Dunkin’ Donuts French Cruller Copycat Recipe
Dunkin’ Donuts French Crullers are those ridged, ring-shaped donuts with the honey-glaze that crackles when you bite through it, and this copycat gets you there at home in about 45 minutes. If you’ve ever grabbed one at the drive-through and thought “I wish I could make these myself,” this is the recipe that actually works.
The dough is choux pastry, which sounds fancier than it is. It pipes and fries up into something light and slightly crisp on the outside, airy on the inside, and coated in a glaze that sets firm enough to pick up without making a mess.
Why I Love This Recipe
Choux dough is one of those things that feels intimidating until you’ve done it once. After that, it’s just butter, water, flour, and eggs in a pot, and the whole thing comes together in about 10 minutes on the stove.
The texture is what keeps me coming back to this one. It’s not a cakey donut, not a yeast donut. The inside is almost custardy, and the outside has a slight chew from frying. The honey glaze adds a clean sweetness that doesn’t weigh it down.
Recipe Ingredients
- 1 cup (240ml) water – The base of the choux dough; don’t substitute with milk or the dough will be too heavy
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter – Cut into cubes so it melts evenly before the water boils
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar – Adds a touch of sweetness to the dough itself
- ¼ tsp salt – Balances the butter; don’t skip it
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour – Spooned and leveled, not packed, or the dough will be too stiff
- 4 large eggs – Room temperature; cold eggs don’t incorporate as smoothly
- Neutral oil, for frying – Vegetable or canola oil, about 2 to 3 inches deep in the pot
- 1½ cups (180g) powdered sugar – Sifted, for a lump-free glaze
- 3 tbsp honey – Gives the glaze its signature flavor and that slightly sticky set
- 3 to 4 tbsp whole milk – Adjust to get a glaze thick enough to coat without dripping off immediately
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract – Rounds out the glaze without standing out
Variations / Substitutions
- Dairy-free butter – Use a vegan block butter like Miyoko’s in equal measure; the dough behaves almost identically.
- Maple glaze – Swap the 3 tbsp honey for 3 tbsp maple syrup and reduce the milk to 2 tbsp; the glaze is a little thinner but sets beautifully.
- Chocolate glaze – Replace the honey with 2 tbsp light corn syrup and whisk in 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder with the powdered sugar for a darker, slightly bitter glaze.
- Plant-based milk – Oat milk works fine in the glaze; use the same quantity and expect a very similar result.
- More heat tolerance – If your kitchen runs warm and the dough softens quickly in the piping bag, chill the filled bag for 10 minutes before piping.
If you like fried dough at home, the Dunkin’ Donuts Old Fashioned Donut Copycat Recipe is worth trying next.
How To Make French Crullers
Step 1: Cook the Choux Dough
Heat the 1 cup water, ½ cup butter, 1 tbsp sugar, and ¼ tsp salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the butter is fully melted and the mixture reaches a full boil, dump in the 1 cup flour all at once and stir hard with a wooden spoon for about 2 minutes, until the dough pulls away from the sides and forms a smooth ball.
The dough should look slightly shiny and leave a thin film on the bottom of the pan. That film is what you want; it means enough moisture has cooked off for the eggs to incorporate properly without making the dough soggy.
Don’t rush past the 2-minute stir. Under-dried dough absorbs the eggs unevenly, and you end up with a batter that’s too loose to hold its shape when piped.
Step 2: Beat in the Eggs
Transfer the dough to a stand mixer bowl (or a large mixing bowl if you’re using a hand mixer) and let it cool for 3 to 4 minutes so it doesn’t cook the eggs on contact. Add the 4 eggs one at a time on medium speed, letting each one fully incorporate before adding the next. The whole process takes about 5 minutes.
When you’re done, the dough should be smooth, glossy, and thick enough to hold a ridge when you drag a spoon through it. If you lift the spoon, it should fall off in a slow, thick ribbon, not drip like batter.
If the dough looks curdled after the first egg or two, keep going. It always comes back together by the time the last egg is in.
Step 3: Pipe the Crullers onto Parchment
Cut 12 squares of parchment paper, roughly 3 inches by 3 inches each. Fit a piping bag with a large open-star tip (a 1M or 6B tip works well). Fill the bag with the choux dough, then pipe a ring about 3 inches in diameter onto each parchment square, overlapping the ends slightly so they stay closed.
The star tip is what creates those ridges. Don’t skip it in favor of a round tip or you’ll lose the texture that makes crullers look and feel distinct from a plain donut.
Step 4: Fry the Crullers
Pour neutral oil into a heavy pot or Dutch oven to about 2 to 3 inches deep, then heat it to 375°F (190°C) over medium heat. Lower 2 or 3 crullers into the oil, parchment-side up. After about 30 seconds, the parchment will release on its own; use tongs to pull it out of the oil. Fry the crullers for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until they are deep golden brown all over.
The oil temperature matters here. Below 350°F (175°C), the crullers absorb oil and turn greasy before they cook through. Above 390°F (200°C), they brown on the outside while the inside stays raw. Use a thermometer and let the oil recover between batches.
Transfer the finished crullers to a wire rack set over a sheet pan. Let them rest for 5 minutes before glazing so the surface cools enough for the glaze to set rather than slide off.
Step 5: Whisk the Honey Glaze
In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1½ cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 tbsp honey, 3 tbsp whole milk (start here, then add the last tablespoon if needed), and ¼ tsp vanilla extract until completely smooth. The glaze should coat the back of a spoon and drip off in a slow, steady stream, not a fast splash.
If it’s too thick, add milk ½ tsp at a time. If it’s too thin, sift in a tablespoon more powdered sugar and whisk again.
Step 6: Glaze and Plate the Crullers
Dip the top of each cruller face-down into the glaze, let it sit for 2 seconds, then lift it straight up and set it glaze-side up on the wire rack. The glaze sets firm in about 5 minutes at room temperature. Once it’s set, transfer the crullers to a serving plate and let any remaining glaze pool around the edges for that bakery-counter look.
Recipe Tips
- Oil temperature is the one thing to nail. Get a clip-on thermometer for your pot; it removes all the guesswork and costs about five dollars. Crullers are forgiving on most things but not on frying temp.
- Chill the piping bag if needed. If your kitchen is warm and the dough starts to slump off the parchment squares before you get them to the oil, refrigerate the piped crullers for 10 to 15 minutes on a sheet pan to firm them up.
- Don’t crowd the pot. Two or 3 crullers at a time is enough. Crowding drops the oil temperature fast and leads to uneven coloring.
- Leftover dough pipes well. If you have extra choux, pipe small rounds onto parchment and fry them as plain choux puffs; they’re worth eating on their own.
Cook times vary slightly by oil temperature and pot type:
| Oil temp | Time per side | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 350°F (175°C) | 5 to 6 min | Pale, slightly greasy |
| 375°F (190°C) | 3 to 4 min | Golden, light, ideal |
| 390°F (200°C) | 2 to 3 min | Dark outside, may be raw inside |
How To Store
- Refrigerate – Keep glazed crullers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. The glaze softens overnight but the flavor holds.
- Reheating – A quick 8 to 10 seconds in the microwave brings back the warm, slightly soft texture. Any longer and the dough gets rubbery.
What To Serve With French Crullers
A strong black coffee is the obvious move, but specifically a darker roast cuts through the sweetness of the honey glaze in a way that a lighter roast doesn’t quite do. If you’re putting together a weekend brunch spread, these sit nicely alongside fresh fruit, since the brightness of something like sliced citrus or berries contrasts well with the richness of fried choux. A cold glass of whole milk is also genuinely good here because the fat in the milk balances the sweetness of the glaze without competing with it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bake these instead of frying them?
You can, but the result is different. Baked choux rings come out more like cream puff shells, with a dry, crisp exterior rather than the slightly chewy, fried crust a cruller needs.
Can I make the choux dough ahead of time?
Yes. Press plastic wrap directly against the surface of the dough and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. Let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before piping, or it will be too stiff to push through the tip.
Why did my crullers collapse after frying?
The most likely cause is under-dried dough in Step 1. If the dough didn’t form a clean ball and leave a film on the pan, it held too much moisture, and the steam that puffed them up during frying escaped too quickly once they cooled.
What piping tip size works best?
A large open-star tip with at least 6 points gives you the ridges you want. A 1M or 6B tip, both widely available, work well. Anything smaller and the ridges won’t be defined enough to hold through frying.
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French Cruller Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Combine the water, butter, sugar, and salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a full boil, add flour all at once, and stir vigorously for 2 minutes until the dough pulls into a ball and leaves a film on the pan.
- Transfer dough to a mixer bowl, cool 3 to 4 minutes, then beat in the eggs one at a time on medium speed until the dough is smooth, glossy, and falls in a thick ribbon.
- Cut 12 parchment squares (about 3 inches each), fit a piping bag with a large open-star tip, and pipe 3-inch rings onto each square.
- Heat neutral oil to 375°F (190°C) in a heavy pot. Lower crullers in parchment-side up, remove parchment after 30 seconds, and fry 3 to 4 minutes per side until deep golden brown. Rest on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
- Whisk the sifted powdered sugar, honey, 3 tbsp milk, and vanilla together until smooth. Adjust consistency with the remaining milk if needed.
- Dip each cruller face-down into the glaze, lift, and set glaze-side up on the wire rack for 5 minutes to set. Transfer to a serving plate.
