Thanksgiving is in just a couple of days so it’s time to welcome the last fall recipe of 2025! It’s crazy how fast the months have been flying by, and that the year is almost over. I have been crazy busy recently, but I’m really looking forward to the break this week. I definitely need it to get caught up on my December recipes.
I always get behind this time of year just because of how much there is to get done. With that being said, I’m actually in a pretty good spot recipe wise. I have two of them tested and ready to be filmed, one of them is fully finished, and that leaves only two that I need to start on. If I follow my schedule over break, I know I can get them all done.
Plus, I’m very hyped for Thanksgiving! I’ve said it before, but it’s one of my favorite holidays. I get to experiment and cook new things which I always love, and it’s just such a cozy and autumnal holiday to me.
Describe these Donuts to Me
Taste: The doughnuts themselves have a sweet and slightly specie flavor, with refreshing notes of orange zest. The cranberry filling is tart but still fresh and flavorful, providing the perfect balance in these donuts.
Texture: The dough is soft and fluffy while the filling is bright and fresh. The sugar on the outside adds a little crunch to perfectly balance out everything.
Ease: Making and shaping the dough is a very simple process, as is making the filling. The only tricky part is frying the donuts which can take some time and patience. But if you’re careful and follow the directions, then it’s very attainable.
The Dough
This is a very simple dough to throw together, made from warm milk, yeast, sugar, butter, eggs, orange zest, spices, and flour. It’s quick to make and comes together in one bowl with no mixer. It provides a subtle background flavor to perfectly compliment the bright filling
The Filling
This is a classic cranberry sauce recipe, the same one I make for thanksgiving. It’s also very simple, made from orange juice, cranberries, brown sugar, water, orange zest, and a splash of vanilla. I add a little bit of cornstarch to make sure the filling is set enough to not leak out of the donuts.
The Sugar
To finish these off, we roll the donuts in a spiced brown sugar. In order to get it to stick, we have to brush the donuts in butter first, but this honestly just makes it taste even better. The sugar mixture is simply brown and white sugar, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon which perfectly ties all the flavors together.
Cranberry Orange Donuts
Ingredients
Method
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large bowl, whisk together the warm milk, yeast, and 2 Tablespoons of the sugar. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let sit for five minutes. The mixture should develop a frothy layer on top. If not, then your yeast is dead and you should start over with new yeast
- Add the remaining 3 Tablespoons sugar, butter, eggs, orange zest, vanilla extract, 1 cup of all purpose flour, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Mix with a paddle attachment, or by hand with a wooden spoon on low speed until just combined. Add the remaining flour and beat on medium low speed until a dough forms and is beginning to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough seems too sticky, add up to ¼ cup of extra flour, one Tablespoon at a time. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead it with your hands for two minutes until the dough is soft and smooth. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a large greased bowl. Cover with cling wrap or a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm environment for 1 ½ – 2 hours or until at least doubled in size.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice and cornstarch. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan, toss together the rinsed cranberries, brown sugar, water, and orange juice mixture. Cook the mixture on medium speed until it begins to boil. As it cooks, stir the mixture frequently and try to pop some of the cranberries as you go. Once boiling, keep cooking stirring constantly for about a minute, continuing to break up the cranberries. Stir in the vanilla and orange zest. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool at room temperature before using in the donuts. It will thicken as it cools.
- Punch down the risen dough to release the air and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into chunks, about 2 ounces in size, and roll into balls. Set on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cover with a clean kitchen towel to allow it to rise while we heat up the oil.
- Heat the oil in a large heavy duty pot ( I use a dutch oven) over medium heat to 330℉. While you cook the donuts, check the temperature frequently. It shouldn't get any lower then 330℉ or any higher then 350℉.
- Carefully drop a donut into the hot oil, or use a metal spoon to lower it in. Cook for around 2 minutes, flip, then cook for another 2 minutes on the other side. Use a slotted metal spoon to remove the donut from the oil, and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Once you get more confident with frying, you can cook up to 4 donuts at a time. You will have to be continuously be monitoring the temperature of the oil as it will change very quickly.
- Add the cooled cranberry sauce to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (I used ####) Using a chopstick, poke a hole through the donuts to make room for the filling. Insert the end of the piping tip into the donut and squeeze the bag. You will be able to feel the donut filling up, and should be able to tell when to stop. Repeat this process until all of the donuts have been filled.
- In a medium sized bowl, toss together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon.
- Using a pastry brush, paint the filled donuts with a thin layer of the melted butter. Then, roll the donuts in the spiced sugar mixture until evenly coated in the sugar.
- Donuts are best served immediately but will last up to 2 days sealed in the refrigerator .