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Thanksgiving Brioche Donuts

Thanksgiving brioche donuts made with a rich, soft yeasted dough that rises until pillowy, then are fried at 350°F for a golden crust. Finish with pumpkin spice, maple, or cranberry glazes and autumn fall sprinkles for an easy seasonal dessert.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
rise 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 12 donuts
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 260
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 glaze
  • 3 tbsp pumpkin puree For pumpkin spice glaze
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice For pumpkin spice glaze
  • 2 tbsp milk For pumpkin spice glaze
  • 1.5 cup powdered sugar For maple glaze
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup For maple glaze
  • 1 tbsp milk For maple glaze
  • 1.5 cup powdered sugar For cranberry glaze
  • 3 tbsp cranberry sauce For cranberry glaze
  • 1 tbsp milk For cranberry glaze
  • 1 Fall sprinkles and edible decorations

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Activate and knead the brioche dough
  1. In a bowl, warm the whole milk, then add yeast and sugar so they activate. Add eggs to the mixture.
  2. Add bread flour, salt, and pumpkin pie spice, then knead for 6 minutes until the dough starts coming together and looks smoother.
  3. Add the softened unsalted butter gradually, then knead for 8 more minutes until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky.
Rise, roll, and cut
  1. Let the dough rise for 1 hour until puffy.
  2. Roll the dough to about 1/2-inch thickness, then cut 3-inch circles.
  3. Place the cut donuts on a tray and rise for 30–45 minutes until they look lighter and ready to fry.
Fry and glaze
  1. Heat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven to 350°F.
  2. Fry each donut for 90 seconds per side until golden brown, flipping once.
  3. Drain donuts briefly, then dip in your chosen glaze (pumpkin spice, maple, or cranberry) while still warm and decorate with fall sprinkles and edible decorations.

Notes

For best texture, keep an eye on the dough during the second rise—when donuts feel airy and spring back slightly, they’re ready to fry. Store glazed donuts covered in the fridge up to 2 days; reheat briefly in a 300°F oven for a softer crumb. Freezing is not recommended once glazed, but you can freeze unglazed fried donuts and glaze after thawing. For a dairy-light swap, replace milk with unsweetened oat milk and use vegan butter in place of the butter.