Pumpkin Cream Filled Donuts

Our Pumpkin Cream-Filled Donuts put a fresh spin on a classic fall favorite! Fluffy donuts filled with creamy pumpkin custard are the ultimate autumn indulgence. Try them for breakfast, dessert, or any time you want a sweet fall treat.

🧾 What You’ll Need

Ingredients

The good news: you probably already have most, if not all, of the ingredients you’ll need to make these homemade donuts! Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you make this recipe. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

• Milk and water: Whole milk will give you the most tender dough, but any fat percentage will work. I have only tested this recipe with dairy milk, so cannot advise on non-dairy alternatives.  The amount of water and milk in the dough are interchangeable so long as you have 1 1/3 cups of liquid. However, do not replace the milk in the pudding filling! 
• Sugar: This recipe uses granulated sugar in both the dough and cinnamon-sugar coating.
• Yeast This recipe calls for active dry yeast. I use and recommend Bob’s Red Mill Yeast, or Red Star Yeast. You can buy yeast in bulk or in pre-measured packets. If you opt to use the premeasured packets, please keep in mind that each packet contains 2 1/4 tsp. This recipe only needs 2 tsp of yeast, so you will will use slightly less than one full packet. If you are newer to working with yeast, make sure you read my yeast tips below before beginning.
• Eggs: This recipe uses 1 whole egg and 2 egg yolks, to make supremely tender donuts. Here’s my full guide to separating egg yolks and whites if you need a refresher.
• Flour: “Regular” flour, aka all-purpose, is what we’re using to give the donuts their structure. I recommend actually weighing the flour (and all of your ingredients!) for a more accurate result, but you can also spoon it into the measuring cup and gently level it off.
• Butter: Your butter should be at room temperature to make this recipe. This means it’s pliable but cool–you don’t want it to be greasy and melty. I always recommend unsalted butter in baking, so you can control the precise amount of salt. If you only have salted butter, use that but omit the additional salt in the recipe.
• Frying oil: You can use canola or vegetable oil for frying the donuts.
• Cinnamon: The donuts are rolled in a mix of ground cinnamon and sugar. You can swap in pumpkin pie spices for the cinnamon if you’d like.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice Pudding: This is the base of the filling for the donuts. I used Kraft Jell-O Pumpkin Spice Pudding. It’s seasonal, but you should be able to find it in most grocery stores on the baking aisle near other types of instant pudding. If you can’t find it, butterscotch pudding or vanilla pudding with additional cinnamon might be good substitutes. They won’t have that signature pumpkin pie flavor, but they will still provide a creamy fall-flavored filling.

Equipment

• Slotted spoon: Lifting freshly fried donuts from hot oil can be tricky but a slotted spoon will save you a lot of hassle. A slotted spoon can accommodate the doughnut’s size and allows excess oil to drip off.
• Cooling rack: You’ll want to use a cooling rack of some type so that the excess oil can drip off of the donuts while they cool. I I really like using a wire cooling rack.
• Stock pot:I like to fry donuts in a large stock pot. I can usually fry 2-3 doughnuts at a time.
• Mixer: You will need some kind of mixer to make the dough for these donuts. I highly recommend using a stand mixer for this recipe. You will also need a small hand mixer or whisk to make the pudding filling.
• Thermometer: If you’re going to be deep frying, an accurate thermometer is a MUST. You don’t need to spend a fortune on one, though — a basic thermometer like this is perfect. A thermometer helps you monitor the temperature of the frying oil, so you’ll have successful donuts every time. If you are new to using a thermometer, check out my guides for how to use a thermometer and how to test and calibrate a thermometer correctly.
• Cutter: Sharp circle cutters are the best for making donuts. I use and recommend this versatile set of round cutters. I use it for donuts, cookies, tart dough, and more.
• Piping bag & tip: I like these disposable piping bags (I wash them and re-use them to reduce waste!). You can also use a gallon-size zip-top bag with a hole cut in the corner.
• Rolling pin: I love and recommend this French-style rolling pin.

📋 Instructions

Here’s an overview of how to make Pumpkin Cream Filled Donuts! Full instructions are included in the recipe card down below.

Make the Dough

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm milk and water, 2 TBSP of granulated sugar and yeast. Whisk together on a low speed until just incorporated, then turn off the mixer and let sit for 5 minutes, until frothy. IMPORTANT: if after 5 minutes it looks exactly the same as it did before, don’t proceed – it means your yeast is dead, and your dough won’t rise! Read our yeast troubleshooting tips, and when in doubt, buy new yeast so you know it’s fresh.
2. Next, add the eggs, remaining granulated sugar and vanilla, and mix until incorporated.
3. Swap the mixer attachment for a dough hook. Add the flour and salt, and begin kneading until the dough starts to come together.
4. Add in the unsalted butter and continue kneading for an additional 5 minutes, until a smooth dough forms.

1. Remove the dough from the stand mixer and roll it into a ball. Place the dough ball back into the mixing bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
2. Let the dough rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
3. Turn the dough out onto a clean, floured surface and roll it out to ½” thickness.
4. Cut 3-inch circles of dough and place them on parchment-lined baking sheets with at least ½” between them. You can re-roll the scraps to make more doughnuts, but use a light hand so your dough doesn’t become tough. Let the cut doughnuts rise for about 1 hour, until they’ve doubled in size.

Make the Pumpkin Cream Filling

• While the donuts are going through their second rise, prepare the pumpkin filling.
• In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine pumpkin spice pudding mix and milk. Whisk together for 2 minutes, until it starts to set. Set the filling aside for now.

💭 Variations

Pumpkin donuts are endlessly customizable, so get creative with different flavors and textures! Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Use a different flavor of instant pudding like butterscotch, cheesecake or vanilla. You could also use your favorite homemade pastry cream.
• Top the donuts with a glaze, streusel, crumble, or just powdered sugar instead of cinnamon sugar.
• Serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or ice cream.
• Spice up your cinnamon sugar topping with some added flavors likes nutmeg, cloves, allspice, cardamom or pumpkin pie spice.

🍩 Donut FAQs