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These Thanksgiving Doughtnuts include 5 delicious fall doughnut recipes that capture all the apple-cinnamon-pumpkin-spice you're craving, all in easy, you-can-do-it-I-promise recipes. Because what’s even better than a cup of coffee in the morning? A warm, homemade donut to go with it.
Table of contents
These Thanksgiving Doughnuts are a fun collaboration with my friend Erin from Cloudy Kitchen! Erin and I met for the first time last year (after being IG friends for what felt like forever) to collaborate on this apple cider layer cake. Since then, we've become super close friends texting constantly about baking, recipe ideas, Wordpress issues, and plants. And because our last collab was so fun, we decided to get a little fancy and team up for the ultimate fall-inspired recipe post: Thanksgiving Doughnuts.
These Thanksgiving Doughnuts are made with a super soft and fluffy brioche dough that we split up into 5 flavors inspired by *you guessed it* Thanksgiving (as well as various fall flavors): Apple Pie, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Maple Pecan, Apple Cider Glazed, and Chocolate Pudding... YUM. Each of these doughnuts uses the same base brioche dough, meaning you can throw together the dough, and then it's basically a choose-your-own-adventure situation as far as which individual flavors you want! You could even mix and match flavors if you're feeling creative!
Ingredients for Homemade Brioche Doughnuts
We’re using a straightforward brioche dough for today’s doughnuts. You only need a few ingredients to begin.
- Milk: Whole milk is a must for the most tender dough. Lower fat and nondairy milk work also, but the doughnuts won't be as flavorful or rich.
- Yeast: You can use active dry yeast or instant yeast. If using instant yeast, your rise time will be a little shorter.
- Sugar: Sugar sweetens the doughnuts and tenderizes the dough.
- Eggs: Eggs provide structure and flavor.
- Butter: Room temperature butter makes for a rich dough and promises an enhanced flavor.
- Salt & Vanilla Bean Paste: Both of these add flavor. You could also use vanilla extract if that's all you have on hand!
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the dough’s structure. You’ll be tempted to add more and more flour as you mix the dough, but don’t! You want a soft, pillowy dough for soft, pillowy doughnuts.
Thanksgiving Doughnut Variations
These Thanksgiving Doughnuts come in 5 different delicious flavor variations.
Apple Pie Doughnuts
These are sure to be a favorite; it literally tastes like an apple pie in doughnut form. The Apple Pie Doughnuts have three components: dough (obviously), apple pie filling, and vanilla pastry cream. I recommend making both the dough and the apple pie filling the night before. The doughnut dough does well with a slow cold rise in the fridge. Plus having your apple pie filling cooked and chilled makes everything go faster the next day.
Now let's chat about this pastry cream. Pastry cream, also known as creme patissiere, is a thickened vanilla custard made with eggs, milk, sugar, cornstarch (or flour), and vanilla. It's thick, rich, and creamy... and it compliments both the apple pie filling and the fried dough perfectly. The more cream oozing out (is that a gross description?), the better.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Doughnuts
These Pumpkin Cheesecake Doughnuts are filled with a not-too-sweet and perfectly spiced pumpkin cheesecake filling before being tossed in pumpkin spice sugar. It's basically the ultimate fall doughnut.
You'll notice the recipe calls for reducing the pumpkin over the stove before beating with the rest of the filling ingredients. I highly advise you to not skip this step! Doing so reduces the excess moisture that pumpkin puree normally contains and thickens up the filling nicely. The last thing you want is a loose pumpkin cheesecake mixture leaking out of your doughnuts, trust me!
Maple Pecan Doughnuts
These doughnuts give pecan pie vibes just without being too cloyingly sweet. The glaze is perfectly maple-y, and magically delicious; and don't even get me started on the candied pecans!
You can technically use ANY kind of nuts or a combination of different nuts, like walnuts, almonds, peanuts, or cashews. I don’t discriminate when it comes to cinnamon sugar candied nuts, but I promise pecans taste best here!
Apple Cider Glazed Doughnuts
These are not only the easiest doughnuts of the bunch to make, but quite possibly the tastiest as well. The apple cider glaze provides a sweet yet tart flavor that is simply amazing.
Similar to the Pumpkin Cheesecake Doughnuts, this recipe calls for reducing the apple cider on the stovetop and I recommend you don't skip it! Because only 3-4 tablespoons of apple cider are included in the glaze, reducing the cider is necessary to make sure there is enough apple cider flavor. If you try making the apple cider glaze with non-reduced apple cider, you're going to be missing out on SO much flavor.
You can find the full recipe for these Apple Cider Glazed Doughnuts here.
Chocolate Pudding Doughnuts
These Chocolate Pudding Doughnuts are like a chocolate mousse pie, just in doughnut form (obviously). The chocolate pudding filling is so unbelievably rich and silky, and it comes together in no time on the stovetop! And when paired with the soft, fluffy brioche doughnut? PERFECTION!
You can find the full recipe for these Chocolate Pudding Doughnuts here.
Making yeast doughnuts from scratch can be a little intimidating, but it’s so fun and definitely a project you should try at least once because the results are worth it. Have a doughnut party and invite your friends, that way if you start a grease fire they can help you put it out. Just kidding! That’s totally not going to happen!
Thanksgiving Doughnuts Recipe Troubleshooting & FAQ
Can I bake these doughnuts instead of frying them?
No. These recipes were developed to be fried and if you attempt to bake them, you'll end up with something closer to a hamburger bun than a doughnut. I have some baked donut recipes though!
Can I store doughnuts in the fridge?
I wouldn’t recommend it. The doughnuts are best at room temperature and putting them in the fridge can dry them out. I would recommend eating them on the day they're made, especially for the filled doughnuts, however, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day. Any longer than that, and they'll start to dry out and get tough.
Why are my doughnuts oily?
It sounds like your oil wasn't hot enough! Many fearful fryers set the oil temperature too low thinking that it will make frying more forgiving. Frying at too low a temperature, however, will result in greasy doughnuts with a tough crust. Next time, watch the oil’s temperature carefully as you fry and adjust the heat as needed to maintain a temperature between 350°F (175°C) and 360°F (180°C). It’s better to add doughnuts to slightly warmer-than-desired oil, as the dough will bring the oil temperature down a few degrees, than to too-cool oil.
If your oil temperature was fine, then it's possible you didn't properly drain the doughnuts. Drain the doughnuts over the pot of oil for at least 10 seconds (a gentle shake will force oil off the doughnut). Move the fried doughnuts to a paper towel-lined sheet pan, where the towels will wick away leftover oil. And then finally move the drained doughnuts to a cooling rack so that they aren’t sitting in a pool of their own oil before glazing or filling them.
Why are my doughnuts dense?
Dense doughnuts that don't puff up much when fried are the result of underproofing your dough. To check if your doughnuts are ready to be fried, lightly poke/prod the first doughnut you cut/rolled. If the indentation immediately bounces back and disappears, the dough isn't ready yet. If it stays, however, it's ready to be fried!
Why are my doughnuts raw in the middle?
Doughnuts that are raw in the middle can be caused by two things. The most common reason is from frying them in oil that is too hot. When the oil is too hot, the outside cooks much quicker before the inside has a chance to catch up. I'd recommend using a thermometer to monitor your oil temperature to avoid this problem!
If you monitored your oil and kept it at the ideal frying temperature, then your doughnuts are raw in the middle simply because you made them too big/too thick!
Looking for more doughnut recipes?
Check these out!
Strawberry Cardamom Crullers
Chocolate Stuffed Churro Doughnuts
Vanilla Bean Honey Glazed Crullers
Apple Pie Doughnuts
Ingredients
For the Brioche Dough:
- 250 g milk lukewarm
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 2¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 565 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g unsalted butter diced and softened
For the Pastry Cream (slightly adapted from Bouchon):
- 110 g granulated sugar
- 35 g cornstarch
- 132 g egg yolks
- 550 g whole milk
- 30 g unsalted butter
For the Apple Pie Filling (adapted from Erin McDowell):
- 45 g unsalted butter
- 560 g apples peeled, cored, and diced into small pieces
- 150 g dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 15 g cornstarch
For the Apple Pie Doughnuts:
- canola oil for frying
- granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
To Make the Brioche Doughnuts:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl, mix together the milk, yeast, and 2 tablespoons (25 grams) of the granulated sugar. Add the remaining sugar, eggs, flour, salt, and vanilla bean paste and mix until the ingredients are just barely combined.
- Using the hook attachment, beat on medium speed for about 5 minutes until a soft dough forms. With the mixer running slowly, add in the butter, a piece or two at a time, working it into the dough, then knead for a further 10–15 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. *If you do not have a stand-mixer with a hook attachment, knead the dough by hand in this step.*
- Tip the dough into a large, lightly greased bowl, cover with clingfilm and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 60-90 minutes. Alternatively, you can refrigerate the dough and allow it to rise overnight (The dough is much easier to handle when thoroughly chilled.)
To Make the Pastry Cream Filling:
- Whisk together the sugar and corn starch in a bowl. Add the egg yolks and whisk well to combine. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla paste over medium-low heat until there are tiny bubbles beginning to form just around the edges of the milk - do not bring it to a boil.
- Remove the milk from the heat. While whisking the egg yolk, sugar, and cornstarch mixture constantly, add in half of the milk mixture to temper the egg yolks. Whisk briskly for 30 seconds. Transfer the milk and egg yolk mixture back to the saucepan, and return to a medium heat. Whisk constantly until very thick.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, mixing well until totally combined. Allow the pastry cream to stand for 5-10 minutes, whisking occasionally. Transfer to an airtight container and allow to cool completely.
To Make the Apple Pie Filling:
- In a large nonstick skillet or saucepan, add the butter, apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and stir until evenly coated. Cook over medium-high heat until the apples begin to soften.
- Whisk together the granulated sugar and cornstarch, and add to the apple mixture. Allow to cook and thicken, about 2-3 minutes. Once thickened, transfer the apple pie filling to an airtight container and chill.
Frying and Assembly:
- Shape the doughnuts: Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface. Weigh the dough, and divide into 14 equal weight portions; each piece of dough should weigh about 75g. Roll each portion into a tight ball and then slightly flatten the ball into a disc shape. Place the doughnuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving an adequate space between each one, then cover with plastic wrap. (You will need two baking sheets.)
- Allow the doughnuts to proof for 20 minutes (this will take longer if your dough is cold but just check after 20 minutes to see how they are doing). When you poke them lightly with your finger, it should leave a small indentation.
- While the doughnuts are proofing, heat the canola oil to 350°F (180°C) in a deep fryer or a large heavy-bottomed pot (cast iron works great). Line a baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels for draining the doughnuts. Place some granulated sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
- Fry the doughnuts: Once the oil has come to temperature, gently lower the doughnuts (no more than 2-3 at a time) into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown on the underside, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully turn the doughnuts over and fry for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until the other side is golden brown as well. Using a slotted spoon, remove the doughnuts to the paper towel-lined baking sheet to remove any excess oil, and then transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat the process with the rest of the doughnuts.
- As soon as the doughnuts are cool enough to handle, toss them in the sugar one at a time to evenly coat them. Return the doughnuts to the cooling rack and allow to cool completely, about 30 minutes. In the meantime, transfer the cooled pastry cream and apple pie fillings to their own piping bags.
- Poke a hole in the side of each doughnut and fill with the apple pie filling. Then fill with the pastry cream. The doughnuts should be served as soon as they are filled. They are best the same day they are made.
Nutrition
Pumpkin Cheesecake Doughnuts
Ingredients
For the Brioche Dough:
- 250 g milk lukewarm
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 2¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 565 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g unsalted butter diced and softened
For the Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:
- 280 g pumpkin puree (reduced to 200g-see below)
- 450 g cream cheese softened
- 100 g powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- pinch of fine sea salt
For the Pumpkin Spice Sugar:
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
For the Pumpkin Cheesecake Doughnuts:
- canola oil for frying
Instructions
To Make the Brioche Doughnuts:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl, mix together the milk, yeast, and 2 tablespoons (25 grams) of the granulated sugar. Add the remaining sugar, eggs, flour, salt, and vanilla bean paste and mix until the ingredients are just barely combined.
- Using the hook attachment, beat on medium speed for about 5 minutes until a soft dough forms. With the mixer running slowly, add in the butter, a piece or two at a time, working it into the dough, then knead for a further 10–15 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. *If you do not have a stand-mixer with a hook attachment, knead the dough by hand in this step.*
- Tip the dough into a large, lightly greased bowl, cover with clingfilm and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 60-90 minutes. Alternatively, you can refrigerate the dough and allow it to rise overnight (The dough is much easier to handle when thoroughly chilled.)
To Make the Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:
- In a medium saucepan, cook the pumpkin puree over medium heat until it begins to reduce and thicken up, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool before proceeding.
- In large mixing bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and 200g of the cooled reduced pumpkin puree. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and pinch of salt, and beat until smooth and well combined.
To Make the Pumpkin Spice Sugar:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and pumpkin pie spice until well combined. Set aside until needed.
Frying and Assembly:
- Shape the doughnuts: Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface. Weigh the dough, and divide into 14 equal weight portions; each piece of dough should weigh about 75g. Roll each portion into a tight ball and then slightly flatten the ball into a disc shape. Place the doughnuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving an adequate space between each one, then cover with plastic wrap. (You will need two baking sheets.)
- Allow the doughnuts to proof for 20 minutes (this will take longer if your dough is cold but just check after 20 minutes to see how they are doing). When you poke them lightly with your finger, it should leave a small indentation.
- While the doughnuts are proofing, heat the canola oil to 350°F (180°C) in a deep fryer or a large heavy-bottomed pot (cast iron works great). Line a baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels for draining the doughnuts.
- Fry the doughnuts: Once the oil has come to temperature, gently lower the doughnuts (no more than 2-3 at a time) into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown on the underside, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully turn the doughnuts over and fry for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until the other side is golden brown as well. Using a slotted spoon, remove the doughnuts to the paper towel-lined baking sheet to remove any excess oil, and then transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat the process with the rest of the doughnuts.
- As soon as the doughnuts are cool enough to handle, toss them in the pumpkin spice sugar one at a time to evenly coat them. Return the doughnuts to the cooling rack and allow to cool completely, about 30 minutes. In the meantime, transfer the pumpkin cheesecake filling to a piping bag.
- Poke a hole in the side of each doughnut and fill with the pumpkin cheesecake filling. The doughnuts should be served as soon as they are filled. They are best the same day they are made.
Nutrition
Maple Pecan Doughnuts
Ingredients
For the Brioche Dough:
- 250 g milk lukewarm
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 2¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 565 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g unsalted butter diced and softened
For the Candied Pecans:
- 125 g pecan halves
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 15 g unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
For the Maple Glaze:
- 180 g powdered sugar
- 60 g pure maple syrup
- 45 g heavy cream
For the Maple Pecan Doughnuts:
- canola oil for frying
Instructions
To Make the Brioche Doughnuts:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl, mix together the milk, yeast, and 2 tablespoons (25 grams) of the granulated sugar. Add the remaining sugar, eggs, flour, salt, and vanilla bean paste and mix until the ingredients are just barely combined.
- Using the hook attachment, beat on medium speed for about 5 minutes until a soft dough forms. With the mixer running slowly, add in the butter, a piece or two at a time, working it into the dough, then knead for a further 10–15 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. *If you do not have a stand-mixer with a hook attachment, knead the dough by hand in this step.*
- Tip the dough into a large, lightly greased bowl, cover with clingfilm and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 60-90 minutes. Alternatively, you can refrigerate the dough and allow it to rise overnight (The dough is much easier to handle when thoroughly chilled.)
To Make the Candied Pecans:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spread the pecan halves out on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and toast for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown (you can snap one open to check they are toasted throughout). Be careful not to burn!
- Line another baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, butter, and salt. Add the toasted pecan halves and cook, stirring frequently and adjusting the heat as necessary, until the sugar has melted and the nuts are evenly coated in the sugar mixture.
- Dump the candied pecans onto the prepared baking sheet and spread them out with a spatula so they aren’t clumped together. Allow to cool completely. Note: You will have more candied pecans than needed. They can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for one week, in the fridge for 3 weeks, or in the freezer for two months.
Frying and Assembly:
- Shape the doughnuts: Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface. Roll the dough out to about 1/2” (1.2cm) thick. Using a round pastry cutter (we used a 3¼” circle), cut out circles of dough and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, leaving room between each one. (You will need two baking sheets.) Cut holes from the middles of the circles using a 1½” pastry cutter. Place the doughnut holes on the sheet to proof alongside the doughnuts. Cut the remainder of the dough into doughnut holes (you can re-roll and cut additional doughnuts if you want, but they will not be as neat).Then cover the baking sheets with plastic wrap.
- Allow the doughnuts to proof for 20 minutes (this will take longer if your dough is cold but just check after 20 minutes to see how they are doing). When you poke them lightly with your finger, it should leave a small indentation.
- While the doughnuts are proofing, heat the canola oil to 350°F (180°C) in a deep fryer or a large heavy-bottomed pot (cast iron works great). Line a baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels for draining the doughnuts.
- Fry the doughnuts: Once the oil has come to temperature, gently lower the doughnuts (no more than 2-3 at a time) into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown on the underside, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully turn the doughnuts over and fry for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until the other side is golden brown as well. Using a slotted spoon, remove the doughnuts to the paper towel-lined baking sheet to remove any excess oil, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before glazing. Repeat the process with the rest of the doughnuts.
To Make the Maple Glaze:
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, maple syrup, and heavy cream until fully combined. If the glaze is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar; if it's too thick, add more cream (or maple syrup).
- Dip each donut into the glaze and set (glaze-side up) on a cooling rack. Immediately place candied pecans on top of each donut.
Nutrition
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Asma
I have question about vanilla bean paste, you use sweetened vanilla or no added sugar ?
Thank you ?
Michael Johnson
I use Heilala Vanilla's vanilla bean paste, which is sweetened very slightly!