Strawberry Glazed French Crullers (Printable)
Light, airy French crullers with a sweet, fruity strawberry glaze — perfect for breakfast or dessert.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Choux Pastry
01 - 1 cup water
02 - 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
03 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
06 - 3 large eggs
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - Vegetable oil, for frying
→ Strawberry Glaze
09 - 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
10 - 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
11 - 1–2 tablespoons milk, as needed for consistency
12 - 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
# How To Make It:
01 - In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup water, 6 tablespoons cubed unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat, stirring until the butter fully melts.
02 - Add 1 cup all-purpose flour all at once to the boiling mixture. Stir vigorously and continuously with a wooden spoon until the dough pulls away cleanly from the sides of the pan and forms a smooth ball, approximately 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
03 - Beat in 3 large eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each egg before adding the next to maintain a smooth, elastic consistency. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Transfer the finished choux dough to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
04 - Cut parchment paper into 8 squares, approximately 4×4 inches each. Pipe dough rings roughly 3 inches in diameter onto each parchment square, using steady even pressure.
05 - Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a deep heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F. Using a slotted spatula, gently lower each parchment square dough-side down into the hot oil. After a few seconds, carefully remove the parchment with tongs. Fry crullers 2–3 minutes per side until deeply golden and puffed. Transfer to paper towels to drain and allow to cool completely.
06 - Mash 1/2 cup hulled and chopped fresh strawberries, then press the pulp through a fine-mesh sieve to extract approximately 2 tablespoons of clear strawberry juice. In a mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup sifted powdered sugar, the strawberry juice, 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice, and just enough milk to reach a smooth, pourable glaze consistency.
07 - Dip the top of each fully cooled cruller into the strawberry glaze, allowing excess to drip off. Place on a wire rack and let rest until the glaze sets and firms up, approximately 30 minutes.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- That shatteringly crisp exterior giving way to an eggy, hollow interior is the kind of texture magic most people only find at a bakery.
- The strawberry glaze is a total crowd pleaser, and watching faces light up when you set these on the table never gets old.
- They look intimidating but the dough comes together in one pot with no fancy equipment beyond a piping bag.
02 -
- If the oil temperature drops below 325 degrees the crullers soak up grease and collapse, so fry only two at a time and let the oil recover between batches.
- The dough needs to cool before you add the eggs or you will end up with sweet scrambled eggs instead of silky choux.
- These crullers are truly best eaten within a few hours of frying because the texture deteriorates overnight.
03 -
- Trace circles on the back of each parchment square using a cookie cutter or glass so every cruller is the same size and fries evenly.
- A drop of strawberry extract in the glaze takes the flavor from pleasant to unforgettable without changing the texture at all.