Brioche Donuts with Vanilla Cream

Brioche Donuts are both crispy and light and filled with smooth vanilla pastry cream making them the ultimate breakfast confection! This from-scratch recipe includes step-by-step instructions making homemade donuts easier than ever!

Homemade donuts are such a treat! Be sure to also try my 4-ingredient Air Fryer Biscuit Donuts and delicious Boston Cream Donuts as well!

These Brioche Donuts are homemade but I promise you the end result has them looking like they’re directly from your favorite bakery! Finish off just one of these perfectly pillowed donuts and you’ll quickly realize their taste is also bakery-level!

The first time I had a brioche donut was from PVDONUTS in Rhode Island, they were phenomenal. But I figured they would be way too hard to make at home – I was wrong!

And I’ve broken this recipe down with step-by-step photos to show you just how easy it is!

Brioche Donut Recipe Ingredients

Donuts: You’ll need all-purpose flour, water, granulated sugar, yeast, eggs, unsalted butter, rum, and salt.

Pastry Cream: Made using whole milk, egg yolks, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla extract. 

How To Make Brioche Dough

1. Combine warm water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl, whisking together to dissolve the yeast. Leave alone until foamy. 
2. Add the flour, salt, eggs, and rum to the yeast mixture, kneading together by hand or using the dough hook attachment on your stand mixer. Then slowly incorporate the butter cubes, kneading until the dough is glossy and smooth. 
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until it almost doubles in size. 
4. Punch the dough down and then place it in the refrigerator to chill.
5. Cut and shape the dough into smooth buns, placing them on a baking sheet leaving plenty of room between each. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and leave them to proof until they’ve doubled in size.
6. Fry several donuts at a time in vegetable oil until they become golden brown (about 2 to 3 minutes on each side). Then remove from the oil and place them on a tray lined with paper towels. Then roll each slightly cooled donut in sugar and set aside to cool completely before filling. 

How To Make Vanilla Pastry Cream 

Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and milk in a large saucepan until smooth. Cook while whisking continuously until the mixture begins to thicken and boil. Simmer on reduced heat and then remove from heat. 

Add a little of the mixture to the egg yolks and whisk together, then add egg mixture to the milk mixture. Bring back to a light boil while stirring continuously. 

Remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla, stirring together until smooth. Pour the cream into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate until cold. 

To assemble the donuts by cutting a hole in the side of each donut. Then fill a piping bag with vanilla cream and pipe a generous amount of cream into the center of the donut.

When I’m making Breakfast on the weekends I like to make these donuts or another well-loved favorite to enjoy! Check out these other recipes to whip up a new breakfast treat that I’m sure your family will appreciate! 

• Easy Cinnamon Rolls – A no-yeast recipe filled with swirls of delicious cinnamon and sugar wrapped in a soft dough!
• Morning Glory Muffins – Packed full of fruit, cinnamon, and veggies for a wholesome breakfast!
• Hot Cross Buns – Spiced sweet buns that are loaded with currants or raisins and then covered in vanilla icing!
• Snickerdoodle Sweet Rolls – Ready in just 30 minutes using only 5 ingredients! 
• Vanilla Chai Crumble Muffins – Made with vanilla chai, Vietnamese cinnamon, and topped with a sweet glaze!

Let’s Connect!

If you’ve tried this recipe, please let me know how you liked it in the comments below and leave a review. I love hearing from you!

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