These pumpkin donuts are so delicious, soft and fluffy, that they became my favorite fall treat. We sometimes have them for breakfast and why not, with pumpkin spice latte it’s the best combo ever.
What ingredients are used in pumpkin donuts
- milk
- dry active yeast
- sugar
- butter
- egg
- salt
- pumpkin purée
- pumpkin pie spice
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- plus oil for frying and some extra sugar and cinnamon for coating
These pumpkin donuts are fluffy and softer as the fried donuts are. I like adding pumpkin purée into this pumpkin donuts recipe, because some pumpkin pie filling are over seasoned and way to sweet for me.
If you are loving your brand of pumpkin pie filling, feel free to use it in this recipe. Only thing don’t need to use extra pumpkin pie spice as written here in this recipe.
Because this is a yeast dough, it takes little longer, then caked version of donuts. The dough will take some time to prove. I would suggest making these pumpkin donuts over the weekend, when you have little more spare time.
HOW TO PREPARE YEAST DOUGH FOR PUMPKIN DONUTS
For preparing the yeast dough, I suggest stand mixer with kneed hook (if you don’t want to use wooden spoon and hands)
Prove the yeast
In a large bowl of standing mixer add warm milk and dry active yeast. Sprinkle with 1 tsp of sugar and whisk with hand whisker and let stand for 5 minutes.
When you see the milk starts to bubble, your yeast is active and you can continue adding other ingredients. If the milk don’t bubble, your yeast is no more active and you will need to get new dry yeast.
Add to the milk cooled melted butter, egg, pumpkin purée, vanilla extract, salt and pumpkin spice. Whisk all this, until combined. Now place the large bowl into the standing mixer with attached kneed hook and start adding slowly flour.
Prove the dough
Once the dough is formed, transfer in onto lightly flour dusted work surface and kneed with your hands for few minutes, until the dough doesn’t stick anymore, but it’s soft. Add occasionally flour to the dough, so it doesn’t stick.
Place the dough back to the mixing bowl, cover with kitchen towel and let proof the dough in warm place, for 1 and 1/2 hours. The dough needs to double, in size.
Cut out the donuts
Once the dough has proofed, remove it from the bowl on flour dusted working surface and roll the dough with rolling pin, about 1/3 ” thick. Cut out round shapes using classic donuts cutter or 3″ circle cutter.
To make the middle hole, use large piping tip. Once you cut out all the donuts, collect the rest of the dough, knead and reuse. Place the shaped donuts on baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Cover with kitchen towel and let proof for another 20 minutes.
Fry the donuts and coat them in sugar and cinnamon
In the meanwhile, prepare the sugar with cinnamon in medium bowl. At the same time, reheat deep medium pan oil, until it reaches 350F / 177C. Use candy thermometer to find out the temperature.
It is important, that the oil has to reach exactly this temperature. Otherwise, donuts with be either too oily, because the oil will penetrate in the dough or if the temperature is too high, the donuts might burn.
Drop the donuts in preheated oil and fry until golden brown, then turn on the other side. Use two forks to help you to turn the donuts. It usually takes 2-3 minutes from one side and 1-2 minutes from the other side. All depends on the temperature of the preheated oil.
Once done, remove the donuts and place them on the paper towels to absorb the excess oil and after few seconds (when they are not too hot, but still warm) gently dip the doughnuts into the cinnamon sugar, until well coated all over. Place them onto a wire rack to cool.
More pumpkin recipes
- BEST PUMPKIN PIE RECIPE
- THANKSGIVING PUMPKIN BUNDT CAKE
- PUMPKIN SPICE CHEESECAKE TART
- PUMPKIN MAC AND CHEESE
PUMPKIN DONUTS
Ingredients
For the yeast dough
- 1 cup (250 ml) 2% milk lukewarm
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) dry active yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/3 cup (75 g) butter melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) pumpkin purée
- 4 tsps pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 5 cups (600) g all-purpose flour
For frying
- 6 cups canola oil for frying
For sugar coating
- 1 cup (200) g sugar
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
For the yeast dough
- In a large bowl of standing mixer, add lukewarm milk and dry active yeast. Sprinkle with 1 tsp of sugar and whisk with hand whisker and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Add to the milk cooled melted butter, egg, pumpkin purée, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Whisk until all ingredients are well combined.
- Place the large bowl onto the standing mixer with attached dough hook and start adding slowly flour (cup by cup). Once the dough is formed, continue kneading in the mixer for another 5 minutes or until the dough is soft. The dough will be slightly sticky.
- Leave the dough in the mixing bowl, cover with kitchen towel and let it prove in a warm place, for 1 and 1/2 hours or until the dough has doubled.
- Once the dough has proofed, remove it from the bowl on flour dusted working surface and roll the dough with rolling pin, about 1/3 inch thick. Cut out round shapes using classic doughnut cutter or 3" circle cutter.
- To make the middle hole, use the other end of large piping tip or small cookie cutter around 1 inch large. When all the donuts are cut out, collect the rest of the dough, knead and reuse. Place the shaped donuts on baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Cover with kitchen towel and let proof for another 20 minutes.
For frying
- In the meanwhile, prepare the coating (sugar and cinnamon) and reheat the oil. In a deep medium pan reheat the oil until it reaches 350F / 177C. Use candy thermometer to determine the temperature. It is important, that the oil has to reach exactly this temperature. Otherwise, donuts with be either too oily or will get burned.
- Carefully drop the donuts in preheated oil and fry until golden brown, then turn on the other side. Use two forks or chopsticks to help you to turn the donuts. It usually takes 2-3 minutes from one side and 1-2 minutes from the other side. All depends on the temperature of the preheated oil.
Sugar coating
- Remove the donuts from the oil and place them on the paper towels to absorb the excess oil and after few seconds (when they are not too hot, but still warm) gently dip the donuts into the cinnamon sugar coating. Place them onto a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.
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Simple Delectables
They look so yummy, I should give the recipe a try before the end of the week
juliarecipes
Yes, these pumpkin donuts are a bliss, let me know how it goes. Have a great day, Julia.
veenaazmanov
These Doughnuts are so very unique and best for the kids healthy meal too. Love that there is pumpkin to these yummy Doughnuts.
Julia
My kids love these for breakfast! Thank you Veena 🙂
Pam
I’m going to get the ingredients today to make these doughnuts over the weekend!
Julia
Sound like an excellent plan Pam 🙂 Let me know how you liked them!
Dannii
I am so excited for all the pumpkin recipes around at the moment and these look amazing. So light!
Julia
Me too Dannii, I am so pumped, that I am trying anything pumpkin right now hihi 🙂 Thank you!
Cate
These look so delicious!! Love that they are pumpkin flavored, saving this one for sure!
Julia
Let me know how did you like them Cate 🙂
Dolly
Who doesn’t love donuts? And with pumpkin added in, who can resist!? There are a must try!
Julia
I agree Dolly, who doesn’t love donuts 🙂