21 Delicious Ways to Get in on the Cronut Craze

Bethany Kosten
Feb 04, 2014

Time Magazine calls the Cronut one of the 25 best inventions of 2013. And according to the good people of NYC, they might be right. One woman paid $14,000 for a dozen. (Say what?!) Dominique Ansel is the mastermind behind these flaky little croissant/donut hybrids, and pastry lovers line the streets outside his bakery every morning at 5am to snatch up the trendy treats. You might as well face the music: You want one, but the competition might be too fierce to get one. Our solution? Bring a version to your kitchen with these 21 crazy-awesome recipes.

1. Homemade Done Right: The extra time it takes to make the iconic creation is so worth it. Invite some friends over to share the cronutty goodness (and avoid eating them all yourself). These babies are best eaten fresh. (via Broad Appetite)

2. Apple Pecan Pie with Apple Cider Caramel Drizzle: Topped off with apple bits, chopped pecans, cream cheese, and an apple-cider caramel sauce, this is To. Die. For. (via Key Ingredient)

3. Salted Caramel Crescent Dough: This five-star-rated recipe stands out from the crowd for its secret time-saving ingredient: crescent rolls. (via Pillsbury)

4. Calamansi Glaze: Life is short. Eat pastries. (Glazed ones!) (via Nine Space)

5. Cinnamon Sugar Cronut: We wish the quality of this photo was a little higher, but we can’t ignore cinnamon sugar. We dig it. It’s amazing on a simple piece of plain toast, so we’re pretty sure these will rock your world. (via Ladies Home Journal)

6. The Croissant Donut: Foodies, there’s no need to travel to New York to get your fix. Make your own and enjoy bragging rights too. (via Not Quite Nigella)

7. Vanilla Chai Cream: The vanilla chai cream version will send the whole world into a food frenzy. We dare you to create them… and eat just one. (via Monday Morning Donuts)

8. Pumpkin Spice Caramel: By now we’re sure everyone’s got mad cravings. Just what would you do to get your paws on one of these babies? There’s always the Black Market. (Yes, these are going for $40-a-nut on Craigslist!) But since we can’t condone illegal activities, we’ll just suggest that you make them. No regrets. (via Foodness Gracious)

9. Maple Bacon Cronuts: This baby packs a protein punch: bacon. How could it not be incredible? (via Life Made Sweet)

10. Chocolate Ganache Glaze: This recipe proves the process doesn’t have to be complicated. Pre-made, frozen croissants and a chocolate-ganache glaze are the two thing it takes to make the magic. (via Kirbie’s Cravings)

11. Sugar Coated at Home: Is it all hype… or is it worth the trouble? Test your theory with this basic DIY. (via Food 52)

12. Vanilla Cream and Orange Blossom Glaze: It may have taken Dominique Ansel ten or more tries to perfect his Cronut, but you can stick to a tried-‘n’-true version. This recipe claims to have “cracked the Cronut.” A sweet orange glaze makes it over-the-top awesome. (via Foodista)

13. Vegan Cronuts: Vegans, try to contain your excitement. This recipe might make vegans out of us all. (via House Vegan)

14. Easy Mini Nutella ‘Nuts: If you’re as obsessed with Nutella as we are, you’re now drooling all over this screen. Nutella meets a perfectly sugar-powdered ‘nut for one epic mashup. (via Mommyhood’s Diary)

15. Buttermilk-Vanilla Glazed: We’re fascinated with all the layers in this flaky fave (not to mention those vanilla bean flecks!). How many layers does it take to make the perfect treat? The world may never know. (via Salt and Smoke)

17. Homemade Chocolate Biscoff: Whoa, did we just use chocolate and Cronut in the same sentence!? Swooning. (via Pixie Dust Kitchen)

18. Kronut: Your morning coffee needs a partner. ‘Nuff said. (via Sweetly Lemon)

19. Lemon Vanilla Fauxnuts: Ready to see what this is all about? These made-from-scratch lemon vanilla pastries take a serious amount of love (and butter!), but trust us. The vanilla creme is where it’s at! (via The Boy Who Bakes)

20. The Nutella Fauxnut: The original Cronut takes a whopping three days to make. Fortunately, we’ve located a shortcut. With Nutella! (via Love Swah)

21. The Texas: Meet your flakey fix, Texas-style. Everything in Texas is oversized and this big-as-a-dinner-plate pastry is no exception. Go ahead and hunt down a two-gallon bucket… that’s gonna serve as your shape-cutter. Seriously. (via Monday Morning Donut)

Have you tried the Cronut yet? (Can you mail us one… or half a dozen!?) Let us know in the comments below!

7 “Impressive” Whole Foods Deals Will Save You Major Cash On Your Grocery Bill

I truly feel like I’ve been living under a rock when it comes to what’s good at Whole Foods. Turns out, they’ve been hiding some really impressive deals on groceries in the shadows, but I’m here to shed some light on ‘em. Whole Foods offers savings every week, and I’m fully convinced that my local Whole Foods will be seeing a whole lot more of me from now on.

Scroll on for details on Whole Foods’ top deals to shop starting today!

Kaboompics / PEXELS

1. BOGO 50% off packaged soups (Tuesdays)

Tuesdays and Fridays are the main days of the week that Whole Foods offers savings on their groceries. The first amazing deal for Tuesdays is BOGO 50% off packaged soups – perfect for this time of year!

They’ve got every kind of flavor from minestrone and chicken noodle to Italian wedding and broccoli cheddar. Their packaged soups average out at about $9 per 24-ounce tub, so saving 50% on one when you buy one is pretty good, especially for meal prep purposes.

Lukas / PEXELS

2. $2 off classic and organic rotisserie chickens (Tuesdays)

You can take $2 off two kinds of Whole Foods’ rotisserie chickens every Tuesday. Their classic rotisserie chicken goes for $9 while the organic version sells for $13. I love using rotisserie chicken for soups, sandwiches, wraps, and pastas, so getting a whole chicken to use for recipes all week long for just $7 is so nice!

Nadin Sh / PEXELS

3. $8 large cheese pizzas (Friday)

Sometimes you just do not feel like cooking on a Friday evening after work – that’s where this Whole Foods savings hack comes in! Every Friday, you can get a large cheese pizza for $8. While there’s nothing wrong with a plain cheese pizza (nostalgia galore!), I’d take advantage of this deal then bulk up my slices with various toppings like peppers, pepperoni, and olives.

Nadin Sh / PEXELS

4. 12 for $12 wild caught oysters (Friday)

Ooh, fancy! Every Friday, Whole Foods’ wild caught oysters go for $1 a pop. Buy a dozen for just $12, and you’re golden. This deal would be perfect for a bougie at-home date night.

Pixabay / PEXELS

5. BOGO 50% off packaged sushi rolls (Friday)

This is another great date night pick! Buy one packaged sushi roll, and get another 50% off on Fridays only. From rainbow rolls to California rolls, this Whole Foods savings hack has my cravings going crazy.

Minchephoto Photography / PEXELS

6. $10 family-sized tiramisu (Friday)

Got a hankering for a sweet treat? Don’t fret – you can shop a whole family-sized serving of tiramisu at Whole Foods for just $10 every Friday.

Kseniia Lopyreva / PEXELS

7. $12 bottles of prosecco (Friday)

The death of the work week and start of the weekend is obviously a cause for celebration, and Whole Foods has you covered with $12 bottles of Presto prosecco every Friday. Cheers!

Subscribe to our newsletter to discover more deals!

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Elle Fanning "Uncontrollably Sobbed" During One Of Dakota's Movies As A Kid

As much as I love celebrity couples, I love celebrity sibling relationships even more. And Elle and Dakota Fanning are two sisters I've grown up watching since I first saw Dreamer in 2005. Considering Elle Fanning is only five months older than me, and I have a sister of my own, this is one relationship that feels particularly familiar. And while Elle has also watched Dakota Fanning act since we were kids, Dakota just revealed seeing Elle onscreen is just as special for her.

Here's why Dakota & Elle Fanning get emotional seeing each other onscreen.

Elle remembers "sobbing" during one particularly emotional Dakota Fanning movie.

“When Elle’s in anything, it makes me feel it deeper,” Dakota Fanning said at TheWrap’s Power Women Summit on December 3. “She never can fully disappear into a character totally for me as her sister. She obviously does an amazing job, but I’m always gonna see my little sister a little bit.”

And Elle is just as touched by Dakota's roles, and remembers "uncontrollably sobbing" after seeing Now Is Good, a movie where Dakota's character was dying of cancer. “Because it was my sister, I had a real traumatic reaction after that premiere and the screening,” Elle says. “Obviously the acting, but it was something felt on a deeper level.”

“I’m doing this job, I’m an actor because my sister started before me and I watched her,” Elle continues. “I wanted to do exactly what my big sister wanted to do.”

And their movies have also made an impact on everyone who watches them.

When Brit + Co caught up with Dakota Fanning at the world premiere of The Watchers, I had to ask about one of her most iconic movies: Uptown Girls. "I love it," she says of TikTok memes and edits giving the movie new life. "It's nostalgic for people who are kind of around my age, who grew up watching that movie, I think it's like a comfort movie for people. And so I love that people are still revisiting it and loving it. And maybe now that everyone's older [they're] understanding different things about it."

Dakota starred opposite Brittany Murphy, who also had roles in movies like Clueless, 8 Mile, and Girl, Interrupted. Brittany passed away in 2009 when Dakota was 15. "I loved Brittany so much and I still miss her," she says. "So anytime that she has, you know, a moment where people think about her is also nice."

You can see Elle Fanning in A Complete Unknown, in theaters December 25, and you can also stream Dakota Fanning's new show The Perfect Couple on Netflix now.

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These Easy Christmas Cookies Will Make Your Dreams Come True

If there’s one recipe you 100 percent need to crank out some seriously festive Christmas dessert ideas, it’s the classic, basic sugar cookie. Some of the most intricately ordained, masterpiece cookies (like pink Christmas decorations, jolly reindeer, and llamas) begin with a simple foundation. Let’s start with this recipe we love for a vanilla-bean-speckled version that’s sure to hold its own under all that royal icing.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter (room temperature + cubed)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
  • 1 egg
  • 3 cups flour

Directions

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add vanilla bean and egg. Mix until just incorporated. Stop mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Gradually add flour (you may not need the full three cups), and mix until dough forms and pulls away from the bowl. Divide dough into two even discs and wrap in cling wrap, then refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.

When ready to roll dough, pre-heat oven to 350°F and line baking trays with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Using a rolling pin, roll cookie dough between two pieces of parchment paper to 1/4-inch in thickness, and use cookie cutters to cut out cookie shapes.

Transfer cookies to a baking tray using a lightly floured spatula. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes before baking.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or when edges begin to brown. The time will be dependent on size and thickness of cookies.

Allow to cool on tray until warm to touch, then transfer onto a wire cooling rackbefore decorating.

Decorate your easy Christmas cookies to you and your family's liking!

Check out our baking and cooking classes for more recipes to make at home!

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

See our ‘Grammable Holiday Cookie Guide.

Recipe via Vickie Liu; photos via Brittany Griffin/Brit + Co

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