Combine seasonal autumn flavors into one decadent handheld dessert! Pumpkin cheesecake doughnuts are fried pieces of brioche dough filled with pumpkin cheesecake and coated in ground graham cracker sugar.
I shared these peach cream filled doughnuts over the summer. Here is an autumn version that rivals the summer edition.
Forget the pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving. Instead, let’s eat pumpkin cheesecake doughnuts!
Holidays are the best time to make homemade doughnuts. You’ll have people to share with. It’s dangerous to have these at home… alone. It’s far too tempting to keep going back to the kitchen for seconds and thirds.
Ingredients
There are three components to this recipe: 1) brioche dough, 2) pumpkin cheesecake filling, and 3) graham cracker sugar coating.
You’ll need all the standard enriched bread ingredients of yeast, sugar, eggs, flour, and butter. I highly recommend having a peek at this yeast tutorial guide if you haven’t baked bread in some time.
Pumpkin cheesecake filling combines cream cheese, sour cream, pumpkin puree, and spices. Use full fat brick-style cream cheese and full fat sour cream for best flavor and texture. This is not the time to skimp on fat!
Filling may be mixed together ahead of time. Keep in an airtight container. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
The coating is a mixture of ground graham cracker and sugar. Alternatively, you may toss the doughnuts in cinnamon sugar.
Tips for Frying Dough
The majority of donuts shops fry their goods in vegetable shortening (or sometimes called “donut fry shortening” in the food industry).
Since shortening in solid at room temperature, the fried donuts will look and feel less greasy compared to oil fried donuts.
FRYING 101: Helpful Tips
- Use a candy thermometer or deep fry thermometer to monitor frying oil temperature. The temperature will fluctuate as you add raw dough to the pot.
- Use a heavy bottomed sauce pot such as a cast iron or Dutch oven pot. These are better at retaining heat. The more constant your oil temperature, the more even the doughnuts will cook.
- Have the proper tools ready: kitchen timer, heat resistant slotted spoon, paper-towel lined baking sheet
Make Donut Over Several Days
These filled donuts require several components. To make the work load easier (and more fun), I suggest breaking down the steps over a couple days.
DAY 1: Make the cheesecake filling. Prep the graham cracker sugar mixture.
DAY 2: Mix together the doughnut dough. The dough needs 6-12 hours of resting time in the fridge.
DAY 3: It’s cooking and assembly day!
Serving Suggestions
These doughnuts need to consumed the day they are fried and filled.Over time the doughnuts lose their luster. As the filling sits, it will make the inside of the doughnut soft and soggy.
And because the filling is made with uncooked cream cheese, sour cream, and cream (all things that need to refrigerated!), it’s best to eat them ASAP.
More Donut Recipes
- Banana Bread Doughnuts
- Brown Butter Glazed Old Fashioned
- Coconut Cake Doughnuts
- Coffee Custard Doughnuts
Pumpkin Cheesecake Doughnuts
Yield: 10 four-inch doughnuts
Ingredients
Dough:
- 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ⅔ cup whole milk, , warmed to 110° F
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, , room temperature
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, , softened, sliced into tablespoons
- 3 cups vegetable shortening, , or vegetable oil for frying*
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:
- 8 oz brick-style cream cheese, , cold
- 8 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon sour cream
- 3 Tablespoons canned pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream, , or milk
Graham Cracker Sugar Coating:
- ¼ cup ground graham crackers
- 5 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- pinch of fine sea salt
Instructions
Dough:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar in warm milk. Let sit for 5-8 minutes until mixture is foamy. Whisk in remaining sugar and eggs.
- Attach dough hook to stand mixer. Add half of flour mixture and salt. Mix on low speed until dough begins to come together. Add remaining flour and continue to mix until dough is shaggy. Slowly add butter, one tablespoon at a time, and increase speed to medium. Knead for 3 minutes until mixture forms a smooth dough. Dough will be sticky, but should easily scrape from the sides of the bowl.
- Transfer dough to a lightly greased large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the fridge overnight (8-12 hours).
- On a floured surface, roll cold dough to about ½-inch thick. Using a 4-inch round cutter, punch out doughnuts. Loosely cover rounds with plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature for 45-60 minutes until doughnuts are puffy.
- Meanwhile, add vegetable shortening to a large heavy bottomed saucepot (Dutch ovens and cast irons pans work best*). Set over medium heat until oil reaches 350°F.
- Carefully place 2 to 3 doughnut rounds into hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pot. Cook for 90 seconds to 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked doughnuts onto a paper-towel lined baking sheet. NOTE: Oil temperature will change as you add raw doughnuts. Monitor oil temperature using a candy thermometer to make sure doughnuts do not burn.*
- Toss warm doughnuts in graham cracker sugar. Place on wire rack to cool until you are ready to fill doughnuts.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:
- Using a hand mixer (or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment), beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, sour cream, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cream. Mix until smooth. Keep chilled until ready to use.
Graham Cracker Sugar Coating:
- In a small bowl, toss together ground graham crackers, sugar, and salt. Set aside until ready to use.
Assembly:
- Once coated doughnuts are cooled, use a chopstick to poke hole on one side of doughnut. Alternatively, you can poke holes on each side to stuff doughnut will more filling.
- Prepare pastry bag fitted with a small round piping tip. Fill pastry bag with pumpkin cheesecake filling.
- Squeeze about 3 Tbsp of filling into doughnut. Serve immediately. Doughnuts are best enjoyed the day they are fried.
Notes
- Frying in shortening results in a crispier exterior. The doughnut will also feel less greasy than an oil-fried doughnut.
- Use a candy thermometer to maintain proper cooking temperature.
- Dutch ovens and cast iron pan are great for frying because they maintain temperatures well.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Wow, this is a real masterpiece! I am a sweet tooth and pumpkin lover, and I am delighted with this recipe. I love doughnuts, but before I couldn’t make the same perfect doughnuts as we buy in cafes. Thanks to your recipe, everything worked out perfectly for me! I am proud of myself and want to thank you very much for the recipe and idea. The filling is also very original and delicious.
Thank you for trying out the recipe! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Doughnuts are my favorite sweet treat to make on weekends :)
Oh, by the name of this recipe, I’m quite sure I’ll be devouring many doughnuts as expected. I tried them during Thanksgiving. I am so lucky to have checked your post, and I guess we can make the best for your future recipes. Your pumpkin cheesecake doughnuts would be a stunner.
Oh my dear god, these most DEFINITELY need to replace pumpkin pie at the table this year! I have never been inclined to actually get up and make a doughnut recipe before, until I saw these gorgeous pumpkin cheesecake doughnut pictures of yours – talk about deadly! Literally trying to take bites out of my screen as I type. I’m a bit of a chicken when it comes to deep frying, but I may have to face my fears and give this recipe a try sometime; definitely bookmarking it! So glad I stumbled across your blog just now, excited to look at more recipes~
Aw, you’re so sweet! I used to be super afraid of frying… but now I can’t stop!
OK, after this I just want to be best friends! :-)
Hello new best friend! Let’s eat all the doughnuts together! :)