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Pumpkin Spice Donuts are a quintessential fall treat, offering the warm, comforting flavors of the season. These homemade donuts are moist, soft, perfectly fried, then coated in cinnamon sugar for the best homemade pumpkin donuts you’ll ever make!
For more donut recipes, try my Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts and Apple Orchard Donuts next!
Pumpkin spice may be the ultimate fall flavor, but these cake donuts are far from basic! This fluffy, fried treat has just the right amount of sugar and warm spices, with a batter infused with a rich pumpkin spice flavor. Once they’re cooked, I dust them in cinnamon sugar to elevate the yum factor.
They’re perfect for dunking into a hot cup of coffee or a latte. Serve it with milk or apple cider for the kids for the perfect Fall treat!
Oh, and if you want to try these donuts in cookie form – make my pumpkin pie spice cookies next!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make! If this is your first time making donuts from scratch, don’t worry! We’re using simple ingredients and straightforward steps, including a quick dough chilling time that makes frying a breeze.
- Anytime Treat! Enjoy them for breakfast on the go, served at brunch, or transported to a potluck.
- Better Than Dunkin Donuts! Forget seasonal menus. Good news! You never have to ask, “Are pumpkin donuts back?” again because you can make your own from scratch whenever you’re craving it!
Pumpkin Spice Donuts Ingredients
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Pumpkin Puree – we can’t have pumpkin donuts during pumpkin season and not use the actual pumpkin puree! We’re using canned pumpkin puree to add more pumpkin flavor and richness! Be sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
- Cake Flour – Cake flour is a good choice for this recipe because it has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour. It yields a lighter, more tender texture. This makes the donuts extra soft and fluffy, for a melt-in-your-mouth quality. If you have leftovers, make my powdered sugar donuts next!
- Pumpkin pie spice – Warm and aromatic spices, this spice blend combines cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, delivering the ultimate flavors of fall.
- Baking Powder – This leavening agent helps the donuts rise, giving them a light and airy texture. It ensures the donuts puff up nicely during frying, resulting in a soft and fluffy interior.
- Kosher Salt – Balance some of the sweetness with a touch of salt.
- Salted Butter – Room temperature enriches the batter, adding moisture and a buttery taste.
- Sugar – This sweetens the batter, complementing the pumpkin spice and vanilla. It also helps create a slight caramelization during frying, adding a hint of crispness to the exterior.
- Egg Yolks – This is our binding ingredient, helping to hold the dough together. They also contribute to the richness and color of the donuts, making them more decadent.
- Vanilla Extract – Warm, sweet, with floral notes, vanilla flavor makes everything taste better.
- Sour Cream – Of course, sour cream makes an appearance in this pumpkin donut recipe. It adds moisture and a slight tanginess to the batter, balancing the sweetness and adding complexity to the flavor. It also contributes to the soft and tender crumb of the donuts.
- Vegetable Oil – Use for frying the pumpkin spice doughnuts. It has a high smoke point, which promotes even cooking and prevents the oil from burning.
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- Sugar – The crunchy cinnamon sugar in the coating adds a delightful sweetness and a slight crunch to the donuts’ exterior.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – Adding pumpkin pie spice to the sugar coating reinforces the donuts’ autumn flavor profile. It provides an extra layer of spice, making these delicious donuts even more aromatic and flavorful.
Substitutions
- Pumpkin Puree: if you don’t have pumpkin puree, you can omit it entirely. Simply increase the amount of sour cream to 1 cup as opposed to 3/4 cup. It’s the perfect way to enjoy the pumpkin flavor without needing to head to the grocery store for the pure pumpkin.
- Icing, Glaze & Frosting: Want to add frosting to your pumpkin spice donuts? Try my maple icing, brown butter cream cheese frosting, or vanilla glaze.
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Donuts
- Step 1: Add pumpkin puree to a plate.
- Step 2-4: Place paper towels on top of the puree to remove the excess moisture. Blot the puree until the paper towel is almost dry and the puree turns into a thick paste-like texture (this may take up to 5-6 paper towels).
Step 5: In a medium bowl, sift the dry ingredients – cake flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and kosher salt.
Step 6: In a separate large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together room temperature butter on medium speed. Beat butter for 2 minutes, then add the sugar and continue to mix for 3 minutes. Add pumpkin mixture, egg yolks and vanilla extract mix until combined, about 2 minutes.
Step 7: Add sour cream and the flour mixture. Use a flat spatula to mix the flour into the dough. Dough should be slightly firm, mix until all of the flour and sour cream are fully incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for one hour up to overnight, until firm.
Step 8: Roll donut dough out onto a generously floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll dough out until it’s a ½ inch thickness. Use 3 inch biscuit cutters or donut cutters to cut donuts into the dough. Then cut a small circle in the center of the donut (Pro tip: I use the cap of a soda bottle, it’s the perfect size) Re-roll the dough and repeat until all of the dough is used.
Step 9: Add oil to a large pot or dutch oven (any deep pan), you’ll need 2-3 inches of oil. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F. Then add to hot oil, 2-3 donuts at a time
Step 10: Mix together sugar and pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon sugar coating. Allow them to cool for about 1 minute, then dunk both sides of the donut in the sugar mixture.
Pro Tips for the Best Pumpkin Spice Donuts
- Do overmix your batter. Overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour too much, leading to dense and tough donuts. For a light and tender texture, mix the batter just until the ingredients are combined and no streaks of flour remain.
- Chill the dough. Allow the dough to chill for at least an hour. This step firms up the dough and hydrates the flour, making it easier to roll out and shape, and helps the donuts maintain their structure during frying.
- Fry at the right oil temperature. Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C) for best results – use a candy thermometer to keep an eye on the oil temp. Too low, and the donuts will absorb excess oil; too high, and they might burn on the outside while remaining undercooked inside.
- Use fresh oil. This is how you achieve a clean flavor and proper frying. Reusing oil can result in an off-taste and affect the donuts’ texture and color.
- Dust in cinnamon sugar while warm. Coating the warm donuts helps the cinnamon sugar adhere better.
Storing Leftovers
I love eating pumpkin spice donuts fresh from the fryer but you can save leftovers. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
For longer storage, place the container in the freezer. To defrost, leave them on the countertop for a few hours.
FAQ
Pumpkin spice is a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, creating its signature warm and aromatic flavor. For a similar taste, you can use chai or cinnamon dolce, which both have comparable spiced notes.
These fried pumpkin donuts are made with a batter that includes cake flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and sour cream. The key flavor comes from pumpkin pie spice, which is a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
If the dough is too sticky, refrigerate it longer to firm it up. Additionally, you can generously flour your work surface and rolling pin to prevent sticking while rolling out the dough.
More Pumpkin Recipes
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Pumpkin Spice Donuts
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Electric Mixer
- 3-inch biscuit cutter or Donut Cutter
Ingredients
- 3 cups Cake Flour
- 1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree
- 1 1/2 tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 3/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- 3 tbsps Salted Butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Egg Yolks
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3/4 cup Sour Cream
- 4 cups Vegetable Oil, for frying
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1 tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
Instructions
- Add pumpkin puree to a plate. Place paper towels on top of the puree to remove the excess moisture. Blot the puree until the paper towel is almost dry and the puree turns into a thick paste-like texture (this may take up to 5-6 paper towels).
- In a medium bowl, sift the dry ingredients – cake flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and kosher salt.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together room temperature butter on medium speed. Beat butter for 2 minutes, then add the sugar and continue to mix for 3 minutes. Add pumpkin mixture, egg yolks and vanilla extract mix until combined, about 2 minutes.
- Add half of the sour cream, then add half of the flour mixture. Use a flat spatula to mix the flour into the dough. Then add remaining sour cream and flour. Dough should be slightly firm, mix until all of the flour and sour cream are fully incorporated.
- Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for one hour up to overnight, until firm.
- Add oil to a large pot or dutch oven (any deep pan), you'll need 2-3 inches of oil. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F. Roll donut dough out onto a generously floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll dough out until it's a ½ inch thickness. Use 3 inch biscuit cutters or donut cutters to cut donuts into the dough. Then cut a small circle in the center of the donut (Pro tip: I use the cap of a soda bottle, it's the perfect size) Re-roll the dough and repeat until all of the dough is used.
- Mix together sugar and pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon sugar coating.
- Place donuts onto a baking sheet and refrigerator uncovered for 20 minutes. Then add to hot oil, 2-3 donuts at a time, frying on each side for about 2-3 minutes each side until deep golden brown. Remove donuts from the frying oil and place onto a wire rack or paper towel to remove any excess oil.
- Allow them to cool for about 1 minute, then dunk both sides of the donut in the sugar mixture.
Notes
- Do overmix your batter. Overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour too much, leading to dense and tough donuts. For a light and tender texture, mix the batter just until the ingredients are combined and no streaks of flour remain.
- Chill the dough. Allow the dough to chill for at least an hour. This step firms up the dough and hydrates the flour, making it easier to roll out and shape, and helps the donuts maintain their structure during frying.
- Fry at the right oil temperature. Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C) for best results – use a candy thermometer to keep an eye on the oil temp. Too low, and the donuts will absorb excess oil; too high, and they might burn on the outside while remaining undercooked inside.
- Use fresh oil. This is how you achieve a clean flavor and proper frying. Reusing oil can result in an off-taste and affect the donuts’ texture and color.
- Dust in cinnamon sugar while warm. Coating the warm donuts helps the cinnamon sugar adhere better.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
