These Baked Pumpkin Donuts are filled with lots of warm spices and pumpkin flavor, then topped with a delicious maple cinnamon glaze that will make you wish it was always pumpkin season!
If you love to start your day off with some pumpkin love, also try these Pumpkin Muffins with Chocolate Chips, Pumpkin Pancakes, Pumpkin Scones, or Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls.
Oh, these donuts. If you lack self control, please don’t make these. Because you will end up like me – eating way too many because you just can’t stay away!
The perfect fall treat, these Baked Pumpkin Donuts are perfect for breakfast or for a snack. Topped with the most delicious maple cinnamon glaze, it’s no surprise just how fast they disappear!
Ingredients
- Flour: You’ll use all-purpose flour.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: You need a mix of both baking powder and baking soda to give these donuts their texture and rise.
- Salt: Always to balance the flavors.
- Spices: I use a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. You could always sub in 2 1/4 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice if that’s easier for you.
- Pumpkin: You can use store bought or homemade pumpkin puree. If using homemade, make sure you drain it first.
- Brown Sugar: I use light brown sugar, and make sure it is packed as you are measuring.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter, but if all you have is salted, it should be just fine. It’s not a large amount of butter.
- Eggs: Use large eggs, and even better if they are at room temperature.
- Milk: You only need a couple of tablespoons of milk that will loosen the batter.
- Vanilla Extract: Real vanilla extract is best, but vanilla paste would certainly be delicious.
- Powdered Sugar: This is for the glaze. No need to sift it, but I would run a whisk through it a few times.
- Maple Extract: A little bit of maple extract goes a long way, but it gives the glaze a delicious flavor!
- Cinnamon: You’ll want a bit more cinnamon for the glaze. The maple and cinnamon combination really is magical!
How to Make Baked Pumpkin Donuts
Start by whisking together your dry ingredients in one bowl.
In another bowl, beat the pumpkin, brown sugar, and butter together, then add the eggs followed by the milk and the vanilla.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. The batter is fairly thick.
To make this easy to put in your donut pan, transfer the batter to a large ziplock bag.
Cut the corner off of the bag and pipe the batter into the donut cavities. Bake until cooked through, then let the donuts cool.
Once cool, dip the donuts into a glaze that you make from the powdered sugar, milk, maple extract, and cinnamon.
Tools You’ll Need
I try to keep things pretty accessible, without lots of fancy kitchen equipment, but I think a donut pan is a fun tool that is pretty inexpensive. It’s easiest if you have 2, but you can totally make these if you only have one pan – you’ll just have to bake half of the batter and then wait for the first batch to be done before baking the second batch.
Tips and Tricks
- Like many baked goods, try not to overmix the batter so that you will have light donuts.
- I will admit that I’ve never made these when they’ve lasted long enough to have to be stored, but they should be good stored for up to 3 or 4 days. The glaze will start to get gooey, but they should still taste great.
- If you want to freeze the donuts, do it without the glaze, then add the glaze when you are ready to serve them.
More Pumpkin Treats
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Pumpkin Pie Bars
Oatmeal Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Pumpkin Roll
Pumpkin Tiramisu
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Baked Pumpkin Donuts
Ingredients
Donuts:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1 cup pumpkin puree store bought or homemade
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter at room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Maple-Cinnamon Glaze:
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon maple extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Prepare a donut pan by spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, and ginger. Set aside.
- In another bowl, cream together the pumpkin, brown sugar, and butter. Add in the eggs and mix well, then mix in the milk and the vanilla.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
- Place the batter in a large ziplock bag. Cut off the corner and pipe the batter into the donut pan.*
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the middle of one of the donuts comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, let rest for 5 minutes, the turn the pan over to remove the donuts and allow them to cool on a wire rack until completely cooled.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, maple extract, and cinnamon. You want it to thin enough so that you can dip the donuts, so if needed, add a little bit more milk.
- When the donuts are cool, dip them in the glaze. Return to the wire rack to allow the glaze to set.
Lauren @ hey, who cut the cheese? says
I just bought a doughnut pan today! I cannot wait to try these out–they look deeeeelicious!
Kristy says
Self-control is not in my vocabulary when it comes to dough nuts…and if they were these dough nuts, oh so help me! 🙂 These look beyond amazing!!!!
Joanne says
Self control, especially when it comes to pumpkin, is definitely not my strong suit. But I’m going to go there anyway…these look too amazing not to!
Melanie says
The doughnuts look amazing, Deborah! I love that they are baked, too…and I, for one, would not be able to resist them, I am sure.
Rachel @ Not Rachael Ray says
One more reason to love fall! These are gorgeous and sound SO good!
Bev Weidner says
I’ll take 396, please.
Becca @ Crumbs and Chaos says
OH.MY.WORD! These look amazing! So wishing I had a donut pan on this lovely fall morning!
Kitchen Belleicious says
Delicious! Love donuts especially homemade. They look beautiful!
Erin says
Pumpkin donuts are calling my name! I love that they’re baked and not fried.
Maria says
Yay for pumpkin! I love the glaze too!
Danielle says
Amazing! I cannot WAIT to try these! Seriously, I’m trying to figure out how I can squeeze it in while I cook dinner tonight (:
Kim ~ Recipes To Run On says
I’m buying a donut pan today! 🙂 These look like the perfect fall treat. Can’t wait to try them. Wishing I had some right now with my coffee to chase away these Monday Blues….
Ally @ Sweet & Savory says
I want a doughnut pan!!! I want to grab these through my computer screen and take a big bite.
Colleen @ What's Baking in the Barbershop?! says
Awesome recipe! I received a donut pan as a gift last year, and I LOVE it! I do believe I’ll be making these this fall. 🙂 Thanks!
Rosa says
They look so scrumptious and tempting! A marvelous fall treat.
Cheers,
Rosa
Carrie@bakeaholicmama says
I really need to buy a donut pan!
Debra says
I won’t buy a donut baking pan. I have two old donut irons….like a waffle iron…one is for small donuts and one is bigger ones. I have used cake mix in them mostly, but hopefully this will work too!
Deborah says
@Debra, I would think that they would work – good luck, and I hope you love them as much as I do!