Nutella Filled Pumpkin Donuts

Nutella Filled Pumpkin Donuts — cinnamon sugar coated, soft, fluffy, gooey and spooky cute! Cozy flavors and bigger smiles: yeast donuts shaped like little pumpkins with kitchen twine, fried golden, rolled in cinnamon sugar and filled with creamy Nutella. Perfect for fall mornings, Halloween parties and cozy cravings. Every step below comes with its own photo.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1

Make the Dough

In a large bowl, mix warm milk, yeast and sugar. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy. Add flour, salt, egg and melted butter. Knead into a soft, smooth dough (8-10 minutes). The milk should be warm to the touch — about 110°F; hotter kills the yeast, colder never wakes it. When the surface blooms with foam, the yeast is alive and ready. Knead the full 8-10 minutes until the dough turns silky, elastic and only slightly tacky — underkneaded dough fries up dense, while a properly kneaded one is what makes these soft and fluffy instead of bready.

2

Let It Rise

Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1-1.5 hours, or until doubled in size. A switched-off oven with the light on is the perfect proofing spot. Patience here is the recipe: a fully doubled dough is full of the air that becomes the donuts’ pillowy interior. If your kitchen is cool and 90 minutes pass without a full double, give it more time rather than moving on — under-proofed donuts fry tight and heavy.

3

Divide into Balls

Punch down the dough and divide into equal balls (about 10-12). Roll each into a smooth ball. Equal balls mean equal frying — a kitchen scale makes this foolproof (about 55-60 grams each). Roll each piece against the counter under a cupped palm until the surface is taut and seamless; a smooth skin now becomes a smooth, evenly browned donut later, with no cracks for oil to rush into.

4

Shape Like Pumpkins

Wrap each ball with kitchen twine (food-safe) like a pumpkin. Make 6-8 segments and tie gently (not too tight). This is the pin’s signature trick — and its first Pro Tip: use kitchen twine (food-safe) to shape the pumpkins. Lay a long piece of twine under the ball, bring the ends up and cross them over the top, flip, and repeat until you have 6-8 segments like the grooves of a pumpkin. The pin’s second tip matters just as much: don’t tie too tight — leave room for rising, or the dough will squeeze over the twine and tear in the fryer.

5

Second Rise

Place on a parchment-lined tray. Cover and let them rise for 30-45 minutes until puffy. The segments deepen as the dough expands into them — this is where the pumpkin shape really appears. Poke one gently: it should spring back slowly and leave a slight dent. Parchment matters here, because puffy proofed dough deflates if you have to pry it off a bare tray.

6

Fry the Donuts

Heat oil to 350°F (175°C). Fry the donuts (with twine) for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove and place on a paper towel. Yes, they fry with the twine on — the twine holds the segments through the oil. Hold the temperature steady at 350°F with a thermometer: cooler oil soaks in and makes greasy donuts, hotter oil browns the outside before the center cooks. Two to three minutes per side gives you that deep golden color in the pin’s photo.

7

Remove Twine

Let them cool slightly, then gently cut and remove the twine. Give them about 5 minutes on the rack — too hot and the twine sticks and tears the crust; too cool and the cinnamon sugar in the next step will not cling. Snip the knot with small scissors, then unwind each strand slowly along its groove. The segments stay beautifully defined.

8

Coat in Cinnamon Sugar

While still warm, roll the donuts in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar (1/2 cup sugar + 1/2 tbsp cinnamon). Warm — not hot — is the sweet spot: the faint steam and residual warmth melt the sugar just enough to glue it on in an even, sparkly coat. Roll each donut on all sides, grooves included, and shake off the excess. This coating is half the recipe’s name, so do not be shy with it.

9

Fill with Nutella

Use a piping bag or filling tip to fill each donut with creamy Nutella. The pin’s Pro Tip times this perfectly: fill when slightly cool but still warm — a piping-hot donut melts the Nutella runny, and a cold one resists the tip. Poke the filling tip into the side or bottom, squeeze until you feel the donut grow heavier and just begin to swell (about a tablespoon), then pull out slowly. A small dot of Nutella at the hole seals it.

10

Add the Stem

Insert a pretzel stick into the center to make the pumpkin stem. Enjoy! Push it in at a slight angle, like a real pumpkin stem — and it is not just cute: the salty pretzel crunch against the sweet, gooey donut is a genuinely great bite. Serve them piled high like the pin’s photo, with one broken open so the Nutella spills out. Soft, fluffy, gooey, spooky cute!