The perfect Fall treat, these fluffy little Glazed Pumpkin Fritters are fried to perfection and dunked in a salted vanilla glaze! No rising necessary, you can have doughnuts ready in 30 minutes!
If you love my incredible homemade glazed yeast doughnut recipe, you are going to adore this easy recipe for no-yeast pumpkin fritters! That's right, these tasty little donut hole-like fritters are little bites of Autumn. And the slightly salty butter glaze just makes them out-of-this-world delicious!
For other tasty pumpkin to get you into the Fall mood, be sure to try my Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting, easy Pumpkin Spice Caramel Popcorn, or Pumpkin Pecan Muffins!
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⭐️ Why You Need to Make This Recipe
- Texture - These fritters have a light and fluffy yet moist texture.
- Flavor - A blend of cozy spices flavors these delightful pumpkin donuts and the sweet vanilla glaze with a salty touch is the perfect pairing.
- Method - The batter for these fritters can be whipped up in no time and the frying process is really quite simple and quick if you follow my step-by-step instructions and tips below in this post.
🧈 Ingredients
Here are the ingredients needed to make these glazed homemade pumpkin fritters.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter - You will need some butter for the fritter batter and some for the glaze. I use salted butter in most of my recipes including this one. If using unsalted butter, simply add a pinch of salt to the batter and an additional ⅛ teaspoon of salt to the glaze.
- Pumpkin Puree - I recommend using canned pumpkin puree which isn't as watery as homemade pumpkin puree. Or strain the pumpkin puree and press out the excess water before adding it to the recipe.
- Spices - If you do not have each individual spice called for, you can simply substitute with 1 ½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.
- Frying Oil - Peanut oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, corn oil, and sunflower oil are all good high smoke point oils to use for frying. Avocado oil and beef tallow also have a higher smoke point but are considerably more expensive.
See the recipe card for the full list of ingredients with measurements.
📃 Instructions
Step 1: In a mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, and pumpkin puree.
Step 2: Whisk until smooth before adding the milk and whisking just until incorporated.
Step 3: Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and spices.
Step 4: Add the combined dry ingredients to the mixed wet ingredients and whisk just until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix!
Step 5: Drop the batter into oil that has been heated to 350℉ using a tablespoon or a cookie scoop.
Step 6: Fry the fritters on one side for about 1 minute or until deep brown before flipping to fry the other side. Remover using a slotted spoon or wire skimmer to a plate or pan lined with a paper towel to soak up the excess oil. Fry the remaining batter.
Step 7: Bring the white sugar, butter, and milk to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Boil for 3 minutes while whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla extract.
Step 8: Dunk the fritters into the hot glaze while still warm and transfer to a wire rack on a baking sheet for the excess glaze to drip off.
💡 Top Tips on Frying
- Make sure your frying oil is at 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 around 350℉ 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. Avocado oil and beef tallow are also good but more expensive.
- Fry in the proper pan. I recommend using a heavy saucepan or Dutch oven for these fritters. It does not have to be large, even 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!
❓ Recipe FAQs
The word fritter has roots in the Latin word "frigo" which means "to fry". Fritters are fried yeasted dough or batter made with leavening agents such as baking soda or baking powder. They can be sweet or savory.
Yes, see the instructions included in the recipe notes for subsituting unsalted butter.
I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free ingredients but please share a comment to let me and others know if you try it with gluten-free flour!
🧡 More Pumpkin Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried these Homemade Spiced Pumpkin Fritters or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and write a little note telling me how it went in the comments below. Thank you!!
📖 Recipe
Glazed Pumpkin Fritters
Equipment
- mixing bowls
- measuring cups & spoons
- mixing spoon
- whisk
- heavy saucepan or Dutch oven for frying
- cookie scoop or teaspoon
Ingredients
For the Fritters:
- 2 tablespoon salted butter, melted (or unsalted) *
- ⅓ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 whole egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup milk
- 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 or canola oil)
For the Glaze:
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- ¼ cup salted butter *
- 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, and pumpkin puree in a mixing bowl. Whisk in the milk. 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℉ (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. Give them a gentle nudge with a spoon to flip. Let cook on the other side until they are about the same color as the first. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon or skimmer onto the paper towel and let the fritters sit for at least 3 minutes 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
- If using unsalted butter, simply add a pinch of salt to the batter and an additional ⅛ teaspoon of salt to the glaze.
- If you do not have each individual spice called for, you can simply substitute with 1 ½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.
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