Pumpkin Donuts are here to celebrate the season and turn your regular breakfast routine into something special. The perfect fall season sweet treat with your morning coffee or tea.
Pumpkin Donut Recipe
Featuring a vibrant orange hue, a wonderfully moist consistency, and a delightful essence of pumpkin, these baked (non-fried) doughnuts serve as the ideal grab-and-go breakfast option on a brisk autumn morning.
These pumpkin cake donuts are hard to resist, especially when they’re still warm and remain one of the symbols of fall as the spectacular foliage turns autumnal and the weather starts to feel crisp.
Related: 2 Ingredient Pumpkin Cake
Because donuts are so easy to make at home (especially this recipe), there’s no need to wait for a “hot and ready” sign before getting this batter together and baking them in the oven.
The grand finale, dusting with powdered sugar or dipping the tops in melted butter and sprinkling with cinnamon-sugar is the only choice you’ll have to make when it comes to how you’re going to serve this stack of pumpkin beauties.
If you want to be the hero at tomorrow’s breakfast, make sure to grab all your ingredients today and make these baked pumpkin donuts as soon as possible.
How To Fill a Donut Tin
The simplest way to fill your donut tin is to prepare a piping/decorating bag with your donut batter.
Cut approximately 1″ off the tip of the piping bag and evenly pipe the batter into each donut cavity.
Filling the wells to about halfway shy of the rim.
Pumpkin Doughnuts Ingredients
See the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions, this list is just an overview.
- Yellow cake mix: The base for the doughnuts, ensuring a consistent texture and sweetness.
- Pumpkin puree: Infuses the doughnuts with pumpkin flavor and helps maintain their moistness.
- Ground cinnamon: Adds warmth and depth to the pumpkin flavor, enhancing the overall taste.
- Pumpkin pie spice: A blend of spices that complements the pumpkin flavor, creating a more complex and aromatic profile.
- Maple extract: Introduces a rich maple essence, elevating the overall flavor profile of the doughnuts.
- Melted butter (for the top): Optional. Offers a luscious and slightly savory topping that balances the sweetness of the doughnuts.
- Confectioners’ sugar (for the top): Optional. Dusts the doughnuts with a sweet and decorative coating, adding a touch of elegance.
Tips for the Best Pumpkin Donuts
- Spice Balance: Adjust the amount of ground cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice according to your taste preferences. If you’re fond of strong spice flavors, you can slightly increase the amounts.
- Maple Extract: If you don’t have maple extract on hand, you can substitute it with vanilla extract. However, using maple extract enhances the fall flavors and gives a unique touch.
- Baking Time: Keep a close eye on the baking time as oven temperatures can vary. The donuts are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cooling Rack: Once out of the oven, transfer the baked donuts to a wire cooling rack. This prevents them from becoming soggy on the bottom due to trapped steam.
- Topping Options: Feel free to get creative with toppings. In addition to melted butter or confectioners’ sugar, you can also try a cream cheese glaze, chopped nuts, or even a drizzle of caramel.
- Don’t Over-Fill Donut Tins: Make sure not to over-fill the donut tins, as the batter will bake unevenly and may overflow onto the top of the pan.
- Pumpkin-Chocolate Combo: Donuts can also be dipped in melted chocolate for a delicious pumpkin-chocolate flavor combination. It’s a great way to enhance the taste profile.
- Fall-Covered Sprinkles: For added festive flair, don’t forget the fall-themed sprinkles. They can add a touch of color and charm to your pumpkin donuts.
- Customize: Feel free to add mix-ins like chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or dried cranberries to the batter for added texture and flavor.
Storage and Freezing Instructions for Pumpkin Donuts
Short-Term Storage:
If you plan to enjoy the pumpkin donuts within a day or two:
- Room Temperature: Place the cooled pumpkin donuts in an airtight container or a resealable plastic bag, separating layers with parchment paper. Keep them at room temperature in a cool, dry place.
Long-Term Storage and Freezing:
For longer storage or to freeze the pumpkin donuts:
- Cool Completely: Allow the pumpkin donuts to cool completely on a wire rack before storing. Warm donuts can create condensation in the storage container, leading to sogginess.
- Flash Freeze:
- Flash Freeze: Place the pumpkin donuts on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze for about 1-2 hours, or until the donuts are firm.
- Individual Wrapping: Once frozen, wrap each pumpkin donut individually in plastic wrap or wax paper. This prevents them from sticking together in the storage container.
- Pack for Freezing:
- Airtight Container: Place the individually wrapped pumpkin donuts in an airtight container or resealable freezer bag.
- Label and Date: Clearly label the container with the freezing date. Frozen donuts are best consumed within 2-3 months for optimal quality.
- Thaw and Reheat:
- Thaw at Room Temperature: When you’re ready to enjoy the donuts, remove the desired number of wrapped pumpkin donuts from the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature.
- Reheat: For a freshly baked taste, gently reheat the thawed pumpkin donuts in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for a few minutes until they’re warmed through.
Remember that while freezing preserves the texture and flavor of the donuts, they might not be as perfectly fresh as when first baked. Proper freezing and thawing techniques help maintain the best quality possible. Enjoy your pumpkin donuts.
MORE PUMPKIN RECIPES TO EXPLORE
There’s never too many pumpkin recipes to cook, bake and enjoy!
- Pumpkin Spice Moscow Mule
- Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
- Pumpkin Chili
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Pumpkin Fudge Brownies
- Pumpkin Caramel Bars with Bacon
- Pumpkin Cookies with Molasses
- Pumpkin Pie Martini
- Pumpkin Buttermilk Muffins
- Pumpkin Drop Biscuits
- Pumpkin Crumb Coffee Cake
- Pumpkin Spice Chex Mix
- Pumpkin Smoothies
- Pumpkin Brown Sugar Muffins
- Brown Butter-Pumpkin Spiced Waffles
- Mini Pumpkin Pies
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How to Make Pumpkin Donuts
Pumpkin Donuts
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp maple extract
- melted butter (optional)
- confectioners' sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare donut tins with cooking spray. Set aside.cooking spray
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and maple extract. Mix with a hand held mixer until batter is smooth and free of lumps.1 box yellow cake mix, 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix), 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1 tsp maple extract
- Scoop batter into a piping bag (if you don't have one use a Ziploc bag and cut off one corner to make into a piping bag) and pipe batter into the donut tin, filling only halfway.
- Bake for 5-7 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- For toppings, you can either dip the top of the donut into a bowl of confectioners' sugar to coat the top or dip the top of the donut into melted butter and immediately dust with cinnamon sugar. You can even leave them plain if you choose.melted butter (optional), confectioners' sugar (optional)
Notes
Nutrition
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