These pumpkin pie donuts bring everything you love about pumpkin pie to a fluffy brioche donut! They're fried in an adorable pumpkin shape, coated in cinnamon sugar, and filled with a creamy pumpkin diplomat cream. A flaky pie crust leaf adds the perfect finishing touch, so you get buttery brioche, spiced pumpkin filling, and a little pie crust crunch in every bite.
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Why you'll love these pumpkin pie donuts
- Soft & fluffy brioche: An enriched dough gives these homemade donuts a buttery flavor and pillowy texture that pairs so well with the creamy filling.
- Pumpkin pie filling: Pumpkin pastry cream folded with whipped cream creates a light, silky diplomat cream with cozy pumpkin pie flavor.
- Adorable pumpkin shape: A few pieces of kitchen twine create the pumpkin's ridges as the dough rises and fries. Add a pie crust leaf for a decoration that's just as delicious as the donut itself!
For more pumpkin recipes, try my Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker Crust, Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Brown Butter Pumpkin Bread, and Yeasted Maple Honey Butter Pumpkin Pancakes.
Ingredient Notes
- Flour: Use a high-quality all-purpose flour and weigh it for the most accurate results. Too much flour can make the donuts dense rather than soft and fluffy.
- Yeast: Helps the dough rise and creates that airy brioche texture. Use the type specified in the recipe card, since instant and active dry yeast may require different preparation.
- Milk: Adds moisture and richness to the dough and forms the base of the pastry cream. Follow the recipe card's temperature instructions when preparing the dough.
- Eggs & egg yolks: Whole eggs enrich the brioche, while egg yolks give the pumpkin pastry cream its rich flavor and custard consistency.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the dough and filling, and creates the sparkly cinnamon sugar coating.
- Unsalted butter: Gives the brioche its buttery flavor. Use room temperature butter for the dough so it incorporates evenly.
- Pumpkin puree: Use plain pumpkin puree rather than pumpkin pie filling, which already contains sugar and spices. The pumpkin flavor in these donuts comes from the cream filling!
- Cornstarch: Thickens the pumpkin pastry cream so it can hold its shape once the whipped cream is folded in.
- Heavy cream: Whipped cream lightens the pumpkin pastry cream to make diplomat cream. Keep it cold until you're ready to whip it.
- Cinnamon: Adds warm spice to the pumpkin filling and cinnamon sugar coating.
- Vanilla & salt: Round out the flavors and balance the sweetness.
- Frying oil: Use a neutral oil suitable for deep frying so the buttery brioche and pumpkin filling can shine.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.
Step by Step Instructions
Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make this pumpkin pie donut recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.
Make the brioche
In a stand mixer, make the brioche. Transfer it to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and allow to proof overnight (or at least 6 hours) in the fridge.
Make the pie crust leaves
Make the pie crust dough and chill overnight. The next day, roll it out to about ⅛″ in thickness. Use a leaf-shaped pie crust cutter to cut out as many leaves as possible. Place the leaves on a small baking sheet and freeze for at least 15 minutes. Brush the frozen pie crust leaves with an egg wash. Bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly golden.
Make the pumpkin cream
Make the pumpkin pastry cream and chill overnight. The next day, fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream until fully combined. Transfer the pumpkin cream to a piping bag with a small round tip, and place in the freezer until ready to use.
Divide the dough into 12 parts
Divide the brioche into 12 equal parts. I recommend using a kitchen scale to get evenly sized donuts. Roll each part into a smooth ball, using small amounts of flour as needed.
Tie kitchen twine around each donut
Arrange 4 strings of kitchen twine in a star pattern and place one donut upside down in the center. Bring the opposite ends of each piece up around the dough and tie them to create eight sections. The twine should rest loosely against the dough, leaving room for it to expand as it proofs and fries. Cut the excess twine with kitchen scissors. Place the donut right side up on a parchment square and cover with plastic wrap while you finish the rest of the donuts
Proof the donuts
Cover the donuts and allow to rise for about 1 hour or until puffy. When pressed with a finger, the dough will slowly spring back.
Fry the donuts and assemble
Fry the donuts for 3 minutes on the first side, then flip over and fry for an additional 2-3 minutes until golden. Once they have cooled just enough to handle, cut the kitchen twine and gently peel off the donuts, then toss them in the cinnamon sugar to coat. Once they have fully cooled, fill each donut with the pumpkin cream and top with a pie crust leaf.
Expert Baking Tips
- Proof the dough overnight: I recommend allowing your brioche dough to rise slowly overnight (or at least 6 hours) in the fridge. Cold dough is so much nicer to work with! But you can also let it proof at room temperature for one hour and make the donuts immediately.
- Tie the twine loosely. The dough needs room to expand! Twine that's too tight can cut deeply into the donuts and make it harder to remove without tearing them.
- Watch your temperatures. Monitor the oil between batches for even frying, and let both the pastry cream and donuts cool completely before assembling. Warm pastry cream can deflate the whipped cream, while warm donuts can soften the filling.
Recipe FAQs
Diplomat cream is pastry cream lightened with whipped cream. For these donuts, the pastry cream is flavored with pumpkin, cinnamon, and vanilla, then chilled before the whipped cream is folded in. It has the cozy flavor of pumpkin pie with a lighter, creamier texture!
The pumpkin flavor comes from the diplomat cream filling. The donuts themselves are made with buttery brioche dough, then shaped into little pumpkins with kitchen twine and coated in cinnamon sugar.
Use uncoated, food-safe, 100% cotton kitchen twine intended for cooking. Keep it loose when tying the dough and remove every piece after frying, before coating and filling the donuts.
Yes! Skip the twine and make round filled brioche donuts instead. You'll still get the fluffy dough, cinnamon sugar coating, and pumpkin cream filling, and you can still add a pie crust leaf on top!
Yes! Make the brioche, pie dough, and pumpkin pastry cream the day before and refrigerate them overnight. Fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream closer to assembly, and fry the donuts on the day you plan to serve them for the best texture.
These donuts are best the day they're fried and filled! If you're planning to save any leftover donuts, wait to fill them with the diplomat cream until ready to serve. Store the unfilled leftover donuts in an airtight container at room temperature and the diplomat cream in the fridge.
Baking in Grams
All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale.
If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.
But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!
Happy baking! x
Other donut recipes to try
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📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Pie Donuts
Equipment
Ingredients
For the brioche:
- 113 g (½ cup) whole milk
- 20 g (1 ½ tablespoon) granulated sugar
- 7 g (2 ¼ teaspoon) active dry yeast
- 2 eggs, room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 300 g (2 ½ cups) cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 85 g (6 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temp
For the pie crust leaves:
- 50 g (⅓ cup + 1.5 tbsp) all-purpose flour
- 35 g (2 ½ tablespoon) unsalted butter, cold & cubed
- ice water
- egg wash, 1 egg + 1 tablespoon heavy cream
For the pumpkin diplomat cream:
- 85 g (¾ cup) pumpkin purée
- 56 g whole milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 74 g (¼ cup + 2 tbsp) granulated sugar
- 16 g (2 tablespoon) cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 14 g (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 28 g (2 tablespoon) heavy cream
For the cinnamon sugar:
- 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
For the brioche:
- In a glass measuring cup, heat the milk to 110 degrees F (40 degrees C) and stir in the sugar and yeast. Allow it to sit for a few minutes until foamy and the yeast is activated.
- Mix the eggs and vanilla into the milk yeast mixture.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix the flour and salt together. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour and mix on low-medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until it forms a ball around the hook.
- Add in a few pieces of butter at a time, allowing them to fully incorporate before adding more. Once all of the butter is incorporated, turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and mix for 8-12 minutes. The dough will eventually pull away from the sides of the bowl and have a silky smooth texture with minimal stickiness. To check if the dough is ready, use the windowpane test - tear off a small piece and carefully spread it out to see if you can see the light through it without it tearing. If it tears, mix for another minute or two and check again.
- Once the dough is ready, transfer it to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and allow to proof overnight (or at least 6 hours) in the fridge. Alternatively, you can let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
For the pie crust leaves:
- In a medium bowl, add the flour and cubes of cold butter. Using your fingers, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until pea sized pieces are left.
- Add small amounts of water at a time and toss with your hands or a spoon until the dough can hold together, but is not overly wet.
- Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, then chill for one hour.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a rough rectangle, fold in half, then again into quarters. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for another 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough out again into a rough rectangle and repeat the folding process. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill overnight.
- The next day, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Roll out the pie dough out to about ⅛″ in thickness.
- Use a leaf-shaped pie crust cutter to cut out as many leaves as possible. Place the leaves on a small baking sheet and freeze for at least 15 minutes.
- Brush the frozen pie crust leaves with an egg wash. Bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly golden.
For the pumpkin diplomat cream:
- In a small saucepan, place the pumpkin purée and milk over low-medium heat and bring to a simmer or about 190 degrees F (85 degrees C).
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the egg yolks, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and pumpkin pie spice until well combined.
- Once the pumpkin-milk mixture has reached a simmer, slowly pour half of it into the egg-sugar mixture while simultaneously whisking to temper the eggs. Pour everything back into the saucepan and place over medium heat. Use a rubber spatula to mix constantly as it thickens.
- Once the pastry cream is thick and a few big bubbles come to the surface, continue whisking for one more minute, then remove the pan from heat.
- Immediately add the butter and vanilla, and use an immersion blender (or rubber spatula) to combine.
- Pour the pastry cream into a clean bowl and press plastic wrap up against the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and place in the fridge to chill overnight or until ready to use.
- The next day, add the heavy cream to small bowl and use an electric hand mixer to beat until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream until fully combined.
- Transfer the pumpkin cream to a piping bag with a small round tip, and place in the freezer until ready to use.
To fry the donuts:
- When ready to fry the donuts, fill a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with enough neutral oil to cover 2” (5 cm). Place the oil over low heat while the donuts rise.
- Place a wire rack over a paper towel lined baking sheet. On a separate baking sheet, cut out 12 4” (10 cm) parchment squares for the donuts.
- Cut 48 strings of kitchen twine about 12" long.
- Divide the brioche into 12 equal parts. I recommend using a kitchen scale to get evenly sized donuts. Roll each part into a smooth ball, using small amounts of flour as needed.
- Arrange 4 strings of kitchen twine in a star pattern and place one donut upside down in the center. Bring the opposite ends of each piece up around the dough and tie them to create eight sections. The twine should rest loosely against the dough, leaving room for it to expand as it proofs and fries. Cut the excess twine with kitchen scissors. Place the donut right side up on a parchment square and cover with plastic wrap while you finish the rest of the donuts.
- Cover the donuts and allow to rise for about 1 hour or until puffy. When pressed with a finger, the dough will slowly spring back.
- With about 30 minutes left of proof time, turn the heat up on the oil to medium and bring to 350 degrees F.
- Meanwhile, make the cinnamon sugar. In a wide, shallow bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Once the donuts have proofed, use the parchment squares to gently lower 3-4 donuts into the hot oil. Fry the donuts for 3 minutes on the first side, then flip over and fry for an additional 2-3 minutes until golden.
- Transfer the donuts to the wire rack. Wait a couple of minutes for the oil to come back up to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C), then continue frying the donuts.
- Once the donuts have cooled just enough to handle, cut the kitchen twine and gently peel off the donuts, then toss them in the cinnamon sugar to coat.
- Once the donuts have fully cooled, fill each donut with the pumpkin cream and top with a pie crust leaf.
Notes
- Proof the dough overnight: I recommend allowing your brioche dough to rise slowly overnight (or at least 6 hours) in the fridge. Cold dough is so much nicer to work with! But you can also let it proof at room temperature for one hour and make the donuts immediately.
- Tie the twine loosely. The dough needs room to expand! Twine that's too tight can cut deeply into the donuts and make it harder to remove without tearing them.
- Watch your temperatures. Monitor the oil between batches for even frying, and let both the pastry cream and donuts cool completely before assembling. Warm pastry cream can deflate the whipped cream, while warm donuts can soften the filling.
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