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Crullers Recipe

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These homemade French crullers feature a light, airy choux pastry that’s fried to golden perfection and coated in a sweet vanilla glaze. With their signature ridged shape and delicate texture, these bakery-style treats are easier to make than you think and absolutely irresistible fresh from your kitchen.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Crullers:

  • 1 cup water
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Vegetable oil for frying (about 6-8 cups, depending on pot size)

For the Vanilla Glaze:

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3-4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Prepare your piping setup: Cut parchment paper into twelve 4-inch squares. Place them on a large baking sheet. Fit a large piping bag with a large star tip (Wilton 1M or similar) and set aside.
  2. Make the choux pastry: In a medium saucepan, combine water, butter, sugar, and salt. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally to ensure the butter melts completely.
  3. Add the flour: Once boiling, remove from heat and immediately dump in all the flour at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a cohesive ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan. This should take about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
  4. Cook the dough: Return the pan to medium-low heat. Continue stirring and pressing the dough against the sides of the pan for about 2-3 minutes. This cooks out excess moisture and helps create structure. You’ll notice a thin film forming on the bottom of the pan—this is good! The dough should look smooth and slightly glossy.
  5. Cool slightly: Transfer the hot dough to a mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer) and let it cool for 3-4 minutes. You want it warm but not scalding hot, or it will cook the eggs when you add them.
  6. Add the eggs: Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. The dough will look separated and slimy at first, but keep beating—it will come together into a smooth, glossy paste. After all eggs are incorporated, beat in the vanilla extract. The final consistency should be thick but pipeable, holding its shape but slowly flowing when lifted.
  7. Pipe the crullers: Transfer the dough to your prepared piping bag. Pipe 3-inch rings onto each parchment square, overlapping the ends slightly to close the circle. Pipe in a continuous motion to create even ridges all around. The rings will look small—that’s okay, they’ll puff up significantly when fried.
  8. Heat the oil: Pour oil into a large, heavy pot to a depth of 2-3 inches. Heat to 365-375°F over medium heat, monitoring with a thermometer. Maintaining proper temperature is crucial for perfectly cooked crullers.
  9. Fry the crullers: Working in batches of 2-3, carefully flip each parchment square upside down so the cruller drops into the hot oil, then use tongs to remove the paper (it should peel away easily). Fry for about 2-3 minutes per side until deep golden brown. The crullers will puff up dramatically and float. Use a spider strainer or slotted spoon to flip them halfway through and remove them when done.
  10. Drain: Transfer fried crullers to a wire rack set over a baking sheet to drain and cool for about 5 minutes. Let them cool completely before glazing for the cleanest results, or glaze while slightly warm for a thinner glaze that soaks in a bit.
  11. Make the glaze: In a shallow bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, vanilla, and salt until smooth. The glaze should be thick but pourable—add more milk by the teaspoon if needed to reach the right consistency. It should slowly drip off a spoon rather than running off quickly.
  12. Glaze the crullers: Dip the top of each cruller into the glaze, letting excess drip back into the bowl, then flip right-side up and place on the wire rack. The glaze will set in about 10-15 minutes. For an extra-thick coating, let the first glaze set completely, then dip again.

Notes

  • Egg additions: Depending on your flour and humidity levels, you may need slightly more or less egg. The dough should be thick but pipeable. If it seems too stiff after 4 eggs, beat in another tablespoon of beaten egg at a time until you reach the right consistency.
  • Oil temperature: Keep your thermometer in the oil and adjust heat as needed. If the oil is too cool, crullers will absorb grease; too hot, and they’ll brown before cooking through.
  • Parchment trick: Using parchment squares makes transferring the delicate raw crullers to oil much easier and helps them keep their shape.
  • Glaze variations: Try chocolate glaze (add 2 tablespoons cocoa powder), maple glaze (replace vanilla with maple extract and add a tablespoon of maple syrup), or citrus glaze (use lemon or orange juice instead of milk and add zest).
  • Freshness: Crullers are best enjoyed the day they’re made, ideally within 4-6 hours of frying, when they’re at their crispiest.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://focialy.com/crullers-recipe/