Boston Cream Donuts Recipe

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 2 30

Cook Time: 20

Proof: 1

Total Time: 3 50

Servings: donuts

Calories: 275kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

These homemade Boston cream pie donuts are soft, fluffy yeast donuts filled with vanilla pastry cream and finished with a glossy chocolate glaze. A classic bakery favorite made completely from scratch.

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US Customary - Metric

Equipment

Kitchen Scale (optional)
Stand Mixer (optional)
Baking Sheet
Dutch Oven
Deep Frying Thermometer
Piping Tip Set

Ingredients

For the Donuts:*

7 ounces water lukewarm (110°F)
2 tablespoons milk lukewarm (110°F)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ ounce active dry yeast (1 envelope)
3¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature, cubed (¾ stick)
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Pastry Cream:**

¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup milk
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (⅛ stick)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Glaze:

⅔ cup semisweet chocolate chips
⅓ cup heavy cream

Instructions

For the Donuts:

Grease a medium bowl. 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 active 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, ½ 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 on the prepared baking sheet. Re-roll the remaining dough, cut out the remaining donuts and add them to the baking sheet.
Cover the donuts with with plastic wrap, and let proof for 15 minutes, or until puffy.
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.
2 large egg yolks
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.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and add in the butter and vanilla. Stir until smooth.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pour into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and press it directly on surface. Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.

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. Pour the heated cream over the chocolate chips and let sit for 1 minute. Whisk it all together until the chocolate it fully melted.
⅓ cup heavy cream

Assemble the Donuts:

Using a small knife, cut a hole in the side of each donut about ¾ of the way into the donut.
Fill a piping bag with a round tip with the cream. Pipe a generous amount of vanilla cream into the center of each donut.
Swirl the top of the donut in the glaze and allow to sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

*Fry store-bought biscuit dough for a quicker, denser donut that still tastes great.

**If you’re short on time, prepared instant vanilla pudding can be used instead of homemade pastry cream. It will be softer and sweeter, but works well for a quicker version. Chill well before filling.

Dough Tips:

The yeast mixture should look foamy after 5 minutes. If it doesn’t, start over or the donuts won’t rise properly.
The dough should be smooth and slightly tacky, not dry. Add flour sparingly when rolling.
Donuts should look puffy, not doubled, before frying. Overproofed dough can collapse in hot oil.

Frying Tips:

Keep the oil steady at 350-360°F. Too hot = dark outside, raw inside. Too cool = greasy donuts.
Fry in small batches. Crowding drops the oil temperature and affects texture.
Flip only once. About 2 minutes per side is plenty for light, fluffy donuts.

Pastry Cream Tips:

Stir constantly; Pastry cream thickens fast and can scorch easily.
Temper the eggs slowly, adding the hot milk mixture gradually to avoid scrambled yolks.
Chill completely before piping. Warm cream will leak and soften the donuts.

Filling & Glaze Tips:

Let the donuts cool fully before filling. Warm donuts melt the cream and thin the glaze.
No piping bag? Use a zip-top freezer bag and snip off a corner.
Don’t overfill. Pipe just until you feel resistance so the donut doesn’t burst.
Glaze when slightly warm, not hot. This helps the chocolate set with a smooth finish.
Optional toppings: Sprinkles or chocolate shavings stick best while the glaze is still soft.

Make-Ahead: You can make the pastry cream up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate until ready to use; fry the donuts the day you plan to fill and glaze for the best texture.

Storage: Store Boston cream donuts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Nutrition