Baked Pumpkin Donuts

These easy Baked Pumpkin Donuts are topped with a glorious maple glaze and full of natural pumpkin flavor and warm fall spices! Supremely moist and bursting with flavor, this easy pumpkin donut recipe is the quintessential fall breakfast or afternoon treat! 

Looking for more pumpkin breakfast treats? Try these Pumpkin Pancakes, Pumpkin Muffins and Pumpkin Coffee Cake!

Pumpkin Donuts

What’s better than waking up to the cozy aroma of pumpkin spice wafting through your kitchen. These pumpkin donuts are the perfect treat to usher in the cooler weather and celebrate the flavors of the season. We love making these pumpkin spice baked cake donuts for holidays but they are so easy to make, we enjoy them on weekends as well.

Soft, fluffy and infused with pumpkin pie spice, these donuts are made even better with a delectable maple glaze that perfectly complements the pumpkin flavor. Whether you’re looking for a delightful weekend breakfast or a fun addition to your autumn gatherings, these pumpkin donuts are sure to impress.

Made with pure pumpkin and a hint of vanilla, these pumpkin donut recipe comes together quickly with simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. The pumpkin pie spice coffee creamer adds an extra layer of fall flavor (substitute milk or half and half if you can’t find pumpkin creamer)and the buttery maple glaze is as easy as it is irresistible. These pumpkin spice baked cake donuts are a must-try for any pumpkin lover!

The pumpkin puree does its magic in these donuts, keeping them perfectly moist and flavorful.

Why You’ll Love This Baked Pumpkin Donut Recipe

Perfectly spiced, irresistibly fluffy, and topped with a luscious maple glaze, these pumpkin donuts are a must-have treat for any autumn lover. Quick to make and utterly delightful, these donuts will become your new seasonal favorite.

• The Maple Glaze! The glaze is fabulously thick so there’s no need to double-dip. That is unless you want to. If so, by all means. I, for one, never say no to more maple goodness. Never…
• So. Much. Pumpkin. These donuts are bursting with pumpkin flavor. The pumpkin puree does its magic in these donuts, keeping them perfectly moist and flavorful. I also use tons of pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin creamer, so it’s about as pumpkin-y as you can get. I also used the creamer in the maple glaze for a bit more flavor. Unforgettable.
• They’re customizable! Don’t want to use maple glaze? Just make it vanilla glaze or even chocolate! You can also bake up some bacon and crumble it on the top. There are few things as good as the salty-sweet combo of maple donuts with bacon!

How to Make Pumpkin Donuts

This pumpkin donut recipe is so easy and the results are amazing! Baked donuts are much easier (and more delicious) than alternative methods, so get excited to open the door to a whole new world of donut making! The whole recipe is in the complete printable recipe card below, but here are step-by-step instructions for my baking method. 

Step 1: Bake Donuts

1. Preheat your oven to 325°F and spray a donut pan with cooking spray. Set it aside for later. 
2. Combine pumpkin, eggs, creamer, oil and vanilla extract in a large bowl. 
3. Whisk together the flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a separate bowl. 
4. Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet mixture and stir until it’s just combined. 
5. Transfer to a large Ziploc bag and cut one corner and pipe it into the donut pan. 
6. Bake donuts for 11-13 minutes, or until the donuts spring back when touched. 
7. Remove them from the oven and let them rest for 4-5 minutes in the pan before removing them and placing them on a cooling rack.
8. Cool for an additional 5 minutes before glazing. 

You’ll need a donut pan or consider the silicone donut pan for easy release of the donuts.

Step 2: Make the Maple Glaze

1. Heat the butter, maple syrup and creamer in a small saucepan until ingredients are fully combined. 
2. Stir in maple extract and whisk in the powdered sugar ⅓ cup at a time. 
3. Dip donuts in the glaze and return them to the cooling rack. 
4. Allow the glaze to set and then serve. 

If you don’t have access to the pumpkin spice creamer I use in this recipe, milk, half and half or heavy cream are all great substitutions. You can also mix some pumpkin pie spice (or flavoring) into those substitutes to infuse more pumpkin flavor into your donuts. 

Storage Information

These pumpkin donuts are best served immediately, but you can make the donuts themselves ahead of time and then glaze them before you’re ready to serve. Store the unglazed donuts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day before glazing. 

Variations To Try

You may like different flavor combinations with your pumpkin, so have fun making a variety of donuts to serve up this fall! This pumpkin donut recipe is super customizable:

• Make chocolate or vanilla glaze instead of maple. 
• Top the glazed donuts with mini chocolate chips. 
• Add bacon crumbles to the glazed donuts. 
• Fry your donuts, if you’d prefer that method. 

Trish’s Tips

• If you can’t find the pumpkin pie spice creamer, use milk, half and half or heavy cream instead.
• I pipe my batter into the donut pan because I love how easy it is to get a smooth, even consistency and it makes dividing the batter evenly a breeze. You can, of course, spoon it into the donut pan or transfer the batter however you choose.
• Allow the donuts to cool before glazing or them, or the glaze will slide right off and/or sink into the donut itself. 
• For best results, make sure to use pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling, which can alter the texture and flavor of the donuts. Additionally, if you don’t have a donut pan, you can use a muffin pan to create donut muffins instead – equally delicious and just as festive!

More Pumpkin Recipes To Try

1. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
2. Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Muffins
3. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
4. Pumpkin Bars with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
5. No BakePumpkin Cheesecake Trifle

How To Make Pumpkin Donuts

Originally published September 23, 2014.