Homemade Pumpkin Fritters - fluffy little pumpkin doughnuts fried to crispy perfection and dunked in a salted maple glaze! No rising necessary, you can have doughnuts ready in 30 minutes!
Whew!! I'm so excited to finally be sharing the recipe for these mini pumpkin fritters! They are just about the size of a doughnut hole, so adorable!
This recipe has taken quite a few test batches to achieve pumpkin doughnut success. The fritters pictured were Test Number 5, I believe!! That's a lot of fritters to eat. Haha! I did split my tests between 3 weeks, so it wasn't too bad. My family still loved them after eating 5 different versions within those 3 weeks, so I'd call it a success!
In the end, I managed to nail down a recipe for pumpkin fritters that cook until fluffy inside, are not too browned on the exterior, don't get overly saturated with oil, and, of course, taste amazing!
This recipe might be a tiny bit intimidating, especially if you don't have much (or any) experience with frying doughnuts in oil.
Here are some tips to help you fry with no problem:
- Make sure your frying oil is the correct temperature. You can use a candy or meat thermometer to ensure that the oil is just the right temperature. In this recipe, you will want your oil between 350℉ and 365℉ to fully cook the interior of the fritters without the exterior getting burnt.
- Use a good frying oil. Peanut oil, Vegetable oil, Canola oil, Corn oil, and Sunflower oil are all good high smoke point oils to use for frying.
- Fry in the proper pan. I recommend using a heavy saucepan for these fritters. It does not have to be large, about a 6-inch diameter would be fine!
- Don't freak out about frying in hot oil! You need to be very careful when dropping the batter into the oil and at all times with hot oil, but it really isn't that bad!
If you make this recipe, I invite you to please share an honest review in the comments below, or share on social media using #kneadsomesweets!
📖 Recipe
Homemade Pumpkin Fritters
Equipment
- mixing bowls
- measuring cups & spoons
- mixing spoon
- whisk
- heavy saucepan for frying
- cookie scoop or teaspoon
Ingredients
For the Fritters:
- 2 tablespoon salted butter, melted (or unsalted)
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 whole egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup milk (I use whole milk)
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 liter oil suitable for frying (I use sunflower oil)
For the Glaze:
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- ¼ cup salted butter (or unsalted)
- ¼ cup milk
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
To Make the Fritters:
- Whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, milk, and pumpkin puree in a mixing bowl. In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and spices until combined.
- Start heating the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Allow at least 2 inches deep of oil to fry. Heat oil to 350℉-365℉ (test using a candy or meat thermometer).
- Right as the oil comes to temperature, add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir just until no streaks of flour remain. Cover a plate with a paper towel to put the fritters on after they are fried.
- Using a teaspoon or a small cookie dough scoop, carefully drop spoonfuls of batter into the hot oil, only about 5-6 at a time. Let the fritters cook for about a minute after which they should look quite dark and flip over in the oil on their own. If they don't flip and they are looking dark, just give them a gentle nudge with a spoon to help them flip. Let cook on the other side until they are about the same colour as the first. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon onto the paper towel and let the fritters sit for at least 3 minutes before cutting into them to allow the retained heat to finish cooking them in the middle.
- Repeat the frying process with the remaining batter until all the fritters are fried. Glaze the fritters (recipe below) or simply sprinkle with powdered sugar. Enjoy!
To Make the Glaze:
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the granulated sugar, milk, and butter. Bring to a boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and add the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla and whisk until incorporated. Dunk each warm fritter in the hot glaze, using a fork to lift out and let the excess glaze drip off. Place glazed fritters on a wire rack with a pan underneath to catch drips.
Notes
Nutrition
Love and Cookies,
Naomi
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Linda S
Thanks for a great recipe and I love that you listed the exact amounts of each spice used. I never have pumpkin pie spice on hand so I found it quite helpful!
Naomi Andres
Thank you so much, Linda! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a review!
Megan
This is a fantastic recipe! I was looking for a great autumn snack for the family and came across this one on Pinterest. I will be following this blog for treats from now on!
Naomi
Thank you so much for the lovely review, Megan! I am thrilled to hear that!
Naomi
Taryn
These are incredible!!! I was slightly intimidated by the frying process at first, but it turned out to be so much easier than I expected. All of the spices made for the perfect fall flavour combination. And they are totally addicting. 😊 Definitely recommend!
Naomi
That's fantastic, Taryn! I'm glad this recipe worked out so well for you!
Naomi