Pumpkin Doughnuts
I had a few ripe pumpkins brought from the garden, so I used them in a few recipes. These doughnuts come out soft and fragrant, and if you make them today, they will be the same tomorrow. I have tested them several times, and each time, the texture remains good. If you have prepared pumpkin, it’s the kind of recipe where not much flavor is lost if you keep it for a day.
Quick Info
Total time: approx. 1 hour and a half (depends on how fast you work)
Preparation time: 15-20 minutes (the puree needs to be made beforehand)
Rising time: 40-60 minutes
Frying time: 15-20 minutes
Servings: 15-20 doughnuts, depending on how big you make them
Difficulty: easy-medium (requires attention while frying)
Recipe type: dessert, snack
Ingredients
1 cup pumpkin puree (cooked or roasted pumpkin, then mashed)
2 eggs
1 packet dry yeast (7g)
1 cup sweet red wine (200 ml)
1 teaspoon salt
10-12 tablespoons flour (approximately 200-250 g)
Flavors: grated lemon, orange zest, vanilla essence (to taste)
2 tablespoons sugar (can be omitted if the wine is very sweet)
Oil for frying (enough for a deep fry)
Preparation Method
1. Prepare the pumpkin puree if it’s not ready. Peel the pumpkin, cut it into slices, and boil or roast it. After cooling, mash it with a fork or blender.
2. Place the eggs in a large bowl. Add salt, sugar (if using), and flavors. Mix well with a whisk.
3. Dissolve the dry yeast in a few tablespoons of warm water. Let it activate for 3-4 minutes.
4. Pour the pumpkin puree into the bowl over the eggs, then add the dissolved yeast and wine at room temperature.
5. Start incorporating the flour, spoon by spoon. Mix until you get a fairly soft but homogeneous dough that flows from the spoon. It should not be a firm dough but rather like thick cream, so it can be spooned into the oil.
6. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour or until it doubles in volume.
7. Place a deeper pot on the heat and pour in enough oil for frying. Let the oil heat well, but not on maximum heat. If the oil is too hot, the doughnuts will fry quickly on the outside and remain raw inside.
8. Take a spoonful of the risen dough and carefully place it in the oil. The dough is soft, so don’t expect perfectly round doughnuts – that’s normal.
9. Fry the doughnuts until they are golden brown on all sides, turning them halfway.
10. Remove them onto paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
11. After you have finished frying them all, sprinkle powdered sugar on top while they are still slightly warm, if desired.
Why I Make the Recipe Often
The recipe is useful because it uses leftover pumpkin puree and doesn’t require hard-to-find ingredients. The doughnuts remain soft and fluffy even the next day. They are perfect for days when you need something quick, especially in the fall when you have pumpkins on hand.
Tips and Variations
Tips
- If the wine used is very sweet, you can reduce or omit the sugar in the mixture.
- The oil should be well heated, but don’t leave the heat too high. Otherwise, the doughnuts won’t cook in the middle.
- Let the dough rise sufficiently to achieve an airy texture.
- For flavor, don’t hesitate to use orange zest and a little vanilla essence – it feels nice.
Substitutions
- You can also use white wine; it doesn’t affect the texture, only the flavor differs slightly.
- Dry yeast can be replaced with fresh yeast, but measure accordingly.
- Instead of powdered sugar at the end, you can use cinnamon mixed with sugar.
Variations
- If you don’t have sweet wine, you can add extra sugar to taste.
- You can add a little cinnamon to the mixture if you like the flavor.
- For added texture, you can sprinkle finely chopped nuts before frying (this is not in the original recipe, but it works).
Serving Ideas
- The doughnuts are best served warm, sprinkled with powdered sugar.
- They can be placed in a large bowl on the table for snacks between meals.
- They also go well plain for breakfast or alongside a glass of milk.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does the dough need to be kneaded a lot?
No, just mixed well with a spoon or whisk until homogeneous. Being a soft dough, it doesn’t need kneading like traditional doughnuts.
2. Can I use roasted pumpkin instead of boiled?
Yes. Roasted pumpkin works just as well; it’s important to be finely mashed and not too watery.
3. What do I do if the dough is too liquid?
Add another 1-2 tablespoons of flour, but don’t thicken it too much. It should be able to flow from the spoon while remaining fluffy.
4. How do I know if the oil is at the right temperature?
You can test with a small piece of dough: if it sizzles immediately but doesn’t burn on the surface, it’s okay.
5. Can they be baked?
Not for this recipe – the mixture is too soft; they can only be fried in oil.
Nutritional Values (estimated)
One doughnut (out of a total of 18-20) has about 90-110 kcal.
Estimated per serving: 2g protein, 3g fat, 15g carbohydrates.
Calories may vary depending on how much oil they absorb and how much sugar you add.
Pumpkin brings some fiber and vitamins, but being fried, the doughnuts are not dietetic.
Storage and Reheating
Pumpkin doughnuts keep well for up to 24 hours at room temperature, covered with a towel. The next day they remain soft, but they lose the crispy texture on the outside. I do not recommend freezing or keeping them longer. You can heat them for a few seconds in the microwave, but not longer, or they become chewy. It’s better to make them fresh.
I had a few ripe pumpkins brought from the garden, so I used them in a few recipes. These doughnuts come out soft and fragrant, and if you make them today, they will be the same tomorrow. I have tested them several times, and each time, the texture remains good. If you have prepared pumpkin, it’s the kind of recipe where not much flavor is lost if you keep it for a day.
Quick Info
Total time: approx. 1 hour and a half (depends on how fast you work)
Preparation time: 15-20 minutes (the puree needs to be made beforehand)
Rising time: 40-60 minutes
Frying time: 15-20 minutes
Servings: 15-20 doughnuts, depending on how big you make them
Difficulty: easy-medium (requires attention while frying)
Recipe type: dessert, snack
Ingredients
1 cup pumpkin puree (cooked or roasted pumpkin, then mashed)
2 eggs
1 packet dry yeast (7g)
1 cup sweet red wine (200 ml)
1 teaspoon salt
10-12 tablespoons flour (approximately 200-250 g)
Flavors: grated lemon, orange zest, vanilla essence (to taste)
2 tablespoons sugar (can be omitted if the wine is very sweet)
Oil for frying (enough for a deep fry)
Preparation Method
1. Prepare the pumpkin puree if it’s not ready. Peel the pumpkin, cut it into slices, and boil or roast it. After cooling, mash it with a fork or blender.
2. Place the eggs in a large bowl. Add salt, sugar (if using), and flavors. Mix well with a whisk.
3. Dissolve the dry yeast in a few tablespoons of warm water. Let it activate for 3-4 minutes.
4. Pour the pumpkin puree into the bowl over the eggs, then add the dissolved yeast and wine at room temperature.
5. Start incorporating the flour, spoon by spoon. Mix until you get a fairly soft but homogeneous dough that flows from the spoon. It should not be a firm dough but rather like thick cream, so it can be spooned into the oil.
6. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour or until it doubles in volume.
7. Place a deeper pot on the heat and pour in enough oil for frying. Let the oil heat well, but not on maximum heat. If the oil is too hot, the doughnuts will fry quickly on the outside and remain raw inside.
8. Take a spoonful of the risen dough and carefully place it in the oil. The dough is soft, so don’t expect perfectly round doughnuts – that’s normal.
9. Fry the doughnuts until they are golden brown on all sides, turning them halfway.
10. Remove them onto paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
11. After you have finished frying them all, sprinkle powdered sugar on top while they are still slightly warm, if desired.
Why I Make the Recipe Often
The recipe is useful because it uses leftover pumpkin puree and doesn’t require hard-to-find ingredients. The doughnuts remain soft and fluffy even the next day. They are perfect for days when you need something quick, especially in the fall when you have pumpkins on hand.
Tips and Variations
Tips
- If the wine used is very sweet, you can reduce or omit the sugar in the mixture.
- The oil should be well heated, but don’t leave the heat too high. Otherwise, the doughnuts won’t cook in the middle.
- Let the dough rise sufficiently to achieve an airy texture.
- For flavor, don’t hesitate to use orange zest and a little vanilla essence – it feels nice.
Substitutions
- You can also use white wine; it doesn’t affect the texture, only the flavor differs slightly.
- Dry yeast can be replaced with fresh yeast, but measure accordingly.
- Instead of powdered sugar at the end, you can use cinnamon mixed with sugar.
Variations
- If you don’t have sweet wine, you can add extra sugar to taste.
- You can add a little cinnamon to the mixture if you like the flavor.
- For added texture, you can sprinkle finely chopped nuts before frying (this is not in the original recipe, but it works).
Serving Ideas
- The doughnuts are best served warm, sprinkled with powdered sugar.
- They can be placed in a large bowl on the table for snacks between meals.
- They also go well plain for breakfast or alongside a glass of milk.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does the dough need to be kneaded a lot?
No, just mixed well with a spoon or whisk until homogeneous. Being a soft dough, it doesn’t need kneading like traditional doughnuts.
2. Can I use roasted pumpkin instead of boiled?
Yes. Roasted pumpkin works just as well; it’s important to be finely mashed and not too watery.
3. What do I do if the dough is too liquid?
Add another 1-2 tablespoons of flour, but don’t thicken it too much. It should be able to flow from the spoon while remaining fluffy.
4. How do I know if the oil is at the right temperature?
You can test with a small piece of dough: if it sizzles immediately but doesn’t burn on the surface, it’s okay.
5. Can they be baked?
Not for this recipe – the mixture is too soft; they can only be fried in oil.
Nutritional Values (estimated)
One doughnut (out of a total of 18-20) has about 90-110 kcal.
Estimated per serving: 2g protein, 3g fat, 15g carbohydrates.
Calories may vary depending on how much oil they absorb and how much sugar you add.
Pumpkin brings some fiber and vitamins, but being fried, the doughnuts are not dietetic.
Storage and Reheating
Pumpkin doughnuts keep well for up to 24 hours at room temperature, covered with a towel. The next day they remain soft, but they lose the crispy texture on the outside. I do not recommend freezing or keeping them longer. You can heat them for a few seconds in the microwave, but not longer, or they become chewy. It’s better to make them fresh.