Pumpkin Spice Donuts
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.
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
Calories: 264kcal, Carbohydrates: 46g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 48mg, Sodium: 250mg, Potassium: 100mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 21g, Vitamin A: 1813IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 85mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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