French Crullers With Vanilla Glaze
These airy ring-shaped crullers are made from choux pastry, the same simple cooked dough used for cream puffs. Fry them until lightly golden, then dip them in a thin vanilla glaze while they are still warm.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Yield
- 12 crullers
- Difficulty
- Medium
Prep 30mCook 20mFrench-AmericanDesserts
A French cruller is lighter than a yeast doughnut and more delicate than a cake doughnut. The dough is cooked briefly in a saucepan, beaten with eggs, piped into rings, and fried until crisp on the outside and tender inside.
The star-shaped ridges are not just for looks. They help the crullers puff evenly and give the glaze plenty of little edges to cling to.
This recipe is very doable at home if you use a thermometer and give the dough a few minutes to cool before adding the eggs. The frying step moves quickly, so have your parchment squares, rack, and glaze ready before you start.
01What you'll need
Ingredients
14 items · 12 crullers
- For the crullers:
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- Neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable oil, for frying, about 2 quarts
- For the vanilla glaze:
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
- 2 tablespoons whole milk, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of fine salt
02How to make it
Step-by-step
1. Cut the parchment
Cut twelve 4-inch squares of parchment paper and lightly grease them. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet for draining the fried crullers. Fit a piping bag with a large open star tip, about 1/2 inch wide.
3. Add the flour
Remove the pan from the heat and add the flour all at once. Stir hard with a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula until no dry flour remains. Return the pan to medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. The dough should pull away from the sides and leave a light film on the bottom of the pan.
4. Beat in the eggs
Transfer the hot dough to a mixing bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. The dough will look slippery at first, then come back together. It is ready when it is smooth, thick, and glossy.
5. Pipe the rings
Spoon the dough into the prepared piping bag. Pipe a 3-inch ring onto each parchment square, joining the ends as neatly as you can. If the dough has a small peak where you stop piping, smooth it with a damp fingertip.
6. Heat the oil
Pour the oil into a heavy pot so it is at least 2 inches deep, with plenty of space above it. Heat to 350°F. Use a deep-fry or candy thermometer and adjust the heat as needed. Too-cool oil makes greasy crullers; too-hot oil browns the outside before the inside sets.
7. Fry the crullers
Carefully lower 2 or 3 crullers into the oil, parchment side up or down, depending on what feels safest. After about 30 seconds, the parchment will loosen; remove it with tongs. Fry the crullers for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until puffed and golden. Transfer to the rack to drain.
8. Glaze while warm
Whisk the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and pinch of salt until smooth. The glaze should be thin enough to coat but not watery. Dip the warm crullers into the glaze, let the excess drip off, and place them back on the rack until the glaze sets.
03From our kitchen
Cook's tips
- Make-ahead: The choux dough is best fried the day it is made. You can pipe the rings onto parchment, cover them loosely, and refrigerate for up to 2 hours before frying.
- Storage: Crullers taste lightest within a few hours of frying. Store leftovers loosely covered at room temperature for 1 day. An airtight container softens the glaze and crust.
- To refresh: Warm unglazed or lightly glazed crullers in a 300°F oven for 5 to 7 minutes. They will not be quite as crisp as fresh, but the texture improves.
- Milk swap: You can use 2% milk instead of whole milk. The crullers will be slightly less rich but still work well.
- No piping bag: Use a strong zip-top bag with the corner cut off, but the crullers will not have the classic ridges unless you use a star tip.
- Frying safety: Never fill the pot more than halfway with oil. Lower each cruller gently, and keep a lid nearby in case you need to smother a flare-up. Do not use water on hot oil.
Cook's note
Nutrition is an estimate per glazed cruller using USDA standard values and assumes about 1/3 cup of frying oil is absorbed by the full batch. Actual oil absorption will vary with oil temperature, frying time, and draining.
04Frequently asked
Questions & answers
Why did my crullers deflate after frying?
They may have been undercooked or fried in oil that was too hot. The outside can brown before the inside has enough time to set. Keep the oil close to 350°F and fry until the crullers feel light and are evenly golden.
Can I bake these instead of frying them?
You can bake choux pastry, but baked crullers will be closer to cream puff rings than fried doughnuts. For baking, pipe the rings on parchment and bake at 425°F for 10 minutes, then reduce to 350°F until dry and golden.
Can I reuse the frying oil?
Yes, if it did not smoke or smell burnt. Let it cool completely, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve, and store it in a sealed container. Reuse it for another sweet fried recipe, not for savory foods like fish.
Why is my choux dough runny?
The dough may not have cooked long enough before the eggs were added, or the eggs may have been extra large. If it is only slightly loose, let it rest for 10 minutes before piping. If it is very runny, it is difficult to fix and may not hold a ring shape.
Do I need a thermometer for frying crullers?
A thermometer is strongly recommended. Crullers are delicate, and the right oil temperature helps them puff, cook through, and avoid soaking up too much oil.
05Per serving
Nutrition facts
Nutrition Facts
12 crullers
Amount per serving
% Daily Value*
- Total Fat16 g
- 21%
- Saturated Fat6 g
- 30%
- Cholesterol84 mg
- 28%
- Sodium150 mg
- 7%
- Total Carbohydrate25 g
- 9%
- Dietary Fiber0 g
- 0%
- Total Sugars16 g
- Protein4 g
- 8%
- Vitamin D0.6 mcg
- 3%
- Calcium28 mg
- 2%
- Iron0.8 mg
- 4%
- Potassium53 mg
- 1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
05Keep cooking
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