Creme Brulee Filled Donuts

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My Creme Brulee donuts feature airy doughnuts filled with silky vanilla custard and a caramel shell that cracks when you bite into it. These are way better than anything from your local shop!

two creme brulee donuts on top of each other filled with vanilla custard and topped with a crispy caramel shell.

I love making homemade doughnuts. We've previously shared Bomboloni, zeppole, cronuts, and even Copycat Krispy Kremes! This new mashup might be our best yet! It takes everything you love about soft pillowy doughnuts and crunchy creme brulee and combines them into one pastry! They're perfect for holiday brunch and are worth every second in the kitchen. Serve with a strong cup of coffee.

Why Our Recipes Is The Best: A Sprinkle of Food Science

We Temper The Eggs: Adding hot milk to eggs too quickly can cause them to scramble. Instead, we gradually add a little a time to gradually raise the temperature for a super smooth never lumpy filling.
We Drop Them Using Parchment Paper: Placing the doughnuts onto small individual parchment paper sheets helps them keep their shape and doesn't deflate the airy interior we worked so hard to get!
We Double Dip: This gives a super crunchy crackly topping!
We Drain Them on a Wire Rack: Using paper towels can make the bottoms soggy. A wire rack allows air to circulate all around them.

Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips

ingredients including sugar, yeast, milk, flour, butter, salt, and eggs.

Yeast: Be sure your yeast is not expired. It will not work correctly and you'll have to throw out your dough and start over!
Butter: Be sure your butter is softened not cold or melted. Around 30-60 minutes on the counter should do the trick!
Flour: Measure your flour correctly by spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling with a knife. Do not scoop flour using the measuring cup. You'll likely use too much leading to dry dense doughnuts.
Milk: Use whole milk for the best results. You could use half and half for the custard if you're wanting something extra rich and indulgent.
Eggs: Bring eggs to room temp to help them mix in smoothly.
- Easily separate the whites from the yolks: Break egg into a bowl and use a clean empty plastic water bottle to suction up to yolk!
Oil: Use a neutral flavored oil with a high smoke point. Canola, vegetable oil, and peanut oil are my go tos!

a 4 image collage showing how to activate yeast, mix batter, and shape and cut out dough for donuts.

Krystle's Tips: Steal My Culinary School Secrets

Make the Custard First: It needs an hour or two to chill. This way it will be ready when your doughnuts are done frying!
Use Warm Not Hot Milk: It needs to be warm to help activate the yeast, but not so warm it kills it off. It should feel like warm bath water and be around 105-110 degrees.
Don't Add Too Much Flour: Since this is an enriched dough (with butter and eggs) it is going to feel stickier than bread dough. Don't be tempted to add more flour just keep kneading!
Use a Deep Fry Thermometer: If the temperature is too warm the outside will burn before the inside is cooked. Or, if it's too low they can absorb too much oil and turn out greasy. Fry just a few at at time and be sure to bring the oil back up to temp. between batches as well.
Swirl Don't Stir: Only swirl the pan of caramel. Stray sugar crystals can cause the whole thing to seize up. You can also use a wet pastry brush on the sides of your pan to prevent this.

Can I Make These Ahead?

Yes, after the first rise punch down the dough and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before cutting the doughnuts out to rise again. You can also make the pastry cream up to a day ahead.