Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Doughnuts That’ll Ruin All Other Doughnuts For You
The air gets that specific crispness, you know? The kind that makes you want to pull on a sweater even if it’s still a little too warm. That’s when my brain flips a switch and suddenly, everything needs to be pumpkin spice.
But I’m not just talking about a latte. I’m talking about something truly, deeply satisfying. Something that feels like a warm hug on a cool autumn day.
That’s where these doughnuts come in. I stumbled upon this idea after a particularly disappointing trip to a local bakery. Their “pumpkin doughnut” was just a sad, dry cake with a hint of cinnamon. A total letdown.
So, I went home on a mission. A mission to create the ultimate fall treat. A soft, pillowy pumpkin doughnut, filled with a tangy, creamy cheesecake filling, and rolled in crunchy cinnamon sugar.
It’s a bit of a project, I won’t lie. But it’s the fun kind of project. The kind that makes your whole house smell incredible and ends with you eating something so good, you might just shed a tear.
So let’s get into it. Let’s make something that’s actually worth the pumpkin spice hype.
What You’ll Need
I’ve broken this down into three parts to keep things from getting jumbled. It looks like a lot, but a lot of the spices are used in multiple places.
For the Pumpkin Doughnuts:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Vegetable or canola oil, for frying
For the Cheesecake Filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Pro Tips
I’ve made these enough times to have a few disasters. Here’s how you can avoid my mistakes and get them perfect on the first try.
- Room Temperature is Key: For the cheesecake filling, your cream cheese MUST be soft. Like, really soft. If it’s even a little bit cold, you’ll get a lumpy filling. I usually leave mine on the counter for at least 2 hours before I even think about starting.
- Don’t Overmix the Doughnut Batter: This is probably the most important tip. Once you combine the wet and dry ingredients, mix them JUST until they’re combined. A few little lumps are totally fine. Overmixing develops the gluten and makes the doughnuts tough and chewy instead of light and fluffy.
- Oil Temperature Matters (A Lot): Get a thermometer. Seriously. If the oil is too hot, the outside of your doughnuts will burn before the inside is cooked. If it’s too cool, they’ll soak up a ton of oil and become greasy messes. Aim for a steady 350-360°F (175-180°C).
- The Chill Time is Not a Suggestion: The cheesecake filling needs to be properly chilled to set up. If you get impatient and try to pipe it in while it’s still soft, it will just ooze right out. Give it at least 2 hours in the fridge, but longer is even better.
Tools Required
You don’t need a professional kitchen, but these tools will make your life a whole lot easier.
- Large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven (for frying)
- Cooking thermometer
- Mixing bowls (a few different sizes)
- Whisk and a spatula
- Doughnut cutter or two round cookie cutters (one large, one small)
- Rolling pin
- Slotted spoon or spider strainer
- Wire rack for cooling
- Piping bag with a bismark tip or a small round tip
Substitutions and Variations
Want to switch things up? I get it. Here are a few ideas that work well.
- Spice It Up (or Down): Not a fan of ginger? Leave it out. Want more of a chai flavor? Add a pinch of cardamom and cloves. The spice mix is your playground.
- Glaze Instead of Sugar: If cinnamon sugar isn’t your thing, you can make a simple glaze. Just whisk together 1 cup of powdered sugar, 2-3 tablespoons of milk, and a ½ teaspoon of vanilla. Drizzle it over the cooled doughnuts. A maple glaze would also be amazing here.
- Sweet Potato Power: If you have sweet potato puree on hand instead of pumpkin, it’s a fantastic 1-to-1 substitute. It gives a slightly different, but equally delicious, flavor.
Make-Ahead Tips
This recipe has a few components, so breaking it up can be a lifesaver.
The cheesecake filling can be made up to 2 days in advance. Just keep it in an airtight container in the fridge.
You can also mix the dry ingredients for the doughnuts together ahead of time. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature. This makes the actual doughnut-making day feel a lot faster.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Alright, let’s do this. Take a deep breath. It’s easier than it looks.
Step 1: Make the Cheesecake Filling (Do This First!)
In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with an electric mixer (or some serious arm power and a whisk) until it’s completely smooth. Add the powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. Beat again until it’s light and fluffy. Cover it and stick it in the fridge for at least 2 hours to firm up.
Step 2: Mix Your Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg), and salt. Set it aside for now.
Step 3: Mix Your Wet Ingredients
In another bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and melted butter. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each one. Then, stir in the pumpkin puree, buttermilk, and vanilla extract until everything is nicely combined.
Step 4: Combine Wet and Dry
Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Using a spatula, gently fold everything together until JUST combined. Remember what I said in the pro tips, don’t overmix! The batter will be thick and a bit sticky.
Step 5: Chill the Dough
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough for at least 1 hour. This makes it much easier to handle and roll out.
Step 6: Heat Your Oil
While the dough is chilling for its last 20 minutes or so, pour about 2-3 inches of oil into your heavy-bottomed pot. Attach your thermometer to the side and start heating the oil over medium heat until it reaches 350°F (175°C).
Step 7: Roll and Cut
Lightly flour your work surface and turn the chilled dough out. Flour the top of the dough and your rolling pin. Gently roll it out to about ½-inch thickness. Use your doughnut cutter to cut out as many doughnuts as you can. You can gently re-roll the scraps once to get a few more.
Step 8: Fry the Doughnuts
Carefully place 2-3 doughnuts at a time into the hot oil. Don’t overcrowd the pot. Fry for about 90 seconds to 2 minutes per side, until they are a deep golden brown and puffed up.
Step 9: Drain and Coat
Use your slotted spoon to remove the doughnuts from the oil, letting the excess drip off. Place them on a wire rack lined with paper towels for a minute. While they’re still warm, toss them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until they’re fully coated. Let them cool completely on the wire rack.
Step 10: Fill ‘Em Up!
Once the doughnuts are totally cool, transfer your chilled cheesecake filling to a piping bag. Gently poke a hole in the side of each doughnut with your piping tip (or a small knife) and squeeze in a good amount of the filling. You’ll feel the doughnut get heavier.
And that’s it! You did it. Now go eat one. Or three.
The Nitty Gritty Details
Here’s a quick breakdown of some extra info you might find useful.
Nutritional Breakdown (Approximations)
This is an estimate per doughnut, and it can vary based on the size of your doughnuts and how much oil they absorb.
| Nutrient | Amount (Approx.) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 380 kcal |
| Fat | 20g |
| Carbohydrates | 45g |
| Protein | 6g |
Ingredient Swaps for Different Diets
| Dietary Need | Suggested Swap |
|---|---|
| Gluten-Free | Use a 1-to-1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. |
| Dairy-Free / Vegan | Use plant-based butter, vegan cream cheese, and a plant-based buttermilk (soy milk + vinegar). Use a flax egg. |
Time-Saving Tips
This table shows how you can multitask to make the process smoother.
| While This is Happening… | You Can Do This… |
|---|---|
| Dough is chilling | Prepare your frying station and cinnamon-sugar mix. |
| Oil is heating up | Roll and cut your doughnuts. |
| Doughnuts are cooling | Get your cheesecake filling into the piping bag. |
Meal Pairing Suggestions
Honestly, these are a meal in themselves. But if you’re making them for a brunch, they go perfectly with a cup of strong black coffee or a simple cup of tea to cut through the richness. A glass of cold milk is also a classic, undefeated pairing.
Leftovers and Storage
Let’s be real, you might not have leftovers. But if you do, here’s the best way to handle them.
Store them in a single layer in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Because of the cream cheese filling, you can’t leave them on the counter. They’ll keep for about 2-3 days.
They do lose a bit of their crispness in the fridge. You can try to revive them for a few minutes in an air fryer or a toaster oven to warm them up a bit, but they are definitely best on the day they are made. I do not recommend freezing them once they are filled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Can I bake these doughnuts instead of frying them?
Ans: You can, but it will change the texture quite a bit. They will be more cake-like than doughnut-like. To bake them, place the cut doughnuts on a baking sheet and bake at 375°F (190°C) for about 12-15 minutes. Then you can coat and fill them as instructed.
Q2. My cheesecake filling is runny! What went wrong?
Ans: Two things could be the culprit. Either your cream cheese wasn’t at room temperature, which caused it to not mix properly, or you didn’t chill the finished filling for long enough. It really needs that time in the fridge to set up and become pipeable.
Q3. Can I use pumpkin pie mix instead of pumpkin puree?
Ans: Please don’t! Pumpkin pie mix already contains sugar and spices, which will throw off the sweetness and flavor balance of the entire recipe. Stick to 100% pure pumpkin puree.
Q4. I don’t have a doughnut cutter. What can I use?
Ans: No problem at all. You can use two round cookie cutters or even the rim of two different-sized glasses. One should be about 3 inches in diameter, and the other about 1 inch. Or, you can just cut them into rounds and make filled doughnut holes.
Wrapping Up
There you have it. A doughnut that is so much more than just a doughnut. It’s a little bit of a project, but every single step is worth it when you take that first bite.
The soft, spicy cake, the cool, tangy filling, and that sweet, crunchy coating. It’s pretty much fall perfection.
So give it a try. Make your kitchen smell amazing and treat yourself to something truly special. And when you do, come back and leave me a comment. I’d love to hear how they turned out for you or if you have any questions along the way!
