Pumpkin Donuts with Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Filling

Dazzling, pillowy pumpkin donuts shaped like pumpkins—lightly fried, rolled in pumpkin spice sugar, and filled with a tangy, silky pumpkin-cream cheese crema. A hint of ancho in the sugar adds warmth and depth, while a cinnamon stick stem and sophisticated presentation make these the star of any autumn table.

By @soulfoodmx

Original recipe source

Cook time: 180 minutes

Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 0.5 cup milk warm, 105–110°F
• 1.5 tsp dry yeast instant or active dry
• 1 tbsp sugar for activating yeast
• 3.25 cups all-purpose flour
• 0.33 cup sugar refined, remaining
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 1.5 tsp pumpkin spice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 0.67 cup pumpkin purée not pumpkin pie filling
• 1 egg large
• 1 egg yolk large
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter softened
• 0 kitchen twine
• 0 parchment paper about 12 squares, 3x3 inch
• 0 vegetable oil for deep-frying (2–3 inches depth)
• 0 butter melted, for brushing
• 0.5 cup sugar granulated
• 0.75 tsp pumpkin spice
• 0.25 tsp ground ancho chili or to taste
• 200 g cream cheese softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp pumpkin spice
• 2 tbsp pumpkin purée
• 0 piping bag fitted with round tip
• 0 cinnamon sticks broken into small stems
• 0 Mexican crema for plating, optional
• 0 ancho chili powder for sprinkling, optional

Instructions

1. Combine warm milk, dry yeast, and a spoonful of sugar in a small bowl. Stir and let stand until foamy (about 5 minutes).
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, remaining sugar, salt, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon.
3. Add the activated yeast mixture, pumpkin purée, egg, and egg yolk to the dry ingredients. Mix on low with a dough hook until combined.
4. With the mixer running, add the softened butter in pieces. Increase speed to medium and knead until the dough is smooth, elastic, and passes the windowpane test (about 8–12 minutes).
5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at warm room temperature until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
6. Punch down the dough to deflate. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Shape each into a smooth ball.
7. Using kitchen twine, loosely tie each dough ball with four strands around to create a pumpkin shape. Set each shaped donut on a square of parchment.
8. Cover and let proof at room temperature until puffy and nearly doubled (about 1 hour).
9. Heat oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven to 350°F (use a thermometer for accuracy). Fry the donuts, parchment and all, a few at a time without crowding.
10. Fry each donut 2–3 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through. Drain on a wire rack or paper towels.
11. While the donuts are warm, brush lightly with melted butter and roll in pumpkin spice sugar (see next step).
12. Mix granulated sugar, pumpkin spice, and a generous pinch of ground ancho chili in a bowl. Roll each donut in the mixture until well coated.
13. Once cool enough to handle, use scissors to carefully snip and remove the twine from each donut.
14. To make the filling, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin spice until fluffy and smooth. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
15. Fill a piping bag with the pumpkin-cream cheese filling. Poke a hole in the bottom of each donut and pipe in the filling until you feel resistance.
16. For the final garnish and restaurant-inspired presentation, insert a cinnamon stick piece into the top of each donut to mimic a pumpkin stem. Plate with a swoosh of extra pumpkin crema or a drizzle of Mexican crema with a pinch of ancho if desired.