawberries give the sugar a natural pink color and real strawberry flavor without food dyes or sprinkles.
- Fill if desired: These donuts are great plain, but you can fill them with strawberry jelly using a piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner snipped. Let the donuts cool slightly first so the filling stays put.
Heart Shaped Speedy Biscuit Donuts
Ingredients
- 2, 16 oz. cans Buttermilk Biscuits , avoid flaky layers biscuits
- Crisco or canola oil, for frying, any neutral oil will work
- 1/2 – 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 3 oz. Freeze-dried strawberries, optional, crushed
- 4 oz. Strawberry jam or jelly
Instructions
- Place canned biscuits on a clean work space, use heart cookie cutters or desired shapes to but out heart donuts (if needed, use a rolling pin to slightly roll out each biscuit). You can alternate shapes and sizes, if desired use a small cookie cutter to cut hole out in the middle of each donut, the donut holes can be fried to.2, 16 oz. cans Buttermilk Biscuits
- Line a plate with a few paper towels to place the donuts on after frying. In a medium mixing bowl combine the granulated sugar and freeze-dried strawberries. The strawberries are optional but add a fun pink color, colored sanding sugar will also work.1/2 – 1 cup Granulated sugar, 3 oz. Freeze-dried strawberries
- Once the biscuits are ready, heat vegetable oil or Crisco in a large saucepan or Dutch oven, you want at least 3" of oil to give donuts room to fry. Heat over medium-high heat until oil reaches 350-360 degrees F.Crisco or canola oil
- Reduce heat to medium and keep around 350 degrees F, so donuts don't burn but so oil stays hot enough. Add in a few donuts at a time, careful not to overcrowd the oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes per side or until the outside is golden and the middle is cooked through.3 oz. Freeze-dried strawberries
- Remove donuts from the oil and let set on the paper towel lined plate to absorb any excess oil before coating in the sugar mixture. Repeat with the remaining donuts, smaller donuts or donut holes may not take as long to fry. watch donuts so they do not burn.
- If desired, you can fill donuts will jam or jelly. After donuts have cool slightly use a small pairing knife to cut a small circle in the top of a donut, spoon or use a small piping bag to fill with jam of choice.4 oz. Strawberry jam or jelly
- Donuts are best enjoyed immediately but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, best served warm.
Notes
- Biscuits: Standard refrigerated canned biscuits work best here. Avoid flaky-layer biscuits, as they don’t fry as evenly.
- Oil temperature: Keep the oil around 350°F. If the oil is too hot, the donuts will brown before cooking through. Too cool, and they’ll absorb oil.
- Frying in batches: Don’t overcrowd the pan. Frying a few at a time helps keep the oil temperature steady and gives the donuts room to puff.
- Sugar coating: Toss the donuts in strawberry sugar while they’re still warm so the coating sticks evenly.
- Filling option: If adding strawberry jelly, let the donuts cool slightly before filling so the jelly doesn’t melt.
- Best fresh: These biscuit donuts are best eaten the same day, ideally within a few hours of frying. If storing for a few days, they are best warmed slightly before enjoying!
- Make it simple: If you don’t want to cut shapes, classic donut holes or rings work just as well and fry even faster.
- Recipe serving size is based on 8 biscuits per tube, and does not include donut holes, depending on the shapes and size of donuts, yield will change.
Nutrition
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Frequently Asked Questions
Classic refrigerated biscuits work best. Avoid flaky-layer or butter swim-style biscuits, which don’t fry as evenly and can separate in the oil.
Vegetable oil, canola oil, or shortening all work well. Choose a neutral oil and keep the temperature around 350°F for the best texture.
A thermometer is helpful, but not required. Drop in a donut hole first. It should bubble immediately and turn golden in about 60–90 seconds per side.
Frying gives the classic donut texture. Baking will work in a pinch, but the donuts will be more biscuit-like and less fluffy.
These are best enjoyed the same day. If needed, store them loosely covered at room temperature for up to one day.
They’re meant to be made fresh. If you want to prep ahead, mix the strawberry sugar in advance and fry the donuts just before serving.
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Cheers!
-Rachel
Great activity with my granddaughters today! We made Valentine’s doughnuts together and then shared them with people we love.
How fun, thanks for sharing!!