Pumpkin Donuts

These light and fluffy baked pumpkin donuts are perfect for fall (or any time)! With plenty of warm spice and your choice of toppings, these moist pumpkin donuts pair perfectly with your coffee for an indulgent treat.

Can we talk about donuts for a second?

I love donuts. I love the taste, how they melt in your mouth, and I love that no matter what mood you may be in, there’s always a donut to match.

But because they’re not exactly on the “healthy” side of the scale, we don’t eat them very often.

In fact, the only time we EVER have donuts for breakfast is when we’re either moving or when we’re helping someone else move.

So, imagine the shock on my kids’ faces when they woke up one school morning, asked me what was for breakfast, and I said donuts. And not just any old donuts – these are PUMPKIN donuts!

LIGHT AND FLUFFY BAKED PUMPKIN DONUTS

When I envision that first bite into a donut, it’s nothing but light and fluffy and melting in my mouth. It’s totally and completely complemented by a sip of hot coffee (Pumpkin Coffee, especially), and every time you finish one, you can’t help but want another.

Under normal circumstances, you’ll only find this texture in yeast donuts. Yeast donuts require yeast, rise time, and oil for deep frying. And I assure you, none of that is happening on a school morning.

But here’s the thing: I’ve had incredibly light and fluffy cupcakes before that didn’t have yeast. Why couldn’t I pull off something similar with baked donuts?

The result is this amazingly light and fluffy baked pumpkin donut recipe.

WHY MAKE DONUT PUMPKIN RECIPE

You’ll want to make this donut pumpkin recipe, too. It’s:

• Pumpkin flavored. Have you ever had a pumpkin recipe where you could not taste the pumpkin? You won’t find that here.
• Simple. Mix up the pumpkin donut recipe, scoop it into the pan, and bake.
• Frugal. Making spiced pumpkin donuts from scratch keeps this a frugal treat, much cheaper than stopping for Dunkin pumpkin donuts, not to mention…
• Better for you. Natural sweeteners and wholesome ingredients mean that these donuts are actually a breakfast option, not just a treat.
• Makes a big batch. I got 22 donuts or 88 donut holes from this donut pumpkin recipe!
• Enjoy them any time! You don’t have to wait for pumpkin season at the local coffee shop – you can make pumpkin donuts any time!

I assure you, if any pumpkin donut is worthy enough to sit next to your coffee as you read a good book, this one is it.

PUMPKIN SPICE DONUTS INGREDIENTS

You likely already have everything you need on hand to make these amazing pumpkin donuts.

Dry Ingredients:

• All-Purpose Flour. The base of the pumpkin donut recipe. I like using einkorn all purpose flour.
• Baking Powder + Baking Soda. Using both leavening agents keeps the donuts light and fluffy.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice. Make your own and keep a big batch on hand for all of your favorite pumpkin recipes!
• Salt. To enhance the other flavors.

Wet Ingredients:

• Milk + Apple Cider Vinegar. This creates a buttermilk substitute and adds a slight tang and richness to the pumpkin spice donuts.
• Honey + Maple Syrup. I like using an equal amount of each sweetener. You don’t need brown sugar or granulated white sugar here!
• Molasses. Just one Tablespoon added to the mixture deepens the flavor.
• Pumpkin Puree. Use one can of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix) or about 1 ¾ cups of Homemade Pumpkin Puree.
• Eggs. To hold the pumpkin spice donuts together. A flax egg should work here as well.
• Butter, softened. Butter adds richness to the dough.
• Coconut Oil, softened. Coconut oil keeps the pumpkin donuts moist without adding coconut flavor.

INSTRUCTIONS HOW TO MAKE SPICED PUMPKIN DONUTS

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 325F. Grease the baking pans with a butter wrapper or cooking spray.

Step 2. In a medium bowl, combine the milk and apple cider vinegar and set aside.

Step 3. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking soda. Whisk together well and set aside.

Step 4. Stir the milk and vinegar and add the remaining wet ingredients: honey, maple syrup, molasses, pumpkin puree, eggs, softened butter, and coconut oil. Mix together well with a spatula.

Step 5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until they are JUST combined. Over-stirring will cause dense donuts, so do not over-stir!

Step 6. Pipe or scoop the batter into your donut pan. Bake for 13 minutes for donut holes, or 15 minutes for standard-sized donuts.

Step 7. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the pumpkin donuts to cool for a few minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.

Pumpkin donuts are best the day that they’re baked. However, you can store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Or freeze the donuts without toppings for up to 3 months.

HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN DONUT ICING

Whether you choose plain, glazed, chocolate, or sugar and cinnamon, these pumpkin donuts are my official indulgence of the season.

Speaking of toppings, can we chat about them for a minute?

First up, they’re all good. You literally cannot go wrong with any of these toppings at all, even if you choose no topping.

Second, they’re all really easy

• Chocolate. Melt chocolate chips in a bowl for 20 seconds at a time, stirring between each round. You can try different types of chips too! Butterscotch, white chocolate, dark chocolate – choose your favorite.
• Vanilla Glaze. This is the same glaze that we use on our Homemade Cinnamon Rolls. In a small bowl, sift together 1 cup confectioners’ sugar and ½ teaspoon of salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 Tablespoons of melted butter, 1 Tablespoon of milk, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Stir into the sugar mixture until smooth. Add more milk to thin if needed.
• Maple Glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 Tablespoons of maple syrup, 2 Tablespoons of melted butter, and ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract.
• Cinnamon Sugar. In a small bowl, mix together 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and ¼ cup sugar (we like turbinado). In another bowl, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter. Dip cooled donuts in the butter first and then in the sugar mixture.

To ice the donuts, turn the donut upside down into the bowl of glaze or chocolate. Rotate ¼-½ turns and then pull out of the glaze while rotating slowly.

If you want to add nuts, sprinkle them on top of the icing or chocolate. Chopped walnuts or pecans would be a tasty addition.

EQUIPMENT TIPS FOR BAKED PUMPKIN DOUGHNUTS

Want to make pumpkin doughnuts baked at home, but don’t have a doughnut pan? What about donut holes?

• They make donut hole pans – which are totally cute and worth every dollar from Michaels using a 50% off coupon.
• You can also use a mini-muffin pan and get REALLY close to the donut hole shape if you don’t fill it up all the way (and ignore the flat bottoms).
• I used a cookie scoop to evenly fill the holes in the pan. You can use a spoon if you’d like, but really, truly, a cookie scoop is easier.

For actual donut-shaped donuts, you will need a donut pan. I have this donut pan, again via Michaels with a 50% off coupon. It’s not a necessity, but giving the kids donuts for breakfast that actually LOOK like donuts will earn you extra mom points.

Some will recommend filling a gallon plastic bag with your batter, cutting off the tip, and piping the batter into the donut pan. I didn’t do that. The last time I tried piping something, it was a complete disaster.

I took the safe route and used my cookie scoop instead – 4 scoops for each donut – and then smoothed the batter in the pan with the back of a spoon. Less wasted batter, which means more donuts, and more pumpkin donuts is never a bad thing!

Note: You can always double this recipe and freeze some for later! Save the toppings for after you thaw the pumpkin donuts.

SERVE WITH SPICED PUMPKIN DONUTS

These pumpkin donuts are a delicious breakfast or snack option on their own. But to take them to the next level, serve them with one of these yummy specialty beverages:

• Homemade Hot Chocolate
• Gingerbread Latte
• Cinnamon Dolce Latte
• Homemade Peppermint Mocha
• Pumpkin Spice Coffee
• Bulletproof Matcha Latte

MACRO-FRIENDLY PUMPKIN DONUTS

How do these pumpkin donuts fit into your meals when you’re trying to hit specific macro goals? Let’s break it down.

Protein. There isn’t much protein in this pumpkin donut recipe. You can bump it up by adding collagen or protein powder to the batter before baking. Or just serve your donuts with a protein-rich side.

Fat. You’ll find fat in these donuts from the pumpkin, butter, and coconut oil, but it’s not a huge amount per donut. You should have no problem keeping your fat in check here.

Carbs. The biggest proportion of your macros will come from the carbohydrates, since this is a flour-based baked good. Enjoy one pumpkin donut along with some lower-carb options, and you’ll be well within your macros for a meal or snack.

DONUTS PUMPKIN FAQS

MORE YUMMY PUMPKIN RECIPES

• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Healthy Homemade Pumpkin Pie
• Pumpkin Cookies with Naturally Sweetened Cream Cheese Frosting
• Pumpkin Bread
• One Bowl Healthy Pumpkin Cake

WATCH HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN DONUTS