Cruller

A cruller (/ˈkrʌlər/) is a deep-fried pastry popular in parts of Europe and North America. Regarded as a form of cake doughnut in the latter, it is typically either made of a string of dough that is folded over and twisted twice to create its signature shape, or formed from a rectangle of dough with a cut in the center allowing it to be pulled over and through itself to produce distinctive twists in the sides of the pastry.

Some other regional deep-fried cruller styles are made in a small loaf or simple stick shape. The traditional twisted and loaf crullers are typically topped with cinnamon sugar, while the round twisted ones either receive the same or are dipped in plain icing. All types are also found plain.

The “cruller” is not to be confused with the “French cruller”, a light airy, fluted, ring-shaped baked doughnut extruded from choux pastry.

The German Spritzkuchen is also extruded from choux pastry like a French cruller but deep fried, while the Dutch and Belgian sprits, a form of spritz cookie extruded from a shortcrust-like dough, is baked instead of fried.