These baked pumpkin donuts are a lovely Fall treat. Pumpkin puree is whisked together with sugar, flour, oil and eggs to create a simple batter. Notes of vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove are added and then baked in the oven. Each donut is then brushed with butter and dipped into cinnamon sugar. These baked pumpkin donuts MELT in your mouth – and they are extra easy to make. No frying necessary, so these donuts are lighter too!
Recipe Inspo
I have always liked cake donuts way more than yeast donuts. I love how they are a little more dense, but I don’t like how dry and crumbly they can be. Luckily, this recipe produces springy and light donuts, which is just what I wanted!
My Dad always liked getting donuts on a Sunday morning, surprising us with an assortment of glazed, old fashioned or ones rolled in sugar. I loved the pumpkin and apple ones in the fall paired with a cup of coffee – yum. We never attempted to make our own because frying is messy and stressful. But I recently acquired a donut pan!
Equipment needed to make baked pumpkin donuts
You will need….a donut pan! I got mine from Williams Sonoma, which has six donut wells. I greased each donut well with a little bit of vegetable oil to make sure they wouldn’t stick.
You will also need:
- A Whisk
- 1 large mixing bowl – to make our batter
- 1 rubber spatula
- 2 small bowls – 1 for butter and 1 for cinnamon sugar – for our donut topping.
- 1 rubber brush – to spread the butter easily.
How to make baked pumpkin donuts
Let’s make them!
Step 1
Lucky us, this batter is REALLY easy. We start with our pumpkin puree, and I like to get organic pumpkin puree. Something about it is way smoother and lighter and less processed. I normally don’t push the organic products, but this is a good one to level up!
We whisk together the unsalted butter and pumpkin puree until smooth. Then we add eggs, vanilla, sugar and vegetable oil together (I used canola). Whisk until just combined and the oil appears incorporated.
Step 2
Then dump in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and salt. If you want your donuts POPPING with cinnamon, feel free to add more. With a spatula, mix until combined.
Now, if we were being professional, most people would tell you to mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl first before adding them to the wet ingredients. But I don’t think it makes a difference for this recipe (also I skip this most of the time in general, don’t tell Paul Hollywood). It comes together well enough for me.
Step 3
Fill the donut wells almost completely full with batter. I did this with a small spoon and worked in around the the edges. If it’s lumpy, use your finger to smooth out each donut so the batter sits smooth. Then bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 350°F, or when a knife inserted comes out clean. Let cool for five minutes before removing the donuts from the pan. Let cool on a wire wrack if you have one.
Step 4
In the meantime, prepare the cinnamon sugar topping. Melt the additional butter in one bowl. In the other, combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon and mix. Once the donuts are cooled, use the brush to lightly coat the top of the donuts. You don’t want to DRENCH them in butter – that will make them soggy. Be gentle.
Then dredge each one evenly through the cinnamon sugar mixture. Enjoy!
Other recipes to try
If you liked these baked pumpkin donuts with cinnamon sugar, try out some of these other treats:
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Baked Pumpkin Donuts with Cinnamon Sugar
Equipment
- 1 donut pan with 6 wells
- 1 Whisk
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 rubber spatula
- 2 small bowls
- 1 rubber brush
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp clove
- 1 tsp salt
- 15 oz. pumpkin puree canned
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 3 eggs
Cinnamon sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease your donut pan with oil or butter.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the unsalted butter and pumpkin puree until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, sugar and oil. Whisk until just combined and the oil appears incorporated.15 oz. pumpkin puree, ⅓ cup vegetable oil, ½ tsp vanilla extract, 4 tbsp unsalted butter, 3 eggs, 1½ cups granulated sugar
- Dump in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and salt. With a spatula, mix until combined.2 cups all purpose flour, 2 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp clove, 1 tsp salt, 2½ tsp baking powder
- Fill the donut wells almost completely full with batter. Use your finger to smooth out each donut.
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or when a knife inserted comes out clean. Let cool for five minutes before removing the donuts from the pan. Let cool on a wire wrack if you have one.
- In the meantime, prepare the topping. Melt the additional butter in one bowl. In the other, combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon and mix.1 tbsp cinnamon, 2 tbsp unsalted butter, ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- Once the donuts have cooled completely, gently brush each donut top with a light layer of butter. Dip the donut into the cinnamon sugar and let dry. Enjoy!
