If you love pie and donuts, this recipe for Boston Cream Pie Donuts is perfect for you. These donuts are creamy, soft, and sweet.
Boston Cream Donuts Recipe
When you are in the mood for a sweet breakfast treat, prepare these Boston Cream Pie Donuts. They are easier to make than you might think, but they are also tasty and great to have on the go.
If you would like to indulge in a chocolate, creamy treat for breakfast, try one of these donuts! Once you have one, you will never go back to buying donuts from the bakery because you make them fresh at home.
The Boston Cream Donuts Recipe is simple and easy to follow. You can make a dozen and serve these to your family for breakfast, bring them into work with you, or even take them to a family gathering.
You will impress everyone with these fresh, sweet, and flavorful donuts that have a creamy, sweet center and a chocolate glaze that is out-of-this-world amazing.
Why You’ll Love this Chocolate Boston Cream Pie Donuts Recipe:
- Combo dessert – It combines two sweet treats – donuts and pie! You can have both of your favorites simultaneously.
- Freezer friendly – You can prepare them and save them in your fridge or freezer to keep them fresh for longer periods.
- Easy – The recipe is not difficult to follow. You might think making donuts is a complicated process, but this recipe proves it is so simple.
How to Make Boston Cream Donuts from Scratch
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Combine your yeast, sugar, milk, and water in a bowl.
- Add the rest of your ingredients into the bowl.
- Knead your dough.
- Put your dough in a greased bowl, cover it, and allow it to double in size within one hour.
- Place flour on a flat surface and begin rolling it out.
- Cut your donuts with a three-inch cutter.
- Allow the donuts to proof.
- Drop two donuts into the hot oil, cooking until slightly golden on both sides.
- Combine sugar, milk, and cornstarch in a pot on the stove.
- Add some of the egg yolks and whisk these ingredients together.
- Bring it to a boil then remove and add butter and vanilla.
- Pour into a bowl and allow to cool.
- Add it to a piping bag and pipe into the center of the donuts.
- Heat cream and pour it over chocolate chips.
- Dip the top of the donuts into the chocolate glaze.
The Boston Cream Pie originated in Boston, Massachusetts, which is the reason for its name. The traditional dessert consists of yellow cake filled with cream and covered in a chocolate glaze.
To proof yeast means to dissolve it in warm liquid (often with a little bit of sugar) and leave it for a few minutes, or until foamy. Proofing yeast ensures that it is alive and vigorous enough to make your dough rise.
Save time by using canned biscuit dough. You would simply skip the steps that involve preparing the dough if you decide to use canned biscuit dough for your Boston Cream Pie Donuts.
Put your Boston Cream Pie Donuts in a large container with a lid. If you do not have a lid, cover the container with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Store them in the refrigerator to keep them fresh for up to 3 days. You can freeze the donuts for up to 2 months if need be.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- If you do not have a piping bag, you can always use a large plastic freezer storage bag for your cream filling.
- You can prepare the donuts in the air fryer instead of frying them in oil on the stovetop.
- Add some of your favorite sprinkles on top of the chocolate glaze. You can use any sprinkles that you like.
These Boston cream pie donuts are a fun recipe to make! They are not a quick dessert, but they are worth the time. The result is a perfect cream filled donut covered in chocolate glaze!
If you make this recipe be sure to leave us a comment or rating. Enjoy!
Boston Cream Donuts
Ingredients
For the Donuts
- 7 ounces water 198 grams, lukewarm (110°F)
- 2 tablespoons milk 28 grams, lukewarm (110°F)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 38 grams
- ¼ ounce fast-acting dry yeast 1 envelope
- 3¾ cups all-purpose flour 450 grams
- 1 large egg 50 grams, room temperature
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 85 grams, room temperature, cubed (¾ stick)
- ⅓ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Pastry Cream
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 50 grams
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch 8 grams
- 1 cup milk 227 grams
- 2 egg yolks 28 grams
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 14 grams
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
For the Chocolate Glaze
- ⅔ cup semisweet chocolate chips 113 grams
- ⅓ cup heavy cream 76 grams
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Stand Mixer (optional)
Instructions
For the Donuts
- Grease a medium bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly flour it. Line a wire rack with paper towels. Set all aside.
- Combine the warm water, milk, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Whisk to dissolve the yeast. Allow the yeast to proof for about 5 minutes or until it starts to foam.7 ounces water, 2 tablespoons milk, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, ¼ ounce fast-acting dry yeast
- Add the remaining donut ingredients to the bowl with the yeast mixture. Stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook or to a clean work surface to knead by hand. Knead on low speed (or by hand) for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is nice and smooth.3¾ cups all-purpose flour, 1 large egg, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, ⅓ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Place the dough into the greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until almost doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Punch the dough down and roll out on a lightly floured surface to ½-inch thick. Use a 3-inch cutter to cut the donuts. Place the donuts onto the prepared baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and let proof for 15 minutes. Re-roll the remaining dough, cut out the remaining donuts and add them to the baking sheet.
- Heat 2 inches of oil in a Dutch oven to 350-360°F. Drop 2-3 donuts at a time and fry until golden, about 2 minutes per side.
- Remove the donuts from the oil and place on the prepared paper towel-covered wire rack. Let cool before filling.
For the Pastry Cream
- Add the sugar, cornstarch, and milk to a large saucepan and mix until smooth. Cook, stirring continuously, over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken and boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat.¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 cup milk
- Add a little bit of mixture to the egg yolks and whisk together, then add the egg mixture back to the milk mixture. Place the saucepan back on the heat and bring to a light boil. Allow to boil for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.2 egg yolks
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and add in the butter and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Pour into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and press it directly on surface. Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.1 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Glaze
- Add the chocolate chips to a medium bowl. Set aside.⅔ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- Add the cream to a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Heat until just below boiling point.⅓ cup heavy cream
- Pour the heated cream over the chocolate chips and let sit for 1 minute. Whisk it all together until the chocolate it fully melted.
- Fill a piping bag with a round tip with the cream. Using a small knife, cut a hole in the side of each donut about ¾ of the way into the donut and pipe a generous amount of vanilla cream into the center of the donut.
- Swirl the top of the donut in the glaze and allow to sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- I recommend making the pastry cream while the donuts proof to save time.
- If you do not have a piping bag, you can always use a large Ziplock storage bag for your cream filling.
- You can prepare the donuts in the air fryer instead of frying them in oil on the stovetop.
- Add some of your favorite sprinkles on top of the chocolate glaze. You can use any sprinkles that you like.
I think your measurements are a little off 7 cups of water is not an accurate measurement in ratio to 3 3/4 flour you end up with soup not dough
The correct measurement for the water is 7 ounces, not 7 cups. Sorry for the confusion!