Pumpkin Buttermilk Donuts are the perfect fall treat. Homemade pumpkin spice donuts deep fried and then dipped in a sweet buttermilk glaze–enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea on a chilly autumn morning!
Pumpkin Buttermilk Donuts
Homemade donuts are so incredibly delicious. And I’ll be 100% honest… I don’t go for the baked-in-the-oven muffin pretending to be a donut thing. If I’m going to make donuts, I’m going to do right by them and deep fry. It’s the only way.
These Pumpkin Buttermilk Donuts are really not too difficult to make, so don’t be intimidated. They do not need time to rise, so you can whip up a fresh batch on a Saturday morning without spending half the day in the kitchen.
The Ingredients
You’ll find the whole list of ingredients below in the printable recipe card, but here are the ingredients you’ll need:
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Pumpkin puree
- Buttermilk
- Eggs
- Butter
- Vanilla extract
- Vegetable or canola oil for frying
- Powdered sugar
How to Make Pumpkin Buttermilk Donuts
STEP 1: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
STEP 2: In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree.
STEP 3: Pour the wet mixture into the dry and mix until the dough is combined. (The dough will still be quite sticky.)
STEP 4: Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and roll out to about 1/2 inch thickness. (The donuts will puff up while frying.) Use a donut cutter to cut out donuts and donut holes.
I used my biscuit cutters that I got from Amazon (a really good thing to have for making biscuits, cookies, and anything else that needs to be round!), but you could also use a donut cutter like this one (affiliate link).
STEP 5: Heat 3-inches of oil in a large skillet or pot over medium high heat. When the oil reaches 350ºF, carefully slide a few donuts into the oil, frying each side until lightly browned. Fry the donuts in small batches until they’re all cooked.
STEP 6: Cool the donuts slightly on a wire rack.
STEP 7: In a medium bowl, mix together the ingredients for the glaze until smooth. Dip each warm donut into the glaze and place back on the wire cooling rack for excess glaze to drip off.
Frying Tips
Handling the dough – The dough is very soft, so I usually place each donut on a heat-safe metal slotted spoon or spatula, lower it gently into the oil, and scoot it off into the oil. This is easier than picking up the donuts and placing them into the oil by hand because they end up stretching, tearing, or really misshapen.
Flipping the donuts – I recommend using tongs to carefully flip the donuts in the oil for the best control.
Temperature control – If you’re using a large pot on the stove like I do, be sure you have a deep frying thermometer so you can keep an eye on the oil temperature. If it’s too hot, the donuts will burn on the outside before they cook through on the inside. If the oil is too cool, the donuts will absorb too much oil while they cook.
Deep fryer – A deep fryer is always the easiest way to fry donuts since you can control the oil temperature easier. I just happen to not have a fryer, but if you do then it will be a helpful tool for donut making.
Are donuts good the next day?
Honestly? While donuts are delicious when fresh, they are notoriously icky when not fresh. They go stale incredibly fast, and that is especially true of homemade donuts that do not have the preservatives of many mass produced donuts.
This recipe is easy enough that you can make the donuts fresh when you’re ready to eat them. After a day on the counter, it’s reasonable to expect they will be a little less delicious than when hot and fresh.
Pumpkin Buttermilk Donuts
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 donuts 1x
Description
Pumpkin Buttermilk Donuts are the perfect fall treat. Homemade pumpkin spice donuts deep fried and then dipped in a sweet buttermilk glaze–enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea on a chilly autumn morning!
Ingredients
Donuts:
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoon butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Vegetable or canola oil for frying
Glaze:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
- In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry and mix until the dough is combined. (The dough will still be quite sticky.)
- Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and roll out to about 1/2 inch thickness. (The donuts will puff up while frying.) Use a donut cutter to cut out donuts and donut holes.
- Heat 3-inches of oil in a large skillet or pot over medium high heat. When the oil reaches 350F, carefully slide a few donuts into the oil, frying each side until lightly browned. Fry the donuts in small batches until they’re all cooked.
- Cool the donuts slightly on a wire rack.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the ingredients for the glaze until smooth. Dip each warm donut into the glaze and place back on the wire cooling rack for excess glaze to drip off.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: breakfast
- Method: frying
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: donuts, pumpkin, pumpkin spice, fall, autumn
Share the Recipe!
After you make the Pumpkin Buttermilk Donuts, come back and tell me how you like them! You can leave a comment and recipe rating in the comments section below. You can also click here to see this on Pinterest and leave a comment there or even your own picture. Another option would be to tag me on Instagram @MomNeedsChocolate. Can’t wait to hear from you!
MORE GREAT RECIPES
If you like this recipe, here are some other top Mom Needs Chocolate favorites to check out:
- The Best Chicken Fried Rice
- Homemade Granola with Cranberries
- Carrot Cake Roll with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Easy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese
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