These stunning Raspberry Cheesecake Donuts are absolutely delightful! Light and fluffy donuts, rolled in sugar and filled with rich cheesecake and tangy raspberry compote. The perfect sweet treat for special occasions or to enjoy with your morning cup of coffee or afternoon tea.
Looking for more sweet breakfast treats? Make sure to try my Glazed Donuts, Jelly Donuts and these Blackberry Turnovers!
Raspberry Cheesecake Stuffed Donuts
There is absolutely nothing better than a homemade donut and these particular donuts are extra special. Soft, pillowy donuts, with golden, slightly crunchy exteriors, are rolled in sugar and then filled with a simple raspberry compote and no bake cheesecake filling that is both delicious and impressive. We love these amazing homemade donuts for holidays, special occasions and for a lovely weekend treat.
This easy to follow homemade donut recipe creates the most delicious, donut-shop-worthy donuts right in your kitchen. These donuts are made from scratch with everyday ingredients like milk, butter, yeast and eggs which means you can whip up a batch whenever you feel like it.
Why You’ll Love This Donut Recipe
These heavenly, homemade treats are perfect for any and all occasions! With their soft, pillowy texture and sweet, cheesecake and raspberry filled center, they’re a treat that’s hard to resist.
- Simple Ingredients: Easy steps, common ingredients found in your pantry and minimal equipment make this recipe a breeze!
- Perfect Texture. These donuts are ridiculously soft and fluffy on the inside with a perfectly golden exterior. They are SO good!
- Customizable. Customize the donuts with your favorite fillings including custards, lemon curd, and jams. Check out my Jelly Donuts for inspiration!
How To Make Raspberry Cheesecake Donuts
There is nothing better than enjoying a batch of homemade, warm, sugary, stuffed donuts with family and friends. These impressive and delicious donuts are perfect for weekend treats or special occasions. Let’s take a quick look at how to make these donuts and as always, scroll down to the end of this post for the printable recipe card with the complete recipe.
Make the Dough and Fillings
- Proof yeast by whisking together the warm milk, yeast and granulated sugar and let sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture is foamy.
- Mix in the flour, eggs and salt to the bowl with the dough hook for one minute on low speed. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and continue mixing at medium speed, for 2 minutes. The dough should be pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
- Add butter one tablespoon at a time. The dough will look very sticky and wet. Continue mixing with the dough hook for another 5 minutes until the dough looks smooth and elastic. It should feel almost dry (not sticky) to the touch.
- Transfer the dough to a large, lightly greased bowl.
- Cover the bowl with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 60 to 90 minutes.
- Put the frozen raspberries, sugar and lemon juice into a small saucepan.
- Stir until the sugar has dissolved then simmer for 8 minutes or until the mixture has thickened.
- Add all the cheesecake ingredients to a mixing bowl
- Whisk until very thick. Set aside in the fridge until you’re ready to fill the donuts.
Frying and Filling Donuts
- Punch dough down and then transfer to a floured surface.
- Shape the dough into a ball then use a sharp knife or kitchen scissors to cut the ball into quarters.
- Cut each quarter into quarters again. You will be left with 16 pieces of dough.
- Use your hands to roll and shape each piece of dough into a tight ball.
- Transfer the donuts to baking sheets and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let double in size, about 30 minutes.
- Heat the oil to 330°F to 350°F and fry the donuts, 3 to 4 at a time, depending on the size of your pot. Fry for 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Use a spider to lift the donuts out and place on a metal cooling rack to cool for just a minute or two.
- Immediately toss in sugar then set on a wire rack. Continue working until all the donuts have been fried and tossed in sugar.
- To fill the donuts: use a pair of scissors or sharp knife to make a hole in the side of each donut.
- Transfer fillings to piping bags and snip the end off with a pair of scissors. First pipe the raspberry filling into each donut followed by the cheesecake filling.
- Enjoy the donuts while they’re still warm and fresh! 

Troubleshooting Your Donuts
In case you encounter issues, here’s a quick guide to troubleshooting common problems:
- Dough Isn’t Rising: Ensure your yeast is fresh and activated properly with warm milk and sugar. Also, place the dough in a warm, draft-free area for rising.
- Oil Temperature: Use a thermometer to maintain the oil temperature between 330°F to 350°F. Oil that is too hot will brown the donuts too quickly, leaving them uncooked inside, while oil that is too cold will cause the donuts to absorb too much grease.
Storage Information
These filled homemade donuts are best enjoyed freshly made. If needed, you can reheat them for a few seconds in the microwave.
- Make Ahead. You can certainly prepare the dough in advance! After the first rise, cut into donut shapes and place on parchment lined sheet pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight. To prepare, let dough come to room temperature and then proceed with the recipe as written.
- Freeze Unfried Donuts. Donut dough can be frozen as well. After the donuts have been cut and risen the second time, place sheet tray in freezer and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer safe ziploc bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Let the donuts defrost at room temperature and then fry as directed.
- Freeze Fried Donuts. You can also freeze the fried donuts without the filling for up to two months. Place in a single layer in a freezer safe gallon ziplock and freeze for up to 1 month. Set out at room temperature to thaw. Warm in microwave for a few seconds or in an air fryer and then add filling.
Variations To Try
- Add a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg to the dough.
- Experiment with different jams, like blueberry or apricot, or even custard or chocolate for a twist.
- Lemon curd is a delicious filling option.
- Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the wet ingredients in the dough for more vanilla flavor.
- Dust with powdered sugar instead of rolling in granulated sugar.
Can I bake these donuts?
This recipe is for fried donuts but if you can’t fry them, try baking at 375°F for 15 to 20 minutes. The texture will be different.
When is the oil ready for frying?
The oil should be between 330°F to 350°F (165°C to 177°C). Use a thermometer to check the temperature. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a small piece of dough into the oil; if it floats and sizzles, the oil is ready.
What are some other options for fillings?
Puddings, custards, curds (like lemon curd) and other flavors of jam or jelly are great options for filling these donuts.
Trish’s Tips and Tricks
Dough
- Check the expiration date on your yeast. If the yeast doesn’t get foamy after sitting in the warm (not hot!) milk and sugar, it’s not good and won’t give the donuts the rise they need.
- Instant yeast and active dry yeast are interchangeable in this recipe. Both have been tested and work. The rise time is the only thing effected.
- I recommend bread flour because the extra gluten helps to create a softer, fluffier donut. However, this recipe has been tested with all purpose flour and still makes delicious donuts.
- The dough should be smooth, elastic, and almost dry to the touch before proceeding with the recipe.
- Let the dough to rise in a warm place. If your house is pretty chilly, you can create a warm environment by setting your oven to the lowest temperature, allow it to come to temperature, then turn it off. Place the covered bowl in the oven with the door slightly ajar.
- Punch the dough down and toss the dough back and forth in your hands to help eliminate air bubbles in the donuts.
- The second rise doesn’t take very long so keep an eye on the donuts. You are looking for the donuts to puff up to about twice the size. Don’t let them rise too long or they will completely deflate while frying or create large open holes on the inside of the donut.
Frying Donuts
- If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a small piece of dough into the hot oil. If it floats and sizzles right away, then the oil is ready to use. If the dough sinks, the oil needs longer to heat up.
- If your donuts are deflating when you pick them up to fry them, try cutting the parchment around the donuts and transfer the donuts to the hot oil that way. Be careful!
- Maintaining the right oil temperature ensures your donuts are perfectly cooked – golden outside and fully cooked inside.
Tools Needed
- Stand Mixer: It makes the dough-making process easier, but a hand mixer or manual mixing works too.
- Thermometer: For ensuring your oil is at the perfect temperature for frying the donuts.
- Spider Strainer: Handy for safely removing the donuts from the hot oil.
More Sweet Breakfast Treats
- Waffle Recipe
- Buttermilk Pancakes
- Cherry Cheese Danish Recipe
- Cinnamon Roll Layer Cake
- Almond Bear Claw
Raspberry Cheesecake Donuts
These stunning Raspberry Cheesecake Stuffed Donuts are absolutely delightful! Light and fluffy donuts, rolled in sugar and filled with rich cheesecake and tangy raspberry compote. The perfect sweet treat for special occasions or to enjoy with your morning cup of coffee or afternoon tea.
Servings 16
Calories 404kcal
Ingredients
For the donuts
- 1 cup warm milk whole milk preferred, 90°F to 100°F
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast or active dry yeast
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 cups bread flour spooned and leveled, all purpose flour can be used instead
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- vegetable oil enough to fry the donuts (2 quarts is good)
Raspberry Filling
- 3 cups frozen raspberries
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Cheesecake Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sugar Coating
- 2 cups granulated sugar
Instructions
Donuts
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the warm milk, yeast and granulated sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture is foamy. (If the mixture doesn't foam, you will need to start over with fresh yeast.)1 cup warm milk, 1 tablespoon instant yeast, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Add the flour, eggs and salt to the bowl and mix with the dough hook for one minute on low speed, until the ingredients are incorporated.4 cups bread flour, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon salt
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and continue mixing at medium speed, for 2 minutes. The dough should be pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, begin adding the butter one tablespoon at a time. After the butter has been added, the dough will look very sticky and wet.8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Continue mixing with the dough hook for another 5 minutes until the dough looks smooth and elastic. It should feel almost dry (not sticky) to the touch. If it is still sticky, continue mixing until it reaches the point where it feels soft and dry to the touch. (If you are using a hand mixer, you might need to finish the dough off by kneading by hand on a lightly floured surface.)
- Lightly grease a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover the bowl with lightly greased plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place until doubled in size, about 60 to 90 minutes.
Prepare Raspberry Filling
- Put the frozen raspberries, granulated sugar and lemon juice into a small saucepan. Stir until the sugar has dissolved then simmer for 8 minutes or until the mixture has thickened. It should be the texture of jam. Set aside to cool.3 cups frozen raspberries, 4 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Prepare Cheesecake Filling
- Add cream cheese, heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract to a mixing bowl and whisk until very thick. Set aside in the fridge until you’re ready to fill the donuts.8 ounces cream cheese, ¾ cup heavy whipping cream, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Back To The Donuts…
- Line three large baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly grease the parchment. Set aside. Lightly flour a work surface.
- When the dough has doubled, punch the dough down several times to release the air bubbles and then transfer to the floured surface.
- Shape the dough into a ball then use a sharp knife or kitchen scissors to cut the ball into quarters. Cut each quarter into quarters again. You will be left with 16 pieces of dough.
- Use your hands to roll and shape each piece of dough into a tight ball.
- Transfer the donuts to the prepared baking sheets leaving space in between to allow the donuts to rise. Loosely cover the baking sheet with greased plastic wrap and let rest until they have puffed up and are nearly double in size, about 30 minutes.
Fry Donuts
- Pour the two cups of granulated sugar into a large bowl. Set aside.2 cups granulated sugar
- Transfer the raspberry compote and cheesecake filling into separate piping bags and snip the end off each with scissors.
- Pour the oil into a large, heavy duty dutch oven or deep pot. Heat the oil to 330°F to 350°F. Use a thermometer to check the temperature. (If you do not have a thermometer, add a small piece of the dough to the pot and if it floats and sizzles, the oil is ready.)vegetable oil
- Carefully pick up the donuts, being extra careful not to deflate them, and place them gently into the hot oil. I prefer to use my hands but you can use a stiff metal spatula if you prefer. Fry the donuts, 3 to 4 at a time, depending on the size of your pot. Fry for 2 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown. Use a spider to lift the donuts out of the hot oil and place on a metal cooling rack.
- Immediately toss in sugar then set on a wire rack.
- Continue working until all the donuts have been fried and tossed in sugar. Make sure to monitor the temperature of the oil as you go.
Fill Donuts
- Transfer the jam to a piping bag and snip the end off with a pair of scissors.
- Use a pair of scissors or sharp knife to make a hole in the side of each donut. First pipe the raspberry filling into each donut followed by the cheesecake filling. You should use more cheesecake than compote. You will know when they are full because they will feel plump and heavy in your hand.
- Enjoy the donuts while they’re still warm and fresh! 

Notes
Storage Information
These jelly filled donuts are best enjoyed freshly made. If needed, you can reheat them for a few seconds in the microwave.
Make Ahead. You can certainly prepare the dough in advance! After the first rise, cut into donut shapes and place on parchment lined sheet pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight. To prepare, let dough come to room temperature and then proceed with the recipe as written.
Freeze Unfried Donuts. Donut dough can be frozen as well. After the donuts have been cut and risen the second time, place sheet tray in freezer and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer safe ziploc bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Let the donuts defrost at room temperature and then fry as directed.
Freeze Fried Donuts. You can also freeze the fried donuts without the filling for up to two months. Place in a single layer in a freezer safe gallon ziplock and freeze for up to 1 month. Set out at room temperature to thaw. Warm in microwave for a few seconds or in an air fryer and then add filling.
Tools Needed
Stand Mixer:Â It makes the dough-making process easier, but a hand mixer or manual mixing works too.
Thermometer:Â For ensuring your oil is at the perfect temperature for frying the donuts.
Spider Strainer: Handy for safely removing the donuts from the hot oil.
Nutrition
Calories: 404kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 210mg | Potassium: 131mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 596IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 1mg
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