Description
Crispy South African mini vetkoek donuts filled with a creamy, cinnamon-kissed melktert custard—an irresistible fusion of two beloved treats.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2¼ tsp instant yeast
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1½ cups warm water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (plus extra for frying)
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 tbsp butter
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon (plus extra for dusting)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add warm water and oil. Mix until a smooth, elastic dough forms.
- Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes or until doubled in size.
- In a saucepan, heat milk with cinnamon stick until just below simmering. Remove from heat and steep for 10 minutes.
- Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and eggs in a bowl. Temper with warm milk, then return mixture to saucepan. Cook until thickened. Stir in butter, vanilla, and ground cinnamon. Chill custard with plastic wrap touching surface.
- Punch down dough and roll to ½-inch thickness. Cut into 2-inch rounds.
- Place rounds on parchment-lined sheet, cover, and rise for 15-20 minutes.
- Heat oil to 350°F (175°C). Fry dough rounds until golden, 1-2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
- Cut a small slit in each donut. Pipe chilled melktert filling into each. Dust with cinnamon sugar and serve warm.
Notes
Fry in small batches to maintain oil temperature. Filling should be thick enough to pipe. These donuts are best served fresh, with a crisp exterior and cool creamy center.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Fried
- Cuisine: South African
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mini donut
- Calories: 175
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 105mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
Keywords: vetkoek, melktert, mini donuts, South African dessert, custard-filled donuts