These pear filled donuts are perfectly sweet and incredibly irresistible! Sweet anjou pears are cooked down with brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon until soft and jammy and then piped into perfectly pillowy donuts.
It is officially Hanukkah season, which means we are frying up all the things! Every year, I like to make a new latke recipe (hello, garlic caprese latkes!) or donut recipe and this year we are making sweet and delectable pear filled donuts!
Besides latkes, donuts or sufganiyot are often made to celebrate oil for Hanukkah. Some of my favorite donuts I’ve made over the years are these savory hatch chile and cheddar donuts and for a sweeter donut, these pear fritters with orange glaze are always a nice treat.
Pear Donuts
The filling for the pear donuts is made with cooked and chopped green anjou pears, that become perfectly sweet and soft enough to fill inside the donut holes.
The pear filling cooks down with brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and a touch of cornstarch to help thicken the fruit mixture.
Then the mixture is cooled and piped into fried donut holes and finished with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Ingredients
Pears: Green Anjou pears are seasonal pears that are available in the winter months and cook up beautifully. Green anjou pears are sweet and are able to hold their shape in cooking without getting too soft or mushy.
Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness to the pear mixture. If brown sugar isn’t available, substitute with white sugar and add a teaspoon of honey for that caramelized flavor.
Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg add warmth and depth to the pear mixture.
Vanilla: Use vanilla extract or vanilla paste.
Cornstarch: This helps thicken the pear mixture, since pears can give off some liquid.
Yeast: 3/4 ounce active dried yeast, which is 1 packet of yeast.
Flour: All purpose flour is the base of the donut dough.
Eggs: Whole large eggs give the donut dough richness and help bind the dough together.
Butter: Just 2 tablespoons of butter is slowly added to the dough at the end of mixing, giving the dough a bit more richness.
Powdered Sugar: Optional, but highly recommended for dusting the finished and filled donuts.
How to Make Pear Donuts
Make the Donut Dough
- Add yeast, warm water and sugar to a bowl or measuring cup and allow it to sit for 10-15 minutes until foamy.
- Once yeast is bloomed, add to a bowl of a stand mixer along with the eggs and begin mixing.
- Slowly add the flour and salt in, while the mixer is on low and continue mixing until flour is combined and dough begins to form. Next, add butter in batches and continue mixing until everything is combined and dough is sticky and begins to form into a ball.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for a few minutes, add a bit more flour if the dough is too sticky.
- Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and place a sheet of plastic wrap onto the dough so it touches. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, for about an hour.
Make the Pear Filling
- Add the peeled and chopped green anjou pears to a medium sized pot along with the lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, vanilla and corn starch. Give everything a stir and cook until soft and jammy, about 30 minutes.
- Once done, let the pear mixture cool to room temperature.
Fry the Donuts
- Add enough oil to a wide skillet or pot so there is at least 1 inch of oil and bring oil up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once the dough has risen, gently punch it down and transfer to lightly floured surface.
- Roll the dough to 1/4 inch in thickness and use a 3-4 inch round cookie cutter to cut out circles.
- Fry the donuts until lightly golden brown, about 2-3 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to drain any excess oil.
Fill the Donuts
- Pierce the donuts, creating a hole for the filling.
- Fill a piping bag or resealable plastic bag with pear filling and pipe the pear filling into the donuts.
- Once done, dust donuts with powdered sugar and serve
You can make the dough and filling ahead of time but they are best served warm right after frying. You can make the pear filling up to 3 days in advance and you can make the dough filling 24 hours in advance. Allow the dough to slowly proof in the refrigerator.
A Few More Notes
- The dough can feel sticky when you knead it, so gradually add a few tablespoons of flour at a time until it doesn’t stick but it’s too dry.
- An infrared thermometer is a great tool to make sure your oil is hot enough for frying.
- Have a wire rack ready next to your frying station to the donuts can drain and not get soggy.
- Chop the pears into 1/4 inch cubes so they cook down and can easily be piped inside the donut.
More Hanukkah Treats to Try (and Fry)
- Pear and Sweet Potato Latkes
- Parsnip Latkes with Creme Fraiche and Caviar
- Baklava Bimuelos with Pistachios and Rose Water
- Savory Sufganiyot with Chard and Raisins
Pear Donuts with Vanilla and Cinnamon
Equipment
Ingredients
Donut Dough
- 3/4 ounce dry active yeast
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 1/2 cups flour + more for kneading up to 3 cups
- Pinch of salt
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Pear Filling
- 2-3 green anjou pears peeled and chopped into 1/4-1/2 inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Make the Donut Dough
- Add yeast, warm water and sugar to a bowl or measuring cup and allow it to sit for 10-15 minutes until foamy.
- Once yeast is bloomed, add to a bowl of a stand mixer along with the ggs and begin mixing.
- Slowly add the flour and salt in, while the mixer is on low and continue mixing until flour is combined and dough begins to form. Next, add butter in batches and continue mixing until everything is combined and dough is sticky and begins to form into a ball.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for a few minutes, add a bit more flour if the dough is too sticky.
- Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and place a sheet of plastic wrap onto the dough so it touches. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, for about an hour.
Make the Pear Filling
- Add the peeled and chopped green anjou pears to a medium sized pot along with the lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, vanilla and corn starch.
- Give everything a stir and cook until soft and jammy, about 30 minutes. Once done, let the pear mixture cool to room temperature.
Fry the Donuts
- Add enough oil to a wide skillet or pot so there is at least 1 inch of oil and bring oil up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once the dough has risen, gently punch it down and transfer to lightly floured surface.
- Roll the dough to 1/4 inch in thickness and use a 3-4 inch round cookie cutter to cut out circles.
- Fry the donuts until lightly golden brown, about 2-3 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to drain any excess oil.
Fill the Donuts
- Pierce the donuts, creating a hole for the filling.
- Fill a piping bag or resealable plastic bag with pear filling and pipe the pear filling into the donuts.
- Once done, dust donuts with powdered sugar and serve immediately.
Notes
- The dough can feel sticky when you knead it, so gradually add a few tablespoons of flour at a time until it doesn’t stick but it’s too dry.
- An infrared thermometer is a great tool to make sure your oil is hot enough for frying.
- Have a wire rack ready next to your frying station to the donuts can drain and not get soggy.
- Chop the pears into 1/4 inch cubes so they cook down and can easily be piped inside the donut.
Love this recipe. The combination of Pear, vanilla and cinnamon is Wonderful and the house smells Amazing