Easy French Crullers Recipe
If your last Dunkin’ run left you without your favorite French crullers in hand, I have great news for you. You can make this delicate pastry right at home with a few simple steps that are far easier than making a yeast-raised donut. My recipe results in a light donut with a soft and airy texture on the inside, and a crisp golden exterior on the outside. It’s then topped with a sweetened glaze. These French crullers are an irresistible melt-in-your-mouth treat that pairs perfectly with a morning cup of coffee for breakfast. Hot out of the fryer, this freshly made ring-shaped donut with fluted edges is impossible to pass up and you may find yourself eating more than just one! This classic treat tastes just like you picked it up from the coffee shop, but just like my copycat Starbucks caramel macchiato and pumpkin cream cheese muffins, homemade is always better!
What’s a French Cruller?
Ever wondered what type of pastry dough is used in crullers? These donuts are made with an egg-based dough, also known as pâte à choux dough. This is the same dough that eclairs, cream puffs, and many churros are made from. This chouxnut fried pastry dough is lighter and more delicate than a traditional doughnut batter because as choux dough is fried it becomes incredibly light and airy. This creates the delicate texture that French crullers are known for!
Difference Between French Crullers and Donuts?
The main difference between the two is that donuts are either made with yeast dough. Or, for cake donuts, a cake-like batter that has been leavened by baking powder or baking soda. French crullers, on the other hand, are made with the egg-based pâte à choux pastry dough. While both pastries are normally round, a cruller will have ridged edges that are perfect for absorbing the sweet glaze. Since there is no yeast in a cruller, they are faster to make. Typically classic yeast based donuts take around 3 hours to make, but this French cruller recipe can be made in as little as an hour and a half. The original Dunkin’ Donuts cruller was discontinued in 2003 but now you have a homemade version that’s even better!
Ingredients in French Crullers
Only simple ingredients that most likely any basic cook will have on hand are needed to make the pâte à choux pastry dough and glaze including the following:
Water Unsalted butter Granulated sugar Salt Vanilla extract All-purpose flour Eggs Egg whites Confectioners’ sugar Corn syrup
Note: All ingredients amounts are listed in the recipe card section when you keep scrolling down.
How to Make French Cruller Donuts
They may look and sound fancy, but these airy donuts are actually easy to make at home, so let’s take it step-by-step. Step 1: Make the choux pastry first by combining the water, butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bringing it to a boil. Step 3: Add in the flour and stir until the mixture begins to coat the bottom of the pan and then remove it from the heat. Step 4: Stir until a smooth dough forms. Step 5: Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and gently mix on medium speed until the dough has cooled slightly. Step 6: Add the whole eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Repeat the same process with your egg whites. Continue to mix until a thick shiny dough forms. Step 7: Preheat oil temperature to 375 F and spoon your dough into a large pastry bag fitted with a large open star tip and then pipe the dough into circles onto prepared parchment paper squares. Step 8: Place the circle of dough and parchment paper into the preheated hot oil. Remove the parchment paper with tongs and fry your donuts for about 2-3 minutes on each side until they are a deep golden color. Repeat the frying process with the remaining dough, always checking to ensure the temperature of the oil remains at 375 degrees F. Step 9: Glaze – Combine the powdered sugar, corn syrup, hot water, and vanilla and whisk to combine. The French cruller donuts are only going to need between 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden in color. Don’t burn them by getting distracted! Finally, don’t overcrowd your frying pot. The more crullers you add, the more the temperature of the oil drops, which affects how nicely – or not – the crullers will turn golden and done. It’s better to fry them in batches. Less is more when it comes to frying. Step 10: Using a fork, dip your warm French crullers into the bowl of glaze making sure to completely cover the doughnut. Step 11: Place back on a wire cooling rack to let the excess glaze drip and then enjoy your fresh donuts!
Serving Suggestions
Whether you want to eat your homemade crullers for breakfast, brunch, or a snack, there’s really no wrong time to eat a donut or pastry in my opinion. Especially when they’re of the French-inspired variety. For those of you who really want to impress, you can make them and serve them as part of a Brunch Board. For special occasions like a birthday, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, Easter, or Mother’s Day, or holiday events, this French cruller recipe will be the talk of the town.
Storage Instructions
Like most donuts and pastries, these amazing Dunkin’ copycat French crullers are best served fresh. However, you can store French crullers in an airtight container at room temp for 2 to 3 days. If you find them to get a little hard, you can zap them in the microwave for 5 seconds or so. Just be careful not to overheat them.
More Easy Donut Recipes:
Baked Vanilla Donuts — Making donuts at home is easier than you think! Full of rich vanilla flavor in both the batter and the glaze, these donuts are a family FAVORITE. They’re baked and not fried so you can have seconds! Perfect for springtime, Easter, and Mother’s Day but you can change the glaze color to suit the season or your mood! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes! Baked Chocolate Sprinkle Donuts with Chocolate Ganache — Making donuts at home is as easy as making muffins! These chocolate sprinkle donuts are baked rather than fried so you can have seconds, of course! Banana Donuts with Browned Butter Caramel Glaze — Banana bread in the form of soft, fluffy baked donuts and donut holes!! No-mixer recipe that’s as easy as making muffins! The glaze makes them IRRESISTIBLE!! Baked Lemon Donuts with Lemon Glaze — These taste like the Starbucks lemon loaf, but in donut (or mini muffin) form!! Easy, no mixer recipe with a tart-yet-sweet lemon glaze that’s PERFECT! Lemon lovers will adore them!! Baked Chocolate Peanut Butter Donuts with Vanilla Peanut Butter Glaze — The ultimate flavor combo of chocolate + peanut butter in easy baked donut form! Baked Eggnog Donuts with Rum Glaze — Easy and perfect for the holidays to use up that eggnog! Baked Cinnamon Bun Donuts with Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze — Do you like cinnamon buns? Brownie points if you love Cinnabon cinnamon rolls like I do? If you’re a cinnamon roll fan, you’re going to love these donuts.
