These easy fried Boston Cream Donuts are ready in under 30 minutes! Made using Pillsbury Grands biscuits and filled with a shortcut vanilla cream, these are sure to tempt you. Don’t forget the rich chocolate ganache!
Love easy breakfast donuts? Try making a batch of baked Cherry Frosted Donuts for your next craving! Or whip up a batch of Apple Cider Donuts this fall.
Why You’ll Love These Boston Cream Donuts
I love a good baked donut, but these Boston Cream Donuts are the REAL thing: fried in oil and filled with cream.
This style of donut was named for its resemblance to Boston Cream Pie, a sponge cake topped with pastry cream and chocolate ganache. (which is also similar to a chocolate eclair cake).
Let me tell you, once you start making your own donuts at home, you’ll never want them any other way but fresh. Grocery store donuts? No thanks!
Here’s why this Boston cream donut recipe is such a hit:
- Filled donuts are a little bit more indulgent than the traditional shape. Why leave a hole in the middle when you could be using that space for rich vanilla cream?!
- While traditional Boston cream filling is a custard cream, made by combining egg yolks with cream and sugar, this easy homemade version uses French vanilla pudding mixed with heavy cream, milk, and powdered sugar for a silky, thick custard-like filling that comes together in minutes. (Similar to my favorite Cream Puff Cake!)
- The chocolate-and-vanilla combination in Boston cream donuts is iconic. There are donut shops that load up their donuts with all kinds of crazy toppings, but the chocolate ganache and vanilla filling here really hit the spot.
- These donuts do take a bit of work, but there are also enough shortcuts involved that they’re fun to make. It’s satisfying to fry up a batch of homemade donuts—but, of course, it’s even more satisfying to eat them!
Important Ingredient Notes
- Pillsbury Grands biscuits – No fussing with yeast or waiting hours for your dough to be ready!
- Vegetable oil – Or another oil you like to use for deep frying, like peanut oil.
- JELL-O Instant French Vanilla Pudding – Be sure to use Instant pudding, not cook and serve.
- Heavy cream – You’ll use one part milk and one part heavy cream. Don’t try to go with all milk, or your vanilla filling won’t have the right consistency! You’ll also need a little bit of heavy cream for the ganache.
- Vanilla extract – I recommend real vanilla extract, not imitation.
- Corn syrup – Corn syrup helps give the glaze its sheen and texture.
- Chocolate – You’ll need a combination of dark and milk chocolate.
How to Make Boston Cream Donuts
Make the Filling:
- Whisk together the pudding mix and the milk for about 2 minutes.
- In a separate mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the heavy cream and powdered sugar on high speed until soft peaks form.
- Fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream.
- Refrigerate until ready to use.
Fry the Donuts:
- Pour about 1/2-3/4 inch of oil in a large, heavy bottomed skillet.
- Heat the oil until it sizzles when you drop a couple drops of water into it.
- Separate the biscuits.
- Fry each biscuit for 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Allow the fried donuts to cool and dry on paper towels.
Make the Ganache:
- Add the cream, milk, butter, vanilla, and corn syrup to a medium saucepan.
- Heat on medium until the butter melts.
- Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the chocolate until smooth.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar.
Assemble the Boston Cream Donuts:
- Spoon the filling into a large pastry bag fitted with a tip.
- Press the tip into side of a donut and squeeze until the donut appears “full.” Repeat for the remaining donuts.
- Spoon the warm ganache over each filled donut.
Tips & Tricks
- If you want to cut an extra step you can totally use canned frosting. Heat it up in the microwave for a little bit, stir, and spoon it on the donuts.
- I save the oil to use again by allowing it to cool slightly, then straining it and storing it in a mason jar. Then you can use the oil the next time you need to fry something and save some money!
- This Boston cream donut recipe makes a lot of filling so you will have some leftover. Use leftover filling to make a trifle with brownies or spoon it into bowls by itself or topped with fruit for a delicious pudding dessert!
Recipe FAQs
Bavarian cream filling has a different texture than the Boston cream versions. With Bavarian cream, you make whipped cream with heavy cream and sugar to make a fluffier cream center for your doughnut. Boston cream, on the other hand, has a thick custard cream that’s more similar to pudding in consistency.
I don’t recommend it! If you bake these donuts, they’ll have the taste and texture of biscuits—since they’re made from biscuit dough! The frying process makes them more like a traditional donut.
If you don’t have a piping tip, you can use a zip-top bag and a knife. Use the knife to make a small slice in the side of the donut, then use your fingers to open it up a bit and squeeze the filling inside. It won’t be quite as neat as using a piping tip, but it will do the job!
More Easy Recipes
- Cookies and Cream Donuts
- Apple Pie Donuts (makes a great individual sized dessert too for company)
- Chocolate Baked Donuts
- Brown Sugar Latte
- Chocolate Chip Toffee Fudge Bars
Boston Cream Donuts
Ingredients
For the Donut:
- 1 package Pillsbury Grands biscuits
- vegetable oil
For the Filling:
- 1 box JELL-O Instant French Vanilla Pudding 3.4 ounce
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar
For the Ganache:
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon corn syrup
- 2 ounce dark chocolate
- 2 ounce milk chocolate
- 2 ¼ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the filling first by whisking together the pudding mix with milk. Beat with whisk for about 2 minutes. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, beat on high with an electric mixer the heavy cream with powdered sugar until soft peaks form (about 3 minutes). Fold in pudding mixture. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, heat oil about 1/2-3/4 inch high. Depending on your size skillet will determine how much oil is necessary. Bring oil to a sizzle when you drop a couple drops of water into it.
- Separate biscuits. Fry each biscuit for 2-3 minutes each side. Allow to cool and dry on paper towels.
- For the ganache, add cream, milk, butter, vanilla and corn syrup to a medium saucepan. Heat on medium until butter is melted. Turn to low and add in the chocolates. Whisk continuously until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in the powdered sugar until ganache is smooth. Set aside.
- To assemble, spoon filling into a large pastry bag with tip (any tip will do). Press tip into side of donut and squeeze until donut appears “full.” Repeat for remaining donuts.
- Spoon warm ganache over each filled donut. ENJOY!
Notes
- Even easier donuts: If you want to cut an extra step you can totally use canned frosting. Heat it up in the microwave for a little bit (maybe 30 seconds to a minute), stir and spoon it on the donuts.
- Save your oil: I save the used oil to use again by allowing it to cool slightly, then storing it in a mason jar. I strain off any fried bits while pouring it in the jar. Then you can use the oil the next time you need to fry something and save some money!
- Extra filling: This recipe makes a lot of filling so you will have some leftover. I enjoy making a trifle using this extra filling (bake up a brownie mix and layer it with filling in a trifle bowl). Or spoon into bowls by itself for a delicious pudding dessert!
Nutrition
Homemade Boston Cream Donuts are easier to make than you ever imagined! Enjoy these donuts for breakfast or anytime you need a sweet pick-me-up.
Yum! One of my favorite donuts! I can’t believe these are made with Pillsbury Grands … Awesome!
LOL, I remember being the teacher at back to school night! We have Jordan’s tonight, and it’s not too much better, seating wise. I’ll sit in a kid chair and Mel will have to stand.
These donuts are the BEST!
I NEEED THESE In MY LIFE!!! Oh and right now I am on a donut kick! I can’t get enough of strawberry jam filled donuts here in England and I know I will get home and make these!! Gorgeous!!!
This is such a creative — and efficient — use for Pillsbury biscuits. I’ve never tried making donuts because I’ve always been slightly intimated by them. But you’ve convinced me that I might have to give it a try.
Definitely give it a try!!
Cream filled donuts are my absolute favorite kind!!! I love all the short cuts in these…totally my kind of baking! And I love that you sent your hubby to school to fend for himself in the crowds.
FYI, he survived 😉
Wow, these look amazing!! I just became more than a little bit hooked on custard-filled donuts from the grocery store… The idea of making my own is positively dangerous!! Yum!!
Boston Cream Donuts are one of my favorite donuts, and you made them look so easy so now I’m worried because I will just make these all the time! Looking so delicious… I want one (really 6).
I never ever go for cream filled donuts and suddenly I’m wondering WHY?! I need these in my life!
What?? You don’t go for the cream filled? Well, that’s actually good. Next time we are together we go for donuts. I get the cream filled, you get the dry, boring sprinkles! ha!
I love that you sent your husband to curriculum night on his own! 😛 my kiddos are still really young, (6 and 2 1/2) so totally not looking forward to high school. . at least you have these fabulous doughnuts!!! and love the cheater recipe!!! Brilliant!!!
Is that what we have to look forward to in HS? Ugh, 3rd grade open house is so much easier! These donut’s knock it out of the park Aimee. You pretty much had me at donut!
No fair, how did you know that Boston cream donuts are my absolute weakness??? I’m going to be thinking about these all day 🙂
I was just in Boston and enjoyed some Boston Cream Pie! I’ve always loved it, so these donuts definitely grabbed my attention! They look delicious, and if I can make them in under 30 minutes, I’m sold!
I love Boston cream Pie! Which is why these donuts are my favorite!
Jello for pastry cream and Grands for dough. LOVE IT when you can save time and skip about 23 steps 🙂 Great thinking on the time-savers! These look wonderful!
Sometimes shortcuts have to be made for a breakfast food. 🙂
Donut day tomorrow – torn between your apple pie ones and these! Wait, I could just make both . . . the more the merrier! Your picture with the coffee sent my mind dreaming of this in the morning:) Right now sounds even better!
You seriously rocked my world when we did the gordough’s copycat recipe and you used Pillsbury Grands for that recipe and now you’ve done it again with this because I was wondering if you could make stuffed doughnuts using the biscuits too. These look amazing!
Yep, you can totally stuff them. You just have to be careful not to overfill or the layers start to separate! If you want smaller donuts you could use regular sized biscuits, and those stuff easily too because they aren’t “layered” like a Grands biscuit!
Oh my these look heavenly, I want bite right now! I’m going to have to make these babies for sure.
I love Boston cream donuts – they are my favorite donut flavor. And I am so grateful that this recipe uses some shortcuts so I can be happily eating a few donuts within 30 minutes. Thanks, Aimee!
You’re quite welcome Eva!
Oh my, I love how simple these are. These would be so time consuming without the biscuits and pudding! Delightful.
I’m supposed to be gettin’ ready to go to sleep and now all I can think about is these donuts….O_O <3
Did you dream of donuts last night? Are you baking this morning 😉
Aimee you have really out done yourself this time! These are my all time favorite donut and will always buy over any other donut! To think I could do this at homes led me want to run to the store right NOW!!
I usually pick a cream filled donut above any others as well 🙂 Now go make some donuts!!!
These are beautiful and we do them in a way to cause weight loss in our women’s diet group, we use all dark chocolate and top it with raw coco nips. Dark chocolate is great http://75poundsdiet.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-diet-to-lose-75-pounds-and-use-of.html