Cronuts

By Becky Hardin

Updated May 26, 2025

Cronuts are the best of both worlds—the flakiness of a croissant combined with the fried and glazed goodness of a donut! These homemade croissant donuts are easier to make than you might think and will get even the groggiest sleeper jumping out of bed for breakfast in the early morning.

Close up of 10 cronuts on a baking sheet. - 5

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5-Star Review

“Best ever.” -JS

Cronut Recipe

There’s nothing more satisfying than biting into a Cronut! Every single flaky layer that you love about a croissant is fried to perfection in the shape of a donut and drizzled with a simple and sweet glaze. Simply put, it’s total bliss!

I love the simplicity of these cronuts. They’re perfectly sweet, soft, and fluffy. But they’re also so fun to experiment with. See our variation ideas below!

Tips for Beginners

Don’t rush making the dough. It’s important for the dough to remain cold, otherwise the butter will leak out when you fry them!
Use a deep frying thermometer to monitor the temperature of your oil. This will help avoid burned or greasy cronuts.
Don’t overcrowd the oil or the temperature will drop, leading to greasy cronuts.
Use any leftover scraps to make cronut holes!

Ingredients1x2x3x

For the Cronuts

▢ 1 cup milk 227 grams, warm (105-110°F), use oat milk for a non-dairy option
▢ 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast 7 grams (1 envelope)
▢ 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 38 grams
▢ 2 large eggs 100 grams, room temperature
▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
▢ 1½ teaspoons kosher salt 5 grams
▢ 3¾ cups all-purpose flour 450 grams
▢ ¾ cup unsalted butter 170 grams, room temperature (1½ sticks)
▢ Vegetable oil for frying

For the Glaze

▢ ¾ cup powdered sugar 85 grams
▢ 1-2 tablespoons milk 14-28 grams
▢ ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 grams

Instructions

For the Dough

Add the milk, yeast, and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir and then let it bloom for a few minutes. 1 cup milk, 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Whisk in the eggs, vanilla, and salt. Attach the dough hook to the mixer. Mix on low speed while gradually adding in the flour. 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, 3¾ cups all-purpose flour
Continue to mix on low for 3-4 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough doesn’t pull away from the bowl, add in a couple more tablespoons of flour at a time and continue mixing.
Remove the dough from the mixer and place on the counter to knead a few times and shape into a ball.
Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a 12×18-inch rectangle. Visually divide the dough into thirds.
Spread 7 tablespoons of butter onto the middle portion of the dough. ¾ cup unsalted butter
Fold one side on top of the buttered middle third. Spread the rest of the butter on top of the folded side.
Fold the remaining side inward on top of the 2nd buttered portion.
Place the dough on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for another 30 minutes.
Roll out the dough into a rectangle about the same dimensions as before. Fold the dough using the same pattern as before, turning each third inward over the middle third.
Place on the sheet pan, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Repeat the process of rolling to a rectangle and folding inward 2 more times.
Place the dough back on the sheet pan, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Roll out the dough to a little under ½-inch thick.
Use a donut cutter, round cookie cutter, or jar to cut out 8-10 circles. Use a smaller round cookie cutter to cut out the holes in the circles.
Place the donuts and donut holes on a lined baking sheet.

For Frying

Add 2-3 inches of oil to a Dutch oven and heat to 350°F. Vegetable oil
Working in batches (2-3 at a time), drop the donuts into the oil and fry for a couple minutes on each side until golden brown. Transfer to a baking rack or baking sheet lined with paper towel.

For Glazing

Whisk together the glaze ingredients. ¾ cup powdered sugar, 1-2 tablespoons milk, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Dip the top of each cronut in the glaze. Return to the rack to allow the glaze to set.

Equipment

Kitchen Scale (optional)
Stand Mixer
Rolling Pin
Baking Sheet
Donut Cutter
Dutch Oven
Deep Frying Thermometer

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

How to Make Cronuts Step by Step

Bloom the yeast : Add 1 cup of milk, 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast, and 3 tablespoons of sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir and then let it bloom for a few minutes.

Add the eggs: Whisk in 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Attach the dough hook to the mixer. Mix on low speed while gradually adding 3 3/4 cups of the flour.

Mix the dough : Continue to mix on low for 3-4 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough doesn’t pull away from the bowl, add in a couple more tablespoons of flour at a time and continue mixing.

Knead the dough: Remove the dough from the mixer and place on the counter to knead a few times and shape into a ball.

Let the dough rest : Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Roll and divide the dough: On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a 12×18-inch rectangle. Visually divide the dough into thirds.

Buttered cronut dough on a marble counter. - 7

Butter the dough: Spread 7 tablespoons of butter onto the middle portion of the dough.

Cronut dough folded in thirds and buttered on a marble counter. - 8

Fold and butter the other side: Fold one side on top of the buttered middle third. Spread the rest of the butter on top of the folded side.

Folded cronut dough on a marble counter. - 9

Fold again: Fold the remaining side inward on top of the 2nd buttered portion.

Folded cronut dough wrapped in plastic wrap on a lined baking sheet. - 10

Refrigerate dough: Place the dough on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for another 30 minutes.

Roll out the dough : Roll out the dough into a rectangle about the same dimensions as before. Fold the dough using the same pattern as before, turning each third inward over the middle third.

Refrigerate again: Place on the sheet pan. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll and refrigerate again: Repeat the process of rolling to a rectangle and folding inward 2 more times. Place the dough back on the sheet pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Roll out the dough: Roll out the dough to a little under ½-inch thick.

Cut out cronuts and cronut holes on a marble table. - 11

Shape the dough: Use a donut cutter, a round cookie cutter, or jar to cut out 8-10 circles. Use a smaller round cookie cutter to cut out the holes in the circles and place them on a lined baking sheet.

Heat the oil: Add 2-3 inches of oil to a Dutch oven and heat to 350°F.

Fry the donuts: Working in batches (2-3 at a time), drop the donuts into the oil and fry for a couple of minutes on each side until golden brown. Transfer to a baking rack or baking sheet lined with paper towels.

Combine the glaze ingredients: Whisk together ¾ cup powdered sugar, 1-2 tablespoons milk, and ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract.

Close up of a bitten cronut next to more cronuts on a baking sheet. - 12

Glaze and let set: Dip the top of each cronut in the glaze. Return to the rack to allow the glaze to set.

Variations

Add a fun twist with these ideas:

Roll your hot cronuts in cinnamon-sugar instead of glazing them.
Top them with bacon crumbles .
Add colorful sprinkles.
Drizzle with rich chocolate sauce or tart lemon syrup
Flavor the glaze with a different extract, like citrus, anise, or almond.
Stuff them with fresh lemon curd or creamy peanut butter fluff spread .

How to Store

Store leftover cronuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 8 hours or in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. I do not recommend freezing cronuts.

Serving Suggestions

These pillowy breakfast sweets pair so well with your morning cup of coffee! Try them with any of your favorites, whether it be a chocolate coffee , a milky flat white , or even an iced caramel latte .

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Equipment

Kitchen Scale (optional)
Stand Mixer
Rolling Pin
Baking Sheet
Donut Cutter
Dutch Oven
Deep Frying Thermometer