Description
Indulge in these decadent Crème Brûlée Doughnuts that combine the rich, creamy custard filling of traditional crème brûlée with fluffy, fried doughnuts. Topped with a caramelized sugar crust, these gourmet doughnuts are a perfect dessert treat that offers a crisp brûlée topping with a soft, luscious center.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Doughnuts
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup warm milk
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- Vegetable oil for frying
For the Pastry Cream Filling
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Brûlée Topping
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add warm milk, eggs, and softened butter. Mix until a dough forms, then knead for 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1–2 hours or until doubled in size.
- Shape the Doughnuts: Punch down the dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to ½-inch thickness. Cut into rounds using a 3-inch cutter. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise for another 30–45 minutes.
- Fry the Doughnuts: Heat oil in a deep pot to 350°F (175°C). Fry doughnuts in batches for 1–2 minutes per side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and let cool.
- Make the Pastry Cream: Heat milk in a saucepan until steaming. In a bowl, whisk sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch until pale. Slowly whisk in the hot milk, then return mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Chill until set.
- Fill and Caramelize: Fill a piping bag with pastry cream and insert into cooled doughnuts to fill generously. Sprinkle granulated sugar on top of each doughnut and use a kitchen torch to caramelize until golden and crisp.
- Serve: Serve immediately for the best crackly brûlée topping.
Notes
- If you don’t have a kitchen torch, place sugared doughnuts under a hot broiler for 1–2 minutes, watching closely to avoid burning.
- Pastry cream can be made a day ahead and kept chilled until ready to use.
- Be careful while frying to maintain the oil temperature for even cooking and best texture.
- Ensure doughnuts are completely cooled before filling to prevent the cream from melting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 doughnut
- Calories: 340
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 160mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 44g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
