Buttermilk Glazed Pumpkin Donuts

After you see this post, you're going to want to make these this weekend. Because you won't meet a better autumnal treat than this: a pumpkin base, rich with spices, fried and dunked in a sweet and tangy buttermilk glaze. If you're not drooling yet, you must hate pumpkin. Or maybe donuts. Though I'm not sure how you can hate donuts. "But they're so bad for you," you say. True. They are. But you only make them once a year. Ok, maybe one season a year. And they are so worth it.

"But donuts are a pain to make--frying is hard!" you say. Actually, they're not. We had ours fried and dunked (and photographed) in under an hour. Here are a few tips to help alleviate your fear of frying: 1) the frying process is fast, but the key is to make sure the oil is hot enough before cooking. If you flick a bit of water (a finger flick, no more!) in the pot of oil, it should bounce around like mini rocket. At that point, we usually throw in a little blob of dough as a tester. Bust it open with a knife. If it's coked through inside, you're ready to begin. 2) Flip the donuts when they start to turn brown on the edges and when the tops start looking a bit crinkly. If you do donut holes, they'll gradually start looking like they're about to flip over on their own but still need a little help to make it all the way. 3) It is very helpful to have an assistant (thanks, T-rav!) to either flip the frying donuts or dunk them in the glaze. That way you won't be covered in glaze and oil from frying and dunking and frying and dunking.

"But I'll burn my fingers when I dunk them in the glaze," you say. Well, you might. But if you wait until they no longer look shiny (usually about 20 seconds), they will be significantly cooler and much less likely to burn. As my momma always used to say "It'll toughen up."

Ok, any more excuses? No? Good.

In my opinion, the flavor of these donuts improve as they cool. Definitely try one warm (how could you possibly resist?), but the spices emerge more with time. But not too much time. Eat them right away and share with your friends and neighbors. Or eat them all yourself. I know you want to.

Buttermilk Glazed Pumpkin Donuts
Recipe adapted from The Family Kitchen
Pictures by Kelly


3 1/2 cups all purpose flour + extra for rolling
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 + a pinch allspice
1/4 + a pinch nutmeg
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs 
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup pumpkin puree
Canola oil for frying

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, spices and sugar. 
2. Whisk together all of the remaining ingredients (except for the canola oil) in a medium-sized bowl. 
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir them around the bowl until the mixture is well combined (you will probably need to use your hands to it all well integrated together and you may need to add a little flour). Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, rolling the donut dough to approximately1/4-1/2″ thick. Cut with a donut cutter.*
4. Heat 2 inches of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  When the oil is hot, gently slide the donuts into the oil, frying on the first side until the edges of the donut are lightly browned and starting to crinkle; flip carefully and allow to cook on the other side until lightly browned.  
5. Remove and dunk immediately into buttermilk glaze.  Allow to air dry on a cooling rack before serving.

Buttermilk Glaze
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Dip hot donuts in the glazed, then allow to air dry on a cooling rack

*I used a large + mini biscuit cutter to make the regular sized donuts and the mini only (obviously) to make the donut holes. If you don't have a donut cutter, you could use a cup and cut the hole out yourself with a knife, but that sounds like a lot of work. Just go buy cutter.