These pumpkin spice donuts are super moist, extra easy because they're baked, and coated in a fall spice cinnamon sugar! Ready in 1 hour (including cooling time!) you won't believe these donuts are homemade and not from your local fall farm stand!
Move over apple cider donuts, these pumpkin spice donuts are going to be your new favorite fall treat! In New England once September 1st rolls around it's nearly impossible not to see signs for apple cider donuts at all the local grocery stores and farm stands, but pumpkin donuts definitely deserve some love as well! These baked pumpkin donuts have pumpkin pie spice, a buttery and crunchy cinnamon sugar coating, and are so moist that you wouldn't believe they're homemade.
These donuts are the best for pumpkin season, and use canned pumpkin puree which makes them extra tender and gives them the classic pumpkin dessert flavor. They also have the right amount of spice and sweetness making them a perfect after dinner dessert or easy breakfast for enjoying alongside a cup of coffee (or a pumpkin spice latte!). My husband loved having these alongside some vanilla ice cream, and pumpkin ice cream is also obviously an option for incorporating as much pumpkin as possible during the fall season.
Looking for another pumpkin recipe? Try out our Pumpkin Banana Muffins which are also super moist and perfect for breakfast or a sweet treat. For something that would pair perfectly with these donuts in the evening give our Pumpkin Spice Martini a try!
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Why You'll Love this Pumpkin Donut Recipe
- They have the best pumpkin spice flavor. If you can't get enough of autumn warm spices then you'll definitely want to add these donuts to your recipe rotation.
- The preparation steps are super easy! These donuts don't require pulling out an electric mixer or oil for frying, making them a low effort and low clean up recipe!
- They're made with whole ingredients. One of the best things about making these delicious donuts at home is you know exactly what's in them! They taste just as (or even more) delightful than other fall donuts sold this time of year, but they're made from scratch.
Ingredients for these Fluffy Donuts
The donuts have a simple ingredients list, which you should be able to find at your local store. If you're not able to find pumpkin pie spice be sure to check out our note below!
Pumpkin Spice Donuts:
- Flour - Make sure to accurately measure the flour using a kitchen scale or the scoop and level method. You want to make sure you're not using too much flour or the donuts will be dense and dry.
- Granulated sugar and light brown sugar - Using both granulated sugar and light brown sugar adds a richness to the donuts that pairs so well with the fall spices! The brown sugar also helps activate the baking soda.
- Baking soda and baking powder - Baking soda activated by the brown sugar helps brown these donuts up nicely and make them nice and fluffy alongside the help of the baking powder!
- Salt - Helps bring out the flavor from the spices and the pumpkin.
- Pumpkin pie spice - If you can't find this in stores or if they're out of it, you can make your own homemade pumpkin spice mix by combining cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Sally's Baking Recipes has a great version!
- Cinnamon - I like to add in some additional cinnamon to make sure its flavor really comes through.
- Whole milk - I have not tried it, but I think the recipe should work okay if you wanted to substitute a non-dairy milk.
- Vegetable oil - Helps make the donuts extra moist without adding any flavor.
- Eggs - For structure and to help ensure the donuts are nice and plump!
- Pumpkin puree - Make sure to use pure pumpkin puree, not a canned version with any other ingredients added.
- Vanilla extract - Just a little so it's not overpowering.
Spiced Sugar Coating:
- Butter - Melted butter is the perfect coating to help the spiced sugar stick to the finished donuts. Make sure to fully coat the donuts in butter by dunking them, but also make sure to let the excess butter drip off first so the donuts don't taste too, well, buttery.
- Granulated sugar - A good amount of sugar makes these donuts look and taste like the classic fall donuts!
- Pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon - I find the coating tastes best when it's a mix of both pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon so that they have that classic pumpkin baked good flavor without just tasting like cinnamon sugar. I like to rotate the donuts in the spiced sugar mix and also sprinkle additional over the top so that sugar gets in the inside of each hole too.
See recipe card below for quantities.
Step by Step Instructions
These donuts are very easy to make and only require 25 minutes of preparation time.
Step 1: Preheat oven and prepare pans. Preheat oven to 350°F degrees and spray two 6-cavity donut pans with cooking spray.
Step 2: Combine dry ingredients. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon.
Step 3: Whisk wet ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together milk, vegetable oil, eggs, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract.
Step 4: Combine dry and wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix with a spatula until just combined, being sure not to over mix.
Step 5: Bake donuts. Scoop or pipe batter into greased donut pans, filling each cavity ¾ of the way to the top. Bake for 14-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Do not over bake.
Step 6: Cool donuts. Once donuts are done baking, let cool partially in the pans until they're no longer hot but still warm (about 10 minutes), then remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 7: Prepare the spiced sugar coating. For the spiced sugar coating, add the melted butter to a small bowl and combine the sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon in a separate shallow bowl.
Step 8: Coat the donuts. Dunk each donut in the melted butter, let the excess butter drip off, then roll in the cinnamon sugar until coated. Repeat with all donuts and enjoy immediately!
Tips for Making these Homemade Pumpkin Donuts
- I highly recommend measuring the ingredients with a kitchen scale. I swear it changed my baking abilities! Measuring the ingredients accurately is crucial for getting the best results and the perfect donut.
- I find it easiest to use a piping bag or a large Ziploc bag with one of the corners cut off to pipe the batter into the donut cavities. If you don't have either of these you can use a spoon but it will just take a bit longer. If needed use a knife to gently smooth out the tops.
- Do not overbake them! Part of the reason these are so good is because of their fluffy, light, and moist texture, so you definitely don't want to dry them out in the oven. Once the tops are risen and look set test one with a toothpick or fork and remove them from the oven as soon as it comes out clean.
FAQs
You can make these into pumpkin spice muffins by baking them in a muffin pan, you'll just have to adjust the cooking time. If you only have a mini donut pan you can also make these into mini donuts, you'll just also have to reduce the cooking time depending on the size of the cavities.
If you prefer glazed donuts then a vanilla glaze or maple glaze would be perfect for glazing these donuts.
The molasses in the brown sugar helps activate the baking soda, and its warm flavor pairs well with the spices, so I would not recommend using all granulated sugar in this recipe. I think using dark brown sugar in place of the light brown sugar should work though.
Storing and Freezing
These donuts are best served immediately but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If stored the coating may become a bit moist so you can re-roll them in some additional spiced sugar if needed.
The donuts can be frozen for up to 3 months and thawed in the refrigerator. Once ready to eat you can pop them in the microwave for a few seconds until warm.
Did you try this recipe? If so please leave a ⭐️ rating and/or comment below! Also, make sure to tag us on Instagram @doublethespoonfuls so we can see what you create.
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Spice Donuts - Easy Homemade Baked Recipe!
Ingredients
Pumpkin Spice Donuts
- 2 cups flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar light
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Spiced Sugar Coating
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F degrees and spray two 6-cavity donut pans with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon.2 cups flour, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together milk, vegetable oil, eggs, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract.¼ cup whole milk, ½ cup vegetable oil, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup pumpkin puree
- Add wet ingredients to dry and mix with a spatula until just combined, being sure not to over mix.
- Scoop or pipe batter into greased donut pans, filling each cavity ¾ of the way to the top. Bake for 14-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Do not over bake.
- Once donuts are done baking, let cool partially in the pans until they're no longer hot but still warm (about 10 minutes), then remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the spiced sugar coating, add the melted butter to a small bowl and combine the sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon in a separate shallow bowl.6 tablespoons butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Dunk each donut in the melted butter, let the excess butter drip off, then roll in the cinnamon sugar until coated. Repeat with all donuts and enjoy immediately!
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