Cream Filled Donuts – A Creamy Alternative To Sufganiyot
Sufganiyot are traditionally jelly-filled yeast donuts we enjoy on Hanukkah. Of course there’s no wrong time to eat a jelly-filled donut, but Hanukkah is a celebration of lights… which is a celebration of oil… which means we fry all the things! Namely, latkes and sufganiyot. But today we’re putting a twist on the ol’ classic and making cream filled donuts. Chalk it up to personal preference, but 10 out of 10x, we prefer a creamy donut filling to jelly!
Here’s why we love them so much:
- Peanut butter and pistachio cream fillings! That’s right, no jelly here! Instead we’re making 2 creamy donut fillings, one made from peanut butter and the other from a pistachio cream that is light as air, nutty, and sweet! We could eat them straight with a spoon.
- Fried! Need we say more? Fried food is the best food. These are best enjoyed warm, straight outta the fryer!
- Fun to make with kids! While it’s good to have an adult do the deep frying, these are so, so fun for kids to fill on their own.
Let’s make some donuts!
Ingredients For Cream Filled Donuts
For the donuts:
- Instant yeast
- Granulated sugar
- Warm water
- An egg + an egg yolk
- Whole milk
- Pure vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Kosher salt
- Unsalted butter
- Vegetable or canola oil, for frying
What’s the best oil for frying donuts? Go with a lighter, neutral flavored oil, such as vegetable oil, canola oil, corn oil, or peanut oil. We love frying with grapeseed oil, but it gets pricy quickly!
For the pistachio cream filling:
- Cream cheese, room temperature
- Pistachio cream, or other nut butter
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Whole milk
For the peanut butter cream filling:
- Cream cheese, room temperature
- Creamy peanut butter
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Whole milk
For the vanilla bean glaze: you’ll need confectioner’s sugar, vanilla bean paste or powder, and whole milk
It may look like a lot of ingredients, but the donut batter comes together like a dream, and you can always stick with one cream filling if you like. It all comes together easily, and we recommend not skipping the vanilla bean glaze. Everyone loves a homemade glazed donut, am I right?!
How To Make Cream Filled Donuts
Okay, first — let’s make donuts!
- Activate the yeast. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, combine 1 (¼ oz) package yeast, 2 tsp sugar, and ½ cup warm water. Mix, then let sit 5 minutes until bubbly.
- Add wet ingredients. Add remaining ⅓ cup sugar, 1 egg and 1 egg yolk, ⅓ cup milk, and 2 tsp vanilla extract, then whisk until well combined. Replace whisk attachment with dough kneading attachment.
- Add the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, combine 2 ½ cups flour and ½ tsp Kosher salt. Add to yeast mixture, then knead until dough begins to form a ball. Add 3 Tbsp cubed butter, then continue kneading until dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer dough to a greased bowl, then cover with plastic wrap and let sit until double in size, about 1 ½ hours.
- Cut out the donuts. When dough has doubled in size, press down on it with your hands, then transfer to a lightly floured surface. Roll dough out until it’s about ¼” thick. Use a 2-inch biscuit mold to cut out as many donuts as possible. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Fold dough scraps together, re-roll out, and continue cutting out doughnuts until all dough has been used. Cover donuts with a dish towel and let rise another 45 minutes – 1 hour.
- Fry the donuts. Heat 8 cups of vegetable or canola oil over medium-high heat in a large heavy bottomed pan, about 2-inches deep at least. When oil has reached 365-370 F, begin frying donuts 4 at a time, for about 1 minute per side, or until donut is a deep golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel lined drying rack, then repeat until all donuts are fried.
As the donuts drain and cool, we’ll move onto the creamy filling. Peanut butter or pistachio, it’s like a choose your own adventure donut experience!
Make The Filling For Hanukkah Donuts
Alright, if you’re making both fillings, you’ll need 2 piping bags. You can also cheat and put the fillings into large Ziplock bags, then just snip off one of the bottom corners. Either will work for filling donuts!
For the pistachio cream filling:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with beater, mix together 4 oz room temperature cream cheese and ½ cup pistachio cream (or other nut butter) until well incorporated and creamy. Slowly add in ¾ cup confectioner’s sugar a little at a time, then add 1 tsp milk and beat until smooth. Transfer filling to a pastry bag fitted with round piping tip.
For the peanut butter cream filling:
- Clean out the bowl, then make peanut butter cream filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with beater, mix together 4 oz room temperature cream cheese and ½ cup peanut butter until well incorporated and creamy. Slowly add in ¾ cup confectioner’s sugar a little at a time, then add 2 tsp milk and beat until smooth. Transfer filling to a second pastry bag fitted with round piping tip.
But wait! Not a fan of cream filled donuts? We’re sharing an option for jelly filled donuts that are (1) absolutely delicious, and also (2) probably what you think of when you hear sufganiyot or Hanukkah donuts. It’s as simple as using your favorite store-bought or homemade preserves in place of the cream filling, placing in a piping bag, and stuffing! Instructions below for how to fill a donut with cream or jelly.
How To Fill Donuts With Cream (Or Jelly!)
Use a paring knife to cut a hole in the side of each donut, extending about ⅔ of the way through. Fill half of the fried donuts with pistachio cream, and the remaining donuts with peanut butter cream. Yep, you can totally use that jar of mixed berry jam or raspberry jelly in the back of the refrigerator!
The last thing to do is give the donuts a quick dunk in a homemade vanilla bean glaze – yes, please!!
To make the vanilla bean glaze, combine 1 cup confectioner’s sugar, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste, and 4 Tbsp milk in a medium bowl, then whisk until smooth. Dip one side of each donut in the glaze, then return to wire rack to set. Serve warm!
How long will the donuts keep? Can you freeze donuts? Yes! When stored properly, donuts will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in a freezer.
My goodness, these cream filled donuts are so completely fabulous! And a total winner if you, like me, prefer that creamy center to a jelly filled donut, ya know?
Variations On Cream Filled Donuts
Just going to leave these epic suggestions right here: almond butter, nutella, or cookie butter!! Can you even imagine?!
Final request: please enjoy these with a warm cup of joe!! They will absolutely leave you smiling like a kid in a candy shop. Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate and if you make these Cream Filled Donuts, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below! We also want to hear if you go the more traditional sufganiyot route and make ’em jelly filled donuts! Honestly, you can’t lose!!
If you make these Sufganyot, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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Check out other Hanukkah recipes that we couldn’t live without:
- Latkes!
- Cinnamon Applesauce
- Flanken Ribs
- Apricot Glazed Chicken with Couscous
- Toffee Matzo Crack (this is a Passover staple, but we love it so much we make it year round!)
Peanut Butter and Pistachio Cream-Filled Sufganyot
Equipment
Ingredients
For the donuts
- 1 package instant yeast
- 2 tsp granulated sugar + ⅓ cup
- ½ cup warm water
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter cut into cubes
- 8 cups vegetable oil
For the pistachio cream filling:
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup pistachio cream or other nut butter / cream
- ¾ cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1 tsp whole milk
For the peanut butter cream filling:
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ¾ cup confectioner’s sugar
- 2 tsp whole milk
For the vanilla bean glaze:
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla bean powder
- 4 Tbsp whole milk
Instructions
Make The Donuts
- Activate the yeast. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, combine 1 (¼ oz) package yeast, 2 tsp sugar, and ½ cup warm water. Mix, then let sit 5 minutes until bubbly.
- Add wet ingredients. Add remaining ⅓ cup sugar, 1 egg and 1 egg yolk, ⅓ cup milk, and 2 tsp vanilla extract, then whisk until well combined. Replace whisk attachment with dough kneading attachment.
- Add the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, combine 2 ½ cups flour and ½ tsp Kosher salt. Add to yeast mixture, then knead until dough begins to form a ball. Add 3 Tbsp cubed butter, then continue kneading until dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer dough to a greased bowl, then cover with plastic wrap and let sit until double in size, about 1 ½ hours.
- Cut out the donuts. When dough has doubled in size, press down on it with your hands, then transfer to a lightly floured surface. Roll dough out until it’s about ¼” thick. Use a 2-inch biscuit mold to cut out as many donuts as possible. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Fold dough scraps together, re-roll out, and continue cutting out doughnuts until all dough has been used. Cover donuts with a dish towel and let rise another 45 minutes – 1 hour.
- Fry the donuts. Heat 8 cups of vegetable or canola oil over medium-high heat in a large heavy bottomed pan, about 2-inches deep at least. When oil has reached 365-370 F, begin frying donuts 4 at a time, for about 1 minute per side, or until donut is a deep golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel lined drying rack, then repeat until all donuts are fried.
Make the pistachio cream filling
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with beater, mix together 4 oz room temperature cream cheese and ½ cup pistachio cream (or other nut butter) until well incorporated and creamy. Slowly add in ¾ cup confectioner’s sugar a little at a time, then add 1 tsp milk and beat until smooth. Transfer filling to a pastry bag fitted with round piping tip.
Make the peanut butter cream filling
- Clean out the bowl, then make peanut butter cream filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with beater, mix together 4 oz room temperature cream cheese and ½ cup peanut butter until well incorporated and creamy. Slowly add in ¾ cup confectioner’s sugar a little at a time, then add 2 tsp milk and beat until smooth. Transfer filling to a second pastry bag fitted with round piping tip.
- Use a paring knife to cut a hole in the side of each donut, extending about ⅔ of the way through. Fill half of the fried donuts with pistachio cream, and the remaining donuts with peanut butter cream.
Make the vanilla bean glaze
- Combine 1 cup confectioner’s sugar, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste, and 4 Tbsp milk in a medium bowl, then whisk until smooth. Dip one side of each donut in the glaze, then return to wire rack to set. Serve warm!
Notes
- To make jelly filled donuts: replace the cream filling with your favorite store-bought or homemade preserves, then pipe into the center of donuts as instructed above.
- When stored properly, donuts will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in a freezer.
Let us know your thoughts!