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Homemade Italian cream bombs filled with vanilla pastry cream on white kitchen counter

Italian Cream Bombs Recipe

These Italian cream bombs are soft, pillowy pastries filled with silky vanilla pastry cream and dusted with sugar. Inspired by classic bomboloni from Italy, they’re surprisingly simple to make at home and taste like they came straight from a bakery.
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Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: European, Italian
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Rising Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 12 Italian cream bombs
Calories: 285kcal
Cost: $8

Equipment

  • Stand mixer with dough hook For kneading the enriched dough
  • Heavy-bottomed pot or deep fryer To maintain even oil temperature
  • Candy or deep-fry thermometer Keeps oil steady at 350°F
  • Piping bag with Bismarck tip For filling pastries
  • Round cookie cutter (2.5–3 in) For shaping the dough
  • Slotted spoon or spider strainer To remove bomboloni from oil
  • Wire cooling rack Keeps pastries crisp while cooling

Ingredients

For the Dough

  • 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast 1 packet
  • ¾ cup whole milk Warmed to 110°F
  • 3 large eggs Room temperature
  • 6 tablespoon unsalted butter Softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 lemon zest From 1 lemon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 quart vegetable oil For frying

For the Pastry Cream Filling

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch salt

For Finishing

  • ½ cup powdered sugar For dusting
  • ½ cup granulated sugar Optional, for rolling

Instructions

  • Mix warm milk and yeast; let sit until foamy.
  • Combine dry ingredients; add yeast mixture, eggs, butter, and mix until smooth dough forms.
  • Let dough rise until doubled in size (1.5–2 hrs).
  • Heat milk; whisk yolks, sugar, and cornstarch; combine and cook until thick.
  • Stir in butter, vanilla, and salt; chill pastry cream.
  • Roll dough to ½-inch thickness; cut circles.
  • Let rise 30–45 mins until puffy.
  • Fry at 350°F for 2–3 mins per side; drain on paper towels.
  • Fill with pastry cream using piping bag.
  • Dust or roll in sugar; serve fresh.

Notes

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Nutrition

Serving: 90g | Calories: 285kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 130mg | Sodium: 160mg | Potassium: 90mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 480IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1.8mg