Boston Cream Doughnuts

These homemade baked Boston cream doughnuts are gluten-free and easy to make for a dessert or a decadent breakfast or brunch treat.

I love a good baking project. Whether it’s my all-time favorite, fluffy cinnamon rolls, pumpkin roll, or a homemade pie I enjoy getting lost in whipping up a sweet treat. These Boston cream doughnuts come from Ashley McLaughlin, of the blog Edible Perspective, and are featured in her cookbook, Baked Doughnuts for Everyone. They’re gluten-free and have a combination of 3 different flours to deliver a nice cakey bite, and were devoured by both my gluten-loving daughter and her friends and also a mom who is gluten-free and was super excited to have a bite of its sweetness. Best of all, since they’re baked,  you don’t have to contend with hot oil (or the excessive mess and calories that come with it). Enjoy them for dessert or as a decadent breakfast or brunch treat.

What’s in These Boston Cream Doughnuts

This easy homemade doughnut recipe starts with baked, gluten-free cake doughnuts that are then filled with a rich vanilla bean pastry cream and then topped with a glossy, decadent chocolate ganache. They’re DIVINE. 

For the doughnuts:

• Oat flour
• Sweet rice flour
• Almond meal
• Sugar
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Eggs
• Greek yogurt (plain)
• Vegetable oil
• Vanilla

What is Boston Cream Filling Made of?

Boston cream filling is a rich vanilla pastry cream. Ashley’s recipe uses fresh vanilla bean, which makes it extra special.

Here’s what you’ll need for the Boston cream filling:

• Milk (2% or whole, preferably)
• Half and half
• Sugar
• Arrowroot starch or cornstarch
• Eggs
• Salt
• Vanilla bean

For the ganache topping:

• Dark chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet, but ideally bittersweet)
• Heavy cream

How to Make Boston Cream Doughnuts

Don’t let the word “doughnut” intimidate you. These doughnuts are easy to make, especially since they’re cake doughnuts (as opposed to yeast-raised), and also since they’re baked, instead of fried. It’s best to make the filling first so it has time to chill and set, so just keep that in mind when figuring out when to start your recipe.

Here’s how to make them:

Make the filling: Place a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl. Whisk the milk, half and half, sugar, arrowroot starch, eggs, and salt in a pot until smooth. Add the scraped vanilla bean and pod. Heat over medium-high heat until simmering, whisking constantly. After a simmer is reached, stir and simmer for 1 minute. Then turn off the heat and pour the mixture through the strainer. 

Cool, chill, and set the filling. Place in a heat-safe bowl and let sit for 30 minutes. Place a piece of plastic wrap touching the filling and refrigerate until fully chilled. 

Make the ganache topping. Melt the chocolate with ¼ cup heavy cream using a double boiler, stirring until smooth. Add more heavy cream to thin out and stir until smooth. Remove from heat. Place in a bowl to let cool to room temperature (the mixture will thicken as it cools).

Make the Doughnut Batter and Assemble the Doughnuts

Combine the dry doughnut ingredients in a large bowl, mixing well.

Whisk the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl. Whisk the eggs together, then whisk in the milk, yogurt, oil, and vanilla until well combined. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a large wooden spoon until just combined, being careful not to overmix (stop when you no longer see dry flour).

Combine the wet and dry ingredients together. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a large wooden spoon until just combined, being careful not to overmix.

Spoon and bake. Spoon the batter into the doughnut molds, filling to just below the top of each mold, ⅛- to ¼-inch from the top, and bake until lightly golden brown around the edges. Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then slide a knife around the edges to help loosen them out. Cool completely on a cooling rack before assembling. 

Assemble the doughnuts. Slice each doughnut in half with a small serrated knife. Spread the filling on the bottom half. Spread a coating of ganache on the top half and sandwich together. 

What is the Difference Between Boston Cream and Bavarian Cream Donuts?

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

5 from 1 vote

Boston Cream Doughnuts

Print SaveSaved!

Course Dessert

Keyword boston cream doughnut

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6 - 8

Ingredients 

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For the filling

• 1 ¼ cups 2% milk
• ¼ cup half and half
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 ½ tablespoons arrowroot starch or cornstarch
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ½ scraped vanilla bean and pod

For the topping

• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 4-6 tablespoons heavy cream

For the doughnuts

• ½ cup oat flour
• ½ cup sweet rice flour
• 3 tablespoons almond meal
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• ⅓ cup milk
• ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

For the filling

• Place a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl. Whisk the milk, half and half, sugar, arrowroot starch, eggs, and salt. Place the half-scraped vanilla bean pod in the pot. Heat over medium-high heat until simmering, whisking constantly. After a simmer is reached, stir and simmer for 1 minute. Then turn off the heat and pour the mixture through the strainer. Discard the vanilla bean pod.
• Place in a heat-safe bowl and let sit for 30 minutes. Place a piece of plastic wrap touching the filling and refrigerate until fully chilled. The mixture will thicken and should be the consistency of pudding.

To make the topping

• Melt the chocolate with ¼ cup heavy cream using a double boiler, stirring until smooth. Add more heavy cream to thin out and stir until smooth. Remove from heat. Place in a bowl to let cool to room temperature. The mixture will thicken as it cools.

To make the doughnuts

• Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease your doughnut pan.
• Combine the dry doughnut ingredients in a large bowl, mixing well. In another bowl, whisk the eggs together. Then add the milk, yogurt, oil, and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.
• Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a large wooden spoon until just combined, being careful not to overmix (stop when you no longer see dry flour).
• Spoon the batter into the doughnut molds, filling to just below the top of each mold, ⅛- to ¼-inch from the top. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until lightly golden brown around the edges. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Slide a knife around the edges to help loosen them out. Then place on a cooling rack and allow to cool fully before topping.
• Slice each doughnut in half with a small serrated knife. Spread the filling on the bottom half. Spread a coating of ganache on the top half and sandwich together. Serve immediately.

Notes

reprinted by permission by Ashley McLaughlin

More Chocolate Treats You’ll Love

• Chocolate Cream Pie
• Easy Chocolate Sauce
• THE BEST Easy Fudge
• German Chocolate Cake
• Classic Fat Witch Dark Chocolate Brownies

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