These baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts are the perfect fall treat. They are fluffy donuts that are full of warm spices and dusted with a sugar coating.
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These baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts are for all my pumpkin-flavored lovers out there- each bite of these baked donuts is bursting with fall flavor! Who doesn't love a pumpkin donut? Especially when they are easy to make and baked, not fried.
The best part about this recipe is the cinnamon sugar coating, which I actually swapped the cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice just to make these extra pumpkin-y. It's so good!
If you loved baked donuts as much as I do, be sure to check out my Cinnamon Roll Donuts or my Crumb Cake Donuts!
Why You Need These Pumpkin Spice Donuts
- They are baked, not fried! So better for you and easier to make (and clean up)!
- This recipe can be made in about 30 minutes. Super quick and easy to whip up first thing in the morning with a hot cup of coffee.
- You don't need an electric mixer, you can whip these up with a whisk.
- They are perfect for breakfast, brunch, and even dessert!
- They are coated in an amazing sugar + pumpkin pie spice mixture that is absolutely divine!
Recipe Ingredients
Here are some notes on a few ingredients- please see the full ingredient list in the recipe card below!
- Unsalted butter- I always use unsalted butter when baking to ensure I can control the amount of salt in my recipe. If you only have salted butter, just omit the salt that the recipe calls for.
- Pumpkin puree- Make sure you get canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. The only ingredient that should be in it is pumpkin!
- Milk- You can use any milk you'd like for this recipe. I tested it with both almond milk and whole milk.
- Pumpkin pie spice- Pumpkin pie spice is made of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. If you want to make your own, I recommend this pumpkin pie spice recipe!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray donut molds with nonstick spray and set aside.
Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and brown sugar.
Step 3: In a large measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, melted butter, egg, milk, and vanilla. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined.
Step 4: Scoop this mixture into a piping/ziploc bag to pipe into the donut pan. You could also just spoon the batter into the pan if you prefer. Fill the donut pan ½ full with batter. Don't overfill the donuts because they rise while baking. If you are using silicone donut molds, place them on a baking sheet before putting them into the oven.
Step 5: Bake for 9-12 minutes until golden brown on top. Transfer the donut pan to a wire rack and allow the donuts to cool for about 5 minutes. Carefully take the donuts out of the pan and allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes before coating them with sugar.
Step 6: In a shallow bowl, mix the sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Brush the top, bottom, and sides of the donuts with a little bit of butter, and then coat with the sugar mixture. Shake off any excess and repeat for the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Baked donuts tend to have a denser, more cake-like texture to them than fried donuts do. I would say they are more of a mix between a cupcake and a muffin.
If you don't have any pumpkin pie spice and can't make your own (like the one I linked above), you can swap it for cinnamon!
I have used both silicone donut molds and aluminum donut trays before. These pans are my favorite.
Tips and Tricks
- Overfilling the donut pan can cause your donuts to rise and spill out over the tops- trust me, I've done it a million times. Try to fill your donut mold ½ way or just a little more.
- Be sure to watch your donuts carefully in order to not overbake or undertake them. The pan you use to make your donuts will also change the amount of time needed. I usually test them around 9 minutes by gently tapping the tops of the donuts to see if they spring back, and also with a toothpick.
- If you don't want to dust them with the sugar mixture, you can eat them plain, or make a delicious cream cheese frosting like I made in these baked red velvet donuts!
Storing & Freezing
These pumpkin spice donuts are best served right after baking, but will stay fresh stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days and in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze them for up to 1 month.
Want to try more donut recipes?
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📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Spice Donuts
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ⅓ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup milk
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Sugar Coating
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1-2 tablespoon unsalted butter melted for brushing onto donuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray donut molds with nonstick spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and brown sugar.
- In a large measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, melted butter, egg, milk, and vanilla. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined.
- Scoop this mixture into a piping/ziploc bag to pipe into the donut pan. You could also just spoon the batter into the pan if you prefer. Fill the donut pan ½ full with batter. Don't overfill the donuts because they rise while baking. If you are using silicone donut molds, place them on a baking sheet before putting them into the oven.
- Bake for 9-12 minutes until golden brown on top. Transfer the donut pan to a wire rack and allow the donuts to cool for about 5 minutes. Carefully take the donuts out of the pan and allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes before coating them with sugar.
- In a shallow bowl, mix the sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Brush the top, bottom, and sides of the donuts with a little bit of melted butter, and then coat with the sugar mixture. Shake off any excess and repeat for the rest.
Notes
- Overfilling the donut pan can cause your donuts to rise and spill out over the tops- trust me, I've done it a million times. Try to fill your donut mold ½ way or just a little more.
- Be sure to watch your donuts carefully in order to not overbake or undertake them. The pan you use to make your donuts will also change the amount of time needed. I usually test them around 9 minutes by gently tapping the tops of the donuts to see if they spring back, and also with a toothpick.
- If you don't want to dust them with the sugar mixture, you can eat them plain, or make a delicious cream cheese frosting like I made in these baked red velvet donuts!
- These pumpkin spice donuts are best served right after baking but will stay fresh stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days and in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze them for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
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