This post may contain affiliate links. Read my Disclosure page.
Ok, I love making donuts. I always put it off because it seems like too much work... but then I do it, and I wonder why I don’t make them all the time because homemade donuts are the BEST. And these Vanilla Bean Honey Glazed Crullers are no exception.
What Are Crullers?
Crullers are different than your regular-yeasted or cake donuts as they are made with pâte à choux, a very light, eggy pastry dough. Choux pastry uses eggs and steam as the only leavening agents (read: no yeast, baking powder, or baking soda).
Choux pastry is made on the stovetop by cooking flour, butter, and water (and sometimes milk) until a dough forms. The cooked dough is then cooled slightly before eggs are added. This is done using a stand mixer in my recipe, but you can easily do it by hand using a wooden spoon. The eggs transform the dough into something truly magical, making it glossy and smooth. In the case of fried crullers like these, the mixture is then piped into circles with a large open star pastry tip and fried immediately. There's no need to rest the dough.
Crullers are delicious when glazed, and this vanilla bean honey glaze is UNREAL... but they're also tasty freshly fried and simply tossed in cinnamon sugar.
Tips for Making Vanilla Bean Honey Glazed Crullers
- Have an extra whisked egg on hand, as you want to add eggs until the batter is glossy and shiny, and sometimes this may mean you need some (or all) of the extra egg.
- Once you've piped your crullers, place them in the freezer while you wait for your oil to heat to the correct temperature. Just 10 minutes in the freezer will help them keep their defined ridges/shape.
- Fry more than one cruller at a time, as this will help your oil stay at temperature (as opposed to getting too hot), but don't overcrowd the pot.
Looking for more donut recipes? Check these out!
Chocolate-Stuffed Churro Donuts
Baked S'mores Donuts
Baked Apple Cider Donuts
Vanilla Bean Honey Glazed Crullers
Ingredients
For the Crullers:
- 120 g milk
- 120 g water
- 90 g unsalted butter
- 15 g granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 125 g all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs plus one extra whisked egg, if needed (see below)
- canola oil for frying
For the Vanilla Bean Honey Glaze:
- 240 g powdered sugar
- 85 g honey
- 45 g milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or seeds scraped from one vanilla bean
Instructions
- Cut parchment paper into about sixteen 4x4-inch squares, set aside.
- Make the crullers: Place the milk, water, butter, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, remove the pan from the heat and add the flour, stirring with a wooden spoon until the flour is completely incorporated.
- Place the pan back over medium heat and continue to cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes to steam away as much water as possible. (The more moisture you can remove, the more eggs you can add later and the lighter your pastry will be.) The mixture is ready when a thin film coats the bottom of the pan.
- Move the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix for about 1 to 2 minutes to allow it to cool. Then mix on medium speed and add the first egg. Let it mix in completely and then scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the remaining eggs, one at a time, and mix in completely until the paste becomes smooth and glossy. If the consistency is right, when you pull the paddle up the dough sticking to the paddle should hang down in a V shape ribbon that slowly breaks off. If your batter isn't the right consistency, add some of the additional whisked egg. Once your dough is the right consistency, transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip.
- Pipe circles onto the parchment paper squares, ending each with a little flick of your wrist and place on a baking sheet.
- Fry the crullers: Heat at least 2 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot until a thermometer registers 360-370°F (180-190°C). Working in batches, place two crullers at a time into the oil paper side up. Remove the parchment paper with tongs. Fry on each side until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove fried crullers with tongs and drain on a paper towel. Repeat with the rest of the piped crullers.
- Make the vanilla bean honey glaze: Whisk the powdered sugar, honey, milk, and vanilla bean paste together in a medium bowl until smooth and combined. Add more powdered sugar if the glaze is too thin or more milk if the glaze is too thick.
- Dip cooled crullers in glaze and set on a wire rack until the glaze has set.
Nutrition
MikeBakesNYC LLC owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this website unless authorization is given. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. Read my Disclosure page. This post may contain affiliate links.
Tania
Hi! Do you recommend eating at once, or can I make these in advance and serve hours later? I know donuts need to be fresh but hoping since these are different, they will stay better at room temperature?
Michael Johnson
These crullers follow suit with traditional yeasted donuts and are best eaten on the same day when fresh!
Ella
Hi! Can you freeze the dough to be cooked another time/day?
Michael Johnson
Yup! After you pipe the crullers, allow them to freeze on the baking tray and then transfer them to an airtight container. I'd recommend frying them within a month!