These vegan pumpkin donuts are one of my favorite treats this time of year. These cinnamon sugar pumpkin donuts have the perfect amount of pumpkin spice with a great crust of cinnamon and sugar. These are fried donuts and totally worth it!
The pumpkin patch is one of my favorite Fall activities. I used to love to get pumpkin and apple cider donuts in my pre-vegan days.
Pumpkin donuts are a great way to kick off pumpkin spice season. These donuts are fried, which I understand some people can't get down with. But for a special Fall treat, it's worth it!
If you're looking for other donut recipes, check out these Vegan Apple Cider Donuts, Baked Vegan Cinnamon Sugar Donuts, or these Vegan Chocolate Baked Donuts.
These are pretty easy pumpkin donuts to make. However, they take about 45 minutes to an hour of active working time. So, take the amount of time into consideration before starting them. Having the kids help is fun, just not with the oil part.
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Why this recipe works...
- It's an easy recipe.
- They taste amazing!
- You get the perfect crunchy outside with a soft donut in the middle.
- They are a crowd pleaser.
- The perfect pumpkin sweet treat.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Real pumpkin puree (canned) *Not pumpkin pie filling- If you want to use homemade pumpkin, it can be a bit more watery, so you'll have to accommodate that in the recipe.
- All purpose flour- I would recommend sticking to all purpose flour. I have never tried it, but I would think you can sub out the regular flour for a gluten-free flour blend (all-purpose).
- Brown and White sugar- keep this combo; it makes the flavors pop as well as give it a good texture.
- Pumpkin pie spice- this is essential for the pumpkin flavor. You can use store-bought or your favorite homemade version.
- Ground Cinnamon- the extra dose of cinnamon adds to that pumpkin spice flavor.
- Non-Dairy Milk- almond milk, soy milk, oat milk, whichever you like.
- Vinegar- use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Do not leave this out. It helps the donuts rise.
- Vegan Melted Butter- You can use whatever your favorite vegan butter is. I typically use Country Crock.
- Oil for frying- A neutral oil is best. A neutral oil means that it doesn't have much flavor on its own. Olive oil would have way too much flavor. The best oil is either canola oil or sunflower oil.
Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient and quantity information.
How to make these vegan pumpkin spice donuts
These vegan pumpkin donuts are pretty easy to make with simple ingredients. They just have quite a few steps to them.
Step 1- You're going to start by making some vegan buttermilk. This is super easy; don't sweat it. Take your plant milk and add 2 teaspoon of vinegar. Stir this and let it sit while you get the rest of your ingredients together.
Step 2- Take a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and a large mixing bowl. Place all your donut ingredients (wet ingredients and dry ingredients simultaneously) and stir until incorporated. You can also do this with a large bowl and a wooden spoon.
Step 3- Now that your dough batter is done, let's start shaping them. Take a Silpat and lightly flour it.
Step 4- Then, take half of your donut dough and roll it out. I usually use floured hands to pat it down. You want these about half an inch thick to ¾ inch thick.
Step 5- Now, you can take a donut cutter, or if you don't have one, use a biscuit cutter or even a big-rimmed cup and make circles. You need something in the middle to make the traditional donut shape. I have used a pastry cap because it's a perfect size.
Step 6- Have another lightly floured Silpat standing by and place the cut-out donuts on. Then, repeat with the rest of the dough.
Step 7- You're going to get the oil squared away. Oil is hot and messy, but for delicious donuts, oil is where it's at. Take a pan and fill it a couple of inches high with oil and a little bit of vinegar. The vinegar helps the donuts not absorb so much of the oil. Be careful when adding the vinegar to the oil; it can get a little excited and boil faster. You have to have an oil-safe thermometer. I always use a candy thermometer. You need it to hover around 350 degrees; otherwise, your donuts will not cook properly.
Step 8- While waiting for the oil to heat up, take a small bowl (big enough for a donut to dip in), mix the brown sugar and spices, and set aside. This will be your cinnamon sugar coating.
Step 9- Once the oil reaches 350 degrees, you can start adding donuts. You want only to cook 2-3 at a time; you don't want them to be overcrowded. The cooking time will depend on how thick your donuts are. You may want to test a donut out. Mine cooked from 45 seconds to 1 minute on each side. I also use a set of metal thongs that can handle the heat when flipping or removing my donuts.
Step 10- Take a brown paper bag and place the fresh out of the oil donuts onto the bag; this will help the bag absorb some excess oil.
Step 11- Let the donut cool for 30 seconds or so (Be careful not to burn your hands; they may still be very hot). Then, take your sugar/spice mixture and dip the front and back of the donut into the mix until evenly coated. Then, place it on a cooling rack or wire rack. Repeat this process with all of the donuts.
Step 12- Eat the delicious donut!
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Be extremely careful when you're dealing with hot oil. It can give you some nasty burns.
- These taste best fresh. There is nothing quite like a fresh, warm, fried donut. However, my kids had no complaints about eating leftovers the next day.
- I know vinegar sounds weird to put in the oil, but it helps the donuts not be too greasy.
- If the dough is sticky, flour your surface and hands as needed. It shouldn't be an overly sticky dough.
- When regulating the oil, you want to try to keep it at 350 degrees. This means you'll be turning the stove up and down quite a bit while making the donuts.
Recipe FAQS
These are best served as soon as they are cool enough to eat. They taste great with a cup of coffee or just by themselves. They are a great breakfast treat.
These are best stored in an airtight container on the counter at room temperature for up to 4 days. Although, they will taste best the day they are made.
Donuts don't taste as good frozen, but it can be done if you want to. If you still want to freeze them, you can do so by; taking a cookie sheet, lining it with parchment paper, and placing the donuts on it; to freeze. Then take your frozen donuts and put them in a freezer-safe container or freezer gallon Ziploc bag. Defrost on the counter outside of its package.
I've never tried it, but I think it could work. You would need a donut pan and a piping bag or ziplock bag you can turn into a piping bag and pipe the donut batter into a prepared donut pan. I would bake them at 400 F for 8-10 minutes.
You can, but these are supposed to be more like the pumpkin patch donuts, which around here they serve them with the cinnamon sugar coating, and it's SO good!
Check out these vegan pumpkin recipes...
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Vegan Pumpkin Donuts
Ingredients
- ½ cup pumpkin puree canned
- 3 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup plant milk
- 2 teaspoon vinegar
- ¼ cup vegan butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon ground
Other
- Oil for frying
- ½ tb vinegar
Instructions
- Start by making vegan buttermilk by taking your half cup of plant milk and vinegar, stir, and set aside.
- Take your stand mixer, place all the donut ingredients into the bowl, and mix until incorporated. You can also use a bowl and wooden spoon and your clean hands.
- Take a Silpat, lightly dust it with flour, and then place half of your donut dough on the floured surface. Flatten the dough with either a rolling pin or your hands. You want the dough about half an inch thick. Then take a donut cutter and cut out your donuts. Do so until all the donuts are cut out; start your oil once they are cut out.
- Make your donut topping by mixing the brown sugar and spices in a small bowl set aside.
- Take a pan and fill it a couple of inches full of oil and ½ tablespoon of white vinegar. You need a candy thermometer for this. Let the oil come to 350 degrees. Only cook a couple of donuts at a time; I cook two at a time. Cook on one side for about 45 seconds to one minute, depending on the thickness of your donuts. You may want to test this out on a donut. Then flip the donut and cook for another 45 seconds to one minute.
- Place the cooked donuts on a brown paper bag to help absorb the oil. Let it rest for about 30 seconds, and then dip in your spices and sugar bowl, dipping both sides and setting on a cooling rack. Repeat until all the donuts are done.
Notes
- Be extremely careful when you're dealing with hot oil. It can give you some nasty burns.
- These taste best fresh. There is nothing quite like a fresh, warm, fried donut.
- I know vinegar sounds weird to put in the oil but it helps the donuts not be too greasy.
- If the dough is sticky, flour your surface and hands as needed. It shouldn't be an overly sticky dough.
- When regulating the oil, you want to try to keep it at 350 degrees. This means you'll be turning the stove up and down quite a bit while making the donuts.
Quen Zorrah says
Thanks Courtney. This is a great and easy recipe. I chose this recipe over many others because it doesn't use eggs or egg yolks. I used avocado oil instead of melted butter.
ILuvDonuts says
Hi Courtney, tried this recipe three times, each time with fresher rising agents and still can’t get them to plump up at all. Any ideas? Thanks!
Courtneys Homestead says
Hi there! Hmmm are you frying them in oil and cutting them thick enough? They only rise once they are put in the oil. Let me know the answers to that and I’ll see if I can help. I’ve never had this problem with them. Thanks for letting me know!