There’s just something about a tried-and-true family recipe. Even better? Becoming so familiar with that recipe that you’re able to put your own, seasonal spin on it. Enter, the pumpkin spice doughnut.

These homemade pumpkin spice doughnuts are a fall twist on my grandmother’s traditional fastnacht recipe. If you’re from Pennsylvania, you’re probably familiar with fastnachts—old-fashioned fried doughnuts traditionally made around Shrove Tuesday (the day before Lent begins).

My grandmother’s recipe uses mashed potatoes, but I decided to swap them for pumpkin and finish the doughnuts with a sweet glaze flavored with pumpkin pie spice.

I made a batch recently for a little fall party with our cousins, where we used them for an old-fashioned game of doughnuts on a string. It was such a fun afternoon, and the doughnuts were too good not to share.

I love finding little ways to make ordinary days feel special, and this is exactly the kind of family tradition I hope my children will remember.

Here’s how I made them!

Homemade Pumpkin Doughnuts with Pumpkin Spice Glaze

Ingredients

2 1/4 tsp Active Dry Yeast

1/2 cup Warm Water

1/2 cup Shortening (I used lard)

2/3 cup Sugar

1 tsp Salt

1 cup 100% Pumpkin (not pie filling)

1 cup Milk

2 Eggs

5 1/2 – 6 cups All Purpose Flour

Lard, Vegetable Oil or Shortening for frying

Directions

1. Scald the milk, then set aside to cool. Meanwhile, dissolve the yeast in the warm water.
2. Once the milk has cooled to lukewarm, add the shortening, salt, pumpkin, and sugar. Mix well, then combine with the yeast and water.
3. Add the beaten eggs. Using a stand mixer or dough whisk, gradually add enough flour to form a soft but workable dough.
4. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. The dough should be soft but firm enough to spring back when gently poked.
5. Place in a large, greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, approximately 1½–2 hours.
6. Roll the dough to approximately ¾-inch thickness and cut with a doughnut cutter or round cookie cutter. (A mason jar works in a pinch!) Cover and allow the doughnuts to rise again until doubled.
7. Heat lard or oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven to 375°F. Fry the doughnuts in small batches until golden brown on both sides, approximately 1 minute per side. (I use wooden chopsticks to flip and lift the doughnuts.) Keep the oil temperature as consistent as possible between batches.
8. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels or clean paper bags to drain excess oil.
9. While still warm, dip in pumpkin spice glaze (recipe below) or toss in a mixture of 1 cup powdered sugar and ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice.

Pumpkin Spice Glaze

2 cups Powdered Sugar

1/3 cup Milk

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Dip the warm doughnuts into the glaze, then place on a wire cooling rack set over a baking sheet to allow the excess glaze to drip off. Allow the glaze to set slightly before serving.

Doughnuts on a String

Now I’m not saying you should go to the effort of making homemade doughnuts just so your kids can eat them off a string, but I’m also not saying you shouldn’t do that. We used these tasty treats for a fun fall game with the cousins before heading out trick or treating on Halloween night, and we’re planning a repeat for Thanksgiving day. Any bets on whether I can get the adults in on it next time?