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Thanksgiving Brioche Donuts

Thanksgiving brioche donuts with a pillowy, golden fried texture made from buttery enriched dough. After rising, you cut and fry until golden, then dip warm donuts in pumpkin spice, maple, or cranberry glaze for an autumn look.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
rising 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 12 donuts
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 450
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For brioche donut dough
  • 0.75 cup warm whole milk
  • 2.25 tsp yeast
  • 0.25 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3.5 cup bread flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • vegetable oil for frying
For glazes
  • 1.5 cup powdered sugar for pumpkin spice, maple, and cranberry glazes
  • 3 tbsp pumpkin puree for pumpkin spice glaze
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice for pumpkin spice glaze
  • 2 tbsp milk for pumpkin spice glaze
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup for maple glaze
  • 1 tbsp milk for maple glaze
  • 3 tbsp cranberry sauce for cranberry glaze
  • 1 tbsp milk for cranberry glaze
  • Fall sprinkles and edible decorations

Equipment

  • 1 stand mixer
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Activate and mix the brioche dough
  1. Activate yeast in warm whole milk by adding the sugar and eggs; mix until combined, then let it start to foam, about 5 minutes.
  2. Knead in bread flour, salt, and pumpkin pie spice until a shaggy dough forms.
  3. Knead for 6 minutes until the dough becomes cohesive and smoother, with a slightly tacky feel.
  4. Gradually incorporate the softened butter and knead for 8 more minutes until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky.
Rise, roll, and cut
  1. Rise the dough for 1 hour until noticeably puffed and airy.
  2. Roll the dough to 1/2-inch thickness, then cut 3-inch circles.
  3. Rise the cut donuts for 30-45 minutes until they look slightly expanded and pillowy.
Fry and glaze
  1. Heat vegetable oil to 350F in a cast iron skillet.
  2. Fry the donuts for 90 seconds per side, turning once, until golden brown and cooked through.
  3. Drain briefly, then dip the warm donuts in your choice of glazes.
  4. Decorate immediately with fall sprinkles and edible decorations while the glaze is still tacky.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the oil at a steady 350F so the brioche fries up golden without browning too fast. Store glazed donuts in the fridge up to 2 days; re-warm gently before serving. Freezing is best for unfrosted donuts—freeze up to 1 month and thaw, then glaze. For a gluten-free swap, use a 1:1 gluten-free bread flour blend designed for yeast doughs and expect a slightly softer bite.