Cronuts
Get ready to discover the joy of homemade cronuts with this delicious recipe! Perfectly flakey and fried, this easy-to-make recipe is perfect for any occasion.
If you love these cronuts, then you will love these homemade donut recipes! Try out my favorite Jelly Donuts, these Boston Cream Donuts or these classic Glazed Donuts for some that your entire family will love.
Cronut Recipe
If you don’t know what a cronut is, then you are in for a treat! It’s a cross between a croissant and a donut. It has all of the delicious layers of a croissant but in the shape of a donut. It’s the perfect choice for breakfast on the go, and they are also delicious when you drizzle them with some chocolate sauce for dessert!
This recipe for cronuts is SO easy and delicious. Instead of making the dough from scratch, you use puff pastry dough! This makes these so simple and easy that even the most beginner of bakers can master them and look like a pro!
Ingredients for Homemade Cronuts
This recipe is so simple and only uses five ingredients. You can make these anytime, and they will be ready in less than 40 minutes! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all of the exact ingredient measurements.
Puff Pastry Sheets: Puff pastry sheets are thin layers of dough made with butter that puff up when baked. This creates a flaky and buttery texture in the cronuts.
Egg: Eggs are used in this recipe to create an egg wash, which adds a shiny, golden-brown finish.
Water: Water is mixed with the egg to create the egg wash, helping it spread easily and stick to the pastry.
Vegetable Oil: This is used for frying the cronuts, giving them a crispy exterior while keeping the inside soft.
Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar is sprinkled on top of the cronuts to add a sweet touch to the cronuts.
How to Make Cronuts
These cronuts are simple to make because you use pre-made puff pastry dough. One of my favorite parts about this recipe is that you will have a decent amount of scrap dough left over. This makes it so you can fry all my scraps into tiny cronuts. They make such a fun bite-size treat!
Prepare Dough
Brush Egg Wash on Pastry: Take the puff pastry sheets out of the box and lay them flat on a work surface. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and water together. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash on top of one sheet of puff pastry.
Layer: Lay the second sheet of puff pastry on top of the egg-washed sheet and press them together.
Let it Sit: If the dough is frozen, allow the sheets to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. If it’s been refrigerated, allow the sheets to sit together for at least 5 minutes.
Start Frying
Heat the Oil: While the puff pastry sheets are sitting, pour the oil into a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Allow the oil to come up to a temperature before using.
Check the Oil Temperature: Once it seems hot enough, poke a wooden skewer into the oil to test the oil. Bubbles should form around it. If no bubbles form, let it heat up further.
Cut into Donut Shapes: Cut the puff pastry sheets into donut shapes. Use a round cookie cutter for the outside and a piping tip for the center hole. You should get at least six donuts from the sheets, but this will depend on the size of your cronuts.
Fry the Dough: Place the cronuts into the hot oil and fry until lightly golden brown on each side, about 30-45 seconds per side.
Remove Cronuts: Remove the fried cronuts from the hot oil and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil. You may need to work in batches.
Add Toppings: When the cronuts have come out of the oil and have rested on the paper towels for a minute, dust them with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Can You Make Cronuts in the Air Fryer?
Yes! And they turn out so delicious. Using the air fryer is a great option to make these a little healthier and have less of a mess to clean up!
Add dough to air fryer: Place the donut-cut puff pastry into an air fryer at 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cook: Air fry the cronuts for 10-15 minutes. Once the cronuts have reached an even golden brown color, remove them from the air fryer and brush them with melted butter. Top them with powdered sugar.
Different Topping Options
Top your cronuts with cinnamon, glaze, homemade jam, or even some delicious chocolate! There are so many ways that you can change these up to make your own. You won’t even need to buy these at the bakery again.
Cinnamon Sugar: Mix together ¼ cup white sugar and one teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle it on your warm cronut.
Donut Glaze: Whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar and 2-3 teaspoons milk until the desired consistency is reached. Then, drizzle on the cronuts.
Sauces: I love adding a smooth and delicious sauce to my cronuts. Try adding on some of my homemade strawberry sauce or this delicious chocolate sauce!
Storing Leftovers
These cronuts taste delicious the next day! Store any leftover cronuts in a paper bag at room temperature for up to 4 days.
More Delicious Donut Recipes to Try
Who doesn’t love a good donut from time to time? Homemade donuts are so delicious, and so I’ve rounded up some of my favorites that you definitely have to make!