Cronut with Vanilla Bean Glaze
Think buttery, flaky layers with a sweet, silky vanilla glaze that tastes like it came straight from a fancy bakery — but you made it at home. It’s classic, simple, and dangerously addictive.
COST $10–12 total
Equipment
- Stand mixer (with dough hook if you’ve got one)
- Rolling Pin
- Dough cutter or round cookie cutter
- Deep-fryer or heavy pot
- Candy thermometer
- Cooling rack
- Mixing bowl & whisk
Ingredients
For the Cronut Dough:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
- ¼ cup warm milk (110°F / 43°C)
- 3 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup cold unsalted butter (for lamination)
- ⅓ cup water
For the Vanilla Bean Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp whole milk
- 1 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste)
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Cronut
- Mix warm milk, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl and let it hang out for 10 minutes until it gets foamy.
- In a stand mixer, combine flour, egg, salt, and the yeast mix. Knead until smooth, then let it chill for 30 minutes.
- Roll out the dough into a rectangle, plop the cold butter in the middle, and fold it like a letter. Roll, fold, chill — repeat 3 times. (Yep, it’s a workout.)
- Roll to ½-inch thick, cut into rings, and let them puff up for about an hour.
- Heat oil to 350°F (175°C) and fry each side for 2–3 minutes until golden and irresistible.
Glaze
- Mix powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
- Dunk cooled Cronuts into the glaze, let the excess drip off, and let them dry on a rack.
Notes
Use real vanilla beans if you can — those tiny black specks scream “gourmet.” And whatever you do, don’t refrigerate your Cronuts. They lose their magic. Store them at room temperature and enjoy within 24 hours (if they last that long).
Nutrition (per Cronut)
- Calories: ~420 kcal
- Carbs: 45 g
- Fat: 22 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Sugar: 25 g
- Sodium: 90 mg