Pumpkin Donuts

Pumpkin donuts are incredibly moist, have plenty of pumpkin flavor and rolled in a delicious cinnamon sugar mixture. These homemade donuts can be prepped ahead of time and refrigerated overnight.

Homemade Pumpkin Doughnuts are so flavorful and perfect on a crisp fall day. Pumpkin donuts are made with canned pumpkin and a handful of basic ingredients.

Roll these pumpkin doughnuts in sugar and cinnamon while they are warm, they are the perfect autumn treat.

The aroma of sweet pumpkin, cinnamon and spices will fill your kitchen! And if you love Pumpkin Doughnuts, you’ll love Apple Cider Donuts, Apple Hand Pies, Caramel Apple Pie, and Apple Fritters!

You’ll need a rolling pin and a doughnut cutter. Order a doughnut cutter on Amazon. Unless you have a small, independently owned kitchen store, a doughnut cutter is a bit hard to find.

How to make Pumpkin Donuts

• Combine dry ingredients – Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices into a medium bowl and set aside.
• Cream butter and sugar – In a large bowl, use a stand mixer to cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar.
• Mix wet and dry ingredients together – Add the eggs one at a time and continue to mix until incorporated. Add the pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg to the mixing bowl. Alternate adding the buttermilk and dry ingredients until everything is combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl occasionally.
• Roll out donut dough – Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. This dough will be sticky. Use a plastic bench scraper to fold the dough over and flour before cutting donuts. Flour the dough well.
• Cut out donuts – Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to ½-inch thickness. Cut out donuts using a 3.5-inch donut cutter. Place on half sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

• Fry the donuts – Line a half sheet pan with several layers of paper towels. Set aside.
• Heat the oil – In a large pot, heat about 3-inches of canola oil to 375 degrees F. Use a thermometer to test the temperature. Gently drop about 4 donuts into the hot oil, do not over crowd the pot. Cook for about 1-2 minutes on each side. Flipping the doughnut once. 
• Let donuts drain – Remove the doughnuts from the oil and let drain on the paper towels. While doughnuts are hot roll in cinnamon sugar mixture.

This dough is sticky! Use a plastic bench scraper (the curved side) to remove the dough from the mixing bowl. Use the flat side of the bench scraper to move flour around on your work surface.

Also try Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Waffles, and Easy Pumpkin Pie.

Use a digital thermometer to accurately measure the oil temperature. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can put a pinch of flour in hot oil to see if it is the correct temperature. The flour will quickly bubble to the edges of the pan if the oil is hot enough.

Roll pumpkin doughnuts into cinnamon sugar mixture while they are still warm. I use a disposable aluminum pan to coat the doughnuts with cinnamon sugar. It makes clean up easy and gives you plenty of room to work.

They are simple enough to make. Just fry in a little pot of canola oil on your stovetop and set on paper towels for a few minutes. While they are still warm, roll in a mixture of cinnamon, sugar and a touch of nutmeg.

For more great donut recipes, check out Apple Cider Donuts, Blueberry Cake Donuts, Old-Fashioned Donuts, and Red Velvet Donuts.

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Homemade Pumpkin Donuts

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

These old-fashioned pumpkin donuts will leave you wanting more. Perfect for the autumn!

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: 18 doughnuts

Calories: 278kcal

Author: Jessica Robinson

Equipment

• ▢
  Lodge Cast Iron Skillet (12-inch)
• ▢
  Half Sheet Pans
• ▢
  Parchment Paper (Half Sheet pan)
• ▢
  Plastic Bench Scraper
• ▢
  Doughnut Cutter (3 ½-inches)

Ingredients

Pumpkin Donuts

• ▢ 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ ½ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ½ cup brown sugar
• ▢ 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
• ▢ 2 large eggs room temperature
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ▢ 1 cup mashed pumpkin
• ▢ ½ cup buttermilk
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cinnamon Sugar Mixture

• ▢ 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• ▢ 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

Pumpkin Donuts

• In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla. Sift the flour, baking powder and soda into a medium bowl.
• Add the pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg to the mixing bowl. Alternate adding the buttermilk and dry ingredients until everything is combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl occasionally.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Roll out to about ½-inch thick and use a doughnut cutter to cut out the doughnuts. Place the doughnuts and doughnut holes on sheet pans lined with parchment paper.
• Line a sheet pan with several layers of paper towels and set aside.
• In a large pot, heat about 3-inches of canola oil to 375 degrees F. Use a thermometer to test the temperature. Gently drop about 4 doughnuts into the hot oil, do not over crowd the pot. Cook for about 1-2 minutes on each side. Flipping the doughnut once.
• Remove the doughnuts from the oil and let drain on the paper towels.
• While the doughnuts are still warm, coat with the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Recipe Notes

Pumpkin Donuts:

These donuts can be made ahead of time. Cut into donuts, place on half sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. You do not need to warm up prior to frying!

Canned pumpkin is great in this recipe. Be sure to buy canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie mix!

Nutrition

Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 208mg | Potassium: 158mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 2276IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 2mg

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