Pumpkin Donuts – Frittelle di Zucca
These pumpkin donuts, based on an Italian recipe, are bite-sized puffs of deliciousness! They’re perfect with tea, coffee or as an afternoon snack!
I saw these drool-worthy pumpkin donuts on an Italian website called Ricette della Nonna (Grandma’s Recipes) and decided I had to make them. However, the original Italian recipe calls for 1 kg of raw pumpkin and I really didn’t want to make such a large amount especially since I was the only one home at the time.
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I also wanted to make them with some pumpkin that I’d taken out of the freezer. So, I attempted my own pumpkin donut recipe, loosely based on the original and they turned out pretty darn well!
Did you know I have a savory donut recipe, too? Pizza donuts!
This is the fifth doughnut recipe on my site, so yes, I may be a bit of a doughnut or donut freak. Don’t judge.
SEE THE MOST POPULAR RECIPE ON MY SITE: PERFECT YEAST DOUGHNUTS
Pumpkin donuts are a great way to usher in fall with the classic autumn flavor of pumpkin!
Although these are yeast donuts, they are much easier and quicker to make than traditional donuts because there’s no rolling, cutting and proofing the donut rings and shapes. I hope you give these a try!
Pumpkin Donuts – Frittelle di Zucca
loosely adapted from Frittelle di Zucca from Ricette della Nonna
Ingredients
- yeast
- water
- canned or cooked pumpkin
- egg
- buttermilk
- freshly squeezed orange juice
- zest/rind of one orange, washed and preferably organic
- sugar
- all purpose flour
- salt
- oil for frying (olive oil is best)
- more sugar for coating
Sprinkle the yeast over the lukewarm water in a small dish or ramekin. Set aside.
Mix the egg together with the buttermilk, orange juice, rind and mix well. Add the pumpkin to combine.
When the yeast has begun to react, pour into the mixture in the large bowl then add the dry ingredients: flour, sugar and salt, and stir well to combine all ingredients evenly.
Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for about two hours.
Put the oil in a small pot, deep fryer or wok and heat until a small piece of the dough/batter fries quickly, but doesn’t brown too fast. Adjust the heat accordingly.
Fry teaspoonfuls of the dough until lightly brown and allow to cool on a paper towel lined plate.
When just warm, dip the pumpkin donut bites into a bowlful of sugar, coat evenly, and serve immediately. Just a fair warning: pumpkin donuts are rather addictive!
As with any donuts, these will taste best when freshly made.
For best results, eat them as soon as possible. I doubt you will have any trouble doing this!
Try these wonderful pumpkin gnocchi with a butter sage sauce.
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Pumpkin Donuts or Italian Pumpkin Orange Doughnut Bites (Frittelle di Zucca)
Ingredients
- ¾ tsp yeast dry
- 2 tbsp water
- ⅔ cup pumpkin canned or cooked
- 1 egg
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup orange juice fresh squeezed
- 1 rind orange washed and preferably organic
- 2 tbsp sugar plus more for coating
- 2 ¼ cup flour all purpose
- ¼ tsp salt
- oil for frying olive oil is best
Instructions
- Sprinkle the yeast over the 2 Tbsp of lukewarm water in a small dish or ramekin. Set aside.
- Mix the pumpkin and egg together in a large bowl, then add the buttermilk, orange juice, rind, sugar, flour and salt. When the yeast has begun to react, pour into the mixture in the large bowl and stir well to combine all ingredients evenly.
- Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for about two hours.
- Put the oil in a small pot, deep fryer or wok and heat until a small piece of the dough/batter fries quickly, but doesn't brown too fast. Adjust the heat accordingly.
- Fry teaspoonfuls of the dough until lightly brown and allow to cool on a paper towel lined plate.
- When warm, dip into a bowlful of sugar and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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Hello, just wondering if you could make these like regular donut shapes ie a ring or would they not cook through properly?
Hi MariLynn, if you are able to shape them into a ring, yes, that would work. It is just a more difficult dough/batter to do it with.