Crumb Donuts
The best desserts have streusel on top, am I right? Peach crisp, apple crumb pie, and berry crumble would all be lost without the crumb topping. Buttery bits of cinnamon and brown sugar clumped together just have a way of making you lick your fingers to pick up every last crumb. These donuts will have you licking your fingers, that’s for sure.
It’s a basic vanilla and nutmeg-scented donut with a crumb topping that you pop in the oven while the donuts are baking. The crumb mixture will flatten out like one big cookie, but don’t worry. Just keep an eye on it so it doesn’t turn much past golden-brown. As soon as it comes out of the oven, flake it with a fork to create the crumbs.
With a cup of warm coffee, these donuts are the perfect antidote to get through a work week while you wait for a 3-day weekend.
Here’a link to my favorite 6-portion donut pan by Wilton.
- 4 tablespoons unsalted cold butter, cubed
- ¼ cup flour
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 egg white
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk or cream
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 6-donut pan very well with cooking spray.
- First, make the crumb topping. In a small bowl, combine the cubed butter, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Mash the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork. Make sure the butter is well incorporated with no patches of flour. Pour the mixture out on a small baking sheet lined with foil. Set aside.
- Next, make the donuts: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, stir together the milk, egg white, butter and vanilla. Stir the mixture continuously over medium-low heat until the butter dissolves completely.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry (but don’t over-mix).
- Divide the batter between the 6 spaces in the donut pan and bake for 8-9 minutes. Add the pan of crumbs to the oven at the same time. Keep an eye on the crumbs–the mixture will spread out like one giant cookie. Make sure it doesn’t get too dark brown. When the donuts are done, the surface of the donuts will spring back when pressed gently.
- Let the donuts cool in the pan 5 minutes before removing them. Meanwhile, scrape the crumb mixture with a fork to create crumbs. Pour the crumbs into a shallow bowl or plate.
- Whisk together the glaze ingredients in a shallow bowl. To serve the donuts, dip each top into the glaze, then the crumb mixture.
These look soooooo good! Love that crumb topping!
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I totally agree, streusel makes all desserts infinitely better! Love these!!
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They look awesome and I love streusel topping!
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Am I allowed to just eat the crumb topping sans donuts?
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You’re killin’ me SMALLS!! Crumb topping is the best thing ever!!
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Christina Reply:
August 28th, 2012 at 7:04 am
Kristan: I only bake for you. I think in my mind: “Would Kristan eat this?” and then I proceed only if the answer is yes.
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Holy yum!!! Wow. I’d devour several easily
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I just made my first batch of donuts – the cheater way – with biscuits. They were ahhhmazing! I am dying to try full on homemade ones – these are FIRST on the list! YUM!
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Christina Reply:
August 28th, 2012 at 7:04 am
Susie: the cheater way with canned biscuits is one of my favorite donut recipes!
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I have never seen a doughnut with a crumb top before, England is definitely lacking! these look delicious!
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Crumb me!
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Oh my! These look amazing. I’ve only used my donut pan once and these crumb donuts remind me that I need to use it again, fast. Thanks for the recipe!
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Um, yes, streusel makes everything better. Love these.
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Brilliant! Love the crumb topping!
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I love that crumb topping on anything. Add it to a donut? Even better!
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streusel on top = DIVINE. totally the best part about dessert!
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Wait. You said the best desserts have streusel on top. Does this mean you don’t put streusel on EVERYTHING? Because I totally do. It’s fabulous on meatloaf. And french fries. Also, ham sandwiches.
Okay, fine. So, maybe it doesn’t belong on everything, but streusel is my life.
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Holy yum. I think I say the same thing again and again on your posts, but you and I really do have very similar tastes when it comes to dessert.
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You’re right! Everything is soooooo much better with a crumb-topping. Infact, whenever I have something with a crumble on top, I eat it upside down so I can save the crumb for last
These look amazing and so delicious!
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Oh yes!!! Donuts are simply the best, and yes! Crumbs on top make this even better!!!
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Oh my gosh these doughnuts look incredible. Why have I never seen doughnuts with a crumb topping? Lovely!
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These sound spectacular! YUM!
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First time I’ve seen these! What a wonderful idea and you are right, everything is better with a crumb topping.
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you have no idea how obsessed i am with streusel. you’re absolutely KILLING me with these donuts. this is immediately going on my “must make” list!
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Streusel on a doughnut? YES!
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I love that you took something as delicious as a donut and made it a million times better with crumb topping! Lets be honest, if I could make and eat only crumb topping (without getting strange looks from my fiance) than I totally would!
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I never thought of putting streusel on a donut! I guess I’m kind of weird in that I don’t like it on everything but here? What a great additio!
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Agghhh!! I have everything to make these donuts–how exciting, I love when that happens. I have that exact donut pan and haven’t put it to enough use over the past year. Definitely want to try these! And yes, streusels make the world go round
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Oooo, that streusel topping had me! These look so delicious and perfect for dunking into a hot cup of tea!
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My love, how did you know that I’ve been thinking about donuts nonstop for a few days now?!? You read my food-lovin’ mind.
Also…couldn’t agree more about that struesel topping. I love it so much I recently put some on baked oatmeal. Oh yes, you know I did.
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How did you know that these are my favorite kind of doughnuts?! I’m consistently amazed by the wonderful flavors bloggers come up with for doughnuts (they all look so great) but you hit the nail on the head with this one – the crumb topping doughnut has always been my thang and your homemade version is probably a billion times better than the packaged version I used to buy!
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That crumb topping is making me so happy. I love that this is basically a crumb cake in a donut form – totally ups the cuteness factor!
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Oh holy yum! i love anything with streusel + these look AMAZING. must make soon!
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Every dessert deserves a crumb topping! Can’t wait to try these! I’ll probably gain some weight but it’ll be so worth it!
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[...] Crumb Donuts from Dessert For Two [...]
I am working on a donut roundup for my site and would love to link to these! Do you mind if I use one of your pics with a link to the recipe?
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[...] Crumb Donuts – Give me these with a giant mug of coffee on the 14th and I will be yours forever. Ok fine, I will only be yours forever if your name is Gerald Updyke and I am already married to you. But if you gave me these I would definitely give you a good referral for your next job interview. [...]