These pumpkin spice doughnuts are soft and pillowy, made from an enriched yeast dough scented with warm spices and filled with a creamy pumpkin spice filling. Each doughnut is finished in a cinnamon-sugar coating and shaped into an adorable mini pumpkin for a festive touch.
Homemade doughnuts take a little time but reward you with a puffy, buttery crumb, aromatic spice and a luxuriously smooth filling. They are surprisingly easy to make — the main ingredient is patience while the dough proves — and they make a showstopping addition to Halloween or any autumn gathering.
This is a small-batch recipe that yields six doughnuts, but it can be doubled to make a larger batch.
Ingredients
You only need a handful of pantry staples for the dough and simple ingredients for the filling.
- Dough: strong white bread flour, golden caster sugar, salt, mixed spice or pumpkin spice, instant yeast, warm water, one large egg and unsalted butter.
Any common baker’s yeast will work; check the packet instructions. Some yeasts require activation in warm liquid, while instant yeast can be mixed directly with dry ingredients.
- Filling: pumpkin puree, soft cheese (such as cream cheese), icing sugar and ground mixed spice or pumpkin pie spice.
- To finish: golden caster or superfine sugar mixed with ground cinnamon; small cinnamon sticks for decoration (optional).
- For frying: about 1 litre vegetable oil.
Tip: This recipe doubles easily to make 12 doughnuts.
Instructions
Begin by combining your yeast with warm water if required by the yeast type, and set aside for a few minutes to activate. In a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, salt and mixed spice. Add the yeast mixture, then the egg, mixing until the dough comes together.
With the mixer on medium speed, add the softened butter in three additions. Once incorporated, increase the speed and mix until the dough is smooth, shiny and slightly elastic — about five more minutes. Shape into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave in a warm place until doubled in size (about an hour, depending on kitchen temperature).
Tip: If your kitchen is cool, preheat the oven to its lowest setting (about 50°C / 120°F), turn it off, then place the covered bowl inside with the oven door closed to speed up proving.
Once risen, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, knead briefly to knock out large bubbles, then divide into six equal pieces. Roll each portion into a tight ball and place on a floured baking tray to rest.
Use digital scales if you want perfectly even portions. Cover the tray with oiled clingfilm or a damp tea towel and leave for a second prove of about 45 minutes.
Shaping the doughnuts
To create the pumpkin shape, snip the edges of each dough ball with kitchen scissors about 6–8 times around the edge, taking care not to cut all the way to the center. This method is quicker and cleaner than wrapping string around the dough and avoids undercooked centres.
After snipping, cover and leave the dough to rise for the 45 minutes while you prepare the filling.
For the filling, combine soft cheese, icing sugar, pumpkin puree and mixed spice in a bowl and whisk with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle and chill until needed.
Just before frying, press the centre of each dough ball with your finger or the back of a spoon to make a deep indentation. Heat oil in a heavy-based pan to 160°C and fry two at a time for about 2 minutes per side, until golden. Drain briefly on paper towels.
While still warm, roll each doughnut in the cinnamon-sugar mix so the coating adheres. Make a small hole in the side or bottom, insert the piping tip and gently fill each doughnut with pumpkin spice filling until it expands and feels slightly heavier. Top with a short piece of cinnamon stick to resemble a pumpkin stem.
Variations
Not into pumpkin? Try these alternatives:
- Plain: Skip the filling and enjoy plain cinnamon-sugar doughnuts.
- Jam: Fill with your favourite jam; thin very thick jam with a splash of warm water to make it pipeable.
- Custard: Use vanilla custard for a classic contrast.
- Citrus curd: Lemon, orange or passion fruit curd add a bright tang.
- Chocolate: Fill with chocolate spread thinned slightly with cream.
- Glaze: Replace cinnamon sugar with a maple or cinnamon glaze for a different finish.
Equipment
Essential kitchen tools for this recipe:
- Freestanding mixer with a dough hook (or mix and knead by hand)
- Heavy-bottomed pan or deep-fat fryer and a kitchen thermometer
- Baking sheet, kitchen scissors, slotted spoon and palette knife
- Piping bag with a plain nozzle and digital kitchen scales (recommended)
- Paper kitchen towels for draining the fried doughnuts
Storage
Pumpkin spice doughnuts are best eaten the day they are made. Store at room temperature and consume within the same day for optimal texture. Doughnuts do not freeze well. Any leftover pumpkin filling can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen in a sealed container for up to 3 months.
Make ahead
You can prepare the dough the day before: allow it to rise once, knock it back, then cover and chill overnight. The next day divide, shape, prove and finish the recipe as directed. The filling also keeps well refrigerated for a day.
Top tip
Maintain the oil temperature around 160°C while frying. If the oil is too hot, doughnuts will brown too quickly and remain raw inside; if too cool, they will absorb excess oil and become greasy. Roll the doughnuts in cinnamon sugar while still warm so the coating adheres properly.
Recipe
Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts
Soft, fluffy doughnuts filled with pumpkin spice cream and coated in cinnamon sugar. Makes 6 doughnuts.
Prep time: 35 mins · Cook time: 24 mins · Serves: 6 doughnuts
For the dough
- 135 g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
- 25 g golden caster sugar, plus extra for rolling
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp mixed spice or pumpkin spice
- ½ tsp instant yeast
- 40 ml warm water
- 1 large egg
- 30 g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 litre vegetable oil for frying
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon (for sugar mix)
For the pumpkin spice filling
- 150 g soft cheese, room temperature
- 100 g icing sugar
- 100 g pumpkin puree
- ½ tsp mixed spice or pumpkin spice
- 6 small cinnamon sticks for decoration (optional)
Method
- Activate yeast with warm water if required. In a mixer combine flour, sugar, salt and spice. Add yeast mix and egg; mix until blended.
- With the dough hook running, add softened butter in thirds. When incorporated, mix on high for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Proof in an oiled bowl until doubled (about 1 hour).
- Turn dough onto a floured surface, divide into six equal pieces and roll into tight balls. Place on a floured tray, snip 6–8 cuts around each ball with scissors without cutting to the centre. Cover and proof for 45 minutes.
- Whisk filling ingredients until smooth, transfer to a piping bag and chill.
- Heat oil to 160°C. Press a deep indentation into each dough ball, then fry two at a time for about 2 minutes per side until golden. Drain on paper towels.
- Roll warm doughnuts in cinnamon sugar, poke a small hole and pipe in the pumpkin filling. Top with a short cinnamon stick and serve warm.
If you try these pumpkin spice doughnuts, leave a comment or share a photo — it’s wonderful to see variations and tweaks. Enjoy baking and happy autumn snacking!