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These Baked Pumpkin Donuts are so quick and easy to make! They’re moist, fluffy, loaded with fall spices, and covered in a cinnamon sugar coating.
Easy Baked Pumpkin Donuts
I don’t care what you do this fall. But if you do anything it all, you should make these Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Donuts. These are the most requested fall treat in my house.
Seriously. We had no problem finishing a batch of these in a single day. To make them, I took my pumpkin muffin recipe and baked the batter in a donut pan. I then coated them in butter, cinnamon, and sugar, because why not?
These baked donuts are cake-like, fluffy, and very moist. There’s also no shortage of pumpkin flavor. Win!
Do Baked and Fried Donuts Taste Different?
Yes. Baked and fried donuts aren’t going to taste quite the same. But different isn’t bad! These baked pumpkin donuts are still deliciously decadent and will absolutely satisfy your donut craving.
These are quite soft, and more cake-like in consistency.
Key Ingredients
- Vegetable Oil and Melted Butter – I use mostly oil for a moist and tender crumb and a little bit of butter for richness.
- Pumpkin Puree – make sure you’re using 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. They are different!
- Sugar – this recipe uses mostly brown sugar with a bit of granulated sugar, which helps add moisture and gives the donuts a bit of caramelization.
- Spices – a combination of pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg gives these pumpkin donuts the perfect fall spiced flavor.
How to Make Baked Pumpkin Donuts
- Combine the wet ingredients: Beat the egg until fluffy, then add oil, butter, milk, and vanilla. Mix to combine, then add in the pumpkin puree.
- Add the dry ingredients: Add the sugars to the batter and beat until combined, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Beat until just combined.
- Fill the pan: Make sure you thoroughly grease the pan with some type of cooking spray so that you can easily remove the donuts. Each donut is about 1/4 cup of batter.
- Bake the donuts: Bake in an oven preheated to 350°F for about 10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Cool and coat: Cool the donuts for 5 minutes, then turn them onto a wire rack and let them cool completely. Once cooled, brush with melted butter and roll in cinnamon and sugar coating.
Which Flour is Best for Donuts?
All-purpose flour is definitely the way to go when it comes to these baked pumpkin donuts. It creates the perfect light and fluffy texture!
Can You Bake Donuts in a Muffin Pan?
You sure can! This batter works great as muffins as well, so if you’d rather go that route just portion it out evenly into a regular-sized muffin tin, without the liners. Then you’ll dip the entire muffin in butter and then the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
Keep in mind that the muffins will take longer to bake than the donuts, so add time as needed until a toothpick comes out clean.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Grease the pan. This makes it so much easier to get the donuts out once they’re done baking.
- Don’t over-mix. Mix the batter only until just combined. An over-mixed batter can become dry and dense.
- Cool completely. Make sure the donuts are completely cooled before adding the coating. I liked them, even more, the next day! Dipping warm donuts in butter sounds delicious but will actually make the donut more delicate and they could fall apart easier.
- Use another topping. The cinnamon sugar coating is delicious, but feel free to use another topping like my Brown Butter Maple Glaze.
- Make donut holes. Feel free to swap the donut pan out for a donut hole pan. Keep in mind donut holes will bake more quickly!
Storage Instructions
Baked donuts are best served within 1-2 days of preparation, but you can totally make them the day before and store them uncoated in an airtight container. You can also store them uncoated in the freezer for up to 1 month.
When you’re ready to serve, thaw in the fridge if frozen, then add the butter, cinnamon, and sugar, and serve.
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Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Donuts
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 10 donuts
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Pin RecipeDescription
These Baked Pumpkin Donuts are so quick and easy to make! They’re moist, fluffy, loaded with fall spices, and covered in a cinnamon sugar coating.
Ingredients
For the Donuts
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) milk
- 1/2 cup (118ml) vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons (28g) butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cups (135g) pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup (165g) light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (48g) granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups (175g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (4g) baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- pinch of nutmeg
For the Coating
- 1/4 cup (56g) butter, melted
- 1/4 cup (48g) granulated sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons (15-22g) ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Prep:Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Beat the wet ingredients:Beat the egg for 1-2 minutes until fluffy. Next add the oil, butter, egg, milk and vanilla extract and beat together until well combined. Then add the pumpkin puree and continue mixing until well combined.
- Beat in the dry ingredients: First add the brown and granulated sugar and continue beating until well combined. Then add the remaining dry ingredients and beat just until the flour is incorporated. Use a spatula to mix the batter, ensuring all ingredients are well combined.
- Bake: Generously spray your donut pan with cooking spray. Fill each cavity with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the donut, if the toothpick comes out clean, the donuts are done. Cool for 5 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack.
- Coat: Once cooled, brush the donuts with melted butter and then roll them in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar until well coated.
Notes
Make ahead and storage suggestions: Keep stored in an airtight container in a cool and dry place. These will stay moist for a few days, but it’s best when served within 2 days of preparing. After 2 days, the coating gets too soft, so if you make them ahead of time, store them in an airtight container and add the cinnamon sugar coating the day you plan to serve them.
To freeze these, cool them completely, and freeze without the coating in an airtight container. Thaw to room temperature and then add the cinnamon and sugar coating.
- Category: Donut
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Pumpkin Donut, Baked donut recipe, Baked Pumpkin Donuts
Thank you for sharing this recipe and putting it in grams!!! It was absolutely delicious and I will be making this soon again per family’s request. I reduced the brown sugar to 150 g and granulated sugar to 38 g. Still soooo amazing! Can’t wait to try your other recipes. 🙂
★★★★★
So happy to hear that Cat! This is a house favorite!