Baked Pumpkin Donuts
Baked pumpkin donuts are ready in under 30 minutes. The donuts turn out soft, sweet and full of pumpkin spice!
Pumpkin season is within reach and to get a head start I baked pumpkin donuts. These donuts are SO fluffy and soft. You won’t believe how satisfying it is to bite into one of them. Each donut is brushed with melted butter and coated in sweet cinnamon sugar. They’re the perfect treat on a crisp fall day.
Why this recipe works: These pumpkin donuts are ready in under 30 minutes and have all the pumpkin spice flavor you could need. The recipe exactly one can of pumpkin purée as well as cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves.
How to make pumpkin donuts
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Make the donut batter: Whisk together the dry ingredients—flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients—melted butter, brown sugar, sugar, eggs and pumpkin purée. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Bake donuts: Transfer batter to a greased donut pan. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes.
- Add cinnamon sugar: Dip baked donuts in melted butter, then immediately coat in cinnamon sugar.
Don’t have a donut tin? You can buy one online (this is the donut tin I own) or you can make this recipe in a muffin tin.
Frequently Asked Questions
Homemade donuts are best when eaten the day they are made. However, they may be stored in an airtight container and kept at room temperature for up to 3 days. Donuts will last longer if you don’t add the butter and cinnamon sugar to the outside until serving.
Yes. Once the donuts have cooled, place them in an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost in the refrigerator before bringing to room temperature and adding the cinnamon sugar coating.
Yes, this batter can be made in a mini muffin tin to create donut holes. Grease mini muffin tin, fill each cup two-thirds full and bake for 8 minutes.
Yes. Divide batter among cups and bake at 400° F for 18 to 20 minutes. Cool muffins on a wire rack, brush with melted butter and roll in cinnamon sugar.
Helpful tips
Pumpkin donuts are best when you have the proper tools. Use a donut tin that has cavities 3.25 inches wide. Another pro tip: weigh your ingredients with a kitchen scale. It’s much more accurate than measuring them! For uniform donuts, pipe the batter into the donut tin using a frosting bag or ziptop bag with the corner cut. When the donuts are done baking, transfer donuts to a wire rack to cool so they don’t get soggy. It’s okay if they are still warm when adding the cinnamon sugar!
Related recipes
Pumpkin is a versatile ingredient when it comes to baking. I personally love my pumpkin snickerdoodles, which are also coated in cinnamon sugar. For more breakfast inspiration, try pumpkin coffee cake with streusel—it’s so moist and flavorful! Another popular recipe is for easy pumpkin bread and pumpkin muffins with streusel. This quick bread is tender, slightly sweet and uses a whole can of pumpkin. If you love dessert bars, the pumpkin pie bars are for you. If you’re looking for more donut recipes, check out my apple cider donuts. They are a fan favorite in the fall!
Baked pumpkin donuts are such an easy recipe to try this fall. These donuts are sweet, tender and full of pumpkin spice. They go well with a hot cup of coffee on a crisp fall morning. If you tried this recipe, be sure to leave a review below and tag @ifyougiveablondeakitchen on social media.
Pumpkin Donuts
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 g) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, or all spice
- ¾ cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups pumpkin puree
Cinnamon sugar coating
- ⅔ cup (133 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) melted unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a donut tin (cavities with 3 ¾-inch diameter) with nonstick spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk brown sugar, granulated sugar and melted butter together until butter is absorbed. Add eggs and vigorously whisk until combined. Stir in pumpkin puree.
- Pour wet ingredients into the large bowl of dry ingredients and mix until no flour pockets remain (avoid over-mixing). Spoon or pipe batter into prepared donut tin.
- Bake at 350° F for 12 to 14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with little to no crumbs. Let the donuts cool in the pan for a couple minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- For the topping, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon. While the donuts are still a little warm, lightly brush them with melted butter, then generously coat the donuts in cinnamon sugar.
