Easy Bavarian Cream Doughnuts

I love a messy kitchen morning, and these are a whole situation—in the best way. Think fluffy, sugar-dusted doughnuts with a cool, creamy vanilla center that tastes like clouds. This is my easy route to Bavarian cream: rich custard stabilized with a whisper of gelatin and folded with whipped cream so it’s silky and doesn’t ooze out the second you take a bite. They’re bakery-fancy but still very “we did this in pajamas.”

My husband calls these “Saturday rings,” which is cute until he eats the prettiest one before I’ve even snapped a photo. Now the little one helps punch circles in the dough (tiny fists = perfect measure of enthusiasm), and every time the mixer’s going, the dog parks itself under the counter like butter is going to rain from the sky. It’s become our holiday-morning move and also a random Tuesday pick-me-up because… we’re human.

Why You’ll Love This Easy Bavarian Cream Doughnuts

– You get that bakery cream filling without the drama. It’s sturdy, silky, and spoonable. Try not to eat it straight from the bowl.
– The dough is soft and forgiving. Missed the perfect rise window? They’re still good. Ask me how I know.
– No donut cutter? A drinking glass and a shot glass have saved me more than once.
– They freeze well unfilled, so you can be a future-you hero.
– Sugar-dusted fingers, coffee, and five minutes of silence. Yes, please.

How to Make It

Make the dough first because it needs a nice long nap. Warm milk, a little sugar, yeast—let it get foamy like a latte. Toss it into flour with an egg, extra yolk, vanilla, softened butter, and salt. Let your mixer do 8–10 minutes of work until the dough stops clinging to the bowl and starts pretending it’s supple and civilized. Into a greased bowl, cover, and let it puff to double. Don’t rush it; dough is petty if you rush it.

While that’s happening, we’ll do the “easy Bavarian” situation. Whisk yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt. Heat milk till steamy, then temper the eggs (slow pour, whisk like you mean it), and cook until thick and glossy. Off the heat, melt in bloomed gelatin and vanilla. Chill it until cold—like 1 hour, not “I stuck it in the freezer for five minutes and hoped.” Then fold in softly whipped cream. It turns billowy and it’s a whole problem because you’ll want to taste-test it twelve times.

Roll the dough to about 1/2 inch thick, cut rounds (2.5–3 inches), and let them rise again till poofy. Heat neutral oil to 350°F—use a thermometer; vibes won’t cut it here. Fry till golden, flip once, and try not to crowd the pot. Drain, cool slightly, then dust with sugar. Poke a hole with a chopstick, pipe in the cream, and boom—bakery magic in your kitchen.

Makes about 12 doughnuts.
Active time: ~40 minutes
Rise + chill time: 2 to 2.5 hours
Fry time: 2–3 minutes per side

Ingredient Notes

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– All-purpose flour: Go for the scoop-and-level method or 360 g by weight if you want guaranteed fluff. Too much flour = hockey pucks.
– Instant or active dry yeast: Either works. If using active dry, proof it in the warm milk with a pinch of sugar till foamy and happy.
– Whole milk: Warm, not hot. If it’s too hot, it bullies the yeast and you’ll get zero rise.
– Egg + extra yolk: The yolk is where the richness lives. Don’t skip it unless you like sad bread.
– Unsalted butter: Softened, not melted. Melted makes the dough greasy and weird.
– Sugar + salt: Sugar feeds the yeast and gives that gentle sweetness; salt keeps the flavor from tasting flat. Team balance.
– Neutral oil (for frying): Canola, peanut, or sunflower. Save expensive olive oil for salad, not doughnuts.
– Whole milk (for cream): Yes, more milk. Custard likes fat.
– Egg yolks (for cream): Three of them—makes the custard lush and yellow like sunshine.
– Cornstarch: The thickener that saves you from runny filling. Don’t skip, and whisk out the lumps.
– Powdered gelatin: Bloom it in cold water first. If you dump it in dry, it gets gritty and you’ll be mad.
– Heavy cream: Whip to soft peaks and fold gently. Overwhip and it turns grainy. Been there.
– Vanilla: Paste or extract. Paste makes those cute speckles. Use what you’ve got.
– Powdered sugar or granulated sugar (for coating): Powdered is classic and soft; granulated gives sparkle and tiny crunch.

Recipe Steps

1. Bloom gelatin for the cream by sprinkling 1 tsp over 2 tbsp cold water; set aside.
2. Make dough by mixing 1 cup warm milk (110°F), 2 1/4 tsp yeast, 1/3 cup sugar, 3 cups (360 g) flour, 1 egg + 1 yolk, 4 tbsp softened butter, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1 tsp salt; knead 8–10 minutes until smooth.
3. Let dough rise, covered, in a warm spot until doubled, 60–90 minutes.
4. Cook custard by whisking 3 yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, 2 tbsp cornstarch, pinch salt; temper with 1 1/2 cups hot milk, return to pot, and whisk until thick; remove from heat, stir in gelatin and 1–2 tsp vanilla; chill 1 hour.
5. Roll dough to 1/2 inch, cut 12 rounds (2.5–3 inches), proof on parchment until puffy, 30–45 minutes; preheat 2–3 inches oil to 350°F.
6. Fry doughnuts 1–2 minutes per side to deep golden, drain, cool 10 minutes, toss in sugar, fold 3/4 cup softly whipped cream into chilled custard, then pipe filling into each doughnut.

What to Serve It With

– Hot coffee, obviously. Dunking is encouraged.
– Berries and a little bowl of extra cream for the shameless.
– A light brunch spread: soft scrambled eggs, salty bacon, fruit salad, and these as the finale.

Tips & Mistakes

– Use a thermometer for the oil. 350°F is the sweet spot; hotter burns, cooler greases.
– Proof on parchment so you can lift and drop them gently into the oil—no stretched dough disasters.
– Don’t overfill. Two to three tablespoons per doughnut is plenty unless you like cream grenades.
– If your custard looks lumpy, whisk hard off heat or blitz it through a sieve. Cream forgives.
– Make the cream ahead. It actually pipes better cold-cold.

Storage Tips

Filled doughnuts like the fridge. Tuck them in a lidded container and chill up to 2 days. They’re dreamy cold, like fancy eclairs in doughnut suits. For best texture, eat the day you fry. Unfilled, unfrosted doughnuts freeze well: wrap and freeze up to 1 month, then thaw and warm briefly in a 300°F oven before filling. I’ve absolutely eaten one for breakfast straight from the fridge. Zero regrets.

Variations and Substitutions

– Chocolate cream: Add 2 oz melted semisweet chocolate or 2 tbsp cocoa to the custard before chilling.
– No gelatin: Skip it and you’ve got diplomat cream; slightly softer, still pipes fine—just don’t overfill.
– Citrus twist: Add lemon zest to the dough and a splash of lemon extract to the cream. Dust with powdered sugar and feel smug.
– Jam-filled: Pipe strawberry or raspberry jam instead of cream, or do half-and-half for a surprise box.
– Glaze route: Whisk powdered sugar with milk and vanilla; dip warm doughnuts for a glossy finish instead of rolling in sugar.
– Honey for sugar: In the dough, swap 1/4 cup honey for the 1/3 cup sugar and reduce milk by about 1 tbsp. Flavor is cozy.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Easy Bavarian Cream Doughnuts

Soft, fluffy yeast doughnuts filled with silky Bavarian cream and rolled in sugar. These bakery-style treats are surprisingly simple at home and perfect for weekend indulgence.

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Prep Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 12

Calories: 120kcal

Ingredients

 

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Main Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup whole milk, warm (105-110 F) dough
• ▢ 2.25 tsp active dry yeast dough
• ▢ 0.25 cup granulated sugar dough
• ▢ 0.25 cup unsalted butter, softened dough
• ▢ 2 pieces eggs, large dough
• ▢ 1 tsp kosher salt dough
• ▢ 3.5 cup all-purpose flour dough, add more by tbsp if sticky
• ▢ 6 cup vegetable oil for frying
• ▢ 1.5 cup whole milk filling
• ▢ 0.5 cup granulated sugar filling
• ▢ 4 pieces egg yolks filling
• ▢ 0.25 cup cornstarch filling
• ▢ 2 tsp vanilla extract filling
• ▢ 2 tbsp unsalted butter filling
• ▢ 1 tsp powdered gelatin filling, optional but helps set
• ▢ 2 tbsp water for blooming gelatin
• ▢ 1 cup heavy cream, cold filling
• ▢ 0.5 cup granulated sugar for coating

Instructions

Preparation Steps

• Bloom the gelatin: In a small bowl, sprinkle powdered gelatin over water and let stand 5 minutes.
• Make the pastry cream base: Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch in a bowl until smooth. In a saucepan, heat milk with vanilla over medium until steaming. Slowly whisk hot milk into yolk mixture to temper.
• Thicken: Return mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick bubbles form and it coats the whisk, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in butter and the bloomed gelatin until fully melted. Spread into a shallow dish, press plastic wrap directly on the surface, and chill until cool.
• Lighten to Bavarian cream: Whip cold heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold into the cooled pastry cream until smooth. Chill while you make the doughnuts.
• Activate yeast: In a large bowl, combine warm milk, yeast, and 1 tsp of the sugar. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes until foamy.
• Mix dough: Add remaining sugar, eggs, softened butter, and salt. Stir in about half the flour until a thick batter forms, then add remaining flour and mix until a soft dough forms.
• Knead: Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 6 to 8 minutes, adding small dustings of flour only if sticky.
• First rise: Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 60 to 90 minutes.
• Shape: Roll dough to about 0.5 inch thick. Cut 3 inch rounds and place on parchment squares. Cover and let rise until puffy, 30 to 45 minutes.
• Fry: Heat oil in a deep pot to 350 F. Fry doughnuts in batches, 2 to 3 minutes per side, until deep golden. Drain on a wire rack.
• Fill: Poke a small hole in the side of each doughnut. Spoon the Bavarian cream into a piping bag fitted with a round tip and fill each doughnut until slightly heavy.
• Coat and serve: Toss warm doughnuts in granulated sugar to coat. Serve the same day for best texture.

Notes

For extra stability in warm weather, keep the Bavarian cream chilled until the moment you fill. To store, refrigerate filled doughnuts up to 24 hours; re-roll in sugar before serving. Oil temperature matters: keep it near 350 F for even browning.