How David Chang Turns Krispy Kreme Donuts Into The Ultimate Homemade Dessert

Store-bought desserts don't always measure up to homemade ones. But celebrity chef David Chang proves they can be just as good — or even better — with the right modifications. Chang has come up with a recipe that transforms delicious Krispy Kreme doughnuts into the ultimate homemade dessert. He pan-fries the original glazed donuts until deeply brown and serves them hot with melted ice cream as a base and more ice cream on top.

Chang first presented this recipe in his Netflix series "Dinner Time Live with David Chang," when he had actors Steven Yeun and Rashida Jones as guests. In a clip he uploaded on his TikTok from the episode, he proudly tells his guests, "It's like the best thing I've ever had in my life." He then proceeds to serve the two with the pan-fried donuts. When Jones jokingly asks him if using store-bought donuts instead of homemade ones counts as cheating, Chang brushes it off and scoops a dollop of cereal milk ice cream from Milk Bar founder Christina Tosi on top of each plate. The clip ends with all three marveling, speechless, over the dessert.

Aside from the fact that we now know the world-famous chef isn't one to turn his nose up at mass-market sweets, there's something deeply satisfying about watching him and his guests melt over a $1 donut like it's a Michelin-starred soufflé.

@davidchang

This is the greatest dessert in the world...pan fried Krispy Kreme doughnut over melted ice cream and topped with more ice cream #dinnertimelive

♬ Still D R E, (Originally Performed By Dr, Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg) – TUTT

The Momofuku founder's ice cream-topped, pan-fried donut dessert is super-easy to recreate. You don't really need to use Krispy Kreme's glazed donuts to pull this off — any sugar-glazed donut will do. Start by frying the donuts in a medium-sized pan. You may use oil or butter to do so. If you're using butter, it's better to choose unsalted butter over salted since the former does not add sodium and alter the flavor of the donuts. Fry the donuts on medium heat until they turn golden brown. Once done, it's time to plate them.

For your ice cream, you also don't need to follow Chang's preference for Christina Tosi's cereal milk ice cream. Any vanilla ice cream will suffice. Scoop some ice cream onto the plate before adding the hot donut. As the first scoop of ice cream melts below the donut, add another scoop on top, and they're good to go. The beauty of this dessert lies in the combination of temperatures and textures. You have hot versus cold and crispy versus gooey, so dig in while the donut is still hot and crispy. Another way to serve this dish is to slice the donut and make an ice cream sandwich with vanilla ice cream. Just be prepared for the mess this might make, since the donut's temperature will almost immediately melt the ice cream.