Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filled Donuts

It’s time for fall baking! These Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Filled Donuts are fluffy and tender. They have a delicious coating of pumpkin pie spice sugar. The dough is made with rapid-rise yeast to minimize proof time and then fried to perfection.

I love the fluffiness and airiness of yeast donuts! Making your own requires a little bit more effort than buying it from the coffee shop or the bakery, but they are worth the effort. Once you learn how to make them, you can customize them any way you want. In the end, making your own is also very cost-effective.

These donuts make a perfect sweet breakfast or snack. Deep frying gives them a light crispy exterior while the interior is airy and fluffy. The smooth pumpkin cream cheese filling has a touch of pumpkin pie spice. That spice flavor is echoed in the cinnamon sugar. They’re so good!!

Ingredients needed:

• All-purpose flour
• Rapid rise instant yeast
• Milk
• Butter
• Granulated sugar
• Salt
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• Pumpkin pie spice
• Pumpkin puree
• Cream cheese
• Confectioners sugar
• Oil for frying

Recipe highlights:

• Warm milk to 120°-130° F.
• Add flour, yeast, and sugar to the stand mixer bowl. Blend with a fork. Add melted butter and beaten egg.
• Next, pour in almost all of the milk. If the dough looks dry after you start to mix, add the rest of the milk. Mix using a paddle attachment until it becomes a shaggy dough.
• Switch to a dough hook and continue to mix for about 8 minutes. The dough should pull away from the bowl and wrap around the hook during this process.
• Transfer to a bowl with a generous drizzle of oil. Swish dough around to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap.
• Allow to rest in a warm area (I use an oven warmed to 100° F, then shut off) for 30-60 minutes or until the dough doubles in size.

• Make the filling by mixing cream cheese, pumpkin puree, confectioners’ sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate.
• Once the dough has doubled in size, use your fist to punch it down. Lightly knead into a ball. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Roll dough into 1/2-inch thickness.

• Cut out donut shapes. Transfer the donuts onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Cover lightly with plastic wrap. Allow to rest again in a warm area for 15 minutes.
• Make the sugar coating: combine granulated sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
• After the second rise, fry donuts in small batches in 350° F oil until golden brown.

• Cook time is approximately 1 minute per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
• While hot, place the donuts in the sugar mixture to apply a light coating. Place the donuts on a cooling rack. Continue frying and coating the donuts.
• Use a long piping nozzle to hollow out a cavity in the donut.
• Fill a piping bag with a long piping nozzle tip with the pumpkin cream cheese filling. Pipe filling into each donut.
• Refer to the recipe card below for detailed instructions.

View the how-to video or save it for later with this Pinterest Pin. 

Yeast donuts are usually made with active dry yeast (or instant yeast, which can be used interchangeably). This recipe uses rapid rise instant yeast to speed up the process. I assure you it does not compromise the texture or flavor of the donuts. If you’re wondering what the differences between the two classifications are, I’ve outlined them below.

What’s the difference between rapid rise instant yeast and active dry yeast?

Active Dry Yeast:

• Reactivation—needs to be in the liquid between 105°-115° F to reactivate (aka proof, bloom). Wait 5 -10 minutes for yeast to become foamy before adding to the dry ingredients.
• Number proofing (resting) periods for dough—needs 2 proofing, typically lasts between 2 1/2 to 3 hours total.
• Size—larger than rapid rise instant yeast and requires longer rest time.

Rapid Rise Instant Yeast:

• Reactivation—does not require reactivation. Can be added directly to the dry ingredients.
• The number of proofing (resting) periods for dough—typically one 10-minute rest period and a longer 30 to 60 minutes cycle.
• Size—the yeast granules are smaller than active dry yeast. Enzymes are added to the yeast during processing to accelerate the rising speed.
• Can tolerate higher temperatures—use warm liquid between 120°-130° F.
• Much more stable and long-lasting than active dry yeast.

What’s the rising period for these donuts?

With Rapid Rise Instant yeast, the dough is typically allowed to rest for 10 minutes after kneading and between 30-60 minutes after shaping.

This recipe reverses the proofing periods with the longer cycle first. Unlike making a loaf of bread where the dough can rise in the loaf pan and immediately be baked, donuts need to be rolled and cut out. The longer proofing just after kneading relaxes the gluten strands and makes the dough easier to roll and work with. Once the donuts are cut out, it’s followed by a short 15-minutes rest to relax the gluten to produce more tender donuts.

How to store donuts:

• Donuts are best consumed freshly made. However, leftover donuts can be stored refrigerated in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days.
• The dough firms up when refrigerated. Leave out at room temp for about 20 minutes before eating. Or microwave for about 10 seconds.

Can you bake these donuts?

This recipe utilizes the frying method, but you can bake for a lighter version. Bake the donuts at 350° F for about 12-15 minutes or until golden and cooked through. To make sure, cut through the center of a donut. If it’s not doughy, it’s done.

Pro tips:

• Make sure to fluff the flour, spoon the flour into the cup, and level the top of the measuring cup for accurate measurement.
• Take the guesswork out and use an instant read thermometer to ensure the milk is at the proper temperature.
• To ensure a quick rise, heat the oven to 100° F, then shut off the heat. Place the bowl of dough into the oven to proof. The dough should double in size between 30-45 minutes.
• Use a long piping nozzle tip to create the cavities in the donuts. A wooden skewer can also be used.
• Depending on how large or small you make the cavities in the donuts, there might be excess filling. They are great on the side to slather onto the donuts!

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