Boston Cream Donuts are pillowy yeast-raised donuts filled with silky vanilla pastry cream and topped with a glossy chocolate glaze. Each bite combines soft dough, creamy filling, and rich chocolate in perfect harmony—like a handheld Boston cream pie.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

These donuts capture everything you love about the classic Boston cream pie but in portable, indulgent form. The dough is light and airy, the pastry cream luscious and velvety, and the chocolate glaze perfectly balanced. They look bakery-worthy but can be made at home with a bit of patience. Perfect for breakfast treats, weekend baking projects, or impressing friends and family.

Boston Cream Donuts

Few pastries inspire as much devotion as the Boston Cream Donut. With its soft, cloud-like dough, creamy vanilla custard filling, and chocolate glaze crown, it’s a dessert that feels indulgent yet comforting, luxurious yet familiar.

The origins of the Boston cream flavor date back to the mid-1800s with Boston cream pie, a layered sponge cake with custard and chocolate. The donut version takes those same flavors but delivers them in a hand-held package, making them even more irresistible.

Making Boston Cream Donuts at home may feel ambitious, but it’s incredibly rewarding. The dough itself is an enriched yeast dough—softened with butter, eggs, and milk—which creates donuts that fry up tender and fluffy rather than dense. It’s a dough that requires patience with proofing, but the payoff is unmatched.

The pastry cream is a showstopper on its own. Rich egg yolks, sugar, milk, and vanilla come together into a silky custard, thickened to perfection. It’s the kind of filling that makes every bite luxurious, cooling against the warmth of the fried dough.

Then there’s the glaze—simple yet decadent. Just chocolate and cream, melted together into a smooth ganache that sets beautifully on the donuts. It adds both richness and an elegant finish, transforming homemade donuts into something truly bakery-worthy.

What makes Boston Cream Donuts so special is the contrast. Soft dough, cold creamy filling, and rich chocolate all come together in a balance that keeps you reaching for just one more.

They’re also highly customizable. Use dark chocolate instead of milk for a bolder glaze, infuse the pastry cream with coffee or liqueur for a twist, or add a touch of sea salt to the glaze for contrast.

For gatherings, they’re a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Imagine bringing out a tray of glossy, cream-filled donuts at brunch or a party—watch them disappear in minutes. Kids and adults alike adore them.

Yes, they take time, but much of it is resting and waiting, making this a perfect weekend baking project. The sense of accomplishment when you bite into your first homemade Boston Cream Donut is second to none.

Once you’ve mastered the process, you may never want store-bought again. These donuts stay fresh for a day or two, though they’re best eaten the day they’re made, when the dough is lightest and the filling is freshest.

Boston Cream Donuts are more than a treat—they’re a celebration of baking. A reminder of how a little extra effort transforms simple ingredients into something extraordinary.

Servings & Time

• Servings: 12 donuts

• Prep Time: 40 minutes (plus proofing)

• Cook Time: 20 minutes

• Total Time: 3 hours

Ingredients

For the Donut Dough

• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• ¼ cup granulated sugar

• 2 ¼ tsp instant yeast

• 1 tsp salt

• ¾ cup warm milk

• ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened

• 2 large eggs

• Vegetable oil, for frying

For the Pastry Cream Filling

• 2 cups whole milk

• ½ cup sugar

• 4 large egg yolks

• ¼ cup cornstarch

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Glaze

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

• ½ cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. Make the Dough
   In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add warm milk, butter, and eggs. Knead until smooth and elastic, 8–10 minutes. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

2. Shape Donuts
   Roll dough to ½-inch thickness. Cut into rounds using a donut cutter or biscuit cutter. Place on parchment-lined tray, cover, and let rise until puffy, about 40 minutes.

3. Prepare Pastry Cream
   Heat milk in a saucepan until steaming. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch. Slowly whisk in hot milk. Return mixture to pan and cook over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat, stir in butter and vanilla. Chill until set.

4. Fry Donuts
   Heat oil to 350°F (175°C). Fry donuts in batches until golden, about 1–2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and cool slightly.

5. Fill Donuts
   Using a piping bag with a long tip, inject pastry cream into each donut.

6. Make Glaze
   Heat cream until steaming, then pour over chocolate chips. Stir until smooth and glossy.

7. Glaze Donuts
   Dip tops of donuts into chocolate glaze. Let set before serving.

Tips

• Even Frying: Don’t overcrowd the pan; fry in small batches.

• Custard Variations: Flavor with coffee, almond, or citrus zest.

• Make Ahead: Pastry cream can be made 1 day in advance.

• Serving: Best enjoyed the day they’re made.