You ever go into a bakery or Tim Hortons and think: “I can make that”? Well, here’s your chance to make Boston Cream Donuts. It’s actually one of my mom’s favourite donut. She mentioned she was craving it so, like the good daughter I am, I decided to make it myself! It’s actually pretty easy to make, just like with anything involving yeast, takes some patience.
Boston Cream Donuts are classic. You get the soft, fluffy donut, the creamy custard filling, and the chocolate ganache on top. The origin probably is from someone who couldn’t decide between a pastry, pudding, and chocolate, so they combined all three. I’m a huge fan of whoever that is.
It's a dessert. It's breakfast. It's a snack. It’s whatever you need it to be when you need to justify eating one.
The result is deliciously filled donuts that make you question why you ever thought store-bought was good enough. Seriously, Boston Cream Donuts are the kind of treat that makes you feel like a pastry chef, minus the fancy hat.
Kitchen equipment for this recipe
- Mixing bowls
- Kitchen scale (I like to weigh out most of my ingredients for accuracy, I also think it’s more efficient when measuring things out over measuring cups!)
- Stand mixer (I used KitchenAid)
- Rolling pin
- Cookie cutter (For minis, use a 3″ cutter. For standard donuts, use a 5″ cutter. If you don’t have either, use a flour-rimmed cup)
- Piping bags (I used disposable ones)
- Chopstick or skewer
Ingredients for Boston Cream Donuts
For the donuts: milk, active dry yeast, white sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, salt, and vegetable oil for frying.
For the custard filling: sugar, salt, cornstarch, milk, egg yolks, vanilla extract, and unsalted butter.
For the chocolate ganache: semi-sweet or dark chocolate bars and heavy cream.
*These are the main ingredients. The full list of ingredients and measurements can be found at the bottom of this post!*
How to make Boston Cream Donuts
1. In a medium bowl, gently whisk the milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of the sugar together. Set aside for 10-15 minutes until foamy. Add the egg yolks and vanilla to the yeast mixture. Stir well to combine.
2. Prepare your stand mixer with the hook attachment. In the mixing bowl, add the yeast mixture, butter, flour, salt and remaining sugar. Start on low speed until flour is well distributed. Turn it up to medium speed for 8-10 minutes.
3. Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise in a warm environment for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size. I placed mine in the oven (off of course).
4. While the dough is proofing, mix the sugar, salt, and cornstarch together in a small bowl.
5. In another large bowl, add the egg yolks and dry mixture and beat for 1 minute or until pale yellow. Set aside.
6. In a small saucepan, heat the milk over medium-high heat until it just comes to a simmer. Remove from heat. Slowly ladle 2 spoonfuls of the milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking vigorously. Pour the egg milk mixture back into the saucepan.
7. Continuously whisk over medium heat, until it starts bubbling and thickens like custard. Remove from heat. Whisk the vanilla and butter into the custard until smooth, then transfer the custard to a bowl.
8. Cover the custard with plastic wrap, carefully pressing the plastic directly against the surface of the custard to avoid a skin forming. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until completely.
9. Deflate the dough by punching it down. Place onto a floured surface and the dough until ½ inch thick.
10. For smaller donuts, use a 3″ cookie cutter to cut rounds from the dough (I used a wine glass, floured the rim). For standard donut size, use a 5” cookie cutter.
11. Knead the remaining dough back into a ball and continue to roll it out and cut rounds until you’ve used as much dough as you can.
12. Place the donuts on a lightly greased baking sheet 1” apart. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and allow them to rise for 20-30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
13. Heat the oil in a large pot to 360F. Place the donuts into the hot oil, working in batches. Fry for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. Flip to fry for another minute (Add 30 seconds on both sides if 5″ donuts). Remove the donuts with a slotted spoon or chopsticks onto a paper towel lined surface to soak up the remaining oil while you fry the rest.
14. Whisk the custard until smooth and into a piping bag fitted with a piping tip (I used disposable piping bags). Insert a skewer or chopstick into each donut to create a pocket inside for the custard. Insert the tip of your piping bag into a donut and fill with custard.
15. Place chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer. DO NOT let it boil. Immediately pour over chocolate, then let it sit for 3 minutes covered.
16. Mix with a spatula until smooth and creamy (The finer you chopped the chocolate, the quicker it will melt with the cream). Set aside for 20-30 minutes until the ganache starts to thicken (if you start dipping immediately, the chocolate will be too runny). Gently dip one side of the donut into the ganache and set aside, chocolate side facing up.
Tips for a successful Boston Cream Donut
Proof the yeast. If it doesn’t foam after 10-15 minutes, your yeast is dead. Start over with new yeast.
Roll the dough evenly. Aim for about half an inch. This ensures even frying and avoids lopsided donuts.
Don’t overcrowd the pot. Fry a few donuts at a time, giving them space to cook evenly. For minis, I fried 6 at a time.
Make sure the oil is the right temp. If it’s too cool, the donuts will soak up oil. Too hot, and they burn.
Let the custard cool. It needs time to set before filling the donuts, or you’ll have a runny mess.
FAQ
Can I use a hand mixer instead of a stand mixer? Sure, but be prepared for an arm workout. Stand mixers are easier, but a hand mixer with dough hooks will work.
How do I know if the oil is hot enough? Use a thermometer to check. You want it around 360°F. The temperature will drop when you start putting the dough in fyi.
Can I use a different filling? Absolutely. If you prefer jam, Nutella, or whipped cream, go for it. Just don’t call it a Boston Cream Donut anymore.
How do I get the custard into the donuts? Use a piping bag with a tip. Insert a skewer or chopstick to create a pocket inside the donut, then fill it with custard.
What if my donuts turn out dense? You probably overworked the dough. Keep mixing to a minimum and let it rise properly. It’s all about balance.
Why is my ganache too runny? You didn’t let it set long enough. Give it time to thicken, or add more chocolate if needed.
And that’s it for Boston Cream Donuts! Pretty easy, right? Just follow the recipe, enjoy the process, and don’t be afraid to eat a couple while no one’s looking. You earned it. 🙂 Tag me on Instagram or Tiktok or DM me a photo if you make this recipe!
Boston Cream Donuts
- Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 15 1x
Description
Ingredients
DONUTS
- 1 cup milk, lukewarm
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- vegetable oil about 1L for frying
CUSTARD
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 cups milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
- 4 oz semi sweet or dark chocolate bars finely chopped
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
DOUGH
-
In a medium bowl, gently whisk the milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of the sugar together. Set aside for 10-15 minutes until foamy. Add the egg yolks and vanilla to the yeast mixture. Stir well to combine.
-
Prepare your stand mixer with the hook attachment. In the mixing bowl, add the yeast mixture, butter, flour, salt and remaining sugar. Start on low speed until flour is well distributed. Turn it up to medium speed for 8-10 minutes.
-
Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise in a warm environment for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size. I placed mine in the oven (off of course)
CUSTARD
-
While the dough is proofing, mix the sugar, salt, and cornstarch together in a large bowl.
-
Add the egg yolks to the dry mixture and beat for 1 minute or until pale yellow. Set aside.
-
In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium-high heat until it just comes to a simmer. Remove from heat.
-
Slowly ladle 2 spoonfuls of the milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking vigorously.
-
Pour the egg milk mixture back into the saucepan.
-
Continuously whisk over medium heat, until it starts bubbling and thickens like custard. Remove from heat. Whisk the vanilla and butter into the custard until smooth, then transfer the custard to a bowl.
-
Cover the custard with plastic wrap, carefully pressing the plastic directly against the surface of the custard to avoid a skin forming. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until completely cooled.
DONUTS
-
Deflate the dough by punching it down. Place onto a floured surface and the dough until ½ inch thick.
-
For smaller donuts, use a 3″ cookie cutter to cut rounds from the dough (I used a wine glass, floured the rim). For standard donut size, use a 5” cookie cutter.
-
Knead the remaining dough back into a ball and continue to roll it out and cut rounds until you’ve used as much dough as you can.
-
Place the donuts on a lightly greased baking sheet 1” apart. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and allow them to rise for 20-30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
-
Heat the oil in a large pot to 360F. Place the donuts into the hot oil, working in batches. Fry for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. Flip to fry for another minute (Add 30 seconds on both sides if 5″ donuts). Remove the donuts with a slotted spoon or chopsticks onto a paper towel lined surface to soak up the remaining oil while you fry the rest.
FILL
-
Whisk the custard until smooth and into a piping bag fitted with a piping tip (I used disposable piping bags). Insert a skewer or chopstick into each donut to create a pocket inside for the custard. Insert the tip of your piping bag into a donut and fill with custard.
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
-
Place chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl.
-
Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer. DO NOT let it boil.
-
Immediately pour over chocolate, then let it sit for 3 minutes covered.
-
Mix with a spatula until smooth and creamy (The finer you chopped the chocolate, the quicker it will melt with the cream.)
-
Set aside for 20-30 minutes until the ganache starts to thicken (if you start dipping immediately, the chocolate will be too runny)
-
Gently dip one side of the donut into the ganache and set aside, chocolate side facing up.
- Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Donuts
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