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Baked Crème Brûlée Donuts Recipe

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4 from 10 reviews

Delight in these decadent Baked Crème Brûlée Donuts featuring a rich pastry cream filling and a crisp caramelized sugar topping. These baked, not fried, donuts offer a perfect balance of creamy and crunchy textures, evoking the classic French dessert experience in donut form. Ideal for a special brunch or dessert treat, they combine tender, fluffy dough with luscious vanilla pastry cream and the signature crackly brûlée sugar topping.

Ingredients

Pastry Cream Filling

  • 1 & 1/2 cups (360mL) milk
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Donut Dough

  • 3/4 cup (180mL) lukewarm milk (around 110°F)
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar, divided
  • 2 & 1/4 teaspoons (7g) instant or active dry yeast
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 & 1/2 cups (300g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (plus more for kneading)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (for coating bowl)

Sugar Topping

  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (60mL) water
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Make the pastry cream filling: Pour milk into a medium saucepot and heat over medium until steaming with edges bubbling. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until smooth. Slowly temper the egg mixture by whisking hot milk into it. Strain mixture back into saucepot and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it boils and thickens to pudding consistency (5-10 minutes). Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap touching surface to prevent skin and chill 1-2 hours until cold and set.
  2. Prepare the donut dough: Warm the lukewarm milk gently, then whisk together milk, 1 tablespoon sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Let sit 5-10 minutes until foamy. Add remaining sugar, egg, vanilla, and melted butter and whisk to combine. Stir in half the flour until mixture forms sticky dough, then add remaining flour and salt, mixing until it forms a ball.
  3. Knead the dough: Turn dough onto floured surface and knead 5-10 minutes, adding flour as needed until smooth and elastic. Oil a large bowl and place dough inside, turning to coat with oil. Cover and let rise in warm place 45 minutes to 1 hour, until doubled in size.
  4. Shape and rise donuts: Punch down dough and roll out to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with 3-inch round cutter to form donuts. Place cut donuts 3 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Reroll scraps and repeat. Cover and let rise 30-45 minutes until doubled.
  5. Bake the donuts: Preheat oven and bake donuts in center rack for 10-12 minutes until puffed and golden. Remove to wire rack and cool completely before filling.
  6. Fill donuts: Using a sharp paring knife, make a hole in the side of each donut. Fill a piping bag with chilled pastry cream, snip tip, and fill each donut until cream pushes out slightly. Refrigerate filled donuts until ready to top.
  7. Make the sugar topping: In a medium skillet, combine sugar, water, and salt. Heat over medium-high without stirring, swirling pan gently until sugar dissolves and begins to boil. If sugar crystallizes on edges, cover briefly until melted, then uncover. Cook until sugar is honey-colored, remove from heat, and let sit 1 minute to deepen amber color. If needed, return briefly to heat, careful not to burn.
  8. Caramelize tops: Using long tongs, dip tops of donuts quickly into caramelized sugar. If sugar hardens, warm gently to liquefy again. Place coated donuts on wire rack or parchment to set sugar topping for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • Ensure milk for yeast mixture is warm but not hot to avoid killing yeast.
  • If yeast does not foam in milk, check for freshness and correct temperature.
  • Do not overbake donuts to keep them soft and tender.
  • Caramelized sugar topping should be done just before serving to maintain crispness.
  • Use a heat-safe bowl and plastic wrap to prevent pastry cream skin formation.
  • The donuts are best enjoyed on the day of making for optimal texture and freshness.

Find it online: https://bitezly.com/baked-creme-brulee-donuts-recipe/