French Crullers are a true bakery masterpiece, known for their unique shape and incredible texture. This delicate pastry isn’t just visually appealing; it delivers a delightfully light and airy bite. Crafted from a simple choux pastry base, these delicious treats offer a crispy exterior and a melt-in-your-mouth interior.
Get ready to impress yourself and your loved ones with these perfect homemade French Crullers. Our step-by-step guide makes this classic pastry surprisingly simple to create in your own kitchen. You’ll love sharing these impressive, delicate doughnuts.
Understanding the unique properties of choux pastry is key to its success, as explained in the science of choux pastry.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love These French Crullers
You’ll adore these French Crullers for their distinctly delicate, non-oily texture. Each bite offers a satisfyingly crispy exterior that gives way to a wonderfully airy interior. Despite their elegant appearance, these pastries are surprisingly simple to master, making them perfect for beginners.
They are an ideal project for weekend baking, creating a special treat without overwhelming effort. Best of all, they are incredibly versatile. You can easily customize them with your favorite glazes, adding a personal touch to every batch. Get ready to fall in love with these delightful homemade doughnuts.
Ingredients
Gather these simple ingredients to create your amazing homemade French Crullers.
- 1/2 cup (4 fl oz/115ml) whole milk
- 1/2 cup (4 fl oz/115ml) water
- 1/2 cup (4 oz/115g) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (5 oz/142g) all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 6 cups (48 fl oz/1440 ml) Vegetable oil (for frying)
- Vanilla doughnut glaze
Notes & Substitutions
- Whole milk provides richness and helps create a tender crumb in your choux pastry. Always use unsalted butter so you control the salt level, ensuring perfect balance.
- Room temperature eggs are crucial; they incorporate smoothly into the dough, preventing a curdled texture. Lemon zest adds a bright, fresh flavor, but orange zest or a hint of vanilla bean paste works beautifully too.
- For frying, opt for neutral oils like vegetable, canola, or sunflower oil. These oils have a high smoke point, ideal for achieving perfectly golden-brown French crullers without imparting unwanted flavors.
- Choosing an oil with a high smoke point is essential for successful deep frying, as detailed in this guide on best frying oils by smoke point.
Equipment
You only need a few key pieces of equipment to make these delightful crullers.
- Heavy-bottomed saucepan: Essential for cooking the choux pastry evenly.
- Stand mixer or hand mixer: For thoroughly incorporating the eggs into the dough.
- Pastry bag with large star tip (like Ateco 826 or 827): Crucial for piping the iconic cruller shape.
- Parchment paper: To help transfer the delicate dough into the hot oil.
- Candy/deep-fry thermometer: Ensures your oil maintains the ideal frying temperature.
- Slotted spoon or spider: For safely lowering and removing the crullers from the oil.
- Wire rack: Allows excess oil and glaze to drip off, keeping crullers crisp.
- Metal tongs: Useful for separating parchment from crullers and flipping during frying.
Instructions For The Best French Crullers.
Follow these steps for perfect homemade French Crullers.
Prepare the Choux Pastry
- In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the milk, water, butter, sugar, and salt to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.
- Remove the pan from the heat immediately. Add all the all-purpose flour at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth ball of dough.
- Return the saucepan to medium heat. Continue stirring and pressing the dough onto the pan for 2-3 minutes. This step dries out the dough, creating the perfect texture for light crullers.
- After a few minutes, once the dough is smooth and slightly shiny, remove it from the heat. Spread the dough out evenly in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl to help it cool quickly.
Incorporate Eggs & Chill
- Let the dough cool for about 15 minutes, until it is just slightly warm to the touch. This prevents the eggs from scrambling.
- If using a stand mixer, attach the paddle attachment. Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. The dough will look curdled initially but will become smooth.
- Once all eggs are incorporated, add the lemon zest. Mix until just combined.
- Transfer the dough to a medium bowl. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Chill the dough for at least one hour, or up to 24 hours. Chilling helps the dough stiffen, making it easier to pipe.
Pipe the Crullers
- While the dough chills, prepare your parchment paper squares. Cut eighteen 3-inch (7 ½ cm) squares of parchment paper. These squares will be your individual bases for piping.
- Once the dough is chilled and firm, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip (like an Ateco 826 or 827).
- Carefully pipe a 3-inch (7 ½ cm) circular ring of dough onto each parchment square, ensuring the ends connect to form a closed ring. Make sure your lines are clean and continuous for the best cruller shape.
Fry the Crullers
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, pour vegetable oil to a depth of 2 inches. Clip a candy/deep-fry thermometer to the side of the pot. Heat the oil to 350°F (180°C) over medium heat. If you don’t have a thermometer, heat the oil on medium and test with a tiny piece of dough; it should sizzle immediately.
- Place a wire rack on a baking sheet near the pot. Have your bowl of vanilla doughnut glaze ready next to the rack.
- Once the oil is at temperature, carefully lower a parchment square with a piped cruller into the hot oil using a slotted spoon or spider. Add only 2-3 crullers at a time to avoid overcrowding the pot and dropping the oil temperature.
- After about 1 minute, the cruller will puff up and the paper will separate. Use metal tongs to gently pull the parchment paper away from the cruller and discard it.
- Fry the cruller for about 2-3 minutes on one side until it’s golden brown. Then, carefully flip it over with your tongs and fry the other side for another 2-3 minutes, until it’s evenly golden and crisp.
Glaze and Serve
- Remove the golden-brown cruller from the oil using the slotted spoon, allowing excess oil to drip off briefly.
- Immediately dip the warm cruller into the vanilla doughnut glaze, ensuring it’s fully coated. Let any excess glaze drip off back into the bowl.
- Place the glazed cruller on the prepared wire rack to cool slightly and allow the glaze to set.
- Repeat the frying and glazing process with the remaining crullers, remembering to fry only a few at a time to maintain oil temperature.
- Serve your delicious homemade French Crullers immediately for the best taste and texture.
Pro Tips & Troubleshooting
- Achieving perfect French Crullers is easier with a few pointers. Your dough will be soft, so using parchment paper squares is key for easy transfer to the hot oil without deforming the shape.
- For even simpler handling, freeze your piped crullers on their parchment squares for 10-15 minutes before frying; this helps them hold their shape better. When frying, always prioritize safety: maintain the oil temperature carefully to prevent splatters and use appropriate tools.
- Too high oil temperature causes cracking, while too low oil temperature results in oily crullers. Store leftover dough in the fridge for up to 3 days. If your crullers turn out dense, it often means the choux pastry wasn’t cooked enough initially or the eggs weren’t fully incorporated.
Serving, Storage, & Variations
Serve your freshly made French Crullers with a hot cup of coffee, a glass of cold milk, or alongside a bowl of fresh seasonal fruit for a delightful breakfast or dessert. These pastries are truly best enjoyed the day they are made, while their crispy exterior and airy interior are at their peak.
Storage
If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a toaster oven for a few minutes to regain some crispness, though they won’t be quite the same as fresh.
Glaze Variations
Get creative with your glazes! Try a rich chocolate glaze, a warm maple syrup glaze, or a vibrant fruit glaze made with powdered sugar and a touch of fruit juice or purée.
Flavor Variations
Infuse your choux pastry with different flavors. Experiment with orange zest instead of lemon, a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg, or a teaspoon of pure vanilla bean paste for an elevated taste.
Fillings
For an extra special treat, split your cooled crullers and fill with homemade pastry cream, a dollop of whipped cream, or even a fruit compote.
Nutrition
The nutritional information for these French Crullers can vary significantly based on exact ingredient brands, preparation methods, and serving sizes. It is always recommended to use an online nutrition calculator with the specific ingredients you use for the most accurate details. Please consider this a general guide.
| Nutrient | Per Serving (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 250-350 |
| Total Fat | 15-25g |
| Saturated Fat | 8-15g |
| Cholesterol | 80-120mg |
| Sodium | 100-200mg |
| Total Carbs | 25-35g |
| Sugars | 15-25g |
| Protein | 3-5g |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a French Cruller?
A French Cruller is a distinctively shaped doughnut made from choux pastry, known for its light, airy interior and ridged, crispy exterior. It’s typically finished with a sweet glaze, offering a unique textural experience different from other doughnuts.
How is it different from other donuts?
French Crullers use a special choux pastry base, cooked on the stovetop before frying, which gives them their characteristic hollow and airy texture. This differs greatly from the denser, leavened doughs of traditional cake or yeast doughnuts.
Can I make the dough the night before?
Absolutely! You can prepare the choux pastry dough up to 24 hours in advance. Store it covered with plastic wrap directly on the surface in the refrigerator.
Conclusion
Creating homemade French Crullers might seem intimidating, but with this step-by-step guide, it’s a rewarding baking adventure. You’ll be amazed at the delicate, airy texture and impressive appearance of your own freshly fried pastries.
There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of biting into a warm, glazed cruller you made yourself. So, don’t hesitate; gather your ingredients and get ready to transform simple choux pastry into these irresistible bakery favorites. Enjoy your delicious journey into the world of homemade doughnuts!
French Crullers
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a saucepan, bring milk, water, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil. Remove from heat, add flour, and stir until smooth dough forms.
- Return pan to heat and stir dough 2–3 minutes to dry it out. Transfer to mixing bowl and cool 15 minutes.
- Beat in eggs one at a time until smooth. Stir in lemon zest. Cover and chill dough for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- Cut parchment into 3-inch squares. Pipe 3-inch rings of dough using a star tip onto each square.
- Heat 2 inches of oil in a pot to 350°F (180°C). Fry crullers on parchment squares, remove paper after 1 minute, and fry 2–3 minutes per side until golden.
- Drain briefly, dip in vanilla glaze, and place on wire rack to set. Repeat with remaining dough.
Nutrition
Notes
- Use room temperature eggs and chill the dough before piping for best shape.
- Oil temperature control is key.
