Meet your new favorite donut! Homemade brown butter pumpkin donuts topped with a decadent espresso chocolate ganache glaze. D-I-V-I-N-E.

Donuts are a weakness of mine. Fried or baked, I love them all. Every year around this time I catch pumpkin fever (don’t we all?) and since I wasn’t feeling up to making a whole pie, I decided instead to cure the craving with an easy but equally delicious batch of pumpkin donuts.

↑↑↑ These babies bake up in just 10 minutes; how great is that?!

Since these pumpkin donuts aren’t overly sweet so I knew I wanted to dunk them in something drippy and delicious. Enter this espresso chocolate ganache! Chocolate saves the day. Everyday.

Proof that every thing is better with glaze. ↓

Fact: Not all baked donuts are created equal. Some recipes yield very soft, cake-y donuts, while others can bake up very dense. These donuts are somewhere in the middle. I like my donuts firm enough to hold a thick glaze (and not get soggy right away), but still very soft and moist.

I hope these photos have convinced you to bust out the donut pan. After one bite you’ll be searching for an excuse to bake these up – trust me!

P.S. If you you’re in the market for a donut pan, I’ve included the one I use and love below.

(Baked) Brown Butter Pumpkin Doughnuts with Espresso Chocolate Glaze

Ashley Manila

Brown butter pumpkin donuts topped with rich chocolate ganache! These baked donuts truly are the best of both worlds.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Donuts

Servings 6 baked donuts

Ingredients

 

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose-flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 1/2 tablespoons browned butter (unsalted)
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin mix, although if that's all you have, omit the spices from the recipe)
• 1/4 cup milk (any kind will do)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Espresso Chocolate Glaze:

• 1 and 1/4 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)

Instructions

 

For the brown butter pumpkin doughnuts:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Generously grease a doughnut pan; set aside.
• In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg; whisk well to combine. In a separate bowl combine the brown butter and dark brown sugar and beat smooth. Add in the egg and beat until combined. Add in the pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla and whisk smooth. Using a rubber spatula gently fold in the flour mixture, stirring just until combined.
• Spoon mixture into prepared doughnut pan, and bake for 10-11 minutes, or until the doughnuts spring back when lightly pressed. Allow doughnuts to cool a few minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire wrack to cool for a few more minutes.
• Once the donuts are cool enough to handle, dip them in the chocolate ganache, allowing excess ganache to drip back into the bowl before placing them back on the cooling rack; repeat with all donuts. Let ganache set a few minutes then serve! These donuts are best eaten the day they are made.

For the chocolate ganache:

• Place chocolate chips in a wide and shallow heat proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium-heat. Bring to a boil, watching very carefully as it will happen fast. When the cream has come to a boil, remove from heat and pour over the chocolate chips. Allow the cream and chocolate to sit for minute, then whisk completely smooth. Let the ganache cool for a few minutes before you dip the donuts.

Tried it and loved it?Snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram @Bakerbynature and by using the hashtag #BakerByNature

Oh! And those little crumbs on the donuts are crushed OREO’s 🙂