Homemade Berliner Doughnuts: Recipe + 9 Step-by-Step Photos

Famous German filled doughnuts are much easier to make at home than American donuts. This classic, airy treat with condensed milk makes a wonderful dessert with tea. And there's enough to satisfy even the most ardent sweet tooth.

Nutritional value per serving

470 kcal

Proteins: 7 g
Fats: 21 g
Carbohydrates: 65 g

*Nutritional value is calculated per 100g of ingredients

Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Time in the kitchen: 30 min
Complexity:

It's easy and straightforward to prepare, but it does require some experience. Not everyone can do it right the first time.
Number of servings: 8

Before we get started with the recipe, let's clarify some terminology. Currently, there are four types of donuts.

In Russian culinary tradition, donuts are fried balls of yeast dough dusted with powdered sugar. If they're rings with powdered sugar, they're called pushki. These same rings, glazed and topped with sprinkles, are called donuts.

Berliners are large balls that always contain a filling of condensed milk, chocolate, vanilla cream and other toppings. They're dusted with powdered sugar. If you decorate them with icing, you could also call the dessert a donut.

The History of the Berliner Donut

German doughnuts are called Berliners only outside of Germany. In Berlin itself, Brandenburg, and Saxony, they are known and loved as Pfannkuchen. In Bavaria, they are called Krapfen, in Hesse, Kräppel, and in Rhineland-Palatinate, Fastnachtsküchle. The story of their origin is even more interesting.

Legend has it that in 1756, a German pastry chef dreamed of becoming an artilleryman and even enlisted in Frederick the Great's army. He failed to prove himself in the war and was sent to the army kitchen. But the baker's dream remained, so he began do cannonball-shaped buns that later became very popular in Berlin.

However, as early as the end of the 15th century, one of the first German cookbooks already contained step-by-step recipe Gefüllte Krapfen yeast doughnuts filled with jam, fried in lard. Whether this was a signature recipe or a popular delicacy is unknown.

Recipe with step-by-step photos

Berliner donuts with boiled condensed milk

Ingredients

Servings

For the dough:

Milk

250 ml
Dry yeast

11 G
Sugar

20 G
Flour

225 G

For the test:

Egg C1

1 pcs
Sugar

20 G
Salt

4 G
Vanilla sugar

1 tsp
Flour

225 G
Butter

50 G

For the filling:

Boiled condensed milk

200 G

Preparation

Step 1

Mix warm milk, sugar and yeast for the dough in a deep bowl until completely dissolved.

Step 2

Add flour and mix until smooth. Leave to rise until doubled in size.

Step 3

Beat the egg with sugar, salt and vanilla in a deep bowl until creamy.

Step 4

Add the yeast mixture to the egg mixture and mix well until smooth. Then add the flour and mix well. Add the chopped butter and mix until smooth and homogeneous.

Step 5

We gather it into a ball, cover the bowl with cling film and leave it to infuse for 1 hour until it doubles in size.

Step 6

Roll the dough out to a thickness of about 1.5 cm, being careful not to press too hard with the rolling pin, just lightly running it across the surface. Use a little flour to make rolling easier. Then cut out circles using a regular mug or cookie cutter.

Step 7

We cover the blanks with cling film and leave them to rise for 20 minutes.

Step 8

Heat sunflower oil and fry until golden brown on both sides. Once done, place the donuts on paper towels to drain off excess oil.

Step 9

The Berliner donuts are ready. Transfer the boiled condensed milk to a pastry bag fitted with a round tip and fill them with the filling. Then dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Similar video recipe: German Round Donut Without a Hole

I highly recommend watching the video. It not only clearly demonstrates how to make the cream and the Berliner doughnuts themselves, but also the final process of filling the doughnuts with cream using a pastry bag. So, if you still have questions, watch the frying and filling process first.

Not just a bag

Instead of a pastry bag, you can use a piping bag to fill Berliners. If you don't have one on hand, you can simply fill the donuts with a spoon. However, this won't be as neat until you get the hang of it.

The dough is not sweet

If you've made too many donuts at once, you don't have to limit yourself to sweet fillings. Originally, Berliners weren't desserts and were served with herbs, cheese, and other savory toppings.

Donuts are a versatile treat that can easily be transformed into a thousand desserts simply by experimenting with fillings and glazes. Try them for yourself and don't forget to share the recipe with your loved ones.

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