Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts with Pumpkin Custard

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Get your pumpkin fix with these Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts filled with Pumpkin Custard! If you love pumpkin, you NEED to make these doughnuts. Imagine a light, fluffy, perfectly sweet pumpkin spice doughnut, fried to golden perfection, and rolled in a pumpkin spice sugar, then filled with a silky smooth spiced pumpkin custard. Every bite is just tastes just like pumpkin pie! Enjoy alongside a cup of coffee (or a pumpkin spice late!) for an extra sweet way to start your day. SO. GOOD.

About The Recipe

Too soon for pumpkin?

I know it’s the middle of August, but my mom and I simply couldn’t wait any longer! We are so ready for Fall. And, with the PSL rumored to drop next week, we knew we weren’t the only ones.

Which is what brings us to today’s recipe! Pumpkin filled doughnuts (or donuts, if you’d rather!).

This is an idea we’ve been holding onto for quite a while. Though, last Fall, we just didn’t have the time to get around to them!

We were determined to make them this year because the idea just sounded too delicious not to share. So, while it may still be the middle of summer, we just couldn’t wait any longer!

The first test was…interesting to say the least. Since it’s been so hot this summer, things have definitely been rising and cooking weird. These doughnuts were no exception.

The first fried batch was SO flat (think…pancake). It was really kinda funny!

For the second batch, we lowered the oil temperature and only cooked one at a time. This was the secret to tall, pillow-y doughnuts! But, the flavor wasn’t quite right. So, we tweaked the spice and sugar amounts…and turns out, second times a charm!

The doughnuts themselves, without the pumpkin custard, are absolutely delicious. Perfectly sweet, perfectly spiced, airy, fluffy, light, and SO. GOOD.

But, once you add that pumpkin custard..oh, man.

The custard is oh-so simple to make, silky smooth, and literally tastes like a pumpkin pie!

All together, it’s a combination that one dreams about. It’s sweet, pumpkin-y, perfectly spiced, and just melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Reasons You Will Love These Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts

• Tastes SO much better than anything you could buy.
• Every bite is reminiscent of pumpkin pie.
• Easier to make than you might think!
• A great make-ahead treat for Fall weekends or special occasions!
• The perfect breakfast treat for pumpkin lovers.

Equipment Needed

• Mixing Bowls
• Whisk
• 2 Quart Saucepan
• Stand Mixer
• Lidded Plastic Container
• Rolling Pin
• Round Cutters
• Dutch Oven
• Oil Thermometer
• Slotted Spoon
• Piping Bag
• Piping Tips

Ingredients

Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

For The Custard:

• Pumpkin Purée – For the best flavor, we recommend using canned pumpkin puree instead of fresh.
• Granulated Sugar – Adds just the right amount of sweetness.
• Egg Yolks – This is essential for custard. You will need 6 egg yolks for this recipe. Though, don’t waste your egg whites! Use them to make something like our Chocolate Swirled Meringue Cookies.
• Cornstarch – This is what thickens the custard!
• Whole Milk – Heated milk tempers the egg yolks, keeping them from becoming like scrambled eggs when cooked.
• Salted Butter – Creates the perfect consistency in this custard.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice – Enhances the flavor of the pumpkin!
• Vanilla Extract – Adds a sweet undertone, while also enhancing the flavors of the pumpkin and the spice.

For The Doughnuts:

• All-Purpose Flour – No fancy flours needed for these doughnuts! Just regular unbleached all-purpose flour gives these doughnuts the perfect texture.
• Granulated Sugar – We add just enough to give the yeast something to feed off of, as well as very lightly sweeten the dough.
• Instant Yeast – We use SAF Gold Yeast for this recipe.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice – Adds a delicious spiced flavor to the dough.
• Whole Milk – Make sure the whole milk is at room temperature, as it’ll be easier to mix in!
• Large Eggs – Remember to set your eggs out ahead of time to allow them to come to room temperature.
• Vanilla Extract – Just a splash to add a little extra flavor.
• Salted Butter – We opted to use salted butter in this recipe instead of adding salt! It adds just the right amount to really enhance the flavor of the doughnuts.

For The Spiced Sugar:

• Granulated Sugar – Adds sweetness and a little bit of crunch to these doughnuts!
• Pumpkin Pie Spice – Gives each bite an extra little bit of spice.

How To Make Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts

Step 1: Make filling

Whisk together pumpkin, sugar, and egg yolks in a medium bowl.

Add cornstarch and whisk until smooth. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat milk until just starting to bubble around the edges.

While whisking, slowly add hot milk to egg yolk mixture. Continue whisking until fully incorporated.

Return to saucepan. Cook and stir over medium low heat until mixture thickens to a pudding consistency.

Immediately remove from heat and whisk in butter, spice, and vanilla.

Pour into a clean glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic is touching the pastry cream. Refrigerate.

Step 2: Prepare dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add flour, sugar, yeast, and spice. Turn mixer on low to mix dry ingredients.

Add milk, butter, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Mix on low speed until ingredients are combined. Increase speed to medium. Knead until dough is smooth and pulling away from the bowl, about 8-10 minutes.

Step 3: Prove

Transfer dough to a container that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cover. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Step 4: Roll and cut

Turn dough out onto a solid surface. Roll dough to ⅜ inch thick.

Use a 3 inch cutter to cut out doughnuts. Be sure to re-roll the scraps! Place on a piece of parchment sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap. Let proof for 30-45 minutes.

Step 5: Fry

Fry doughnuts 1 or 2 at a time, until puffed and golden, about 1 minute. Flip and cook on other side until puffed and golden, about 1 minute.

Drain.

Step 6: Make spiced sugar

Whisk together sugar and spice in a small bowl.

Step 7: Roll and fill

Roll still warm doughnuts in sugar mixture.

When doughnuts have cooled, spoon filling into a pastry bag fitted with a French star tip. Insert in one end of doughnut and fill. Repeat until you have filled all the doughnuts.

FAQ’s and Troubleshooting

The butter won’t mix into the dough!

The most important thing you need to make sure of is that all your ingredients are room temperature. If anything is cold, it won’t mix like it’s supposed to.

What Type of Yeast To Use

You need to use an instant yeast. In this recipe, we used SAF Gold!

How To Store

Once these doughnuts are assembled, they only keep for a few days in the refrigerator. Honestly, they’re best eaten fresh, the day you make them!

Expert Tips

• When making the pastry cream, make sure the pumpkin mixture is smooth and liquid-y. You don’t want it lumpy!
• Make sure you whisk in the butter while the mixture is still hot! The butter needs to melt and be mixed in thoroughly.
• Check your yeast and make sure it’s in-date.
• Make sure the butter, milk, and eggs are all at room temperature before beginning this recipe.
• Don’t have a big enough lidded container to allow the dough to rise? You can put the dough in a glass bowl and cover it with plastic wrap!
• You can actually re-roll the dough scraps. Just don’t add any extra flour! The doughnuts from the dough scraps won’t be quite as pretty and may be a little tougher.
• If dough is difficult to work with when re-rolling, cover it, and let it rest for 10 minutes to relax the gluten.
• This recipe makes 12 doughnuts if you don’t re-roll scraps. If you do re-roll the scraps, it’ll make 17!
• Use a thermometer to keep oil at a steady temperature.
• If oil is lower than 355℉, doughnuts won’t puff as well. But, if the oil temperature is higher than 360℉, they’ll get too brown before they have a chance to puff fully.
• If doughnuts are too cool, sugar won’t stick.
• Be careful to not overfill the doughnuts with the custard.

When you make these Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts with Pumpkin Custard, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

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