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
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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.
Horrible recipe…Boston cream is not pudding.
Clearly. This is an easy take on a delicious treat.
Do these Boston Cream Donuts need to be refrigerated?
Yes 🙂
After reading the instruction and ingredient list for the cheat of vanilla pudding vs the custard I am confused about the milk and heavy cream. I read through the cream puff cake and the boston cream but am looking for help about the “filling” thanks 🙂
I am planning to make these for Saturday night. Girl’s night treat! Saturday is going to be super busy. Can I make these on Friday and it still be good for Saturday?
They really are best the day they are made 🙂
Hi when I fried the bisquits they were raw inside? The outside was well done . The filling was delicious . What did I do incorrectly ?
Sounds like the oil was too hot and they cooked too quickly.
Do you have any idea what temperature the oil should be? I tried doing these in my deep fryer at both 350 and 375 and they were overcooked on the outside and not cooked completely on the inside. I ended up splitting each biscuit into two layers and that worked well, especially good for little ones or someone who just doesn’t want a big donut. They came out really good. I also cut donut holes in some of the whole biscuits and made glazed donuts. They were a big hit.
Thank you for the recipe!
We tried these tonight and they are amazing and easy!
So happy to hear it 🙂
Can these be made in an airfryer don’t do fried foods
I want to try that as well…. I read that sometime made them in the air fryer, but there were no directions. She didn’t fill them until they were done, she used a chopstick to make the hole where she put the pudding IN.. but didn’t say Howe long she cooked them🤷🏼♀️
Can you please give me a recipe for Boston Cream Doughnuts with fresh ingredients, not packaged stuff. I find all American recipes use packaged stuff. I only cook from scratch. Thanks in advance..
Well, no. This is my recipe for an easy, shortcut recipe for Boston Cream Doughnuts. If you want a long version, I would suggest you google it 🙂
OMG! So good. And so easy!
These look absolutely amazing! Pillsbury Grands biscuits are going on the shopping list for this weekend!
These look absolutely divine!
I have been making these donuts every New Years Eve and they are always a big hit, soooooo easy
Now, I have a taste for these again!!! Happy New Year!
These look amazing as a special treat! I can’t wait to try making them with my daughter sometime!
These look amazing!! I’m in Australia though and have never heard of these biscuits. Devastating.
I think you’re my new best friend 🙂
Can you freeze the Boston Cream Donuts?
I wouldn’t recommend freezing these donuts.