Glazed Pumpkin Donuts
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You may remember from the time I made homemade corn dogs that I have a paralyzing fear of deep-frying. Not for the health concerns (though they abound aplenty), but for, you know, the whole splattering, flesh-burning, home-consuming potential. I can count on one hand (that’s generous. It’s more like 3 fingers) how many times I’ve deep-fried in our marriage, but let me tell you, dear reader, this was worth it.
Few things say fall in such a swoon-inducing way than a cup of spiced cider and a freshly-made donut. Especially when that donut is a pumpkin one.
Oh, friends. After eating these, and sharing some with friends, we feel almost entirely convinced that we might just have to make donuts a once-yearly, October tradition. (I already have plans for apple fritters next year)
Although I tend to prefer generous helpings of fall spices, I kept these a bit more subtly spiced and I thought they turned out splendidly.
A few pointers:
1. For safety, use a thermometer and wear an apron. You’ll feel confident that the oil is the proper temperature and you’ll protect yourself a bit from any splattering.
2. This dough is quite wet. Don’t be afraid to generously flour your counter, the top of the dough, and the donut cutter. I found it helpful to use a metal bench scraper or spatula to transfer the donuts from the counter into the oil, but mentally prepare yourself for homemade-looking donuts rather than perfect circles.
3. If you prefer your glaze a bit thicker, allow the donuts to cool somewhat before dipping them in the glaze.
Glazed Pumpkin Donuts
- Yield: 12 1x
Ingredients
For the donuts:
- 4 1/4c flour, plus more for the counter
- 1c sugar
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon*
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg*
- 1/4 tsp cloves*
- 1/4 tsp ginger*
- 1/4 tsp cardamom*
- 2 eggs
- 2 Tbsp butter, melted
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2c buttermilk
- 1c pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- canola oil for frying
For the glaze:
- 4c powdered sugar
- 2/3c buttermilk
- 1/2tsp vanilla
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, pour about 2 inches of canola oil and begin heating to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and cardamom. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, melted butter, vanilla, buttermilk, and pumpkin puree. Add egg/pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
- Make glaze by combining powdered sugar, buttermilk, and vanilla in a bowl. The glaze should be fairly thin, but you can thicken it somewhat by adding more powdered sugar if desired.
- Generously flour the countertop or surface you will be using and turn dough out onto the counter. Pat dough or roll out with rolling pin to between 1/4″- 1/2″ thickness. (The donuts will puff up during the cooking process). Cut with a donut cutter or biscuit cutter.
- When oil is heated to 350 degrees, slide donuts in 2-3 at a time, frying on the first side until the edges are lightly browned. Flip carefully using tongs or a metal spatula and continue cooking until lightly browned.
- Dip cooked donuts directly into the glaze and place on a cooling rack to set.
Notes
*you can substitute 2 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and cardamom
Adapted from The Family Kitchen
UM these look redonkulous. If you lived nearby, i’d be stopping by for breakfast 😉
Hi my blogging friend, I have missed you! My computer crash has left me sad, photoless and working hard to re-add all my favorite blogs to my Favorites bar.
On to this fried post: You are a brave one! These look FANTASTIC!!!!!!! I always make Dale put newspapers on the freezer top and fry his fish out there, guess we could do the same for these donuts?! I made Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider cookies over the weekend. A-stinkin-mazing! I will blog them Tuesday, come see me! Hugs, T
you’re killing me with this Emily! I am trying to eat healthy for the baby and now i can’t stop thinking about these. I LOVE pumpkin anything and to do it with a donut is amazing. Like you, I am also terrified of frying things. I guess that is good though, because I rarely fry things then. 🙂
W. O. W.
Childhood memories are abounding in my head from when my mother made donuts each fall. Thank you for resurrecting this tradition for your family. Sorry it had to skip a generation and that you don’t have memories of ME making something like this, but it’s never too late to start a new tradition right….?
I haven’t ever deep fried and it makes me super nervous to try it out! And, I just want to add here that one of my friends hosts an annual post-Trick-or-Treating Halloween Open House, where she serves homemade doughnuts. It’s a LOT of fun!
If only I had time…I’m wanting to try a recipe for apple cider donuts ala ourbestbites, hoping it will be close to the Barn’s cider donuts, and spudnuts, and to see if apple can be replaced with pumpkin in a baked donut recipe I have liked. So many choices, and so many distractions.
Someday my life will not have so many people scheduling things into it, but by then I won’t have them here to share with and WHAT WILL BE THE POINT?
Must say, I am one of those blessed with the “shared some with friends.”
Oh my, am I glad to be one of those friends!! These are life-changingly yummy! I am trying to lose weight for my eldest’s wedding in four weeks and I am sabotaged!!! But, oh, so worth it…
Oh Emily, I made these tonight and they are absolutely amazing! Thanks for sharing!!!