Strawberry Glaze (For Donuts, Cakes & Scones)

This homemade strawberry glaze is made from fresh (or frozen) strawberries cooked down to a concentrated sauce for deep berry flavor, then whisked with powdered sugar and cream to make the perfect pourable icing. The simple 4-ingredient recipe is ready in 20 minutes, and the creamy pink glaze is great drizzled over donuts, a small cake, or just about any dessert.

Home baker truth time — this recipe practically happened by accident. I was testing a batch of strawberry scones and had a handful of leftover strawberries. Rather than toss them into my smoothie, I combined them with a little powdered sugar and cream. And poof — creamy strawberry glaze was born.

Yes, there are a few more steps than that, but trust me, this glaze is easy. As I developed it further, my main priority was making sure the strawberry flavor came through strong — no faint pink hint, no artificial syrup.

The trick is reducing the strawberries down into a thick, concentrated sauce, the same technique I lean on for the base of my strawberry pudding for two. It’s a few extra minutes on the stove, but it’s the difference between a glaze that tastes like real strawberries and the stuff that comes in a tub from the store.

How To Make Strawberry Glaze

My preference is fresh strawberries for their bright flavor, but frozen berries work just as well if you’re making this glaze out of season.

First, puree the strawberries in a small blender. To keep the glaze smooth and seed-free, strain the puree through a mesh strainer set over a small saucepan.

Heat the puree over medium heat until it thickens and has reduced by about half. Be careful not to overheat it, or it can turn into jelly or even scorch. Let the sauce cool in a mixing bowl for a few minutes before adding the remaining ingredients.

Add powdered sugar, a little heavy cream, and a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness. Mix the glaze until it is creamy and smooth. That’s it — ready to drizzle.

A Glaze For (Almost) Everything

• Cookies – Shortbread, sugar cookies, or spoon it over my strawberry biscuit cookies.
• Cakes – Spectacular on an angel food cake with a handful of fresh berries.
• Strawberry shortcake – Drizzle it over the shortcakes before the whipped cream goes on.
• Donuts and breakfast pastries – Vanilla donuts are a must, but it’s just as good over muffins and waffles.

Before You Drizzle

Fresh out of the bowl, this glaze is thick but pourable — somewhere between a sauce and a pourable icing. It’s easy to dial in: for a thinner, more drizzle-able glaze, add an extra splash of cream; for a thicker glaze that sits up on top of a cookie, add more powdered sugar a spoonful at a time.

As it sits, the glaze will set and firm up slightly — enough to lose its wet shine, but nowhere near as hard as royal icing. It won’t fully harden on its own, so if you need a firmer set for stacking or shipping, work in a little extra powdered sugar. For the prettiest finish, drizzle it on the same day you plan to serve.

Fresh Strawberry Glaze For Donuts, Cakes, and Scones

5 from 1 review

A 4-ingredient strawberry glaze recipe made with fresh (or frozen strawberries) cooked down for deep flavor, then whisked smooth with powdered sugar and cream. Ready in 20 minutes, the icing is great drizzled over donuts, scones, cakes, or any dessert.

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by Erin Cernich

Yield6 Servings

Prep20 minutes minutes

Total Time20 minutes minutes

Equipment

• ▢
  Blender
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  Small Heavy Duty Saucepan
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  Fine Mesh Strainer

Ingredients

• ▢ ½ cup (36 g) strawberries, fresh or frozen
• ▢ ½ cup (30 g) powdered sugar
• ▢ 2 to 4 teaspoons heavy whipping cream
• ▢ 1 pinch salt

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Instructions

 

• ▢
  Puree the strawberries in a blender or food processor. I recommend fresh strawberries if in season, otherwise frozen strawberries will work. 
  1/2 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen
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  Strain the strawberry puree through a mesh strainer set over a medium saucepan to remove the seeds (this is optional, if you are ok with seeds). Heat over medium heat until the puree thickens to a thick sauce. After reducing, you should be left with about 1/4 cup.
• ▢
  Transfer the strawberry sauce to a bowl to cool.
• ▢
  Add the powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons of cream, and the salt. Whisk until the glaze is smooth. Add more cream (or powdered sugar), a teaspoon at a time, to reach your desired consistency.
  1/2 cup powdered sugar, 2 to 4 teaspoons heavy whipping cream, 1 pinch salt
• ▢
  The glaze is ready to be used immediately on your favorite baked treat! Leftovers can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature to use and, if needed, add a small splash of cream and stir to loosen. The glaze will harden at room temperature.

Notes

• Serving Size – This is a smaller batch recipe that is easily doubled. 
• Yield – As written, the recipe will yield about 1 cup of glaze. Enough to drizzle over a small batch of donuts, scones, muffins, cookies, and a small cake. For a full coverage donut glaze, I recommend doubling the recipe to make sure you have enough to dunk the donut.
• Strawberry Reduction – Heating the strawberries removes extra moisture and leaves you with a deep strawberry flavor. You can choose to only puree the strawberries; if so, the glaze will be lighter in flavor.  
• Glaze Consistency – The strawberry glaze will be thick and creamy, and will harden slightly at room temperature. 
• Storage – Store the glaze in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. I do not recommend freezing the glaze.

Nutrition Estimates

Calories: 24kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 0.4mg | Potassium: 10mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 13IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.03mg

Nutrition information is calculated by a third-party and should only be considered an estimate and not a guarantee.