These Weight Watchers Crescent Cronuts will be your new favorite breakfast treat! They are 5 points per serving and the perfect accompaniment for some fresh fruit, coffee, orange juice, or a parfait.
Although the word “cronut” usually means a mixture of a croissant and a donut, I figured a fusion of a crescent roll and a donut would be equally delicious and also unique in its own way. And since reduced-fat crescent roll dough is a thing, it means that the donuts can be WW-friendly, too. These little but tasty donuts satisfied my craving, and they were so quick and simple to make.
I first thought about doing a cinnamon sugar coating, but then I thought they would be extra scrumptious with a classic donut glaze, so that’s what I went with. I’m definitely happy with the result! The glaze sets and gives the cronuts a shiny look. And since you cook them in the air fryer, they get a little crispy on the outside while being pillowy-soft on the inside.
The trick is to bake them at a really low temperature at first so that the dough almost “proofs.” It helps them to really puff up, and then when you increase the temperature, they don’t take long to finish baking and turn golden brown.
Why You Should Try This Recipe
- It requires less than 5 ingredients! Who doesn’t love simple recipes? I am always looking for quick and easy treats that I can make for loved ones, and this one definitely fits the bill.
- They cook in under 10 minutes. Since the dough is already made, it saves a ton of time. This is the perfect recipe to make when you are craving donuts but don’t necessarily have the time to make them from scratch.
- They’re versatile! If you don’t want to glaze them entirely like I did, you can also just glaze the top after they cool and scatter on some sprinkles. Or you can coat them with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar. There are plenty of ways to enjoy them.
Recipe Overview
- Serving Size: 1 cronut (32g)
- Number of Servings: 10
- Time to Cook: 9-10 minutes
- WW Points Per Recipe: 5 WW points per serving, 54 for the entire recipe (Click here to view the recipe in the WW app. WW login is required)
Ingredients in Weight Watchers Crescent Cronuts
- 8 oz can Reduced-fat crescent rolls
- ¾ cup Powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp Water
- ½ tsp Vanilla extract
Instructions for making Weight Watchers Crescent Cronuts
- Make the glaze by mixing the water, vanilla, and powdered sugar until smooth. If preferred, thin with more water. Set aside.
- Remove the Crescent dough log from the can and keep it in the log shape. Gently roll the log to make it 1-2 inches longer. Cut the log into ten even pieces.
3. With each piece, find the center of the spiral in the dough and poke your finger through to open it up. A small hole will form, and from here, you can work the dough to stretch it and make it into a large circle with a bigger diameter. The holes will close up a lot when you cook them; I suggest making a test donut to give you a better idea, or you can refer to the images. They don’t look like traditional donuts at first, but more like thin rings.
4. Working in batches as needed, put a few of the cronuts into a sprayed air fryer basket with plenty of space around them. Coat them with cooking spray and air fry at 180F for 5 minutes.
5. Open the basket and use a knife or spoon to manipulate any cronuts that need to be reshaped or adjusted. Sometimes, the air can cause them to go a little sideways.
6. Turn the heat up to 340F. Air fry for 2 minutes (optionally spray again for color), and then flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until thoroughly baked.
7. Glaze the cronuts while they are still hot. You can either use a spoon to do so, or you can dunk just the top part in the glaze and let it run down the sides. There is just enough glaze for the 10 cronuts, so make sure to work over the bowl so you can reuse any drippings that fall back into it.
Variations and Substitutions
- Cinnamon Sugar Cronuts: When the cronuts come out of the air fryer, spray them with cooking spray or brush them with melted butter and then coat them with a cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Glaze Flavor: You can switch up the glaze flavor if you want. Substitute the vanilla extract for maple, almond, caramel, or another flavor.
- Splurge Version: You can put some melted butter in the glaze to make the taste richer. Another option is to cut bigger portions, making 8 larger cronuts instead of 10.
Tips and Tricks for Making Weight Watchers Crescent Cronuts
- It might feel like you are stretching the dough too much, but you likely aren’t. The donut hole closes up a lot in the air fryer, which you will see. Making a test donut will give you a better idea of how to shape the others.
- For best results, work with the dough when it is very cold. If it is warm, it will slump over and not hold its shape as well. You want it to stand upright so that it continues looking like a donut shape.
- Store any extra cronuts in an airtight container or a resealable gallon-sized bag and keep them at room temperature. They will stay fresh for a few days; you might want to reheat them in the microwave to refresh them. I suggest using a lower power so that they don’t turn tough and the glaze doesn’t immediately melt.
Related Recipes
Weight Watchers Cronuts
Equipment
- Air fryer
Ingredients
- 8 oz Reduced-fat crescent rolls
- ¾ cup Powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp Water
- ½ tsp Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the glaze by mixing the water, vanilla, and powdered sugar until smooth. If preferred, thin with more water. Set aside.
- Remove the Crescent dough log from the can and keep it in the log shape. Gently roll the log to make it 1-2 inches longer. Cut the log into ten even pieces.
- With each piece, find the center of the spiral in the dough and poke your finger through to open it up. A small hole will form, and from here, you can work the dough to stretch it and make it into a large circle with a bigger diameter. The holes will close up a lot when you cook them; I suggest making a test donut to give you a better idea, or you can refer to the images. They don’t look like traditional donuts at first, but more like thin rings.
- Working in batches as needed, put a few of the cronuts into a sprayed (with non-aerosol spray) air fryer basket with plenty of space around them. Coat them with cooking spray and air fry at 180F for 5 minutes. (I didn't preheat mine).
- Open the basket and use a knife or spoon to manipulate any cronuts that need to be reshaped or adjusted. Sometimes, the air can cause them to go a little sideways.
- Turn the heat up to 340F. Air fry for 2 minutes (optionally spray again for color), and then flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until thoroughly baked.
- Glaze the cronuts while they are still hot. You can either use a spoon to do so, or you can dunk just the top part in the glaze and let it run down the sides. There is just enough glaze for the 10 cronuts, so make sure to work over the bowl so you can reuse any drippings that fall back into it.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Couldn’t you use 2 ingredient dough too.?
I am going to try it