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Pumpkin Cinnamon Sugar Donuts are baked, not fried, and ready in less than 20 minutes! So easy and perfect for breakfast! Pumpkin pie puree and pumpkin spice give these baked donuts incredible pumpkin flavor!
Baked Pumpkin Donuts
Happy day, my friends! Today is all about pumpkin, sugar, and DONUTS!
Confession: I’ve been dreaming about these fluffy pumpkin cinnamon sugar donuts since JUNE. What can I say? My pumpkin loving heart knows no seasons.
Then again, I’m the girl who made blackened chicken ramen noodle soup in July… so maybe all of this is no surprise?
If you’re anything like me, you adore donuts in pretty much any form! That said, I am a baked donut enthusiast and choose to bust out my donut pan over boiling a pot of oil 99.9% of the time. I like my donuts fat and fluffy. S
ometimes baked donuts can be too cake-y and soft, but this version is fluffy yet firm. <— The best of both worlds, baby ♥♥♥
How to Make Pumpkin Donuts
So here’s the nitty gritty on what you’ll need to make these dreamy donuts a reality! For the dry ingredients you’ll need all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
For the wet ingredients you’ll need milk (or almond milk), pumpkin pie puree (yes, the one with the spices already added in), and melted butter (or liquified coconut oil). You’ll also need granulated sugar and ground cinnamon to make the cinnamon sugar coating.
I thought about adding a drizzle or glaze to these donuts, but after test-tasting batch after batch, I decided to allow the natural charm of these pumpkin donuts to shine on their own. Sometimes less is more, ya know?
A few years ago I tackled vegan baking and you guys seemed to really dig it. So today I’m offering you TWO recipes below. The first being a traditional baked pumpkin cinnamon sugar donut and the second being a VEGAN baked pumpkin cinnamon sugar donut. I made both batches for a party last weekend, placed them on the same platter (don’t worry – no one at the party was vegan!) and guess what? None of my friends mentioned tasting a difference between the two. Both versions are sweet, fluffy, and suuuuper addicting!
More Donut Recipes
- Pumpkin Coffee Cake Donuts
- Nutella Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts
- Brown Butter Apple Cider Donuts
- Coffee Cake Donuts with Vanilla Glaze
- Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
Perfect Donut Pan for Baked Donuts
P.S. If you’re just dipping your toes into the baked donut game and are shopping for a donut pan, here’s the one I have been using for the past 3 years. It’s considerably cheap, very sturdy, and well, I just love it!
Pumpkin Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
Ingredients
Traditional version:
- 1 cup + 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 1/4 cup *pumpkin pie puree
- 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup milk (I used whole, but any type will do)
For the Cinnamon sugar coating:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
Vegan version:
- 1 cup + 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 1/4 cup *pumpkin pie puree
- 2 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 cup almond milk
For the Cinnamon sugar coating:
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
Instructions
Traditional version:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
- Generously grease a doughnut pan; set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl whisk together the pumpkin puree, melted butter, and milk. Gently fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture - don't over mix!
- 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.
- In the meantime, melt the butter for the cinnamon sugar coating; set aside. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a medium-sized bowl; set aside.
- Once the donuts are cool enough to handle, dip them in the melted butter, then roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture; repeat until all donuts have been covered.
- These donuts are best eaten the day they are made.
Vegan version:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
- Generously grease a doughnut pan; set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl whisk together the pumpkin puree, coconut oil, and almond milk.
- Gently fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture - don't over mix!
- 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.
- In the meantime, melt the coconut oil for the cinnamon sugar coating; set aside. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a medium-sized bowl; set aside.
- Once the donuts are cool enough to handle, dip them in the melted butter, then roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture; repeat until all donuts have been covered.
- These are best eaten the day they are made.
I was just thinking to myself the other day – I really need to make use of my donut pan! These look like the perfect way to do just that AND welcome my favourite season!
Bust that pan out, girl 😉 Fall is my favorite season, too!
No eggs?
Hi Laura! Yes, no eggs in this recipe.
Nutrition information isn’t visible. I need protein,, carbs, fat, and fiber.
Have u ever heard of “Google?” It’s a phenomenal search engine where u can find any info u need. For your easily solvable dilemma, search “recipe nutrition calculator.” Just plug in the ingredients (no, I won’t do that for u too…) and voila, u have ur answer!
Natalie for the win!
Yesssssssss
Thank you, girl! So ready for PUMPKIN season 🙂
Made them for grandkids this morning …. LOVED them!!!!
Hi Cyndi! So happy to hear it 🙂
Are these gluten free? Either recipe?
Hi Cassie. No, neither recipe is gluten free. However a gluten free 1 for 1 flour may work.
Can this batter be put in muffin pans?
Hi Lili. I’ve never tried, so I cannot say for sure. If you do try, be sure to increase the baking time, as muffins take around 20 minutes typically. Please let us know if you give it a try!
Yes I used a mini cupcake pan just spray it and they turned out great like little donut holes.
Concerning your donut pan. You say, “here’s the one I’ve been using for the past 3 years…”, but did not mention brand. Is it perhaps Wilton, or some other brand?
Thanks for responding
Hi. The photo link for the pan I use is right below that comment (Norpro brand). If you’re still not seeing the link, please let me know and I’ll send it to you.
I followed the link, it’s a Wilton Pan. I have the same one. They work GREAT!
Any replacement if I don’t own a donut pan?
It this dough bread-like enough to roll out and cut and hold it’s shape?
Hi Kelley. This recipe requires a donut pan. The batter is too thin to hold shape.
Best vegan donuts I’ve had and so easy to make. I used cake flour and sifted the dry ingredients but other than that I used the exact recipe and it was great. Thank you!
SO happy to hear it, Elana!
Can i use whole wheat flour instead ?
Hi Juls. The texture will likely be more dense if you sub whole wheat flour.
I just used whole wheat flour, and they still were light and fluffy!
I hope you don’t mind, but I enjoyed your pumpkin recipe so much, that I put a link to it on my new blog. I can’t wait for Autumn 🙂 http://www.frolicinflorida.com
Amazing and super easy!
Can I make these in one of those baby cakes donut makers?
Hi Julie. I’ve never used a baby cakes donut maker, so I’m not sure how that product would work with this recipe. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how it turns out 🙂
Can you use regular pumpkin in a can instead of pumpkin pie purée??
Made these this morning. Super easy, and really tasty. Made a double batch, because why not? 🙂 Thanks the recipe!
Hubby just made them and used regular canned pumpkin
OMG! I have made six of your donut recipes so far. All amazing but this one is hands down my favorite so far! Addictive. YUMMO!!!!!!
I am at the store right now and they carry organic pumpkin and a can I don’t know what the difference is between just canned pumpkin and pumpkin puree. Please help. So want to make them! I was at an event that had them and I begged for the recipe!!
plain pumpkin puree is your best bet! but organic pumpkin puree will work fine, too!
I was so excited to make these this morning, and am sorry to say I am equally as disappointed in the result. I’ve been a baker for many years, and in reviewing the recipe I was concerned that there wasn’t enough pumpkin in the recipe to provide the necessary flavor. They look beautiful out of the oven – plump and moist, but what I taste is sugar, then cinnamon, and a faint hint of pumpkin as an after taste. Definitely not what I was hoping for…
Hi Diane. I’m so sorry you were disappointed with the amount of pumpkin flavor in this recipe. Unfortunately pumpkin is tricky to bake with, and adding more than the called for amount in such a small scale recipe would lead to gummy donuts.
Hubby just made them. Next time will add a bit more pumpkin pie spice and put cinnamon sugar only on the top and not coat it all over the donut.
Just pulled these bad boys out of the oven and the tops are flat and lumpy instead of perfectly rounded. Any suggestions on how I can fix that with the next batch? Regardless, they smell and look delicious, so they’re gonna be devoured!
Not enough flavor in the donut only in the cinnamon suger
I I put the dough in a zip lock and squeezed it out to the pans.
It made them perfect shapes.
Made these this morning they turned out wonderful. Delicious. I will make them many more times. I only did the cinnamon and sugar on the top so I could taste that pumpkin and not just cinnamon and sugar. Thanks for sharing.
These were a hit. I purposely only baked 9 min -ish. SO delicious. I used pumpkin puree that was in my pantry, so added the additional spices as you noted. Couldn’t I have just doubled or tripled the pumpkin pie spice vs the individual spices? Also, for the cinnamon sugar/coconut oil after baking, I used melted butter. Is there a difference?
You should add that to the recipe directions….brilliant. Will try the bag trick on tomorrow’s batch!
I made this recipe yesterday. It was a nice easy project to do with my 5yr old. We didn’t have a cake pan so we used the baby cakes cake pop maker. It took a couple tries to get them cooked perfectly, the timer on the cooker wasn’t in sync with the recipe. It took about 5-6 minutes for perfection. I have been unable to buy store bought due to a dairy allergy so thank you far creating one, and for making them healthier by not frying.
These are Delicious! What is their shelf life and since they ate drizzled with butter should leftovers be refrigerated?
Hi, I was wondering if I used a 12 donut mini pan instead- would that change the baking time?
I don’t get this but these didn’t work for me at all. I read the recipe a million times but this wasn’t nearly enough liquid to make anything thinner than a cookie batter. I thinned it out with more of the non dairy milk and pumpkin and they came out like glue-y pucks. No fun.
Hi Jenn. I’m so sorry you had trouble with this recipe. The batter is very thick and should be spooned or piped into the donut molds. Adding more liquid will result in a rubbery outcome.
I made these for breakfast this morning and after realizing that the only difference between the vegan and traditional version was the coconut oil, I decided to just use vegan butter (Earth Balance, to be exact). We really liked them since we still got the butter flavor of the traditional version!
Wow- just made the vegan version and they are delicious!! The only change I made was I used 1/4 cup sugar and 1 TB cinnamon for the cinnamon sugar topping. That was enough.
I will definitely make these again- thanks for the recipe!
My husband and boys told me to tell you…THOSE ARE AMAZING!!!” Thank you for the great recipe. Will be making these again, and again, Next time, I might try a cream cheese glaze. Yummy!
How can you store them?
These donuts are best eaten the day they are made, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
In the refrigerator or room temperature?
FYI – Your vegan version says to melt coconut oil, but then instructs them to be dipped in butter in step 16. Typo?
These are the best donuts ever!! My husband and I have made over and over. Thank you the recipe!
I’m so excited to try these, and I really appreciate you including the vegan version. My 16 month old is allergic to eggs and has a dairy intolerance- bummer- but I miss donuts!! I seriously can’t wait. I don’t have a donut pan, but….. something better! My Pampered Chef mini fluted cake pans will be perfect for these! 🙂
How do you substitute the coconut oil? I have an allergy.
Can i make those with fresh pumpkim and the spices you mention?
Made these yesterday – YUM! The pumpkin flavor is subtle, but I love cinnamon sugar, so that’s okay! Stored them in my cookie jar overnight, and they’re still moist and delicious today! My donut pan makes small donuts, and it made 10. Thanks for another great recipe 🙂
Do these need to be stored in the fridge or room temperature? Marking them for my daughter’s class tomorrow morning and I’m not sure if they are going to be eaten right away.
I made these delicious donuts, a double batch. Followed the directions and they turned out great. Put extra in storage container, left on counter. When we went to get one for breakfast, they were soaked! Why! I could have cried..why?
Made these today and they are delicious. I used butternut squash instead of pumpkin. Made 2 batches. Both came out perfect!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I will make them this coming week. I have a question, have you made an apple cider donut? Can this recipe be amended to make them??
I’ve made this recipe for family and co-workers quite a few times and they always get rave reviews! I LOVE pumpkin flavor so always add more spices and judge by tasting the batter. Made them using a combo of vegan and non vegan ingredients and they always turn out perfect! Fluffy and delish, thanks for giving me a reason to keep using my donut pans!
I just made the vegan version and they are delicious, light & fluffy. Of course I had to eat one right away after I finished with the roll in the cinnamon sugar.Thank you for a great recipe!!
Do you have a calorie count for one donut?
This original recipe is delicious and perfect. I had no trouble. These donuts are likely going to replace my 30 year favorite maple long Johns. Well done!
These were great! I just made them this morning. Could use a little more pumpkin flavor to me in the donut, but the glaze is amazing! Definitely had to add more milk to the glaze so it was able to be dipped. I also did not sift my powdered sugar and there were no lumps 🙂 Super yummy fall treat!
This recipe is hands down the best Pumpkin Doughnuts that I have ever had. I used the extra Spices that was suggested to use if you are baking with plain pumpkin purée. Seasoning Perfection‼️
Can these be friend into munckins?
Should I add more sugar if I only have pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie puree? Just wondering how much more would you think?
I wouldn’t add more sugar!
I made this today for by littles and they loved it.
Thank you for yet another wonderful recipe!
Is this for 3″ or 4″ donuts? My pans are for 3″ donuts so I’m wondering if the baking time would differ. I’m excited to try this recipe, it’s perfect for autumn in Western NY as the leaves change color
Hello! I love love all your recipes!
Can I make the dough the day before baking?
The pumpkin donuts that are offered by our store has a filling inside do you know where I can find the recipe for the filling?
Can this batter be refrigerated the day before to make the next morning?
I don’t recommend it. The active ingredients may deactivate and the batter will likely be too stiff to pipe.
These were a hit. I purposely only baked 9 min -ish. SO delicious. I used pumpkin puree that was in my pantry, so added the additional spices as you noted. Couldn’t I have just doubled or tripled the pumpkin pie spice vs the individual spices? Also, for the cinnamon sugar/coconut oil after baking, I used melted butter. Is there a difference?
You can definitely try that! I prefer making my own spice mixture as I enjoy the combination better, but for ease, pumpkin pie spice definitely does the job!
I made these yesterday. I followed the recipe exactly except I used half & half instead of milk because it was all I had. I used a pastry bag to fill the donut pans. They came out perfect & my hubby ate 2 when they were ready & 2 more for breakfast this morning. I will make these again & again.
Hi Ellen! Woohoo – so so happy these were a hit with you and your hubby. And thanks for letting us know your adaptions!
Where I live, I have not been able to find a can labeled pumpkin puree. Could you please tell me if I should be using canned pumpkin or pumpkin pie filling. Those are the only 2 I have seen locally and I am really excited about wanting to make the donuts
Canned pumpkin!
I have made both the vegan and the non-vegan version. Both recipes work well. I have also made with plain pumpkin purée and pumpkin pie purée. I much prefer using the canned plain pumpkin. The donuts are sweet enough without the added sugar in the pumpkin PIE purée and the plain pumpkin purée results in a stronger pumpkin flavor.
I’m so happy you enjoyed both versions of this recipe! And thank you for your notes on your testings 🙂
How did you combine the 2 recpies?
Super moist and easy to make!! They were a crowd favorite at our family get together.
So happy these were a family fave!
These were the most amazing start to our Thanksgiving day! Better than any bakery, I did both the regular and vegan recipes and they were a big hit with the whole family.