My first batch of fried pumpkin donuts went so fast that I made another batch recently. Rather than take the time to cut out the donuts, re-roll the scraps, and cut some more, I decided to make all donut balls. I also decided to do a sugar cinnamon coating rather than a glaze since the glaze takes longer.
I liked that they were easier and I liked biting into these balls. The siblings preferred the glazed ones we previously made. I do too, but the cinnamon sugar mixture wasn’t bad. These would be good for a party so that people can eat smaller bites. I still love how fluffy and soft these donuts are, with just a little bit of spice.
I used this recipe, though like last time, I added a lot of flour to my pastry board when rolling out the dough because the dough was quite sticky. I also just did the donut balls and not whole donuts. It took around the same time to cook in the oil though.
If you like baked donuts, you might like my Pumpkin Bubble Buns and Apple Cider Donuts, too.
Pumpkin Donut Holes
Ingredients
For the Donut Holes
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- canola oil or peanut oil for frying
For the Cinnamon-Sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a medium bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the sugar and butter until combined. Add the egg, additional egg yolks, and vanilla and stir to combine.
- In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk and pumpkin puree. Mixing at a low speed add some of the dry ingredients, followed by some of the pumpkin mixture. Repeat with the rest of the dry ingredients and buttermilk mixture until well combined. Cover the dough and chill it for at least three hours or until it’s firm.
- Roll out the dough to a thickness of ½”. Cut out the donut holes.
- Heat two to three inches of oil in a large pan to 365-370°F. Fry the donut holes in batches until they are golden brown all over and cooker through, about three to four minutes. Transfer the donuts to a paper towel lined rack to drain the excess oil.
- Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. When the donut holes are cool enough to handle roll them in the cinnamon sugar until evenly coated.
Notes
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
These sound delicious!
they are! =)
Oh I can almost smell those yummy looking donuts! I love pumpkin everything… so I must try these.
These were one of my favorite pumpkin recipes of this year.
Oh they look so good! I’ve been wanting to make donuts but the Mister keeps giving me the guilt trip about always making something fattening. hehe. I think it’s because he loves donuts and have no self control around them.
My mom always says something like that when I fry something. I think everything is good in moderation. fried food isn’t that bad. Only if you eat it all the time or too much of it. These were really good. You should make them. =)