Mini Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts Recipe
These Mini Pumpkin Doughnuts are incredibly soft and fluffy pillows of pumpkin spice. The dough is flavoured with pumpkin puree (or butternut squash!), pumpkin spice and after frying, are coated in a delicious pumpkin spice sugar. They are so good for the autumn months when pumpkins and butternut squash are in season and a little bit of spice to warm up is welcomed. These mini doughnuts are best eaten shortly after frying, while they are still warm and gloriously delicate.
So how do I make these Mini Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts from scratch?
These mini doughnuts are made easily, with a simple doughnut dough with added flavour of pumpkin and pumpkin spice. The dough is then left to rise, cut into shapes and deep fried. The fried doughnuts are then tossed in pumpkin spice sugar to finish.
Doughnut Dough
To begin making the dough, melt the butter in a microwave safe container. You can also melt the butter in a small saucepan on a low heat if you prefer. Once melted, whisk in the milk and add the yeast. Whisk this together again until the yeast has dissolved. Leave this to one side while you weigh out the other ingredients. Add the flour, egg, sugar, salt, pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice to a stand mixer bowl or a large mixing bowl. Add the yeasted milk.
If you are using a stand mixer, mix using a dough hook for 4-5 minutes until the dough has become smooth and elastic. If you do not have a stand mixer, combine all ingredients in the mixing bowl with your hands or a wooden spoon. When the dough starts to form, place onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with cling film or a tea towel and leave somewhere slightly warm for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
Once the dough has risen, lightly flour a work surface and place the dough on top. Sprinkle some more flour on top of the dough and gently roll the dough using a rolling pin. Using your small round cutter (I like to use a 5cm round cutter) as a guide, roll the dough to about half the height of your cutter, this should be around 2cm.
Place the cut doughnuts onto a flat lined baking tray or trays. Allow space in between each doughnut as they will double in size before you fry them. Gently knead together any leftover dough. Roll the leftover dough a little thinner than the first time. The doughnuts made with leftover dough tend to rise more and it’s important to try to get them all a similar size. Repeat the above steps until all the dough has been used. Once all the dough has been shaped, cover the cut doughnuts lightly with cling film or tea towels. Leave in a warm place to rise until they have doubled in size, 1-2 hours.
Frying and coating the doughnuts
Once the doughnuts have risen, begin heating your deep fryer or a large saucepan half filled with oil suitable for frying. You are looking for a temperature of around 160-170°c (330-340°f). To check if the oil is ready, you can add a doughnut or a small piece of bread into the oil. If it darkens a lot within a minute or two, the oil is too hot. If it doesn’t make any noise or bubbles within a minute or two, the oil is too cold. To help make sure you have the right temperature when not using a deep fryer, consider getting a sugar thermometer to help get an accurate reading.
Once the oil is the right temperature, gently place 4-5 doughnuts into the hot oil. Allow to cook for 4-5 minutes, carefully turning them often until they are an even golden brown colour. Cautiously remove the doughnuts from the hot oil using a steel spider strainer and place onto a couple paper towels to drain. In a bowl, mix together the sugar and pumpkin spice. Place the hot doughnuts in the bowl and gently toss to coat the doughnuts completely. Remove from the sugar and leave to one side while you fry off the remaining doughnuts.
Frequently Asked Questions
I use strong flour for this recipe. This is because it is high in gluten which helps provide good structure and a nice fluffy crumb inside.
I use fresh yeast in this recipe. If you wanted to use dried yeast, you can calculate how much you would need using this Fresh to Dry Yeast Converter.
You will get the best results for frying with vegetable (rapeseed) oil or sunflower oil. These are both relatively affordable oils to use.
Ideally, you’re looking for a temperature around 160-170°c (320-340°f).
To check if the oil is ready, you can add a doughnut or a small piece of bread into the oil. If it darkens a lot within a minute or two, the oil is too hot. If it doesn’t make any noise or bubbles within a minute or two, the oil is too cold. To help make sure you have the right temperature when not using a deep fryer, consider getting a sugar thermometer to help get an accurate reading.
You can make your own pumpkin puree or butternut squash puree to use in the recipe. Simply peel and remove the seeds from a medium sized pumpkin or butternut squash. Cut into small chunks and place onto a baking tray. Cover tightly with tin foil and cook at 160°c (320°f) for 20-30 minutes until completely softened. Once cooked, blend or mash together until smooth. Allow to cool before using.
You absolutely can if you have a doughnut cutter! The large doughnuts made need a little longer frying to cook fully, and I would recommend adding only 2-3 at a time to your fryer depending on the size you have.
For more No Bake recipes, check out my No Bake Category, here.
Do you want more Dessert Recipes? Take a peek at my Dessert Category, here.
Mini Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts
Equipment
- 1 microwave safe bowl or measuring jug
- 1 Large mixing bowl
- 1 stand mixer with dough hook optional
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 small round cutter
- 1 deep fat fryer or large saucepan half filled with oil
- 1 steel spider strainer
- 1 Bowl
Ingredients
Mini Pumpkin Spice Doughnut Dough
- 440 grams strong flour
- 40 grams caster sugar
- 150 grams pumpkin or butternut squash puree
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp pumpkin spice or 1 tsp each of cinnamon, mixed spice and ground nutmeg
- 1 whole egg
- 40 grams butter
- 150 grams milk
- 25 grams fresh yeast
Pumpkin Spice Sugar
- 1 tbsp pumpkin spice or 1 tsp each of cinnamon, mixed spice and ground nutmeg
- 100 grams caster sugar
Instructions
- To begin, place the butter into the microwave safe bowl/jug. Place into the microwave and heat on 20 second intervals until the butter has completely melted.
- Remove the jug from the microwave and add the milk and fresh yeast. Whisk together until combined and leave to one side while you weigh the other ingredients.
- Place all the remaining ingredients for the doughnuts into the mixing bowl.
- Pour the yeast liquid over and place on the mixer with the dough hook attachment. Mix together for 4-5 minutes unti the dough has become smooth and strechy.
- If you don't have a stand mixer, you can knead everything together by hand but it may take closer to 10 minutes to form a smooth, elastic dough.
- Once a smooth dough has formed, lightly oil a mixing bowl and place the dough inside. Cover the bowl with cling film or a tea towel and leave in a warm place to rise for 1-2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Once the dough has risen, lightly flour a clean flat working space.
- Place the dough onto the floured surface and gently roll out the dough with a rolling pin. You are looking for a similar thickness that is half the height of the round cutter.
- Making sure to dip the cutter in flour often, cut out the dough using the cutter.
- Carefully place onto a flat lined baking tray.
- Gently knead together any leftover dough and continue rolling and cutting out until all the dough has been used. Be careful to roll out the leftovers a little thinner than the first one. This is because when the leftover dough is handled more, it will rise more when cooked.
- Place all the doughnuts on the flat, lined baking trays and gently cover with tea towel(s). Leave in a warm place to rise for 1-2 hours.
- While the doughnuts are on their final rise, begin preheating the deep fryer or saucepan with oil. You are looking for a temperature of around 160°c (320°f) – 170°c (340°f). If you don't have a thermometer, you can test the oil temperature by placing one doughnut in the hot oil. If it browns heavily within 1 minute, it is too hot. If the oil does not do anything, no bubbles or sound and no colour within 2 minutes, the oil is too cold.
- Once the oil is hot enough, gently drop 4-5 doughnuts into the oil.
- Allow to cook for 4-5 minutes, carefully flipping often for even cooking until golden brown all over.
- Using the spider strainer, carefully lift the doughnuts out of the oil and place onto some kitchen paper for a couplre minutes to drain.
- In a small bowl, add the pumpkin spice and sugar and mix together.
- Toss the drained doughnuts in the sugar and place to one side.
- Repeat the frying, draining and tossing of all doughnuts until you have cooked all.
- Store any leftovers in an airtigh container at room temperature. Eat within 1-2 days for the best texture.
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