Fried Pumpkin Donuts

These homemade fried pumpkin donuts are soft, fluffy, and full of pumpkin and warm fall spices. The yeast dough is made with pumpkin puree, rolled, cut, proofed, and fried until beautifully golden. Finish them two ways – brush them with melted butter and coat them in cinnamon sugar, or dip them in a sweet maple glaze.

I don’t make a lot of deep-fried food, but donuts are definitely the exception. There is something about a freshly fried yeast donut that you just don’t get from a baked donut.

I originally made these pumpkin donuts with cinnamon sugar, and that’s still one of my favorite ways to eat them. This time, I divided the batch in half. I brushed half with melted butter and coated them generously in cinnamon sugar, then dipped the rest in a simple maple glaze. Same pumpkin donut, two completely different finishes — and honestly, I’m not sure I can pick a favorite.

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Ingredients and substitutes

• Bread flour – Gives yeast donuts a light, chewy texture. All-purpose flour works too, or use half bread flour and half all-purpose.
• Yeast – Instant yeast is my preference because it can go straight into the dough. Active dry yeast also works; dissolve it in the warm milk first.
• Pumpkin puree – Use canned or homemade pumpkin puree. Do not use pumpkin pie filling, which already contains sugar and spices.
• Milk – Whole milk gives the dough richness, but buttermilk also works well.
• Butter – Adds richness and keeps the donuts soft. You’ll also need a little melted butter if making the cinnamon sugar version.
• Eggs – Add structure and richness to the yeast dough.
• Pumpkin spice and nutmeg – Pumpkin spice gives the donuts their classic fall flavor, while a little extra nutmeg gives them that unmistakable donut-shop aroma.
• Cinnamon sugar – Granulated sugar mixed with cinnamon makes the simplest finish. I brush the fried donuts with melted butter first so the coating sticks evenly.
• Maple glaze – Powdered sugar, softened butter, and maple syrup make a simple thick glaze. Add just enough liquid, if needed, to get a dipping consistency.

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Step-by-Step: Fried Pumpkin Donuts

1. Make the dough

In a large bowl, combine the bread flour, pumpkin spice, nutmeg, and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the warm milk, yeast, sugar, eggs, pumpkin puree, softened butter, and vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients and mix until the dough comes together. Knead on medium speed for about 6 to 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky.
Pro tip: Resist adding too much extra flour. A soft, slightly sticky dough gives you lighter, fluffier donuts.

2. First rise

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Turn it once so the surface is lightly coated, then cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel.
Leave in a warm place for 60 to 90 minutes, or until doubled in volume.
Pro tip: Watch the dough, not the clock. On a warm day it may rise faster; in a cooler kitchen it may take longer.

3. Roll and cut

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently roll it to about ¼-inch thick.
Cut the dough into rounds using a 3-inch cutter, then cut out the centers with a small cutter. Re-roll the scraps gently and cut more donuts.

4. Second rise

Cut parchment paper into small squares or triangles, slightly larger than each donut.
Place each donut on its own piece of parchment and arrange them on a baking tray. Cover loosely and let them rise for 45 to 60 minutes, until noticeably puffy and almost doubled.
Pro tip: The individual parchment pieces make it much easier to transfer the soft, proofed donuts into the hot oil without deflating or stretching them.

5. Deep fry

Heat the oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven to about 350°F (175–180°C).
Lift each donut using the parchment and gently lower it into the oil. After a few seconds, the parchment should release easily; remove it with tongs.

Fry the donuts in small batches for about 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until puffed and golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on paper towels or a wire rack. Your current recipe correctly emphasizes keeping the frying temperature around 350–365°F so the donuts cook through without becoming greasy or overly dark.
Pro tip: Don’t overcrowd the pot. Adding too many donuts at once drops the oil temperature and makes them absorb more oil.

Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Donuts

6. Brush with butter

While the donuts are still warm, lightly brush them all over with melted butter.
You don’t need a heavy coating — just enough butter to help the cinnamon sugar stick evenly.

7. Coat with cinnamon sugar

Combine the sugar and ground cinnamon in a shallow bowl or tray.
Place each buttered donut into the cinnamon sugar and turn until generously coated on all sides. Your original version used 200 g sugar and 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon for the coating.
Pro tip: Coat the donuts while they’re still warm. The melted butter plus the warmth gives you a much more even coating than trying to toss completely cooled donuts in sugar.

Maple Glazed Pumpkin Donuts

8. Make the maple glaze

In a bowl, combine the powdered sugar, softened butter, and maple syrup. Whisk until smooth and thick enough to coat the donuts.
If the glaze is too thick, loosen it very gradually. If it becomes too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.

9. Glaze the donuts

Let the donuts cool before glazing.
Dip the top of each donut into the maple glaze, lift it out, and let the excess drip back into the bowl. Place on a wire rack and leave until the glaze sets.
Pro tip: Don’t glaze hot donuts. The heat will melt the glaze and make it run off instead of giving you that nice thick maple coating.

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Tips for Perfect Pumpkin Donuts

• Keep the dough soft. It should be smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky. Too much flour makes heavy donuts.
• Let them rise properly. After shaping, the donuts should look light and puffy before they go into the oil.
• Use parchment pieces. Proof each donut on its own small parchment triangle so you can transfer it to the oil without deflating it.
• Watch the oil temperature. Keep it around 350–365°F (175–185°C). Too cool makes greasy donuts; too hot browns them before the center cooks.
• Finish them differently. Brush warm donuts lightly with melted butter before cinnamon sugar. For maple glaze, let the donuts cool first so the glaze doesn’t melt off.

Troubleshooting

Problem	What went wrong
Donuts are dense	Too much flour or they didn’t rise long enough.
Donuts are greasy	The oil wasn’t hot enough. Bring it back to 350°F before the next batch.
Donuts brown too quickly	The oil is too hot. Reduce the heat before frying the next batch.
Donuts deflate when transferring	They may be over-proofed or handled too roughly. Use the parchment to move them directly into the oil.
Glaze won’t stay on	The donuts are still warm. Let them cool before glazing.

more donut recipes

• Cinnamon Sugar Donuts or Sourdough Donuts
• Chocolate Glazed Donuts
• Ferrero Rocher Donuts, Fried Tiramisu Donuts
• Jelly Donuts, Sufganiyot – Hanukkah Doughnuts
• Biscoff Doughnuts or Twisted Doughnuts
• Loukoumades Greek Honey Donuts or Greek Yogurt Donuts

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Frequently asked questions

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more pumpkin treats

• Easy Pumpkin Cupcakes
• Recipe for Pumpkin Waffles
• Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
• Homemade Pumpkin Puree
• Brown Butter Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe

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