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    Home » Recipes

    Pear Donuts with Vanilla and Cinnamon

    Published: Dec 2, 2022 by Samantha Ferraro · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    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.

    Pear donuts are piled on a plate and dusted with powdered sugar.

    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

    1. Add yeast, warm water and sugar to a bowl or measuring cup and allow it to sit for 10-15 minutes until foamy.
    2. Once yeast is bloomed, add to a bowl of a stand mixer along with the eggs and begin mixing.
    3. 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.
    4. 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.
    5. 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.
    Bloom the yeast in warm water with sugar for 10 minutes until yeast bubbles.
    Mix the flour, yeast and end eggs until a dough forms.
    Place the donut dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise.

    Make the Pear Filling

    1. 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.
    2. Once done, let the pear mixture cool to room temperature.
    Cook chopped pears with brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla until soft and jammy.
    Cook the pear mixture until thickened and condensed.

    Fry the Donuts

    1. 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.
    2. Once the dough has risen, gently punch it down and transfer to lightly floured surface.
    3. Roll the dough to 1/4 inch in thickness and use a 3-4 inch round cookie cutter to cut out circles.
    4. Fry the donuts until lightly golden brown, about 2-3 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to drain any excess oil.
    Once the donut dough has risen, gently punch the dough down.
    Transfer the donut dough to a lightly floured surface and roll out to 1/2 inch thickness.
    Roll out the donut dough and use a 3 inch round cookie cutter to cut out circles.
    Fry donuts until lightly golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.
    Place cooked donut balls on wire rack.

    Fill the Donuts

    1. Pierce the donuts, creating a hole for the filling.
    2. Fill a piping bag or resealable plastic bag with pear filling and pipe the pear filling into the donuts.
    3. Once done, dust donuts with powdered sugar and serve
    Make a small hole in the donut to pipe in the pear mixture.
    Fill fried donut balls with cooked pear filling.
    Can you make the donuts ahead of time?

    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.
    Pear donuts are made with chopped anjou pears that are cooked down with brown sugar and cinnamon until sweet. The pear mixture is tuffed inside donuts and dusted with powdered sugar.

    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

    Small donuts are filled with sweet cooked pears and dusted with powdered sugar.

    Pear Donuts with Vanilla and Cinnamon

    Samantha Ferraro
    These pear filled donuts are filled with brown sugar cinnamon pears and piped into perfectly pillowy fried donuts.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Proofing 1 hr 30 mins
    Total Time 2 hrs 10 mins
    Course Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine American, Jewish
    Servings 12 donuts
    Calories 193 kcal

    Equipment

    Infrared Thermometer

    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.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 193kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 5gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 17mgPotassium: 107mgFiber: 2gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 107IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 24mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword pear donuts, pear filled donuts
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    Comments

    1. Mike says

      December 5, 2022 at 1:31 pm

      5 stars
      Love this recipe. The combination of Pear, vanilla and cinnamon is Wonderful and the house smells Amazing

      Reply

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