Glazed Pumpkin Donuts
Fluffy yeasted donuts made with pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice. Dipped in a pumpkin spice vanilla glaze.
For these pumpkin donuts, I wanted a brioche yeasted style dough – I used my pumpkin brioche recipe as a base and modified from there; adding some pumpkin spice to the dough, less butter (since they were to be fried and would pick up more oil then), and a bit more pumpkin puree. The result is a classic yeasted donut but with all the flavors of pumpkin and pumpkin spice.
Recipe Ingredients
Milk: whole milk. Warm it slightly (just to touch).
Yeast: active dry yeast. You can also use rapid rise, the dough might move a bit quicker.
Flour: all purpose flour of a medium protein content (a higher protein content will make the donuts tougher).
Pumpkin puree: pure puree, nothing added.
Brown sugar: light or dark brown sugar.
Eggs: whole eggs, room temperature is best.
Salt: fine sea salt. If using table salt, halve the amount.
Butter: unsalted butter, partially melted or overly softened.
Pumpkin spice: you can also use a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves.
Vanilla: pure vanilla extract.
Powdered Sugar: for the glaze. It’s best to use one made with tapioca starch (rather than cornstarch which can taste chalky).
How to make Glazed Pumpkin Donuts
Make the Dough
Bloom the yeast: gently whisk together the milk and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer and leave for a few minutes to dissolve.
Add the flour, pumpkin puree, sugar, eggs, salt, pumpkin spice, and vanilla to the bowl and begin kneading with the dough hook.
Once the dough starts to come together around the hook, add the melted/softened butter and let the mixer knead until it once again comes around the dough hook, and starts to clear the sides of the bowl.
Set the dough in an oiled bowl to rise. You can do a room temperature rise until it’s almost doubled, or leave it for an hour/hour and a half and set it in the fridge overnight.
Shape & Fry
When the dough is doubled or nearly doubled, transfer to a floured countertop and roll out until it’s about an inch thick. Cut out donuts with a donut cutter, or – this is what I do – with a biscuit cutter (about 4 inches) and punch out holes with a piping tip.
Set the dough pieces on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
You’ll have to re-roll the dough a few times to punch out more donuts and it will resist at times. Cover it with a damp towel and let it rest if it’s proving too difficult to roll out.
Once you’ve got all the donuts cut out, cover the tray with a damp tea towel and let rest for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, fill a dutch oven with about four inches of canola oil and bring it to 350 F. This will take awhile and you’ll need to use a thermometer to check the temperature.
Lay a few paper towels on a tray or plate, this is where the fried donuts will go after cooking.
Once the oil is at 360 F, carefully (watch your fingers!) drop the donuts into the hot oil – don’t fry more than 4-5 at a time. They will brown underneath and start to rip on the top, once they are golden underneath flip them to brown on the other side. Then flip them again, to fully brown on the bottom and then once more, to fully brown on top. Transfer to the paper towels. Keep going until all the donuts are cooked.
Glaze
If you want the glaze to be thin and cover most of the donut, glaze them when they are hot. Whisk together the glaze ingredients and dip them face down, then lay face up on a tray.
If you prefer the glaze stay in a thicker layer just at the top, whisk more powdered sugar into the glaze and dip them face down when they are completely cool.
Donuts are best the day of frying!
Glazed Pumpkin Donuts Recipe
Glazed Pumpkin Donuts
Ingredients
Pumpkin Donut
- 60g or ¼ cup whole milk warmed slightly
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 455g or 3 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 150g or ⅔ cup pumpkin puree
- 66g or ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 57g or ¼ cup unsalted butter overly softened or partially melted
Pumpkin Spice Glaze
- 180g powdered sugar sifted if lumpy (use one made with tapioca starch rather than cornstarch)
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice
- Pinch fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2-4 tablespoons milk depending how thick you want the glaze
Method
- Make the pumpkin dough: set the milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast over it and whisk gently. Leave to bloom and dissolve for just a few minutes. To the bowl, add the flour, pumpkin puree, eggs, sugar, and salt. Affix the dough hook and begin kneading on low. When the dough starts to come together around the hook, add the butter, vanilla and pumpkin spice. Then knead until the dough fully cleans the bowl and is in a mound around the hook. Transfer to an oiled bowl, toss around the bowl to coat in oil then cover to seal and let rise. I usually make this the night before frying and leave it at a cool room temperature for 1.5-2 hours then stick it in the fridge overnight.
- Cut out the donuts: on a floured countertop, roll out the dough to about a half inch thickness. Use a donut cutter or a combination between a biscuit cutter and a piping tip (a big one, use the bottom of it) to cut out donut shapes. Set them on a parchment lined cookie sheet or keep them on the counter if you’re rolling close to your stove. After you’ve cut out the first donuts, you’ll need to re-roll out the dough but it will be stiffer. Give it 5-10 minutes of rest then roll and punch out the shapes. Cover the donuts with a tea towel and let rise for at least 30 minutes, until puffy.
- Fry the donuts: fill a heavy pot (like a dutch oven) with oil until it’s about 3-4 inches high. Set over medium high heat. The pot will take awhile to heat and it needs to reach 360 F before frying any of the donuts, keep a thermometer nearby and check it often when it’s getting close. Once you are at 360 F, line a plate or cookie sheet with paper towels. Carefully lower a donut in, frying just four at a time. Use a kitchen spider to flip the donuts once they are golden on the bottom. Flip twice more until they are a deep golden on top and bottom. Transfer to the paper towels so it can catch the excess oil. Repeat with all the donuts.
- Glaze: the donuts should be somewhat cool before you glaze them so wait 10 minutes after frying (you can dip them in while hot; the glaze will melt all over the donuts). Whisk together the powdered sugar, pumpkin spice, and salt. Add two tablespoons of milk and the vanilla and whisk, add more milk as needed: you’re looking for a pourable glaze. If instead you’d like a thick glaze applied to just the top, avoid adding too much milk and keep it thick (though you’ll probably need to make more). Dip the donuts face down into the glaze and set on a parchment lined pan to cool and set. Enjoy warm or at room temperature! Donuts are best eaten the day of frying.
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