These baked pumpkin donuts are made with a little spice, are super tender, fluffy, yet cakey and have a perfect coating of cinnamon sugar on the outside.
They're absolutely perfect for fall, but can totally be enjoyed throughout the year, too!
How to make baked pumpkin donuts
Featured Ingredients
- Oil: I use a neutral-flavored oil like avocado for most baking.
- Brown sugar: I'm a fan of dark, but light brown sugar will work, too.
- Eggs: To make them rise and hold everything together.
- Pumpkin puree: The pure pumpkin puree in the can (or you can make your own by roasting a whole pie pumpkin).
- Vanilla extract: For an extra flavor punch!
- Flour: Your favorite all-purpose will work well.
- See substitutions below for suggestions.
- Pumpkin pie seasoning: The best of fall flavors! Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves.
- Baking powder: To make the donuts fluffy.
- Salt: To give the donuts flavor.
- Cinnamon and sugar: A mixture to coat the donuts when they come out of the oven.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 6-cup donut pan with cooking spray.
- Using a hand mixer, beat the oil and brown sugar on low, until fluffy.
- Add one egg at a time, then the pumpkin puree until incorporated.
- Beat in the vanilla extract until fluffy.
- Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and salt and beat on low until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Transfer batter to a large Ziploc bag and seal to close.
- Snip one of the bottom corners of the bag with scissors to create a piping bag.
- Pipe the batter into each well of the donut pan until almost full.
- Lightly tap the pan on the counter to evenly distribute batter.
- Bake 15 minutes, until donuts are just set. Repeat steps for another batch.
- In a small bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon.
- Place the donuts in a large Ziploc bag with the cinnamon sugar mixture and lightly toss to combine.
- Alternatively, mix the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl and toss each donut in the mixture until coated.
Recipe Substitutions and Alterations
- For the oil: You can use melted butter or a mixture of melted butter and oil. Or try with coconut oil.
- For the brown sugar: Use dark or light brown sugar. A sugar substitute like Swerve brown sugar also works well (for a lower sugar version).
- For the pumpkin puree: Use canned or homemade pumpkin puree. Substitute with sweet potato or butternut squash puree.
- For the flour: Use whole wheat pastry, whole wheat, all-purpose, gluten free all-purpose or oat flour.
- For the pumpkin pie spice: Make your own with a mixture of ground cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger (plus a pinch of cloves).
Nutrition Considerations
- To make them gluten free: Use gluten free all-purpose flour or gluten free oat flour. Be sure all packaged ingredients are gluten free.
- To make them dairy free: This recipe is dairy free.
- To make them vegan: Use an egg substitute like Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer or make flax 'eggs' (although I haven't tested this).
- To make them nut free: This recipe does not contain nuts. Be sure all ingredients are nut free.
- To make them egg free: Use an egg substitute like Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer or make flax 'eggs' (although I haven't tested this).
The best pumpkin recipes
- Pumpkin Raisin Oatmeal Cookies
- Pumpkin Muffins with Pistachio Crumble
- Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin Pasta with Bacon
- Pumpkin Pie Hummus with Cinnamon Pita Chips
- Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Cookie Dough Bites
Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Spice Donuts
These baked pumpkin donuts are made with just the right amount of spice, are super tender, fluffy, yet cakey and have a perfect coating of cinnamon sugar on the outside.
- Prep Time: 10-15 mins
- Cook Time: 15-20 mins
- Total Time: 25-35 mins
- Yield: 12 Donuts 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Donuts:
- â…“ cup oil
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 15-ounce can pumpkin puree (1 ½ cups)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 â…” cups flour*
- 1 ¾ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon coarse salt
Cinnamon Sugar:
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 6-cup donut pan with cooking spray.
- Using a hand mixer, beat the oil and brown sugar on low, until fluffy. Add one egg at a time, then the pumpkin puree until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla extract until fluffy.
- Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and salt and beat on low until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Transfer batter to a large Ziploc bag and seal to close. Snip one of the bottom corners of the bag with scissors to create a piping bag.
- Pipe the batter into each well of the donut pan until almost full. Lightly tap the pan on the counter to evenly distribute batter.
- Bake 15 minutes, until donuts are just set. Repeat steps for another batch.
- In a small bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon. Place the donuts in a large Ziploc bag with the cinnamon sugar mixture and lightly toss to combine. Alternatively, mix the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl and toss each donut in the mixture until coated.
Notes
Substitution: Use whole wheat pastry, whole wheat, all-purpose, gluten free all-purpose or oat flour.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 donut
- Calories: 217
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 240mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 47mg
Pernille says
They look amazing. Guess I need to get a donut pan now. Good thing we are going shopping today. They would be great for Sunday brunch
Julie Andrews says
So amazing! And I love that the donut pans are inexpensive. Yum, yum, yum 🙂
Ekaterina says
Wow! I will try this recipe, it seems really delicious! I love pumpkins and donuts, but I had no idea that you can unite them
Julie Andrews says
Love that we can make donuts right in our ovens 🙂
Jessica says
I like pumpkin flavor, I want to try these doughnuts so bad!
Julie Andrews says
Oh, the pumpkin flavor 🙂 Love it!
Angela Sherman says
I've never made donuts but this post is inspiring me too! These look delicious!
Julie Andrews says
They're surprisingly simple to make, and I love it! 🙂
Mary says
Oh, how I wish I had one of these with my morning coffee. They have all my favorite flavors combined into a donut. Yum!
Julie Andrews says
Me too, Mary! So delish, and perfect with coffee 🙂
GiGi Eats says
Cinnamon Sugar is HANDS DOWN the best flavor combo there is. Noooooooooothinnnngggg competes with it!!! These look like perfection!
Julie Andrews says
Cinnamon sugar IS the best! We used to have a spice jar with the mixture when I was growing up and we'd put it on buttered toast 🙂 🙂 🙂
Nicole @ Fitful Focus says
I've been dying to get a doughnut pan so I can make recipes like this. When I do, these will be the first doughnuts I make!
Julie Andrews says
I love the donut pan! They're so inexpensive, it's amazing 🙂 And then you can make delicious donuts :):)