Pumpkin Donuts

Professional Tips for Pumpkin Donuts

• If you control the gluten formation, you will control the texture. Gluten (those key proteins in wheat flour) forms most rapidly with agitation and heat, and it will make your donuts tough and flatter. Roll and cut it quickly to keep the dough cold. You also don’t want to overwork the dough. Alternate wet and dry ingredients quickly and only mix just until combined just like in my glazed chocolate donuts.
• Pick the right oil and limit the amount of oil that ends up in your donut. Use canola oil or another other neutral tasting oil that has a high smoke point; you don’t want the frier oil to impart a flavor in the donut. Once they are done frying, place your fried donuts on a wire rack over a baking sheet to catch the extra oil. Lastly control the oil temperature, because when it is too low oil will absorb into the donut more readily.
• Pre-cook the pumpkin puree. While you could skip this step and the resulting donuts would still be fabulous, taking the extra time to cook the pumpkin puree to reduce the moisture will make more tender donuts with an old-fashioned donut texture.

Ingredients

• All Purpose Flour: I prefer to use all-purpose flour in the majority of my donut recipes because it has the perfect amount of gluten for developing a strong network but remaining tender and soft.
• Granulated Sugar: Sugar is here for sweetness but also to add leavening when beating with the eggs. It helps create a soft, tender, light texture.
• Kosher Salt: Kosher salt heightens the flavor of the donuts.
• Egg Yolks: The egg yolks are here to add fat, moisture and leavening. The fat from the yolk adds richness and shortens some of the gluten strands to keep the donuts cakey and tender.
• Butter: Unsalted butter allows you to control the flavor of the dough while still adding all the buttery goodness!
• Pumpkin Puree: I use Libby’s pumpkin puree because it is what I use to develop all my recipes. Use whichever brand you prefer but just be sure to grab pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie mix!
• Sour Cream: This should go without saying here but sour cream is essential in sour cream cake donuts. This is all the moisture in the donuts and is what will hold the dough together without making it too wet (read: tough)
• Baking Powder: Double acting baking powder reacts instantly when it is mixed with an acid and again when heated. Baking soda will not leaven these donuts as well especially if making the dough a day or two in advance. It will react once and then it won’t have much left once it hits the oil.
• Spices: Use spices within one year of purchase. They will be most potent and true to their original flavor.  
• Canola Oil: I use canola oil for frying but another neutral flavored oil with a high smoke point will do like crisco.

Possible Substitutions

• Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix: You can substitute 6 teaspoons of my pumpkin spice recipe for all the individual spices listed. Then make some pumpkin bran muffins for tomorrow while the donut dough rests. You are a Fall Breakfast Champion.
• Sour Cream: The fat in full-fat sour cream helps keep these donuts soft and tender. You cannot decrease the fat and expect the same results. Will it work with low fat or Greek yogurt? Yes.
• Baking Powder: Double acting baking powder will react instantly when it is mixed with an acid, which is sour cream here, and then again when it is heated. Baking soda will not leaven these as well especially if making the dough a day or two in advance. It will react once and then it won’t have much left once it hits the oil. Dense donuts anyone?
• Egg Yolks: I do not suggest using whole eggs instead of the egg yolks, because the texture of the donuts will be impacted. You are adding moisture from the whites without fat and that is just going to make a tougher donut. Take the moment to separate them and then make a pavlova cake for dessert.

Variations

• Change the glaze: Roll them in cinnamon sugar, or make a simple maple glaze instead by using maple syrup instead of milk in my classic donut glaze recipe. I suggest adding an extra pinch of kosher salt as well because you’ve just made a glaze of 100% sugar. hehe
• Make all donut holes: Cut all the dough into donut holes instead! They will fry in no time!  

How to Make Pumpkin Donuts

Use these instructions to make the perfect pumpkin donut every time! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Make the donut dough:

Step 1: In a small sauce pot cook the pumpkin over low heat to remove excess moisture, about 20 minutes. Cool completely and drain off any moisture that separates.

Step 2: In a large bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and all spices. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream and pumpkin. Set aside.

Step 3: Spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray or generously flour a piece of plastic wrap like I do in the Youtube video.  

Step 4: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the granulated sugar, butter, and yolks on high speed until the mixture lightens and the volume increases, about 2 minutes.

Step 5: With the stand mixer on low, gradually alternate the dry ingredients and the pumpkin mixture a large spoonful at a time. Stop the mixer when the dry ingredients are fully incorporated.

Step 6: Transfer the dough to the plastic wrap lined bowl, spray the top of the dough with nonstick spray and then fold the edges of the plastic over the top to cover. You can also scrape the dough on top the floured plastic wrap, sprinkle with more flour and then wrap well. Refrigerate for 60 minutes.

Cut the donuts:

Step 7: Line a baking half-sheet pan with parchment paper and spray the paper with nonstick spray and set aside.

Step 8: Generously dust a work surface with flour – this dough is stickier than other donuts. While the dough is still in the bowl dust the top of the dough with flour. Turn the dough out onto your floured work surface, floured side down. Dust the top with more flour.

Working quickly to keep the dough cool, roll out the dough to ½ inch thick.

Step 9: Brush any excess flour from the top of the dough. Use a 3-inch and 1 ¼ – inch ring cutters to cut the donuts and holes. Tap the rings in flour before cutting each donut. Place the donuts and donut holes on the prepared sheet pan.

Step 10: Cover sheet pan with plastic wrap, but be sure not to let the plastic touch the top of the donuts. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. I let mine chill overnight at this step.

Step 11: While your donuts chill, make the glaze. In a medium bowl whisk together the milk, powdered sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Cover the glaze with plastic wrap directly on the surface. You can heat up the glaze over a pot of simmering water on the stove if you want it thinner. I dipped my donuts while they were still very hot, so I didn’t need to do this.

How to fry pumpkin donuts:

Step 12: Pour oil into a fryer or a Dutch oven, making sure the oil is at least 2 inches deep. Heat your oil to 350° F. Adjust your heat to keep the temperature between 350° – 360° F while frying.

Step 13: Gently place 3 donuts in the fryer, keep the remaining donuts in the fridge. Once they rise to the surface, cook for 30 seconds and then flip them with a slotted spoon. Fry until the bottom develops a nice golden brown color, about 65 seconds. Flip it again and then fry for another 40 seconds or until the color is a nice even golden brown.

Donut holes fry for 30 seconds then flip, then another 40 seconds, then flip, then another 20-30 seconds. They will puff up and be golden brown all over.

Step 14: Transfer fried to a wire rack set over a sheet pan or paper towels. 

Step 15: Once the donut is just barely cool enough to handle, dip the donut in the glaze and place back on the wire rack. Dipping a hot donut will give you a nice, even glaze that isn’t too thick or too thin! Alternatively, you can heat your glaze and dip slighter cooler donuts.