Filled Pumpkin Donuts

Fluffy pumpkin donuts rolled in spiced sugar and filled with a creamy pumpkin custard. This is fall in the form of a donut.

Why make these pumpkin donuts?

Another delicious recipe to add to your fall baking collection!

With fall in full swing there are so many delicious warming baked goods to be made, and these filled pumpkin donuts are a must make! Soft and fluffy pumkin dough that is fried to perfection, rolled in a cinnamon-sugar mixture and filled with a silky pumpkin puree.

This is fried pumpkin perfection!

Ingredients

Donut Dough

• Bread flour: Flour makes up the structure of your donuts. Bread flour is great for donuts as it has a higher protein content than regular flour. This allows more gluten strands to form, resulting in a donut that is fluffier with more structure
• Instant yeast: Yeast is the powerhouse behind all the rising in these donuts. The yeast produces gas which allows the bread dough to puff up. If you are using active yeast make sure you activate it in your milk before using it.
• White sugar: Aka granulated sugar adds sweetness to your dough, as well as giving the yeast fuel to produce more gas.
• Milk: Milk adds moisture to the dough. Milk adds a richer flavour, but feel free to replace this with water if you wish.
• Pumpkin puree: You can’t skip the pumpkin puree in these donuts. The pumpkin adds that bright yellow colour to the dough, along with sweetness and extra moisture to the final product.
• Pinch of salt: Salt helps to balance out the flavours of the dough. It also strengthens the structure of the dough as it interacts with the flour.
• Unsalted butter: Butter helps give the dough more richness and softness. Make sure it’s unsalted!
• White sugar: The second addition of sugar is for rolling the fried donuts in. You can skip this if you prefer them to be less sweet, oreven make a glaze, but trust me it’s a game changer
• Spices: I use a mix of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg as my pumpkin pie spice mix, but feel free to add other spices like cloves and allspice

Pumpkin Custard

• Egg yolks: Egg yolks give the custard richness and help it thicken up
• White sugar: Helps to give the custard sweetness, you can increase or decrease this according to your taste
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch also helps to thicken the custard up. I prefer cornstarch over flour as it doesn’t clump up as much
• Pumpkin puree: Pumpkin puree is necessary for that pumpkin flavour! Make sure you use a smooth pumpkin puree for the silkiest custard
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla pairs perfectly with the pumpkin puree for an extra level of flavour.
• Whole milk: Milk makes up the body of the custard. Make sure you use whole milk for the creamiest custard
• Unsalted butter: Butter adds richness to the custard!

Custard-Filled Pumpkin Donuts

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Fluffy pumpkin donut dough rolled in spiced sugar and filled with a creamy pumpkin custard. This is fall in the form of a donut. 

• Author: Catherine Zhang
• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 6 Donuts 1x
• Category: Donut
• Method: Intermediate
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

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Donut Dough

• 200g Plain flour (1 2/3 cup flour)
• 4g Instant yeast (1 tsp)
• 25g White sugar (2 tbsp)
• 90g Milk, room temperature (1/4 cup)
• 120g Pumpkin puree (1/2 cup)
• Pinch of salt
• 25g Unsalted butter, softened (5 tsp)
• 200g Granulated sugar (II), for rolling (1 cup)
• 1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon
• Pinch of ground ginger
• Pinch of nutmeg

Pumpkin Custard

• 2 Egg yolks
• 25g Granulated sugar (2 tbsp)
• 1 1/2 tbsp Cornstarch
• 120g Pumpkin puree (1/2 cup)
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 120ml Whole milk (1/2 cup)
• 15g Unsalted butter ( 1 tbsp)

 

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Instructions

Donuts

1. Combine flour, yeast, sugar, pumpkin puree, milk, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook
2. Combine the ingredients on low speed, before increasing the speed to medium-high and kneading for 5 minutes, or until smooth
3. Add the butter and continue to beat for 10 minutes
4. When the dough is smooth and elastic it’s ready
5. Transfer the dough to your counter-top, dust lightly with flour, and shape into a ball
6. Oil a large bowl, place the dough in it and cover with cling wrap
7. Place the covered bowl in a warm area for 1-2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size
8. Dust your work surface with flour and remove the dough from the bowl
9. Release built-up air by flattening the ball and divide it into 6 even portions
10. Roll each portion into a ball and place it on an oven tray lined with baking paper
11. Cover with cling wrap and let it proof for 30 minutes, or until almost doubled in size
12. Heat a heavy-bottomed pot of oil to 170C/340F
13. Cut the baking paper that the donuts are sitting on so that each donut is on it’s own square of baking paper
14. Carefully pick the donuts up by the corners of the baking paper and place them in the pot of oil, 3 at a time
15. Fry for 2 mins on each side, or until golden brown, then drain on a wire rack or paper towel
16. Repeat with the remaining donuts
17. Combine the sugar (II) with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg and roll the drained donuts in the sugar
18. Remove from the sugar and cool completely

See Also This Recipe:  Strawberry Jelly Donuts

Custard

1. While the dough is proofing make the custard
2. Combine the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch in a large heatproof bowl and whisk to combine
3. Combine the milk and vanilla extract in a small saucepan over medium heat and heat until steaming
4. Remove from the heat and pour into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly until smooth
5. Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat over medium-low, whisking constantly until thickened
6. The mixture should be thick enough to draw lines in it
7. Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter, stir until melted
8. Transfer the custard to a bowl and cover it with cling wrap, pressing the cling wrap onto the surface of the custard to prevent it from forming a skin
9. Place in the fridge to cool completely
10. When ready to assemble mix in the pumpkin puree 
11. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round piping tip

Assembly

1. Using a chopstick, or a thin and long utensil poke a hole on the side of each donut, taking care not to pierce the whole way
2. Give the utensil a little wiggle to create a pocket for the cream to fill
3. Place the tip of the piping bag into the donut and fill it, leaving a small dollop of cream on top

Catherine Zhang

My name is Catherine, a food blogger and dessert lover. If I look familiar you may have seen me on NETFLIX's Zumbo’s Just Desserts S2! As an Australian-Chinese pastry chef and recipe developer I share recipes and tips on desserts inspired by amazing flavours, fresh produce and of course my Asian background.

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