Boston Cream Donuts Recipe

Happy National Donut Day! In honor of this fabulous holiday, I thought I'd share this easy Boston Cream Donut Recipe with you.

If you've ever hung out with me in real life you probably know that my favorite food is donuts!  I have a slight donut obsession. I could eat them every day (although I don't because I have a little tiny bit of self control).

I'm also a donut snob which means no subpar grocery store donuts for me. I only want super delicious donuts.  These homemade Boston Cream donuts totally fit the bill.  They're totally delicious and rival donuts you'd eat at the best donut shops.

And while there are lots of donuts that I like, Boston Cream Donuts (also called Bavarian Cream Donuts and Boston Cream Pie Donuts) are my FAVORITE!

If you're looking for a delicious breakfast treat, this is it.  These homemade donuts are a great treat to make with the kids on a lazy Saturday morning!

And while you could make everything from scratch (and I have before), I've found a few time-saving tricks that will make the process even easier for you.

For starters, these amazing Boston Cream doughnuts are made with biscuits dough rather than making dough from scratch. I promise you won't notice a different in taste.

Plus, you don't have to deal with making a yeast mixture, scooping out cups of flour (which always leads to a mess at my house) waiting for your doughnut dough to rise, and then having to roll out all the dough. And don't even get me started on the messy countertops that are sprinkled with flour.

Believe me when I say, you won't regret using the biscuit dough!

Also, you could make the bavarian cream filling from scratch using egg yolks, vanilla, heavy whipping cream and sugar, but it's super quick and easy to use pudding mix!

Boston Cream Donut Ingredients

Boston Cream Donut Ingredients

• 1 pkg Pillsbury Grands biscuits
• Cooking oil

Boston Cream Filling Ingredients

• 1 box JELL-O Instant French Vanilla Pudding (3.4oz) (if you can't find French Vanilla, regular vanilla works too)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup Half and Half
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Boston Cream Ganache Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp corn syrup
• 4 oz semisweet baker's chocolate
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 2 1/4 cup powdered sugar

How To Make Boston Cream Donuts

Whisk together the pudding mix and milk in a small bowl until thoroughly combined. You can do this by hand or use an electric mixer.

In a large bowl, combine your heavy cream and powdered sugar and use an electric mixer to mix until soft peaks form (usually 2 or 3 minutes).

Next add your pudding mixture to your whipped cream mixture and mix until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.

Next, you'll want to get out a large skillet for frying. {If you have a deep fryer, you can use this as well, but I don't have a deep fryer, so I used a cast iron skillet.}

Add 3/4 inch of oil to the bottom of your skillet and heat. The size of your skillet will determine how much oil you need to use. If you are using a very large skillet, you'll need more oil than if you're using a smaller skillet.

Separate your biscuits and fry each side of the biscuit until golden brown. It typically takes 2-3 minutes for each side to (usually 2-3 minutes) before using a slotted spoon to flip over.

For best results don't allow your hot oil to get too hot as it will burn the outside of the biscuits without cooking the inside.

Line a baking sheet or wire rack with paper towels or an old kitchen towel. Place each fried donut on paper towels or towel to allow them to cool to room temperature.

While you're biscuits-turned-donuts are cooling, you'll want to make your ganache.

Heat cream, milk, butter, vanilla and corn syrup in a medium saucepan at medium heat until the butter is melted. on to a medium saucepan. Turn heat down to low and add your chocolate.

Stir until chocolate is thoroughly melted.

Remove your chocolate mixture from heat and whisk in your powdered sugar. Make sure you whisk until your ganache is smooth and shiny. Set ganache aside.

Take your boston cream filling from the fridge and spoon it into a large piping bag that has a plastic or metal tip on it. Press the tip into the side of the donut and add your creamy filling until the donut is full. I usually know it's full when a little extra filling comes out the side.

Continue filling each of your donuts. When all your donuts are full, spoon warm ganache over top of them.

Look at that beautiful chocolate ganache glaze! Chef's kiss! These homemade donuts are perfection!

FAQs {Frequently Asked Questions}

Can I use chocolate chips instead of baker's chocolate for the ganache?

While you can use chocolate chips, it will change the flavor as baker's chocolate is typically less sweet. If you opt to use chocolate chips, you'll want to use less powdered sugar.

Can I just add chocolate frosting to the top instead of making ganache?

Yes! While it won't taste exactly the same, I've used this trick quite a few times when I was short on time or ingredients. I typically just put my can of frosting in the microwave and heat until it's pourable and then spread it on the top of each filled donut.

What's the best way to store leftover homemade Boston cream donuts?

The best way to store these bad boys would be in an airtight container in the refrigerator, but honestly, at my house, we never have leftovers. They're just that good!

Enjoy these Donut Coloring Pages while you eat your yummy homemade donuts!

Pin this Boston Cream Donuts recipe for later!

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Want another amazing breakfast recipe? Check out this Cinnabon Recipe!

This recipe was originally posted in August 2015, but has been updated to include tips, tricks and frequently asked questions.