After months of trial, illness, starvation, exhaustion, and many other forms of misery (encouraging post so far, Laura) – the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags came together for a great feast on what is now known as The First Thanksgiving. These incredible people had much to celebrate, no doubt.
On their table there was an abundance of lobster, rabbit, chicken, squash, chestnuts, hickory nuts, onions, leeks, dried fruits, radishes, and cabbage – all of the traditional foods you and I always serve to our families on Thanksgiving, right? (I always tear up a little during the carving of our traditional Thanksgiving Lobster.)
Quick question: How did the above First Thanksgiving menu give way to boxed stuffing and canned cranberry sauce that plops out onto a plate? Don’t answer that. But what I do what to know is this: Where have these Whole Wheat Pumpkin Donuts been all my life? These need to be added to everyone’s Thanksgiving menu: turkey, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, relish tray, mashed potatoes and gravy, homemade rolls with butter, and a big, huge platter of Pumpkin Donuts. Oh, and don’t forget the Lobster.
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Donuts (adapted from this recipe)
- 3½ cups whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground hard white wheat)
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup sucanat (or brown sugar)
- 2 Tablespoons melted butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- Oil for frying (I recommend coconut oil or palm shortening for healthy frying)
- GLAZE:
- 2 cups powdered sugar (I use unbleached powdered sugar)
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Stir together whole wheat flour, baking powder, sea salt, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and sucanat. Add melted butter, eggs, vanilla, buttermilk, and pumpkin puree - mixing until all ingredients are well combined.
- Roll dough on a well-floured surface.
- Cut out donuts and donut holes (makes about 15-20 of each).
- Fry dough in hot oil for about 3 minutes or until donuts are golden brown.
- Whisk glaze ingredients together and drizzle over warm donuts before serving.
What are your family’s traditional Thanksgiving foods that are a little different from the norm? I have to admit, not only have I never had a Thanksgiving Lobster on my table, I’m not sure I’ve ever actually eaten lobster, period. I’m a Kansas girl turned Nebraska girl. What can I say?
Can these be baked using the mini donut makers? I received one for Christmas and have been looking for some healthier recipes!
I have a mini donut pan, too. I use it all the time with regular donut recipes. I just follow the recipe and then bake in the oven, and they always turn out great for me.
How far do you fill it? Half-way? Thanks! And thanks for the recipe, Laura!
Just fill it enough so that one side will cook and then it will cook evenly when it is flipped. That way you don’t end up with a doughy middle. I hope that makes sense :)
Hello! I see you use the TT Palm Shortening…I have been wanting to try it for awhile for baking…can you please tell me if I can substitute this shortening for any of the old-time recipes calling for Crisco? Also I have some cast iron pans I would like to re-season to use with something that’s more healthful…can I use this palm shortening for re-seasoning cast iron?
Any help you can give me will be so much appreciated. Perhaps an article on the many uses for palm shortening? If you have already addressed this please refer me to that info!
Blessings to you and family…
Yes, this palm shortening is a perfect substitute for Crisco and works great for seasoning your cast iron!
How do you fry yours? In a deep fryer? How many at a time do you fry for 3 minutes!! This might just make me get a deep fryer!! :) :) :) YUM!!! :)
Gretchen
Matt and the boys got me a great deep fat fryer a few Christmases ago. (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00451B86A?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B00451B86A&linkCode=xm2&tag=wwwheavenlyho-20) I LOVE it! Yes, it only takes about 3 minutes to fry these. :)
These look amazing Laura! I want to try them but I never know what to do with the oil after I’ve used it. Does anyone have suggestions? I’ve only made apple fritters once and then didn’t know what to do with the oil so I tend to be scared away from fried recipes.
My kids & husband will love these I’m sure! Baked donuts just aren’t the same, Sadly :(
I use a deep fryer, and I just let the oil cool then reuse it several times before replacing it. :)
Do you keep the used oil in the refrigerator or in the cabinet? How long can I store the used oil before it goes bad?
I keep the used oil in a cabinet without any problem. :) If you’re using good oil like coconut oil or palm oil, I find that it lasts for several months before going bad!
Oh, YUM!! We so enjoy your donuts & these just might be breakfast in the morning. Scones are our usual Saturday breakfast but I’m sure no one would object to donuts instead. I’m sure hoping I have a jar of puréed pumpkin (or butternut squash) in the freezer.
This would be the perfect breakfast for Thanksgiving morning! Thanks so much for the recipe. Pinning it for sure.
I used my sunbeam donunt maker to make these today yuumy they were perfect. So u can bake them or fry them The kids loved it with there tea party today.
These donuts sound great! Yum, donuts….
As Thanksgiving Dinner goes I like to mix it up a bit. Roast the squash with a special filling, make a multi-grain & vegetable pilaf, or alter the main course. I’ve served Orange Duck, Glazed Cornish Hens, and once BBQ’d the turkey outside on the grill.
Emily made these this weekend. Amazing! Love trying all your recipes she is making. Thanks.
Awesome! Love you both!
How do you cut out the donut shape? What do you use?
You can buy a specific donut shaped cutting tool that is just like a cookie cutter. It is basically just a round cookie cutter. I would check amazon.com. :)
Thanks for this great recipe, Laura. I made these today w/ a really nice gluten-free flour blend from Costco for my nephew who has multiple allergies. He loved them!
Hi Laura,
I was wondering if we can bake these doughnuts? Where can I find unbleached powder sugar?
Yes, that should work. I usually order unbleached powdered sugar through Vitacost: https://www.heavenlyhomemakers.com/save-10-off-your-first-vitacost-order-as-you-make-healthy-changes-you-can-do-this-ecourse-bonus-tip
Unbelievably delicious! I made them with spelt and used water instead of buttermilk (because I was out) and they turned out great. Thanks!