Baked pumpkin donuts have a moist cake-like texture and are packed with warm fall flavors of pumpkin spice and pumpkin puree. An easy homemade recipe that’s perfect for cool fall mornings.
Mahalo to Foodland Hawai’i for sponsoring this post. As always, thoughts and opinions are my own.
Skip the deep frying, oily mess. These baked pumpkin donuts are quick and easy and healthier than it’s fried counterparts.
If you haven’t tried baked donuts, today is the day to give it a try. A flavorful batter that is piped into the donut pan mold. No dough rising, rolling, and cutting needed. Moist, cake-like texture that can be whipped up in under 30 minutes.
And what better flavor for fall than pumpkin spice? I mean pumpkin spice donuts, yes please!
Put this baked pumpkin donut recipe on your list of things to bake this fall.
What are baked donuts?
There are two main types of donut doughs: yeast and cake. Yeast donuts use yeast to rise and are light, fluffy, and deep fried. Whereas cake donuts, like these baked donuts, use baking powder for leavening and are baked.
Ingredients for baked pumpkin donuts
For the donuts
- All purpose flour. You can opt to use a lighter cake flour as well.
- Baking powder. This will help your donuts rise.
- Pumpkin pie spice. Pick up a jar at the store or make your own.
- Salt. To balance out the sweetness.
- Pumpkin puree. Be sure to get pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie mix. You can make your own as well.
- Sugar. This recipe uses cane sugar, but you can use the sugar alternative of your choice
- Milk. This recipe uses cows milk, but you can use the milk alternative of your choice.
- Egg. This adds structure, flavor, and leavening to pumpkin donuts.
- Unsalted butter. If you use salted butter, omit the extra added salt.
- Vanilla extract. make your own or pick some up from the store.
For the glaze
- Maika’i Organic Powdered Sugar. Find this at your local Foodland in the baking aisle.
- Milk. You can opt to use water as well.
- Vanilla extract
Can you make baked donuts without a donut pan?
You bet. You don’t have to go out of your way to buy a special pan for this. If you have a muffin pan at home you can roll up a piece of aluminum foil into a ball and place in the center of the pan. This will form the hole in the center of the donut.
How to store?
Donuts are best kept in an airtight container or a zip top bag at room temp.
How long will they keep?
Donuts will keep for 1-2 days at room temperature or up to a week in the refrigerator.
Can you freeze baked pumpkin donuts?
Absolutely. For the best results be sure to freeze donuts as soon as they cool. The fresher the donuts are when they are frozen, the fresher they will be once you defrost them. Place in a zip top bag or airtight container. These will keep for up to 3 months.
How to defrost frozen donuts?
You can defrost donuts in the microwave of the defrost setting or allow to defrost at room temperature overnight.
Other great pumpkin recipes to try
How to make baked pumpkin donuts?
- For the donuts: Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. To a bowl add flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Mix until well combined.
3. To another bowl add pumpkin puree, sugar, milk, egg, butter, and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
4. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
5. Add the batter to a piping bag or zip top bag. Snip the end of the bag off and pipe the batter into a greased donut pan. Smooth out the donuts by dipping the tip of your finger in water and patting it down.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool on a cooling rack.
8. For the glaze: To a bowl add Maika’i powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Drizzle over donuts or dip to coat and ENJOY!
Tips for delicious baked pumpkin donuts
- Do not over mix the batter. Over mixing will create too much gluten and make your donut too dense.
- Allow donut to cool completely before glazing to prevent the glaze from sliding off the donuts.
- If you do not have a piping bag or zip top bag you can use a spoon to scoop in the batter.
Baked Pumpkin Donuts
Equipment
Ingredients
For the donuts
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the glaze
- 1 cup Maika’i Organic Powdered Sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- For the donuts: Preheat the oven to 350F.
- To a bowl add flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Mix until well combined.
- To another bowl add pumpkin puree, sugar, milk, egg, butter, and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
- Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
- Add the batter to a piping bag or zip top bag. Snip the end of the bag off and pipe the batter into a greased donut pan. Smooth out the donuts by dipping the tip of your finger in water and patting it down.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Allow to cool on a cooling rack.
- For the glaze: To a bowl add Maika’i Organic Powdered Sugar, milk, and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Drizzle over donuts or dip to coat and ENJOY!
Notes
Nutrition
© Relle Lum for Keeping It Relle. Please do not copy and paste or screenshot recipes online or on social media. I’d love it if you share a link with a photo instead. Mahalo!
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These donuts were so good!
These easy baked doughnuts are sheer perfection!!
What a nice breakfast idea. Wonderful pumpkin flavor in a donut!
I love these baked donuts. They look fantastic and so delicious!