Custard-Filled Donuts
intro
Fluffy golden fried yeast donuts stuffed with smooth vanilla custard, dusted with powdered sugar for a nostalgic, indulgent sweet treat perfect for holiday baking.
Ingredients
Steps
Combine Initial Dough Ingredients
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 500g (4 cups) all-purpose flour, 7g (2 1/4 tsp) instant dry yeast, 60g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar, and 1 tsp fine sea salt. Add 240ml (1 cup) warm whole milk (heated to 38°C/100°F), 2 room-temperature whole eggs, 57g (4 tbsp) melted and cooled unsalted butter, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Mix with a dough hook attachment on low speed for 8 minutes, until a smooth, elastic dough forms that pulls cleanly away from the bowl sides. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let rest in a warm, draft-free spot for 60 minutes, until the dough doubles in volume.
Punch Down and Roll Dough
While the dough rises, make the vanilla custard. Heat 480ml (2 cups) whole milk in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until it just begins to steam (82°C/180°F, do not bring to a boil). In a separate heatproof bowl, whisk 4 egg yolks, 100g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar, and 30g (2 tbsp) cornstarch until smooth and pale yellow. Slowly pour 1/3 of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs, then pour the combined mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking nonstop for 3-4 minutes, until the custard thickens to a pudding-like consistency that coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat, stir in 28g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter and 1 tsp vanilla extract, transfer to a shallow bowl, press plastic wrap directly against the custard surface, and chill for 60 minutes.
Heat Oil and Fry Donuts
Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it firmly in the center to release trapped air, then turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough to an even 1.25cm (1/2 inch) thickness, then use a 7.5cm (3 inch) round cookie cutter to cut out 8 uniform donut circles, re-rolling dough scraps only once to avoid tough donuts. Arrange the cut donuts 5cm (2 inches) apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover loosely with a damp towel, and let rise for 30 minutes in a warm spot until puffy and 1.5 times their original size.
Fill Donuts with Custard
Heat 1.5L (6 cups) vegetable oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until it reaches 175°C/350°F, monitored with a clip-on candy thermometer. Carefully lower 2-3 donuts at a time into the hot oil, taking care not to splash oil or overcrowd the pot. Fry for 90 seconds (1.5 minutes) per side, until deep, even golden brown, then use a slotted metal spoon to transfer donuts to a wire rack set over a baking sheet to cool for 15 minutes before filling.
Once donuts are cooled, use
Once donuts are cooled, use a small paring knife to cut a 2cm (3/4 inch) slit in the side of each donut, wiggling the knife gently to create an internal pocket for the filling. Transfer the chilled custard to a piping bag fitted with a 1cm (1/2 inch) round piping tip, insert the tip into the slit in each donut, and squeeze gently to pipe ~60g (1/4 cup) of custard into the center, stopping when the donut feels full and a tiny amount of custard peeks out of the slit. Dust the tops of all filled donuts evenly with 60g (1/2 cup) powdered sugar before serving.
Tips
2.Pressing plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the warm custard (rather than just covering the bowl top) is critical to prevent a thick, rubbery skin from forming as the custard chills.
3.Wait the full 15 minutes for fried donuts to cool before filling: hot donuts will melt the chilled custard, causing it to thin and leak out of the slit instead of staying creamy inside.
OMG these are SO good! I made them for my kid’s soccer team potluck last weekend and every single one was gone before I even got a second one myself. The custard is perfectly rich, not too sweet, and the donut dough is so fluffy I could cry. Only thing I messed up the first time was letting the oil get too hot, so keep an eye on that temp! Worth every minute of the 2.5 hour prep, no cap.
Took me a minute to get the hang of the dough proofing since my apartment is so cold this time of year, but once I did? Game changer. The custard came out silky smooth, no lumps at all if you follow the tempering steps exactly. Knocked a star off only because I wish there was a note about how long you can store these after filling—mine got a little soggy after 2 days in the fridge.
I was so intimidated to make homemade donuts since I’m a total beginner, but this recipe was way more doable than I thought! My roommates lost their minds when they smelled these frying, said they tasted better than the fancy donut shop down the street from our dorm. 10/10 will be making these every Sunday for meal prep to get me through early lecture days.
My kids loved it!!! I’ve tried so many copycat custard donut recipes over the years and this is the first one that actually tastes like the ones I got from the corner bakery growing up. I added a tiny splash of vanilla bean paste to the custard instead of regular extract and it made the flavor so much deeper. Absolute staple in our house now.
I’ve been making custard donuts for my grandkids for 40 years, and I have to say this recipe is almost as good as my old handwritten one! The dough texture is spot on, and the custard ratio is perfect—no skimping on the filling like so many other recipes do. My only tip is to make sure you poke a deep enough hole in the donut before piping so the custard gets all the way to the middle.
Taste was great, but man this was way more time consuming than I expected for a weekend treat. I think I messed up the custard because it came out a little runny even after cooking it for the time listed, so oozed everywhere when I bit into it. Might try again when I have a full free afternoon with no plans to rush through the steps.
Wasn’t sure how these would turn out since I mostly do savory cooking on my offset smoker, but my wife begged me to try these for her birthday and they were a home run. I fried them up in my cast iron dutch oven outside so the house didn’t smell like oil for days, worked like a charm. She said they’re better than the donuts we got on our honeymoon in Boston, so that’s a win in my book.
Made these for my weekly brunch meetup with the girls and they were the star of the spread! I did a little mix of toppings: some powdered sugar, some glazed, some with sprinkles for fun. Only complaint is that the dough doubled way faster than I expected on my warm countertop, so I had to rush to roll it out before it got too puffy. Will absolutely make again though.
Solid recipe! Made a double batch for my weekly meal prep and they held up way better than I thought for quick breakfasts on my way to the gym. I did find that the custard recipe made a little less than I needed for a full double batch of donuts, so I’d recommend making 1.5x the custard if you’re doubling to make sure every donut is fully stuffed.
Just pulled these out of the fryer and oh my GOD, still warm, oozing custard, I feel like I’m at a state fair. I was worried the medium difficulty rating meant I’d mess it up, but the step by step instructions were so clear even I could follow them. Game changer, no more $5 donut shop runs for me!