Do you ever wish there was an easier way to make ultra-soft, perfectly sweet donuts at home? If you enjoy the taste of baked coconut donuts but crave the texture of classically fried confections, you can make a simple, foolproof version with store-bought sheets of croissant dough. Sure enough, next to serving as Ree Drummond’s go-to shortcut for simply delicious breakfast pizza, refrigerated croissant dough can easily be transformed into tasty, fried donuts in no time.
If you’ve had the pleasure of consuming a croissant donut, better known as a Cronut, you already know what sets this morning treat apart from the rest. Each satisfying bite contains layer upon layer of flaky dough. Luckily, with the help of refrigerated dough sheets, the process of making perfectly flaky Cronuts is a breeze.
If you plan on making these one-of-a-kind treats for a crowd, purchase tubes of croissant dough. This further simplifies the process since you don’t have to worry about perforated cuts across your dough. To make up to 10 perfectly layered donuts, use five cans of sheet-style croissant dough. Layer all five sheets on top of one another and use a standard donut cutter to cut as many donuts as possible. From here, fry the donuts in a pot of oil heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Once your confections have fried for roughly 90 seconds, allow them to cool slightly on paper towels before glazing them or adding your favorite toppings.
More convenient ways to make tasty croissant-style donuts
While you can certainly cover your croissant donuts in a dusting of cinnamon sugar, there are other tasty ways to enjoy these fried sweet snacks. Cover them in a two-ingredient glaze made of powdered sugar and water or drizzle them in melted chocolate. You can also balance the sweetness of donuts with a salty addition like maple-glazed bacon or chopped roasted nuts.
If you’re up for going the extra mile, make special-flavored Cronuts. For a salted caramel variety, slice the donuts in half and add a layer of whipped cream or pudding. Then, top your cream-filled delights with a drizzle of caramel sauce. Alternatively, prepare s’mores Cronuts by covering each bready treat in a chocolate glaze, crushed graham crackers, and mini marshmallows.
If you can’t find tubes of sheet-style croissant dough to make your own fried Cronuts, you can also use perforated crescent dough. Stack two of the four semi-cut rectangles on top of one another and fold, creating four layers of dough for each stack. Then, use your donut cutter accordingly. Depending on the size of your mold, you can make up to three croissant donuts per can of dough.
For a more simplified version fit for a large group of people, you can also make mini croissant-style donuts using refrigerated crescent dough. Fold small amounts of dough together or cut mini donut-style holes. Then, all you need to do is fry these snack-size treats in even batches and coat them with cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, or vanilla glaze.
