Baked Pumpkin Donuts
Total Time
45 minutes
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
11 minutes
Rating
4.7 out of 5 stars
(77)
Ingredients
about 16 donuts
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil (or canola oil or melted coconut oil)
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (227g) fresh or canned pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup (80ml) milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar (for icing)
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk (for icing)
- 1 Tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter (for icing)
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (for icing)
- 1 and 1/2 cups (175g) sifted confectioners’ sugar
- Pinch of salt, to taste
- Optional: toppings, see note
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Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray donut pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
Step 2
Mix the donuts: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together in a large bowl until combined. Set aside.
Step 3
In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla extract together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then fold everything together gently just until combined and no flour pockets remain.
Step 4
Spoon the batter into the donut cavities or for ease, use a large zipped-top bag. Cut a corner off the bottom of the bag and pipe the batter into each donut cup, filling about halfway.
Step 5
Bake for 10-11 minutes or until the edges and tops are lightly browned. To test, poke your finger into the top of the donut. If the donut bounces back, they’re done. Cool donuts in the pan for 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack. Re-grease the pan and bake the remaining donut batter. *For mini donuts, bake in a mini donut pan for 8-9 minutes. Cool donuts for at least 10 minutes before icing them.
Step 6
Make the icing: Combine the brown sugar, milk, and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the butter has melted and mixture is smooth. Bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 1 minute then remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract and sifted confectioners’ sugar until smooth and combined. Taste, then add a pinch of salt if desired—I always add a tiny pinch.
Step 7
Let the icing cool for 5 minutes to slightly thicken. Dip the tops of the pumpkin donuts into the warm icing. If icing is getting too thick as you’re dipping, add a little more milk or warm back up in the microwave or on the stove to thin out. Place dipped donuts on a wire rack placed on a baking sheet so any excess icing can drip off. Top with chopped nuts or other toppings if desired. If applied lightly, the icing will eventually set in about 1 hour so you can stack or transport the donuts.
Step 8
Cover leftover donuts tightly and store at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Step 9
Save recipe for the next time?
Chef's notes
Make Ahead Instructions:
You can freeze the donuts, plain or topped with the icing, for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm up to your liking in the microwave. I usually just microwave them for a couple seconds. If plain, top with icing before serving if desired.
Special Tools (affiliate links):
Donut Pan | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Large Zip-Topped Bag | Saucepan | Cooling Rack
Pumpkin Pie Spice:
You can find pumpkin pie spice in the baking aisle of most grocery stores or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice. If you don’t have either and want to use individual spices, use 1/4 teaspoon each
Milk:
Any milk works for the donuts and icing. I’ve tested with unsweetened vanilla almond milk, whole milk, and skim milk. You can use any, dairy or non.
Optional Toppings:
After applying the icing, you can sprinkle toppings on top or dip the donuts into any the following
No Donut Pan? Make donut muffins in your standard 12-cup muffin pan. Follow the baking instructions for my pumpkin crumb cake muffins, leaving off the crumb topping. Top warm muffins with this brown sugar icing before serving.
Mini Donuts:
Want to make mini donuts or mini donut holes in a mini muffin pan? Grease your pan, add the batter to the pan only about 3/4 of the way full. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for about 8-9 minutes.
