Description
This Strawberry Vanilla Bean Cronut recipe combines flaky, buttery puff pastry with a luscious vanilla bean pastry cream filling and a bright strawberry glaze. Fried to golden perfection and coated with sugar, these homemade cronuts offer the delightful texture of a donut with the elegance of French pastry. Perfect as a decadent dessert or gourmet breakfast treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Pastry
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (for coating)
- Oil for frying (vegetable or canola)
Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Strawberry Glaze
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons strawberry puree
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
Garnish (optional)
- Fresh diced strawberries
- Freeze-dried strawberries
- White chocolate drizzle
Instructions
- Make the pastry cream: In a small saucepan, heat the whole milk along with the scraped seeds from half a vanilla bean (or vanilla bean paste) over medium heat until it just begins to simmer. In a separate bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolks until smooth. Slowly pour about half of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture while whisking continuously to temper the eggs. Return this mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens into a creamy custard. Remove from heat, stir in the unsalted butter until melted, then strain the cream through a fine sieve if necessary to ensure smoothness. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until fully chilled.
- Prepare the cronuts: On a lightly floured surface, fold the thawed puff pastry sheet into thirds like a letter, then roll it out gently to about 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch round cutter and a smaller 1-inch cutter, cut out donut shapes by removing the centers. Place the cut shapes on a tray and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to firm up the dough, which helps in handling and better frying.
- Fry the cronuts: Heat enough oil in a deep heavy pot to reach 350°F (175°C). Fry the cronuts in batches without overcrowding for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until they have puffed up nicely and turned a deep golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to paper towels to drain excess oil. While still warm, toss the cronuts in granulated sugar to coat evenly. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Fill and glaze: Transfer the chilled vanilla bean pastry cream to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Poke a hole in the side or bottom of each cooled cronut and gently pipe in the pastry cream until filled. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, strawberry puree, and lemon juice until smooth to create the glaze. Dip the tops of the filled cronuts into the strawberry glaze, allowing any excess to drip off. Garnish as desired with fresh diced strawberries, freeze-dried strawberry pieces, or a drizzle of white chocolate for extra flair.
Notes
- Best enjoyed the same day to preserve freshness and texture.
- Use all-butter puff pastry for the best flavor and flakiness, whether homemade or store-bought.
- Be sure to chill the dough and pastry cream well to make rolling, cutting, and filling easier and cleaner.
- Maintain oil temperature to ensure the cronuts fry evenly without absorbing excess oil.
