Fluffy doughnuts are fried until perfectly golden brown, then coated in sugar and filled with a whipped vanilla bean cheesecake filling and a balsamic blueberry compote. These are the most perfect treat!
Balsamic Blueberry Cheesecake Doughnuts
Hi, Hi, Happy Friday! Just in case you were looking for a wee baking / deep frying project this weekend, I have these balsamic blueberry and cheesecake doughnuts for you! I’ve made a bunch of doughnuts before, but I do have to say the filling on these is right up there as a contender for favourite ever. I love a fruit filled doughnut, and paired with a silky whipped cheesecake filling, these things are next level.
For the doughnut base itself I riffed on this dough that I made a few months ago, which is a leaner dough than I would usually work with, but made the most amazing fluffy doughnuts, perfect for stuffing full of delicious things. I switched out the milk for buttermilk, which gave them an amazing flavour, and popped an egg in there just to help keep everything together. If you only wanted to make a few doughnuts you could turn the rest of the dough into buns or rolls - it is super versatile so you can do with it what you like!
How to make Balsamic Blueberry Compote
I love making compotes out of slightly tired or frozen fruit - it is a great way to use whatever you have floating around in the fridge or freezer, and a great way to brighten them up a bit is to cut through the sweetness of the fruit by adding an acid. You can use lemon juice, but my favourite way to do it is to use balsamic vinegar! The balsamic gives a super interesting flavour profile to the filling, and I think it pairs so well with the blueberries. I used my favourite from Filippo Berio, and it worked so well. The filling is super easy to make - you just cook everything down, then strain out the fruit and reduce the liquid down just a bit more so that it is nice and thick and won’t run everywhere when you pipe it into the doughnuts. The fruit then gets mixed back in, and the whole thing is left to cool. It works with almost any berries - it’s just my favourite.
I paired the balsamic berry filling with a super smooth, silky cheesecake filling which is really easy to make - basically you just whip together some room temp cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, then a wee bit of cream to make it a nice consistency. It’s super yum as is, but pairs so, so nicely with the balsamic blueberry filling. I’m in love.
Happy Weekend! x
A few wee tips for making Blueberry Cheesecake Doughnuts
The dough for these is a wee bit on the sticky side. Knead it until it is nice and smooth (it may take a while), then give it a few turns by hand to make sure it’s ready. I find because it is a bit wetter than your standard dough, a cold rise makes it easiest to work with when it comes to shaping. You can either do this on the same day (3 hours minimum is what works best for me), or you can do an overnight rise.
Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature before making your filling.
The blueberry filling can be made ahead - ideally you want it to be totally chilled down. It will thicken as it cools!
I made these with Filippo Berio’s Extra light olive oil, but on second thought, they would be really good made with a more fruity oil in the dough too. Cream cheese, blueberries, fruity olive oil - would be such a good combo!
I fried the doughnuts in Filippo Berio Extra Light Olive oil! It works great for frying, otherwise you can use a neutral oil.
Just fry one first to make sure your oil is the right temp. A good way to make sure these are done inside is to measure the internal temp - you want something around 200°f / 95°c for a fully cooked inside.
For more doughnut recipes, check out:
- Honey and Vanilla Bean Doughnuts
- Orange CBD Doughnuts
- Salted Caramel Milk Chocolate Ganache Filled Doughnuts
- Savoury Feta and Pesto Doughnuts
Thank you so much to Filippo Berio for sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own.
❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️
I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!
Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Doughnuts with Balsamic Blueberry and Cheesecake Filling
- Prep Time: 40
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 10 Doughnuts 1x
Description
Fluffy doughnuts are fried until perfectly golden brown, then coated in sugar and filled with a whipped vanilla bean cheesecake filling and a balsamic blueberry compote. These are the most perfect treat!
Ingredients
Doughnut Dough
- 230g buttermilk, lukewarm (alternatively you can use whole milk)
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp active, dry yeast
- 400g all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 large egg, at room temperature, lightly beaten
- 50g Filippo Berio Extra Light Olive Oil
- Granulated Sugar for rolling
Balsamic Blueberry Filling
- 400g fresh or frozen blueberries
- 25g Filippo Berio Balsamic Vinegar
- ¼ tsp vanilla bean paste
- ½ tsp salt
- 80g granulated sugar
Cheesecake Filling
- 450g full fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 70g powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
- pinch of salt
- 2 Tbsp heavy cream
Instructions
DOUGHNUTS
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the lukewarm buttermilk, sugar, and yeast, and leave to stand for 5-10 minutes or until foamy.
- Add the flour, salt, egg and oil, and mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Continue to mix for a further 10-12 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth, and when a little is stretched, you can see light through it (the window pane test).
- Shape the dough into a ball and place into a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours and up to overnight.
- Turn the dough out onto very lightly floured surface. Weigh the dough, and divide into 10 equal weight portions. Roll each portion into a tight ball. Place the rolled doughnuts on a square of parchment paper, and place onto a baking sheet, leaving adequate space between (you may need two baking sheets).
- Cover and leave the doughnuts to proof for a further 35 to 45 minutes. When you poke them lightly with your finger, it should leave a small indentation that springs back.
- While the doughnuts are proofing, heat Filippo Berio Extra Light Olive Oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot (cast iron works great) or deep fryer. Heat the oil to 350°f / 180°c. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the sugar in a shallow bowl.
- Once the oil has come to temperature, test it with a few scraps of dough. Gently lower the doughnuts, two at a time, into the hot oil. Cook , flipping every 30 seconds, for 6-7 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and place on a cooling rack.
- Allow to cool for 30 seconds before tossing in the sugar. Repeat the process with the rest of the doughnuts. Once the doughnuts are totally cool, poke a hole in them using a chopstick, and widen the hole using your finger.
BALSAMIC BLUEBERRY FILLING
- Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat, and cook, stirring often, until the mixture comes to a boil. Cook for a further 5-6 minutes, then strain the mixture, reserving the fruit, and returning the liquid to the pan.
- Cook the liquid, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes or until reduced slightly. Return the reserved fruit to the pan and mix well to combine. Transfer to a container, cover, and place in the fridge to chill completely.
CHEESECAKE FILLING
- Place all ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir to incorporate with a rubber spatula, then switch to a whisk and whip until well incorporated. (If you like you can bang everything into a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and mix until combined).
ASSEMBLY
- Place both the balsamic blueberry filling and cheesecake fillings into piping bags fitted with medium round tips. Pipe a small amount of the blueberry filling into each doughnut - make sure you insert the tip right into the doughnut before squeezing so it doesn’t leak everywhere (lol).
- Pipe cheesecake filling into each doughnut - you can tell when they are getting full as they will start to feel heavy. Pipe a small blob of the cheesecake filling on the top of each doughnut.
Doughnuts are best eaten on the day that they are made. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.
Keywords: Doughnuts, Donuts, Cheesecake Filling, Filippo Berio, Blueberry, Balsamic Blueberry, Buttermilk doughnuts
Comments
These donuts are so delicious. The dough is so easy to work with and it makes such light and yummy donuts.
Originally I didn't read the whole recipe right away and didn't realize it needs at least three hours of proofing in the fridge. Make sure you read through it all before starting!
I am going to be re-doing the recipe but I'll be making it with raspberry compote/jelly instead since my boyfriend is obsessed with cheesecake + raspberry.
Thank you so much 🙂
★★★★★
Hiiii! Thank you so much for the sweet message and the review - I appreciate it so much! I am so glad that you enjoy - they will be SO GOOD with the raspberry too x
Hi Erin! Once I make the dough, can I keep in the fridge for 2 days before rolling out and using?
Hi! I try not to leave them for more than 24 hours 🙂
Hi! I've been wanting to make these for a long time! I'll be using different fillings this time (orange curd for one, pistachio cream for another) but am still on the hunt for the perfect dough recipe--this looks like a contender! I noticed that this dough recipe has slightly different ratios than the recipe used in your other doughnut posts (one egg vs 2, different milk:flour ratio, amount of fats). What is the difference in the final product? Or do you have a preference between the two?
Thanks!
Hiii! My 'standard' recipe is the brioche doughnuts - I love them both but probably use the other recipe more often! They both work great
How much oil do you use for the frying of the donuts? How deep should it be In the pan?
Hi! It depends on what you're frying in! You want enough so that they can float without touching the bottom of whatever you're using. about 15cm or so is a good amount!
can i freeze the donuts before filling them?
No. Doughnuts need to be eaten on the day they are fried for best results!
Donuts are probably my favorite thing to make and your recipes are honestly my favorite. I love the balsamic vinegar in the blueberry compote (would have never thought it would make such a good combo!) and I feel like the cheesecake filling perfectly compliments it.
★★★★★
yummy yummy yummy! the dough was so good and easy to work with, elastic and soft! I was a little hesitant on the balsamic vinegar to start with but it pairs so nicely with blueberries!! can't wait to try other donut recipes!
★★★★★
So happy you loved!
I've made these doughnuts. They were delicious! A lil messy cos I don't have a piping bag so I used a plastic bag. I want to make again but I also don't have a mixer. I kneaded the dough by hand but as the dough is quite wet (as mentioned) I needed more flour which probably made them more doughy. Whats a work around? The other recipes are brioche which uses butter correct? Will definitely need a mixer for that!
★★★★★
Hi! So happy you loved! The Rhubarb custard buns on my site have a brioche that you don't need a mixer for - it's a half recipe of my other doughnut recipe so works great (I have a few recipes coming soon using it!)
Thanks Erin!
Big fan of these! There were easier to make than I expected too!
★★★★★
These are the most amazing doughnuts I’ve ever eaten. First time frying doughnuts and they turned out perfect!