Small Batch Crème Brûlée Donuts
These crème brûlée donuts are soft, buttery, and filled with silky vanilla bean custard, then finished with a crisp brûléed sugar top. The dough is rich and fluffy, the filling is creamy and custardy, and that crackly caramelized top makes them feel so special.
They’re a small batch, which makes them perfect for a weekend baking project when you want something bakery-style but not a dozen-plus donuts sitting around.
Donut Dough
Ingredients
305 g all-purpose flour
135 g warm milk, not hot
1 tsp honey
5 g yeast
35 g granulated sugar, divided
1 large egg
½ tsp kosher salt
60 g unsalted butter, room temperature
Vanilla Bean Custard Filling
Ingredients
290 ml whole milk
85 ml heavy cream
70 g granulated sugar
3 egg yolks
28 g cornstarch
½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped, or 2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
25 g unsalted butter
Brûlée Topping
Ingredients
105 g granulated sugar, for torching
Instructions
Make the Donut Dough
In a measuring cup, combine the warm milk, honey, yeast, and 10 g of the sugar. Give it a stir and set aside until the yeast looks foamy.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, salt, and remaining sugar.
Whisk the egg in a small bowl and set aside.
Fit the mixer with the dough hook. Mix on low and slowly pour in the yeast mixture.
Add the egg and continue mixing. The dough will take a little while to look like it’s coming together, so be patient here. Keep mixing on medium-low for about 6–7 minutes.
Once the dough comes together and looks smooth, turn off the mixer and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Turn the mixer back on low and slowly add the butter, about 1 tablespoon at a time. At first, it may look like the butter will not mix in, but it will. Just keep slowly adding and mixing.
Once all the butter has been added, mix on medium speed for another 5–6 minutes. The dough should look elastic, glossy, and smooth. It should also pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Cover the bowl with a tea towel or plate and let the dough proof for 2–3 hours, or until almost doubled in size. If your kitchen is cold, it may need longer. You can also do a slow overnight proof in the fridge.
Make the Custard Filling
In a saucepan, heat the milk, heavy cream, vanilla bean seeds, and half of the sugar until steaming.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, remaining sugar, cornstarch, and salt until smooth and slightly lightened.
Slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture while whisking constantly.
Pour everything back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick and glossy.
Remove from heat and whisk in the butter until smooth.
Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap directly touching the surface, and chill until completely cold.
Before filling the donuts, whisk the custard until smooth again and transfer to a piping bag fitted with a filling tip.
Shape the Donuts
Once the dough has almost doubled, gently turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.
You can shape the donuts one of two ways:
Option 1: Roll the dough to about 1-inch thickness and cut rounds.
Option 2: Divide the dough into 6–7 equal pieces and roll each piece into a smooth, tight bun.
Place each donut onto an individual lightly floured parchment square.
Transfer to a baking sheet.
To speed up proofing, preheat your oven to 170°F, then turn it off as soon as it reaches temperature. Place the tray of donuts inside the warm turned-off oven.
Let the donuts proof until puffy and light, about 30–45 minutes. They should look airy and slightly jiggly when the tray moves.
Fry the Donuts
Heat neutral oil in a heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F.
Carefully lower the donuts into the oil, a few at a time, using the parchment squares to help transfer them.
Fry for about 1½–2 minutes per side, or until deeply golden.
Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined tray.
Let the donuts cool completely before filling.
Fill and Brûlée
Use a small knife or piping tip to make a hole in the side of each donut.
Fill each donut generously with the chilled vanilla custard.
Sprinkle the top of each donut with an even layer of granulated sugar.
Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar until golden, glossy, and crackly.
Let the sugar set for a minute before serving.
Notes
These are best enjoyed the day they’re made, especially after the sugar is torched. The top stays crisp, the donut stays soft, and the custard is cold and creamy in the center.
For the cleanest brûlée top, fill the donuts first, then torch right before serving.
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Small Batch Crème Brûlée Donuts
These crème brûlée donuts are soft, buttery, and filled with silky vanilla bean custard, then finished with a crisp brûléed sugar top. The dough is rich and fluffy, the filling is creamy and custardy, and that crackly caramelized top makes them feel so special.
Ingredients
- 305 g all-purpose flour
- 135 g warm milk, not hot
- 5 g yeast
- 35 g granulated sugar, divided
- 1 large egg
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 60 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 290 ml whole milk
- 85 ml heavy cream
- 70 g granulated sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 28 g cornstarch
- ½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped, or 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 25 g unsalted butter
- 105 g granulated sugar, for torching
Instructions
- In a measuring cup, combine the warm milk, yeast, and 10 g of the sugar. Give it a stir and set aside until the yeast looks foamy.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, salt, and remaining sugar.
- Whisk the egg in a small bowl and set aside.
- Fit the mixer with the dough hook. Mix on low and slowly pour in the yeast mixture.
- Add the egg and continue mixing. The dough will take a little while to look like it’s coming together, so be patient here. Keep mixing on medium-low for about 6–7 minutes.
- Once the dough comes together and looks smooth, turn off the mixer and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Turn the mixer back on low and slowly add the butter, about 1 tablespoon at a time. At first, it may look like the butter will not mix in, but it will. Just keep slowly adding and mixing.
- Once all the butter has been added, mix on medium speed for another 5–6 minutes. The dough should look elastic, glossy, and smooth. It should also pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- Cover the bowl with a tea towel or plate and let the dough proof for 2–3 hours, or until almost doubled in size. If your kitchen is cold, it may need longer. You can also do a slow overnight proof in the fridge.
- In a saucepan, heat the milk, heavy cream, vanilla bean seeds, and half of the sugar until steaming.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, remaining sugar, cornstarch, and salt until smooth and slightly lightened.
- Slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture while whisking constantly.
- Pour everything back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick and glossy.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the butter until smooth.
- Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap directly touching the surface, and chill until completely cold.
- Before filling the donuts, whisk the custard until smooth again and transfer to a piping bag fitted with a filling tip.
- Once the dough has almost doubled, gently turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.
- You can shape the donuts one of two ways:
- Option 1: Roll the dough to about 1-inch thickness and cut rounds.
- Option 2: Divide the dough into 6–7 equal pieces and roll each piece into a smooth, tight bun.
- Place each donut onto an individual lightly floured parchment square.
- Transfer to a baking sheet.
- To speed up proofing, preheat your oven to 170°F, then turn it off as soon as it reaches temperature. Place the tray of donuts inside the warm turned-off oven.
- Let the donuts proof until puffy and light, about 30–45 minutes. They should look airy and slightly jiggly when the tray moves.
- Heat neutral oil in a heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F.
- Carefully lower the donuts into the oil, a few at a time, using the parchment squares to help transfer them.
- Fry for about 1½–2 minutes per side, or until deeply golden.
- Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined tray.
- Let the donuts cool completely before filling.
- Use a small knife or piping tip to make a hole in the side of each donut.
- Fill each donut generously with the chilled vanilla custard.
- Sprinkle the top of each donut with an even layer of granulated sugar.
- Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar until golden, glossy, and crackly.
- Let the sugar set for a minute before serving.
Notes
These are best enjoyed the day they’re made, especially after the sugar is torched. The top stays crisp, the donut stays soft, and the custard is cold and creamy in the center.
For the cleanest brûlée top, fill the donuts first, then torch right before serving.
