Strawberry-Glazed French Crullers Recipe

With strawberry season approaching, this recipe is timely and delicious. I began testing these strawberry-glazed crullers in 2019 and after several trials refined the technique until the pastry produced consistent lightness and a crisp exterior. The recipe uses simple pantry ingredients plus fresh and freeze-dried strawberries for the glaze and optional sugar sprinkle. The choux paste comes together quickly with no chilling required, yielding tender, airy crullers ready to fry and glaze.

These crullers are made with just ten core ingredients (not including oil for frying). The dough is straightforward to prepare on the stovetop and finished in a mixer, then piped, fried, and glazed for an impressive homemade pastry.

Table of Contents

• What is Choux Pastry?
• Tools You’ll Need
• Helpful Tips for Making Crullers
• More Breakfast Sweets to Enjoy
• Strawberry Glazed French Crullers Recipe

What is Choux Pastry?

Choux pastry, also called pâte à choux, is a light dough made from milk, water, flour, butter, sugar, and eggs. Unlike yeast or chemical-leavened doughs, choux relies on steam generated during cooking to puff the pastry, creating a hollow interior and a crisp exterior ideal for crullers, éclairs, and cream puffs.

Tools You’ll Need

For the crullers

• Food scale (recommended) or measuring cups
• Medium saucepan
• Mixing bowl for flour
• Wooden spoon or spatula
• Stand mixer with paddle attachment (or a strong arm)
• Piping bag and an open star tip (e.g., Wilton 1M)
• Parchment paper
• Deep fryer, deep skillet, or large saucepan for frying
• Candy or digital thermometer (if using skillet or saucepan)
• Tongs and a slotted spoon
• Wire cooling rack and paper towels

For the strawberry glaze and sugar

• Mixing bowls
• Small food chopper or food processor
• Sifter (for the glaze, optional)

Prepare your workspace and ingredients first. Measure or weigh everything, have your tools ready, and cut 4″ x 4″ parchment squares before you begin. This makes piping and frying faster and reduces mistakes.

Use parchment squares for frying. Place each piped ring on a small square of parchment. Spray the paper lightly so it doesn’t stick; after about 45 seconds in the hot oil, the paper will peel away easily. Leaving the paper on for a short time prevents the dough from deforming when you drop it into the oil.

Trace a circle if it helps. If you find piping even rings difficult, trace a 3–3½” circle on the parchment with a glass and pipe on the reverse side so your ink or pencil marks do not touch the dough.

Beat out the steam. After cooking the flour mixture on the stovetop, transfer to a mixer and beat until steam dissipates and the paste cools slightly. This prevents the eggs from cooking when added.

Add eggs slowly. Incorporate eggs one at a time and ensure each is fully absorbed before adding the next. The finished pâte à choux should be smooth, glossy, and elastic. A simple test: stretch a small bit between finger and thumb — it should extend about 1–2 inches without breaking.

Monitor oil temperature closely. A deep fryer is ideal because it maintains a constant temperature. If using a skillet or saucepan, use a reliable thermometer and keep the oil at 370°F (about 188°C). Frying at too low or too high a temperature affects texture and color.

Drain and cool briefly before glazing. After frying, let crullers rest on a wire rack over paper towels so excess oil drains. When they are only slightly warm, dip in glaze and sprinkle with strawberry sugar.