These pumpkin donuts are perfect to usher in all things fall-inspired!
Perfectly Delicious Pumpkin Donuts!
- Skip the deep-fried Dunkin’ Donut and the Krispy Kreme versions! These donuts are baked, not fried, for light, fluffy, and fragrant treats.
- Baking donuts at home is a fun and easy way to engage the kids. Let them help measure, mix, and make the icing. Plus, it’s the perfect activity to kick off the holidays.
- Customize to your liking and serve donuts with or without the glaze for a delicious treat along with a cozy pumpkin spice latte.
- Add one or two to a school backpack or briefcase for a delicious mid day treat.
What You’ll Need
- Pumpkin: Choose pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling since the filling has a thinner consistency and is pre-seasoned.
- Batter: Eggs, flour, brown sugar, milk, and oil are simple ingredients that provide structure for donuts.
- Seasonings: Buy or DIY? Make your own batch of pumpkin pie spice, it’s easy!
- Glaze: It’s super easy to make with powdered sugar, cream, and a bit of spice.
Variations
- For a gluten free option, replace all purpose flour with your favorite gluten free blend at a 1:1 ratio.
- Use your favorite sugar substitute in the batter, and a sugar free powdered sugar for the glaze.
- Replace milk with any non-dairy liquid.
- Sneak in some extra nutrition with a tablespoon of chia seeds, flaxseed, hemp hearts, or toasted pumpkin seeds. Add nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips, or butterscotch morsels for unique and tasty treats.
- Sprinkle some pumpkin granola over the glaze for a festive Fall twist!
- Use the batter to make cake pops, donut holes, or some simple, free-form pumpkin fritters baked on parchment paper.
How to Make Pumpkin Donuts
- Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl (full recipe below).
- Mix wet ingredients until smooth.
- Gently stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture in three stages.
- Evenly divide the batter in the donut pan and bake as directed in the recipe below. Cool completely.
- Whisk the glaze ingredients until smooth. Dip cooled donuts in the glaze or drizzle over each top.
No Donut Pan?
No problem! Use a muffin tin for moist and flavorful baked pumpkin muffins instead! Fill muffin tins about ⅔ full of batter. Adjust the baking times as follows:
- For mini muffins, bake for 9-12 minutes.
- Standard sized muffins will need 18-21 minutes.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Storing Donuts for Later
- Baked pumpkin donuts (with or without the glaze) can be enjoyed fresh from the oven, but taste best after about two hours once the flavors have fully blended.
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container or a zippered bag for up to a week. Warm them in an air fryer or the microwave if desired.
- Freeze donuts, plain or glazed, on a baking sheet before transferring to zippered bags. This will help avoid donuts sticking together. Alternately, wrap cooled donuts in plastic wrap before freezing. They will stay fresh for up to one month.
More Pumpkin Joy
Did you enjoy this Baked Pumpkin Donuts recipe? Leave a comment and rating below.
Baked Pumpkin Donuts (with Pumpkin Spice Glaze)
Baked pumpkin donuts are bursting with fall flavor. A sweet pumpkin spice glaze gives them the perfect finish.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 2-3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1¼ cup pumpkin puree
- ⅔ cup milk
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup oil
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 3 Tablespoons heavy cream may need a bit more to thin glaze
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Lightly grease donut pans (with pan release, spray, oil, or butter).
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, mix together pumpkin, milk, brown sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla.
- Add about one third of the flour mixture to the wet mixture and mix well. Add remaining flour mixture, starting with the whisk, and once partially combined, mix with a spatula until well mixed.
- Divide the batter between the pans, filling half way. I add to a large zip top bag, cut a hole in the corner and squeeze it in to the mold to keep things easy and neat (or use a piping bag).
- Bake for 12-14 minutes or until donut springs back when touched.
- Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then gently turn out onto wire rack. Cool completely.
Glaze
- Whisk together sugar, pumpkin pie spice and 2 ½ Tablespoons of the heavy cream. Add the remaining cream if the mixture needs to be a bit thinner.
- Dip the top of each donut in the glaze and flip over. Touch up glaze if desired.
Notes
- Can be eaten immediately, but I prefer to allow the donuts to rest for 2 hours or overnight (if possible!) like my friend Sandra!
- Refrigerate donuts for up to a week, or freeze for up to 1 month. Allow to harden in the freezer on a baking sheet before transferring to a zip bag.
- Warm in the microwave, toaster oven, or air fryer if desired.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 295 | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 220mg | Potassium: 129mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 4070IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information does not include optional ingredients or garnish and is an estimate. It may change based on actual ingredients and cooking methods used.
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Adapted from A Dash of Sanity
These are delicious! I used unbleached whiole wheat flour, substituted Greek yogurt for oil and they still came out moist, light and fluffy! Thank you!!!
You’re welcome Kae! Sounds fantastic!
Amazing donuts!
Thank you!
Thank you! My kids loved them.
So happy to hear that Justyna! Mine can’t get enough!