These pumpkin-shaped Nutella donuts are the cutest autumn baking project! They’re soft, fluffy homemade yeast donuts shaped into little pumpkins, coated in cinnamon sugar and filled with creamy Nutella. Finished with a small pretzel stick for the stem, they look just like miniature pumpkins.
The dough is rich, buttery and wonderfully soft, making it perfect for homemade filled donuts. Once fried, each donut has a beautiful golden outside and a light, fluffy centre. The cinnamon sugar adds a little warmth, while the Nutella filling makes every bite extra delicious.
The best part is that you don’t need any special pumpkin-shaped equipment. A little food-safe kitchen twine is all you need to create those lovely pumpkin grooves. Whether you’re baking for Halloween, an autumn party or simply craving something sweet, these donuts are such a fun treat to make.
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin-Shaped Donuts
- A fun seasonal shape: Kitchen twine gives the donuts their pumpkin appearance without needing a special mould.
- Soft and fluffy dough: The buttery yeast dough fries up beautifully and stays light inside.
- Generously filled: Every donut is filled with smooth, chocolatey Nutella.
- Cinnamon sugar coating: A sweet, slightly spiced coating makes them taste like autumn.
- Simple decoration: A little pretzel stick creates the perfect pumpkin stem.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Donut dough: Bread flour gives the donuts structure, while warm whole milk, eggs and softened butter create a soft, rich dough. Sugar adds sweetness, and active dry yeast helps the donuts rise. Vanilla, salt and honey round out the flavour.
Nutella filling: Nutella is used to fill the donuts after frying. Transfer it to a piping bag so you can easily fill each one.
Cinnamon sugar: A mixture of granulated sugar and ground cinnamon gives the warm donuts a delicious coating.
Pumpkin stems: Small pretzel sticks make simple, edible stems and complete the pumpkin look.
How to Make Pumpkin-Shaped Nutella Donuts
1. Prepare the dough
Start by mixing the warm milk, active dry yeast and honey in a bowl. Leave the mixture for 5–10 minutes until foamy. This gives the yeast time to activate.
Add the bread flour, sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt. Mix until a rough dough forms, then knead for around 7–10 minutes. Gradually incorporate the softened butter and continue kneading until the dough becomes smooth, elastic and slightly tacky.
2. Let the dough rise
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and leave somewhere warm for 1–1½ hours, or until doubled in size.
Refrigerate for 30–60 minutes. Chilling makes the dough easier to handle and shape.
3. Shape the pumpkins
Divide the dough into 12 equal portions, approximately 65–70 g each. Shape each portion into a smooth ball.
Cut food-safe, untreated 100% cotton kitchen twine into lengths long enough to wrap around each ball. Lightly grease the twine with neutral oil, then wrap it around the dough to create the pumpkin grooves. Tie gently, leaving enough room for the dough to expand.
Place each shaped donut on an individual piece of parchment paper.
4. Proof the donuts
Cover loosely and leave the donuts to rise for 45–75 minutes, until noticeably puffy. Don’t rush this step, as properly proofed dough helps create a light, fluffy texture after frying.
5. Fry until golden
Heat canola oil in a deep, heavy pot to 175°C (350°F). Fry the donuts in batches, turning occasionally, for approximately 2–3 minutes per side until evenly golden and cooked through.
Transfer to a wire rack to drain. Allow them to cool slightly before carefully cutting and removing the kitchen twine.
6. Coat in cinnamon sugar
Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. While the donuts are still warm, gently toss them in the mixture until coated.
7. Fill and decorate
Transfer Nutella into a piping bag fitted with a filling nozzle. Make a small hole in the top of each donut and pipe Nutella inside until filled.
Finish by inserting a small pretzel stick into the centre of each donut to create the pumpkin stem.
Tips for Perfect Pumpkin Donuts
- Don’t tie the twine too tightly. The dough needs room to expand during proofing and frying.
- Use the right twine. Choose food-safe, untreated 100% cotton kitchen twine, not synthetic string.
- Check your oil temperature. Keep it around 175°C so the donuts cook evenly without becoming too dark outside.
- Don’t skip the second rise. The donuts should look puffy before frying.
- Remove the twine carefully. Let the donuts cool slightly first to avoid tearing their delicate shape.
- Fill after coating. This keeps the Nutella from getting mixed into the cinnamon sugar.
Storage
These donuts are best enjoyed fresh on the day they’re made, when the outside is lightly crisp and the inside is soft. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy within 1–2 days.
Donut dough
- 435 g bread flour
- 68 g granulated sugar
- 185 g warm whole milk
- 60 g softened unsalted butter
- 7 g active dry yeast
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp honey
- Canola oil for frying
Cinnamon sugar
- 200 g 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 –3 tbsp ground cinnamon
Filling and decoration
- 250 –300 g Nutella
- 12 small pretzel sticks
For shaping
- Food-safe untreated 100% cotton kitchen twine
- A little neutral oil for greasing the twine
Mix warm milk, yeast and honey. Leave for 5–10 minutes until foamy.
Add flour, sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt. Knead for 7–10 minutes, then gradually incorporate softened butter. Knead until smooth, elastic and slightly tacky.
Cover and let rise for 1–1½ hours, until doubled. Refrigerate for 30–60 minutes.
Divide into 12 equal portions of approximately 65–70 g. Shape into balls.
Lightly grease the cotton twine and wrap each ball gently to create pumpkin grooves. Tie loosely and place each donut on parchment.
Cover and proof for 45–75 minutes until puffy.
Heat canola oil to 175°C (350°F). Fry in batches for approximately 2–3 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through.
Transfer to a wire rack. Cool slightly, then carefully cut and remove the twine.
Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Toss the warm donuts in the mixture until coated.
Transfer Nutella to a piping bag. Make a small hole in each donut and pipe in the filling.
Insert a small pretzel stick into the centre of each donut to create the pumpkin stem.
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