This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
These Baked Pumpkin Donuts combine spiced pumpkin flavor with a sweet cinnamon sugar coating or a glossy cinnamon glaze, and they’re simple enough to make for any fall breakfast or brunch spread. The buttermilk and pumpkin puree keep them cakey and moist straight out of the donut pan. You can roll them in cinnamon sugar while they’re still warm or let them cool and drizzle the glaze over the top.
I cannot wait for fall to start baking all things pumpkin, and I wonder — why don’t we bake pumpkin desserts all year? I make my Cream Cheese Banana Bread up until fall, and then I switch to baking my favorite Spiced Pumpkin Bread.
These donuts have a similar flavor profile to pumpkin bread, but a little sweeter. I like to mix them up: half with the cinnamon sugar coating and half with the glaze. I enjoy the glazed ones with my coffee in the mornings, and the cinnamon sugar ones are sort of like a churro and perfect with an afternoon tea.
Testing results for baked pumpkin donuts
- I found that using a zipper gallon bag with the corner snipped off is the easiest and most efficient way to fill the pan with batter. Spooning it in takes longer and gets batter all over the pan, at least when I try it. My youngest grandson says, “Lulu’s a good cook, but she’s messy!” He’s not wrong haha.
- This isn’t a super great make-ahead recipe, since the glazed donuts in particular are best eaten the day they’re made.
I hope you make this recipe. I think you’ll love it!
Ingredient notes
Here are a few things to know about the ingredients in this recipe.
➡️➡️➡️ The full ingredient amounts and instructions are listed below on the printable recipe card. Scroll below the recipe card for frequently asked questions and tips for success.
Pumpkin puree: Buy plain canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling already has sugar and spices in it and will throw off the batter.
Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger: These three are what make them pumpkin spice donuts rather than plain pumpkin ones.
Buttermilk: Buttermilk is what keeps the crumb tender. Look for full-fat buttermilk, not the low-fat kind.
Pin this now to save it for laterHow to make baked pumpkin donuts
- Preheat the oven and grease the donut pan.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt together in a medium bowl.
- Whisk the pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, melted butter, buttermilk, and vanilla in a larger bowl until it’s smooth.
- Stir the dry into the wet just until combined, then pipe or spoon the batter into the pan.
- Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, then cool the donuts briefly in the pan.
- Coat the warm donuts in cinnamon sugar, or glaze them once they’ve cooled.
The batter for baked pumpkin donuts is loose, closer to muffin batter than to dough, and that’s what makes filling the pan awkward. A piping bag is the neatest option. A zip-top bag with one corner snipped off works just as well, and a spoon works if you take it slowly. Fill each cavity about two-thirds full.
Why these are cake donuts
Baked pumpkin donuts are pumpkin cake donuts, which means baking powder is the leavener instead of yeast. There’s no proofing, no rise time, and nothing to wait on while dough doubles. You mix the batter, and it goes straight into the pan.
Pumpkin puree carries a lot of moisture, which helps the crumb turn out soft and close-grained rather than airy. The buttermilk adds a little acid, which keeps the texture tender. Overmixing is the one thing that will toughen them, so stir only until the flour disappears.
Related 📖 ➡️ Buttermilk in Southern cooking
What to serve with baked pumpkin donuts
These baked pumpkin donuts are good for brunch, breakfast, or just a simple dessert. When I want two pumpkin things out at once, I bake a batch of my Pumpkin Scones or Pumpkin Streusel Muffins alongside them and put out eggs and sausage to balance it.
For a bigger spread, check out Best Southern Breakfast Recipes for plenty of delicious breakfast recipes.
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below!
➡️➡️➡️ Cooking from your phone? Members of The Red Clay Society read every recipe on the site with NO ADS, plus they get The Red Clay Journal, The Red Clay Kitchen cookbook, and The Front Porch, our member community.
Ingredients
For the donuts
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the cinnamon sugar coating
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
For the cinnamon glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk, plus more as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a donut pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, pinch ground ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling), 2 large eggs, 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed, 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted, 1/2 cup buttermilk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fill a piping bag with the batter and fill each cavity of the donut pan about 2/3 full. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the donuts cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Grease the pan again and repeat with the remaining batter. A standard donut pan holds 6, so this recipe bakes in two batches.
For cinnamon sugar pumpkin donuts:
- Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon on a shallow plate. While the donuts are still slightly warm, roll them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
For cinnamon glazed pumpkin donuts:
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons milk, plus more as needed. Add more milk as needed to reach a smooth, pourable consistency.
- Drizzle over cooled donuts, or dip them and let the glaze set.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Set the cooling rack over a baking sheet lined with waxed paper before drizzling the glaze to catch the drips.
Nutrition
Questions and tips
Storage
Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. I like to store the glazed ones in a flat container so they aren’t stacked.
You can put this batter in a muffin pan, but then you’ll have muffins. Get yourself a donut pan so you can make all the donuts!
Twelve. A standard donut pan holds 6 cavities, so you’ll bake them in two batches unless you have two pans. Grease the pan again before you fill it the second time.
10 to 12 minutes. Start checking at 10 with a toothpick in the thickest part of the ring, and pull the pan as soon as it comes out clean.
They cooled too far before you rolled them. Cinnamon sugar pumpkin donuts have to go into the sugar while they’re still a little warm, when the surface still has enough moisture to hold it. Once they’re completely cool, the sugar slides right off.
