Prepare to be amazed.
French Cruller Donuts are the lightest, most airy donuts you will ever taste. Crispy, golden exterior with a tender interior that practically melts in your mouth. My mama said she’ll take these donuts over Krispy Kreme any day and when she says something like that, it’s a BIG deal.
Why you'll love my recipe.
Bakery style donuts at home
I’m not a professional pastry chef but I would say these donuts come pretty close to bakery perfection.
Fluffy and soft
One bite will make you roll your eyes to the back of your head and back.
Affordable
For a fraction of the cost, you can make enough donuts to feed your family and your neighbors.
Simple ingredients
Avoid artificial flavors, preservatives and additives with homemade donuts.
What are French Cruller Donuts?
French Cruller Donuts are made of choux pastry dough, the same dough used in my Éclair Cake recipe and homemade churros too. The texture is much more delicate, light and crispy than a typical yeasted donut. My recipe makes a bakers dozen. 12 donuts plus one for the chef!
What kitchen tools do I need to make French Cruller Donuts?
These kitchen tools/gadgets will make your French cruller donut experience easier and more enjoyable! See below for any substitutions.
A candy thermometer
When the donuts are placed into oil that is not hot enough, it easily absorbs the oil and becomes very greasy. It’s an essential tool to have in the kitchen. Shop my exact kitchen thermometer here. (Affiliate link)
A kitchen scale
Accuracy in volume is how you get these donuts to taste like bakery style crullers. I promise, you can do it! It’s very straightforward and easy.
Piping bag with a star tip
To pipe the dough into ring shapes before frying. If you buy them in a bundle with piping bags on Amazon, they are very affordable. Shop piping bags with tips here. (Affiliate link) You may also find some at select craft stores. I used the #2C Drop Flower Tip from Michael’s Craft Store. Click here to shop. I prefer to use their piping bags as well. The quality is stronger and something I am more familiar with. Click here to shop my exact bags.
Stand mixer
A stand mixer with the paddle attachment works best to thoroughly mix the ingredients. You may also substitute with an electric hand mixer.
Heavy-bottomed pot
A cast iron or Dutch oven distributes the hot oil temperature more evenly than a typical stainless steel pot.
Parchment paper
The dough is very sticky. Shaping on sheets of parchment paper and cutting around each donut is necessary in order to safely place into the hot oil.
How to make Pâte à Choux (choux pastry).
Choux pastry is a light and airy dough made from four ingredients: water, butter, flour and eggs. It is first cooked on the stovetop to create a paste-like dough, and then fried, where it puffs up.
Step 1: Heat the water and butter
In a medium saucepan, combine butter, water, sugar and salt. Heat until butter is melted and mixture starts to simmer.
Step 2: Mix in flour
Add the flour all at once. Stir vigorously with wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the mixture forms into a smooth ball, no more flour is visible and pulls away from the sides. There should be film sticking on the bottom of the pan. That’s when you know it’s ready. Remove from the sauce pan into a bowl. Set aside to slightly cool for about 10 minutes. It should still be warm to the touch.
Step 3: Beat one egg at a time
Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer to beat one egg at a time until fully combined. By the last egg, the dough will become smooth, shiny, sticky and thick.
Step 4: The “V” shape test
When you lift beater out of the dough, it should form a “v” shape that slowly breaks off. This indicates the dough is the right consistency.
If you measured the ingredients with a scale, which I highly recommend and strongly encourage, you won’t have this problem. But if you do, here’s how to remedy the situation. If the dough is too runny, fix it by adding a tablespoon of flour until the dough achieves the proper thickness. If the dough is too stiff, add a teaspoon of water until the dough becomes smoother.
Expert tips for making French Cruller Donuts.
Set an alarm when frying
Frying these crullers will require some patience and attention. Setting a 2 minute timer for each side is very helpful to manage the time. It’s also a great indicator of the oil temperature. The donuts should be getting golden at the 2 minute mark on each side.
Accurately measure your ingredients
The best accuracy and consistency for this recipe comes from weighing the dry and wet ingredients. Slight variations have the possibility to significantly impact the final product. This is true for all bread and pastry recipes. Read more about the importance of How to Measure Flour here.
Use a candy thermometer
The best temperature for these donuts are between 340°F to 345°F / 171°C to 174°C. If the oil is too high, the outside of the crullers will burn and the center will be undercooked. If the oil is too low, the donuts will absorb more oil, making them heavy and greasy. To avoid those two things, the best practice is to stay within the recommended frying temperature and watch for any fluctuation of the thermometer. Shop my exact thermometer here. (Affiliate link)
Do I need to glaze the donuts?
Although it’s not absolutely required, please trust me when I say it’s a necessity! I can’t imagine a classic French cruller donut without it. The donut on it’s own is not sweet at all. Try it first before you skip it. The glaze is fairly thin and mostly there for flavor. Just a quick dip in our glaze is what brings this entire recipe together. TRUST ME!
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
You can make the choux pastry dough ahead of time, up to one day. Cover tightly with cling wrap or plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before placing the dough in the piping bag, shaping and frying. The dough will stiffen up when chilled and makes it hard to pipe. Soften it with your hands by pressing the bag between your palms.
How to store leftovers.
French cruller donuts best are served same day. Cover leftovers tightly with plastic wrap and store at room temperature. They are still incredibly soft next day but I wouldn’t stretch it more than that.
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French Cruller Donuts
Ingredients
For the donuts:
- 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour fluffed, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
For the glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons hot water
Instructions
- I highly recommend switching to the metric measurements and weighing the dry and wet ingredients for best accuracy. Read through the recipe before starting and measure all your ingredients in advance. Go back and watch my full video tutorial, read my expert tips and extended instructions with photos.
Make the choux pastry.
- In a medium saucepan, combine butter, water, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt. Heat until butter is melted and mixture is simmering.1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, Pinch of salt, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the flour all at once. Stir vigorously with wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the mixture forms into a smooth ball and pulls away from the sides. There should be film sticking on the bottom of the pan. That's when you know it's ready. Remove from the sauce pan into a bowl.1 cup + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Place in the stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes. You may turn on the mixer to mix the dough to release some heat and help it cool down. By the end of the 5 minutes, it should still be warm to the touch. With the mixer on medium speed, beat one egg at a time until fully combined.
- With the mixer on medium speed, beat one egg at a time until fully combined. By the last egg, the dough will become smooth, shiny, sticky and thick.4 large eggs
Refrigerate the choux pastry.
- Transfer the choux pastry dough into a bowl. Lay cling wrap or plastic wrap directly on the surface of the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This is not optional.
Prepare to donuts.
- Heat oil in a large, heavy bottom Dutch oven or pot, about 3-inches deep. Use a thermometer to keep the temperature between 340°F to 345°F / 171°C to 174°C. A cast iron or Dutch oven distributes the hot oil temperature more evenly than a typical pot. This may take up to 20 minutes.
- While the oil is preheating, prepare a piping bag with a large star tip. I used the #2C drop flower tip. Fill the bag about halfway with the choux pastry dough and twist the end so the dough stays contained in the bag and doesn't spill out from the top. Set aside to warm up to room temperature while you prepare for the next steps.
- Use a black permanent marker and a small cup about 3-inches in diameter, to draw 13 circles on a large sheet of parchment paper.
- Then, place a clean sheet of parchment paper on top. Use the lines as a guide to pipe a thick circle, leaving about 2-inches in the center, overlapping the ends together. There should be enough dough for 13 donuts total. Cut the parchment paper around each donut.
Fry the donuts.
- Place a wire rack on top of a baking sheet next to the pot.
- Gently place three donuts into the oil at a time, leaving space for them to puff up and move around. The oil should bubble immediately when you place the donuts. If it doesn't it's not hot enough. If the donuts immediately turn brown, the oil is too hot. After 10 seconds, the parchment paper will separate from the donut. Use tongs to safely remove the paper from the pot.
- Set a timer for 2-3 minutes on each side. Do not fry each batch for more than 6 minutes.
- Remove the donuts from the oil using a slotted spoon and place on the wire rack. Repeat until you have no more donuts.
- Combine the glaze ingredients together and whisk until smooth. While the donuts are still warm, dip the tops only in glaze and set aside on the rack to drip any excess off.2 cups powdered sugar, 2 Tablespoons hot water
Nutrition
The provided nutritional value above is an estimate per serving. 100% accuracy is not guarenteed. Please see Nutrition Information Disclaimer in our Privacy Policy.
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The most amazing, soft donuts!
Thanks, Mike!
I consider myself to be a connoisseur of donuts. In our house we have a day of the week dedicated to devouring donuts called Donut Mondays, where we scope out the highest rated donut shops in our area and try both new recipes and old favorites each week. Patricia’s French Cruller Donut recipe is simply amazing! The ratio of sweetness to donut is right on point. The donuts are light and airy and not greasy in the slightest. Her donuts were just as delicious the next day which is not typical of most donuts. Majority of donuts are really only good to be eaten the day of and are particularly sad when eaten the next day. Patricia’s French Cruller Donuts are just as delicious when eaten on the second day as they are when they are freshly made. I’m a bit sensitive to textures but the texture to these donuts in particular is very enjoyable. Patricia’s recipe is best donut recipe I’ve come across yet and is a must try for anyone who has a love of donuts like I do!
Hi Ligia! Okay this has to be our sweetest comment yet!! Thank you for taking the time to sharing this lovely review. 🙂 We appreciate you!
I knew I to make this recipe when I saw Patricia post it on Instagram. The only terrible part is I had to make a second batch so do yourself a favor and double the recipe!! They literally melted in my mouth. You will not be disappointed.
These are the kind of reviews we love to get! Thank you, Dae! 🙂
These were the best French cruller donuts I’ve ever had. My bakery always runs out of them first. I’m so glad I found a recipe I can make at home and tastes just as good. Do yourself a favor and double the recipe.
Hi Bogdan, thank you so much for the review! We’re very proud of this recipe and I’m glad to see you’re enjoying it as much as we are. Happy baking!
These are amazing!!
Thank you, Bre! 🙂