These chai custard donuts are fried until golden, filled with creamy chai-spiced custard, and finished with a sweet chai glaze. They're soft, fluffy, and full of cozy chai flavor - basically the donut version of a chai latte.
These chai custard donuts are everything I love about fall baking - warm chai spices, fluffy homemade donuts, and a creamy custard filling that tastes like a cozy chai latte in dessert form. I wanted to create a donut that felt like fall in every bite, and chai was the obvious choice. The custard is rich and spiced, the dough is pillowy and buttery, and the glaze ties it all together with just the right amount of sweetness. If you've ever wished your favorite vanilla chai latte could turn into a dessert, this recipe is it.They might look bakery-level fancy, but with step-by-step instructions, even a first-time donut maker can pull them off. If you've ever wanted to turn your favorite vanilla chai into a sweet treat, this recipe is it.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Cozy chai flavor: All the warming spices of a chai latte packed into every bite.
- Pillowy fried donuts: Not baked - these are real fluffy yeast donuts.
- Custard filling: Creamy, thick, and full of chai spice.
- Chai glaze: Adds extra sweetness and shine, with rich flavor in every drizzle.
- Perfect for sharing: A small batch that makes just enough donuts without overwhelming you with much oil.
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make these chai custard donuts. For the full list scroll to the recipe card below!
- Whole milk - warms the yeast for the dough and creates a creamy custard base
- Active dry yeast - helps the donuts rise and stay fluffy
- Granulated sugar - sweetens the dough, custard, and activates the yeast
- Unsalted butter - adds richness and moisture to the donut dough
- Eggs + egg yolks - give structure to the dough and make the custard thick and creamy, make sure they are room temperature
- Bread flour (or all-purpose) - bread flour gives chew, all-purpose still makes a good donut
- Fine sea salt - balances sweetness and enhances flavor
- Lard or vegetable oil - for frying the donuts until golden brown
- Cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, black pepper - the chai spice mix that makes these donuts taste like a cozy chai latte
- Cornstarch - thickens the custard until pudding-like
- Vanilla extract or vanilla paste - adds warmth and depth to both dough and custard
- Heavy cream - folded into the custard for a fluffy, light texture
- Powdered sugar - the base of the chai glaze
- Melted butter + corn syrup - give the glaze a shiny finish
- Milk - thins the glaze to the perfect consistency
Step-by-Step Instructions
Follow these steps to make the dough, custard, glaze, and assemble your fluffy donuts.
Make the Dough (Day Before)
- Stir warm milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar in a small bowl. Let sit 5-10 minutes until foamy.
- In a stand mixer with a dough hook, combine flour, salt, remaining sugar, and eggs. Add the yeast mixture and mix on low for 4 minutes.
- Add softened butter one tablespoon at a time, mixing fully before adding the next.
- Knead for 6-8 minutes until smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky. If too sticky, rest 5 minutes then knead 1 more minute.
- Transfer to a greased bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight (6-12 hours).
Make the Chai Custard (Day Before)
- Heat milk, sugar, and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium-high until bubbling and foamy.
- In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks, cornstarch, and half the chai spice mix until smooth.
- Slowly drizzle ½ cup hot milk into egg mixture while whisking constantly.
- Add egg mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking until very thick.
- Texture: thick pudding but stiffer, almost scoopable
- Whisk cue: feels resistant, like brownie batter
- Spoon cue: coats a spoon with a clean line when swiped
- Bubble cue: slow, thick bubbles plop up
- Transfer to a heatproof bowl, press plastic wrap on top, and chill overnight.
Cut and Proof the Donuts
- Roll chilled dough to ½-inch thick.
- Cut 9 rounds with a 3-inch cutter. Use scraps for donut holes or crullers.
- Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover loosely, and let rise 1-2 hours until puffy.
Fry the Donuts
- Heat oil in a deep pot to 325°F.
- Fry donuts in batches, 1 minute per side, until golden brown.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack lined with paper towels.
Make the Chai Glaze
- In a large bowl, whisk powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, melted butter, corn syrup, and remaining chai spice mix until smooth.
Assemble the Donuts
- In a stand mixer with whisk attachment, whip ⅔ cup heavy cream to medium peaks.
- Add chilled custard and whip until smooth. Fold in remaining ⅓ cup cream. Transfer to a pastry bag.
- Poke a hole in each donut with a chopstick or spoon handle. Fill with custard until puffy.
- Dip donuts in glaze, let set 10 minutes, then drizzle with extra custard if desired
Tips & Tricks for Chai Custard Donuts
- Proofing hack: If your kitchen is cold, let the shaped donuts rise in a turned-off oven with just the light on - it creates the perfect warm place for proofing.
- Grease-free glaze: Make sure donuts are fully cooled before dipping in glaze, otherwise the glaze can slide off from excess oil.
- Even frying: Fry only 2-3 donuts (small batches) at a time to keep the oil temperature steady. Crowding the pot makes them greasy.
- Flip with chopsticks: Instead of tongs (which can dent them), use chopsticks or a slotted spoon to flip donuts gently.
- Glaze consistency: If your glaze looks too thick, whisk in a splash more milk. Too thin? Add extra powdered sugar.
- Custard: If the custard looks too thick after chilling, whisk in a tablespoon or two of cold heavy cream to loosen it before folding in the whipped cream.
- Flavor boost: Swap the vanilla extract in the custard for vanilla bean paste.
- Decorating tip: Dip donuts in glaze, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or extra chai spice mix before the glaze sets for a pretty finish.
- Don't skip the rest: Letting the dough chill overnight in the fridge makes it easier to roll, cut, and fry.
FAQs - chai custard donuts
Here are some common questions about making donut recipe.
- Can I bake these instead of frying? They're best fried, but baking will give you a softer bread-like donut.
- Do I need bread flour? No, all-purpose flour works fine. Bread flour just gives extra chew.
- Can I use oil instead of lard? Yes, vegetable oil is perfect for frying.
- Can I make them smaller? Absolutely - cut with a smaller cutter for mini donuts and reduce fry time.
- What if I've never made custard before? No worries - just follow the texture, whisk, spoon, and bubble cues. If it clumps, strain it.
Recommended Tools - Chai Custard Donuts
These are the tools I used to make chai custard donuts, and why I recommend them:
- Stand mixer with dough hook - makes kneading so much easier and ensures the dough turns out smooth and elastic without the arm workout.
- Candy thermometer - keeps your frying oil at the perfect temperature (325°F). Too hot and your donuts burn, too cool and they soak up oil.
- Wire rack - lets excess oil drip off after frying and keeps the bottoms of your donuts from getting soggy.
- Piping bag with round tip - the easiest way to fill donuts neatly with custard (spoons just can't compare).
- Large baking sheet lined with parchment paper - perfect for proofing the shaped donuts so they don't stick.
- Small saucepan - ideal for cooking the custard; the smaller size helps it thicken evenly.
- Slotted spoon or chopsticks - gentle for flipping and removing donuts without squishing them.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
These chai custard donuts are best fresh, but you can store or freeze them too.
- Store filled donuts in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days.
- Freeze unfilled, unfrosted donuts in freezer bags. Thaw, then fill and glaze before serving.
- Custard can be made 1 day ahead and kept chilled.
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Recipe
Chai Custard Donuts
These Chai Custard Donuts are fried until golden, filled with creamy chai-spiced custard, and finished with a sweet chai glaze. They're soft, fluffy, and full of cozy chai flavor
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 1 ¼ cups warm whole milk 110°F
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar for yeast activation
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks room temperature
- 5 ⅓ cups 725 g bread flour or all-purpose flour plus extra for rolling spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 cups lard or canola oil
For the chai spiced
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons cardamom
- 1 teaspoons allspice
- 1 teaspoons nutmeg
- 1 teaspoons ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
For the chai custard
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Half of the Chai spice recipe above
- 3 egg yolks
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, divided
For the Glaze:
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- Chai spiced the other half recipe above
Instructions
Make the Dough
- In a small bowl, mix warm milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy.1 ¼ cups warm whole milk 110°F, 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar for yeast activation
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook, whisk flour and salt.5 ⅓ cups 725 g bread flour or all-purpose flour plus extra for rolling spooned and leveled, 2 teaspoons salt
- Add ½ cup sugar, eggs, egg yolks, and the activated yeast mixture. Knead on low speed for 4 minutes until it starts to come together.¼ cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 large egg yolks
- Add softened butter, one tablespoon at a time, letting each fully incorporate before the next. This should take 2-3 minutes.½ cup unsalted butter softened
- Knead on medium speed for 6-8 more minutes until smooth, stretchy, and slightly sticky.
- If it still feels too sticky, let the dough rest 5 minutes, then knead for 1 more minute to allow the flour to absorb the butter.
- Transfer to a greased bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight (6-12 hours).
Chai Spice Mix:
- In a small bowl, combine cinnamon, ground ginger, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, ground cloves, and freshly cracked black pepper. Set aside.2 tablespoons cinnamon, 2 teaspoon ground ginger, 2 teaspoons cardamom, 1 teaspoons allspice, 1 teaspoons nutmeg, 1 teaspoons ground cloves, 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
For The Chai Spiced Custard (do the day before you fry the donuts)
- In a medium saucepan, heat milk, sugar, and vanilla over medium-high until bubbling and foamy, 3-5 minutes. Watch closely so it doesn't boil over.½ cup granulated sugar, 1 ½ cups whole milk, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, cornstarch, and half of the chai spice mix until smooth.Half of the Chai spice, 3 egg yolks, ¼ cup cornstarch
- Slowly drizzle about ½ cup of hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs. The mixture should stay smooth and slightly warm, not scrambled.
- Return saucepan with remaining milk to the stove. Add tempered egg mixture while whisking quickly.
- Reduce heat to medium and cook, whisking continuously, until the custard thickens. It will look like thick pudding but a little stiffer. You'll feel more resistance as you stir - almost like brownie batter. You may see slow, thick bubbles plop up in the center when it's ready.
- Remove from heat, transfer to a heatproof bowl, and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Cool 20-30 minutes at room temp, then refrigerate overnights. until fully chilled. You will finish the rest when you assemble the donuts,
Cut and Proof the Donuts
- On a floured surface, roll chilled dough to ½-inch thick.
- Cut out 9 rounds with a 3-inch cutter. Twist scraps into crullers instead of re-rolling.
- Place on a lined tray, cover loosely, and let rise 1-2 hours until puffy and room temperature.
Fry the Donuts
- Heat oil in a deep pot to 325°F.2 cups lard or canola oil
- Fry donuts in batches, 60-90 seconds per side, until golden.
- Transfer to a paper towel-lined wire rack to cool completely before filling.
Make the Glaze
- In a large bowl, whisk powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, melted butter, milk, corn syrup, and remaining chai spice mix until smooth.4 cups powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon melted butter, ⅓ cup milk, 1 tablespoon corn syrup, Chai spiced
Assemble the Donuts
- In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip ⅔ cup heavy cream to medium peaks (peaks curl slightly at the tip).1 cup heavy whipping cream, divided
- Add chilled chai custard and whip until smooth.
- Fold in remaining ⅓ cup heavy cream with a spatula until evenly combined.
- Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Use a chopstick or wooden spoon handle to poke a hole in the top (or side) of each donut. Wiggle to make a pocket.
- Pipe custard into donuts until they puff slightly.
- Spoon glaze over donuts, let set 10 minutes, then pipe extra custard squiggles on top for garnish.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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