Using the batter from pumpkin cream cheese muffins, make homemade pumpkin donuts with brown sugar icing for fall breakfast or snack-time. This brown sugar icing sets, so the donuts are easy to stack and transport. See recipe notes about turning these into pumpkin muffins or mini pumpkin donuts.
Wonderfully moist cake-like donutsโฆ but make them PUMPKIN! My mini pumpkin muffins are donut-like, but it wasnโt until I transformed my favorite pumpkin muffins into cake-like donuts that I was truly satisfied with a traditional baked pumpkin donut recipe. And Iโm thrilled to show you how I made them!
Why Youโll Love These Pumpkin Donuts
- Baked, not fried
- Makes a big batch, but can be halved
- Cake donut texture
- Pretty easy & no mixer needed
- Ready in less than 45 minutes
- Perfectly spiced and you can use homemade pumpkin pie spice
- Delicious plain, but even better with icing
By the way, these taste fantastic with a cup of coffee and homemade pumpkin coffee creamer. Fall breakfast doesnโt get much better than this!
Behind the Recipe
For a guaranteed successful starting point, I turned to my pumpkin cream cheese muffins. I love this muffin batter because itโs really easy to prepare and always impresses, even without the cheesecake filling and crumb topping. (And that says a lot!!) The batter is a lot like my pumpkin crumb cake muffins, but thereโs baking powder for lift and weโll sweeten the donuts exclusively with brown sugar.
How to Make Baked Pumpkin Donuts
Made with basic ingredients, these pumpkin donuts come together quickly.
- Mix the dry ingredients together.
- Whisk the wet ingredients together.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients.
- Fill donut pan.
- Bake.
I have a handy trick for filling donut pans, and I swear by it if youโre looking for an easy shortcut. Add the batter to a large zipped-top bag, cut off a corner, then pipe the batter into the donut pan filling only about halfway. The bag makes transferring the batter easy, neat, and quick.
Bounce Back Trick
I have another trick for you and I do this with almost every cake, muffin, cupcake, and donut that I bake. When the donuts are looking just about done, lightly poke the top with your finger. If the donut bounces back, theyโre done. If your finger leaves an indent, the donuts need a little longer in the oven. Testing with a toothpick works as well.
Brown Sugar Icing
I had the toughest time deciding how to top these pumpkin donuts! So I made several batches and finally decided on a creamy brown sugar icing. Oh my gosh, this has to be one of the tastiest donut icings Iโve ever made. Adapted from the glaze used on my apple Bundt cake, I melted butter with brown sugar and milk on the stovetop. Let the 3 simmer for a minute, then add vanilla extract and sifted confectionersโ sugar until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Taste, then add a pinch of salt for a little extra flavor. (DO IT!)
Let the icing thicken for a few minutes, then give those donuts a nice belly flop right into it. Brown sugared and buttery, this icing might just be better than the donuts themselves. Definitely a close call. If youโre hooked on it, youโll also love this icing drizzled on apple cinnamon bread.
The brown sugar icing sets, so these are convenient for stacking or transporting.
Alternate Pumpkin Donut Toppings
Before the icing sets, you can garnish the donuts with finely chopped nuts (I used walnuts), toffee pieces, coconut, or sprinkles. If youโre not into brown sugar icing, try any of these:
- Vanilla Icing
- Maple Icing from these Banana Scones
- Brown Butter Icing from these Apple Blondies
- Cinnamon-Sugar Topping (see recipe note)
More Fall Baking Recipes
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Apple Cider Donuts
- Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Muffins
- Maple Brown Sugar Cookies
- Pumpkin Scones
And of course, classic Pumpkin Pie! For even more pumpkin flavored inspiration, here are my 30+ best pumpkin dessert recipes.
Baked Pumpkin Donuts
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: about 16 donuts
- Category: Donuts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Make homemade pumpkin donuts with brown sugar icing for fall breakfast. This brown sugar icing sets, so the donuts are easy to stack and transport. See recipe notes about turning these into pumpkin muffins or mini pumpkin donuts.
Ingredients
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil (or canola oil or melted coconut oil)
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (227g) fresh or canned pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup (80ml) milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Brown Sugar Icing
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk
- 1 Tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups (175g) sifted confectionersโ sugar
- pinch of salt, to taste
- optional: toppings, see note
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Spray donut pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- Make the donuts: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together in a large bowl until combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla extract together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then fold everything together gently just until combined and no flour pockets remain.
- Spoon the batter into the donut cavities or for ease, I highly recommend using a large zipped-top bag. Cut a corner off the bottom of the bag and pipe the batter into each donut cup, filling about halfway.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes or until the edges and tops are lightly browned. To test, poke your finger into the top of the donut. If the donut bounces back, theyโre done. Cool donuts in the pan for 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack. Re-grease the pan and bake the remaining donut batter. *For mini donuts, bake in a mini donut pan for 8-9 minutes. Cool donuts for at least 10 minutes before icing them.
- Make the icing: Combine the brown sugar, milk, and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the butter has melted and mixture is smooth. Bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 1 minute then remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract and sifted confectionersโ sugar until smooth and combined. Taste, then add a pinch of salt if desiredโI always add a tiny pinch. Let the icing cool for 5 minutes to slightly thicken. Dip the tops of the pumpkin donuts into the warm icing. If icing is getting too thick as youโre dipping, add a little more milk or warm back up in the microwave or on the stove to thin out. Place dipped donuts on a wire rack placed on a baking sheet so any excess icing can drip off. Top with chopped nuts or other toppings if desired. If applied lightly, the icing will eventually set in about 1 hour so you can stack or transport the donuts.
- Cover leftover donuts tightly and store at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can freeze the donuts, plain or topped with the icing, for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm up to your liking in the microwave. I usually just microwave them for a couple seconds. If plain, top with icing before serving if desired.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Donut Pan | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Large Zip-Topped Bag | Saucepan | Cooling Rack
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: You can find pumpkin pie spice in the baking aisle of most grocery stores or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice. If you donโt have either and want to use individual spices, use 1/4 teaspoon each: ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and ground allspice. This is in addition to the 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamonโyou will still add that.
- Milk: Any milk works for the donuts and icing. Iโve tested with unsweetened vanilla almond milk, whole milk, and skim milk. You can use any, dairy or non.
- Optional Toppings: After applying the icing, you can sprinkle toppings on top or dip the donuts into any the following: sprinkles, finely chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted coconut, finely chopped toffee, or a sprinkle of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. Instead of icing, you can add a cinnamon sugar topping. Follow the same topping instructions (including dipping in melted butter) found in my Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts recipe. Feel free to replace that cinnamon in the topping with pumpkin pie spice.
- No Donut Pan? Make donut muffins in your standard 12-cup muffin pan. Follow the baking instructions for my pumpkin crumb cake muffins, leaving off the crumb topping. Top warm muffins with this brown sugar icing before serving.
- Mini Donuts: Want to make mini donuts or mini donut holes in a mini muffin pan? Grease your pan, add the batter to the pan only about 3/4 of the way full. Bake at 350ยฐF (177ยฐC) for about 8-9 minutes.
Reader Comments and Reviews
This is an amazing recipe. How many calories in a donut?
Hi Heather, We donโt usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
I actually turned this recipe into a โBundt cakeโ. I mixed all the ingredients, put the batter in a Bundt pan, baked it for 42 minutes at 350. Came out like a dream! Drizzled that brown sugar frosting on it. Yum! Basically a giant cake donut.
These donuts are SO YUMMY!! My 4 year old son and I made them and they were a hit with the whole family. They are moist and the pumpkin flavor really comes through in the perfect way making them absolutely delicious!
Any tips for high altitude?
Hi KZ, we wish we could help, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
I live at high altitude and didnโt make any adjustments and they turned out PERFECT!!
I made these donuts and dipped them in cinnamon sugar. Let me just say that my husband wonโt eat anything but Pumpkin Pie. He devoured these. They are so light and fluffy. We loved them. I have Celiacs so I used gluten free flour, and it worked perfectly. Can I use this recipe for other flavors, like chocolate or bluberry?
Hi Jacqueline, weโre so glad these donuts were a hit. You can find all our donut recipes here!
These donuts were absolutely scrumptious! I made them to bring to my grandsons football game. They were a great hit! So moist and flavorful. I didnโt do the icing but the light brush of butter the dipped into sugar with cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice! Iโve got โmy orders โ to make more! We loved your apple cider donuts but these are their #1 pick
This is seriously the best recipe for pumpkin doughnuts!!!! I made this for my first day of school lunch, and fell in love! I made mine in a mini doughnut maker, and they turned out great! I would definitely recommend.
Would this be the same recipe to use in mini donut electric maker?
Hi Lori, this recipe should work just fine in an electric donut maker. Weโre unsure of the exact bake times.
Iโm here to say that I made this recipe with white whole wheat flour (because it was all I had) and it still turned out great! These are so delicious. I iced them but they would probably still be good without it too.
Hi Sally I made all three recipes. I used glueten free all purpose flour and glueten free baking powder. Used the coconut sugar and coconut oil. Chia seeds as egg substitutes. They were lovely.
I also made a chocolate ganache for the topping. Thank you for a really quick and easy to follow recipe.
Caryl. Australia
can you use other flours in this recipe, like whole wheat?
Hi Sherry, all-purpose flour is best here, but you could try swapping half for whole wheat flour. The donuts may taste a bit dense.
Love this recipe, itโs a big hit with my family. I use a cream cheese frosting instead of the glaze. I Will be making this again!
Not a cake doughnutโฆIt is cake in the shape of a doughnutโฆthey are tasty I will say thatโฆa cake doughnut is something completely differentโฆit has more of a dense textureโฆI f you are looking for a baked doughnut that has the texture and taste of a fried cake doughnutโฆI suggest trying baked doughnuts 3 ways โฆa King Arthur recipeโฆ
Delicious! Turned out exactly as expected, even with King Arthur gluten free flour. Iโm so glad I decided to make the icing. It was fantastic!
Out of this world!
Loved this recipe! I used cream cheese frosting
My glaze didnโt look like what is shown in these photos it was so thin I couldnโt even see it.
Hi Michelle, thank you for giving this recipe a try. Should you wish to try this recipe again, feel free to add more confectionersโ sugar to help the icing come to a thicker consistency. Hope you still enjoyed the donuts!
Can these be frozen
Hi Theresa, You can freeze the donuts, plain or topped with the icing, for up to 2-3 months. See make ahead instructions for more details.
Everyone loved these and loved the glaze drizzled on the donuts (vs dipped). They are amazing when eaten warm!
I had problems with the glaze, it started thickening up while a was dunking the donuts so after about 4-6 donuts it became to thick and the later donuts look a mess.
I tried re-making the glaze to make it thinner and had the same problem the second time around.
Hi Sara! The glaze with thicken as it cools โ you can just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to thin it out again.
I made it yesterday and it was perfect!
But this morning the left over donuts icing melted,how can I avoid this next time?
Hi Liza, weโre so glad you enjoyed these donuts! The icing โmeltingโ off is from the moisture from the donuts letting off as they sit. Storing them in a container the isnโt sealed all the way (not air tight) will help some of the moisture escape and keep them from getting so wet (and the icing falling off). Hope this helps!
This glaze is such perfection! It adds the right amount of sweetness to the donut. You taste the flavor not all the sweetness. Highly recommend! Thank you for the recipe! Always appreciate baked donuts, easier to make at home.