Pumpkin Spice Donuts

Pumpkin Spice Donuts are an old fashioned donut that is perfectly tender and bursting with the flavors of fall. Pumpkin and traditional fall spices go perfectly with a warm cup of coffee or tea on a cool, crisp morning.

There’s something I really need to confess something, just to get it out of the way.

I really don’t like fall, and I really don’t like pumpkin.  I KNOW.  Pretty much an autumnal Scrooge. But after the joys of summer, it’s so hard to get into shorter days and cooler temperatures.

The foods that are in season feel like a letdown too.  I mean, we’ve been feasting on berries and peaches for months, and now we have to trade it in for…pumpkin? It feels like a trick to make us eat squash in our desserts, and I for one won’t have it. At least not usually…

Until these donuts. They are SO good. I almost didn’t make them because I simply don’t eat anything pumpkin, but the idea had crept into my brain and wouldn’t leave. Plus, it’s an old-fashioned donut–I’m automatically in.

So, all of that to say, these Pumpkin Spice Donuts have convinced me to give pumpkin a chance.  I won’t be ordering a PSL any time soon, but you had better believe that I will be eating my fair share of Pumpkin Spice Donuts.

What is an Old-Fashioned Donut?

Well, these are…but that’s probably not very helpful. An old-fashioned donut is one that’s leavened with non-yeast agents, like baking powder and baking soda.

The result is a (pleasantly) dense crumb with an almost cake-like consistency, rather than the fluffy, more bread-like consistency of a traditional yeast donut.

This style of donut is sometimes also called cake donuts. It’s not uncommon for them to have sour cream in them (these ones do!), but it’s not required. Sour cream will just give a great flavor and texture.

How to Make Pumpkin Spice Donuts

Ingredients

• Cake Flour
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Cinnamon
• Ginger
• Nutmeg
• Salted Butter
• Sugar
• Egg Yolks
• Vanilla Extract
• Full-fat Sour Cream
• Pumpkin Puree

For the Glaze:

• Whole Milk
• Powdered Sugar
• Vanilla Extract

Mixing the Donut Dough

In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and spices.

In a different bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the melted butter and sugar until crumbly. Add in the egg yolks and vanilla and beat until smooth. Next, mix in the sour cream and pumpkin until well combined.

Add a third of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on medium speed until combined. Repeat with the rest of the flour, and mix on medium-high until all of the flour has been absorbed and the dough is smooth.

Using a rubber spatula or large spoon, move the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap it well and refrigerate for at least two hours, or up to 24.

Remove the dough from the fridge and, on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/2” thick. You don’t want it to be too thin, or they won’t puff up to the correct thickness when you’re frying them.

Use a large round cutter (I actually like to use a wide mouth jar lid), cut out as many circle as you can. Take a small round cutter, about 1”, and cut out the centers.

Set them aside, then press the edges of the dough into a ball and repeat the rolling and cutting process. You may need to do this several times to use all of the dough.

Frying the Donuts

To fry the donuts, pour about 3 inches of your frying oil into a deep pan. Heat it over medium heat (you will need to adjust based on the size and intensity of your burners) until it reaches 350°. Carefully drop 2-3 donuts in and let them fry until they have browned on the first side, about 2-3 minutes.

Flip them with a metal slotted spoon or tongs and allow the other side to cook as well, then remove them to a tray lined with paper towels.

Glazing the Donuts

The glaze on these is perfect. Heating the milk before adding the sugar makes it dissolve, which in turn makes the glaze dry quickly, leaving you with a thin, shattering layer. I’ve written an entire post on donut glaze, which you can read here.

While the donuts are cooling, warm the milk and vanilla extract in a small pan. Sift in the 2 cups of powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. Remove the glaze from the heat and, using a fork, dip each donut and flip until they are all covered in the glaze. You may have to tip the pan and turn the donuts some to cover all of the sides.

Allow the glaze to harden for about five minutes. Store the donuts in an airtight container.

Tips for Successful and Safe Donut Frying without a Deep Fryer

• First of all, I beg, beseech, and implore you to be very careful when frying. Oil burns are no joke.
• Use a pan that’s significantly deeper than your oil. I recommend adding between 2-3 inches of oil to the bottom of the pot, but always use an pan that’s at least six inches deep. This prevents splatters and oil pops from causing burns.
• Keep your frying oil between 350 and 375. If it gets much cooler, they will cook slowly and absorb a lot of oil. If it gets hotter, the donuts will cook on the outside very quickly and be doughy on the inside. An oil thermometer on the side is the safest way to keep track, but you can also hold an instant read thermometer in the dough occasionally.
• Make sure to use all metal utensils for frying, because plastic will melt. Ew. Gross. I like to place the raw dough on a metal spoon with holes to lower it into the oil, then use a pair of metal tongs to flip them.
• Only fry 2-3 donuts at a time, since adding them to the oil will alter the temperature and gives you less control over the finished product.

Other Recipes You May Enjoy:

Print