Creme Brulee Doughnuts

Use your thumbs (or the back of a spoon) to crack through the smooth-as-glass sugar topping of these pastry cream-filled creme brulee doughnuts.

Breaking into a creme brulee doughnut is almost as satisfying as tasting it. Every aspect of classic creme brulee is infused into these bursting yeasted doughnut puffs, from the quintessential vanilla custard to the caramel topping that shatters like glass. If you’ve always wanted to try creme brulee doughnuts, set aside a day for this hands-on baking project. You’ll be making the dough, the caramel topping, and the pastry cream from scratch, so it admittedly takes a little time—but it’s more than worthwhile for anyone looking for their next baking project.

How to Make Creme Brulee Doughnuts

To make creme brulee doughnuts, prepare the doughnut dough, let it rise, then roll it out and cut out the shapes. As they rise once more, you can prepare the pastry cream on the stovetop. Once the pastry cream is ready, cool it down with an ice bath, then chill the pastry cream in the fridge so it can set up.

As the cream chills, fry the doughnuts, then let them cool to room temperature. Add the chilled pastry cream to a piping bag. Cut a slit in each doughnut, then fill them with the pastry cream.

Finally, make the caramel topping, then carefully dip each doughnut, allowing any excess to run off. Allow the caramel to set, then enjoy your creme brulee doughnuts!

Ingredients for Creme Brulee Doughnuts

• Yeast: Make sure you buy active dry yeast, not instant yeast. If yours has been sitting in the pantry for a while, check the expiration date.
• Milk: Heat the 2% milk to 110° to 115°F so it can proof the yeast. Be careful not to bring the milk to a boil, or it will boil over the edges and curdle.
• Flour: All-purpose flour is our preferred type of flour for yeasted doughnuts. It creates a strong structure for the doughnut to hold its shape while also holding the pastry cream.
• Eggs: You’ll need a good amount of eggs for this creme brulee doughnut recipe. There are three in the dough and four in the pastry cream. Separate the egg whites from the yolks for six of the seven eggs.
• Sugar: There’s sugar in the dough, the pastry cream and the caramel topping. Make sure you have enough for all three measurements.
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch thickens the pastry cream, making it custardy.
• Oil: Safflower oil, sunflower oil, corn oil and canola oil are considered to be the best oils for frying. They all have a neutral taste (so they won’t affect the doughnuts’ flavor) and a high smoke point.

Directions

Step 1: Activate the yeast

In a large bowl, dissolve the active dry yeast in the warm milk. Add 1 cup of all-purpose flour and mix it well. Let the mixture stand in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Step 2: Prepare the dough

Add the egg, the egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar and the salt, and mix them well.

Beat in the softened butter, vanilla extract and remaining 2-1/2 cups of all-purpose flour. Do not knead the dough. Instead, cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or storage wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Editor’s Tip: If the yeast and milk mixture does not froth and foam after 10 minutes, discard it and start again, or your dough won’t rise. Make sure the milk is up to temperature and the yeast isn’t expired.

Step 3: Start the pastry cream

Meanwhile, in a small, heavy saucepan, stir together the sugar and cornstarch, then whisk in the whole milk. Cook and stir the mixture over medium heat until it’s thickened and bubbly. Reduce the heat to low, then cook and stir it for two minutes longer. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Step 4: Temper the eggs

In a small bowl, whisk a small amount of the hot mixture into the egg yolks. Return the mixture to the saucepan, whisking constantly as you pour. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, and cook and stir it for two minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately transfer the pastry cream to a bowl.

Editor’s Tip: Tempering is tricky at first, but just remember to work quickly and whisk vigorously; otherwise, the egg yolks will turn into scrambled eggs floating in hot milk.

Step 5: Chill the pastry cream

Place the bowl of pastry cream in an ice-water bath for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the butter and vanilla extract. Press storage wrap directly onto the surface of the pastry cream so a skin doesn’t form. Refrigerate the pastry cream until it’s cold.

Step 6: Cut out the doughnuts

Punch down the dough with your knuckles. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out to 1/2-inch thickness.

Cut out the doughnuts with a 3-inch biscuit cutter. Place the rounds on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover them and let them rise until they’ve nearly doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Step 7: Fry the doughnuts

In a deep-fat fryer or electric skillet, heat the oil to 375°. Fry the doughnuts, a few at a time, until browned, about 1 minute and 30 seconds to 2 minutes on each side. Remove the doughnuts from the oil and drain them on paper towels.

Editor’s Tip: Try not to crowd the fryer with doughnuts, or you can cause a dangerous boil-over. Between batches, let the oil return to temperature. Too-cold oil will make the doughnuts soggy and greasy.

Step 8: Fill them with pastry cream

Cut a small hole in the tip of a pastry bag and insert a small pastry tip. Fill the bag with the prepared pastry cream.

Once the doughnuts are cool enough to handle, use a small knife to pierce a hole into the side of each one, then fill them with pastry cream.

Step 9: Make the creme brulee topping

In a small heavy saucepan, stir the sugar and water together until all the sugar is moistened. Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, gently swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved.

Cover the saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook it for one minute. Uncover the pan and continue to boil and gently swirl the syrup until it turns a light amber color, about five minutes. Immediately remove the saucepan from the heat.

Step 1o: Dip the doughnuts

Carefully dip the tops of the doughnuts into caramel, allowing any excess to drip off back into the saucepan. Place them on a wire rack and let them stand until the caramel has set. Crack the sugar and enjoy a doughnut!

Creme Brulee Doughnuts Variations

• Flavor the pastry cream: Our pastry cream recipe tastes like a creme brulee filling, but you can easily add extracts, berries, cocoa powder, coffee powder or liqueurs to give it a different flavor.
• Add citrus zest: Freshen up the flavor of the doughnuts with citrus zest. You can add a teaspoon or two of orange, lemon or grapefruit zest to the dough or the pastry cream.

How to Store Creme Brulee Doughnuts

If you have any leftover creme brulee doughnuts, transfer them to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to four days. They’ll lose their integrity and get a big soggy as the days go on, so try to eat them within two days.

Can you make creme brulee doughnuts ahead of time?

I do not recommend making creme brulee doughnuts ahead of time. Doughnuts are always best eaten the day they’re made. However, you can make the pastry cream the day beforehand and keep it covered and stored in the fridge. Mix the pastry cream back up with a whisk before piping it into the doughnuts.

Creme Brulee Doughnuts Tips

Why are my creme brulee doughnuts raw in the middle?

Your creme brulee doughnuts may have turned out raw in the middle because the oil was too hot. When the oil is too hot, it will cook the outside quickly without heating the center. You probably pulled them when they were browned, not realizing the inside wasn’t done cooking. It’s never a bad idea use a thermometer to monitor and maintain the temperature of the oil when deep-frying.

Why isn’t my dough rising?

Your dough isn’t rising because the yeast was likely not activated properly. When proofing yeast, make sure the milk is between 110° and 115°. Anything colder may not activate the yeast, and anything warmer could kill it. Also, check the yeast’s expiration date before using it.

Another reason your dough may not be rising is that your kitchen is too cold. Dough rises more reliably in a warm environment. Turn your oven onto the lowest setting, then turn it off after a few minutes. Immediately stick your dough in there (in a heatproof bowl), uncovered, and let it rise until doubled in size.

Can you just use store-bought caramel sauce for the creme brulee topping?

Unfortunately, no, store-bought caramel sauce will not harden like a creme brulee’s signature topping. Caramel sauce contains milk and butter, so it will keep its sauce-like consistency. The homemade caramel in this recipe will set like hard caramel candies, creating that satisfying, crackly creme brulee top.