This baked pumpkin spice donuts recipe has it all -- moist, fluffy pumpkin spice doughnuts, maple glaze, and brown butter! Make this pumpkin donut recipe to celebrate fall -- because what says fall more than baked pumpkin donuts?
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And if you like this pumpkin spice donut recipe, you'll love my Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake, my Mini Red Velvet Cake, and my Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake!
Baked Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts Recipe
This pumpkin donut recipe captures everything I love about fall baking and pumpkin season! They're so cozy and full of warm fall flavors, and they're pretty simple to make. You just mix them together like a simple cake recipe, fill your donut pan, and bake! They're the perfect donuts to enjoy with a cup of coffee (especially a pumpkin spice latte!).
This baked pumpkin donut recipe has similar flavors to my Vegan Gingerbread Loaf Cake, my Cinnamon Chip Scones, and my Snickerdoodles without Cream of Tartar!
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love This Baked Pumpkin Donut Recipe
- All the fall flavors – pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and all the best fall spices come together for that classic pumpkin spice taste. Plus maple and brown butter bring even more flavors of fall!
- The glaze – maple and brown butter create rich, nutty, caramelized sweetness. You’ll want to lick the bowl.
- Baked, not fried – makes this pumpkin spice cake donut recipe lighter, less messy, and totally doable on a weeknight.
- Quick and easy – the batter comes together in one bowl! The perfect fall treat couldn't be easier.
And if you love brown butter like I do, check out my full collection of over 44 sweet and savory brown butter recipes!
Maple Glaze Recipe for Donuts
The glaze is my favorite part of these baked pumpkin spice doughnuts! If you've had my Sour Cream Pumpkin Bread, you know how amazing the combination of brown butter and maple can be! It only takes a little bit of brown butter to take a classic maple glaze recipe for donuts to the next level! The glaze really makes this the best fall donut recipe.
Pumpkin Spice Donut Ingredients
You can find the full list of ingredient measurements in the recipe card below, but here's a quick look at what you'll need for this pumpkin spice donut recipe:
- butter - we'll be browning our butter, so you'll want to start with cubed unsalted butter. If you're new to browning butter, check out my post: What is Browned Butter? Recipes and Step-by-Step.
- brown sugar - we'll use light brown sugar for this baked pumpkin donuts recipe to give it a rich sweetness and moister texture!
- eggs - you'll want your eggs to be at room temperature. If they feel cold to the touch, submerge them in a bowl of lukewarm water for 15 minutes.
- vanilla - for the best flavor, I like to use pure vanilla extract. Or you can make your own!
- canned pumpkin - as with most pumpkin recipes, make sure you're using 100% pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. You can also use homemade pumpkin purée!
- flour - Measure your all-purpose flour by weight with a kitchen scale to make sure you don't accidentally add too much.
- pumpkin pie spice - the warm spices in a pumpkin pie spice blend are perfect with the other flavors in this recipe for pumpkin spice donuts! I like to use my homemade pumpkin spice blend!
- baking soda & baking powder - these leavening agents helps to ensure a fluffy texture despite the heavier ingredients in these baked pumpkin donuts.
- salt - brings out all these amazing flavors!
Then, we're topping our pumpkin spice cake donut recipe with an absolutely perfect maple brown butter glaze! For that, you'll need:
- browned butter - you'll be reserving some of the brown butter you made for the donut batter!
- maple syrup - a little maple syrup gives the glaze the perfect fall flavor and sweetness!
- vanilla extract - the vanilla flavor works so well with the brown butter and maple syrup! Again, be sure to use pure vanilla extract or make your own!
- powdered sugar - we'll use powdered sugar to provide the structure and sweetness for our glaze.
- milk - to help get our glaze to the perfect consistency - any milk you like is fine!
- salt - just pinch of salt to bring out the flavors.
Equipment
You'll need a donut pan for this recipe -- I like this Wilton donut pan. You'll also need a lighter-colored frying pan to brown your butter, and a mixing bowl for the batter. To mix this baked pumpkin donut recipe, you can just use a whisk and a rubber spatula -- no need for an electric mixer!
You may also want to have a wire rack to help your homemade donuts cool more quickly and allow for your glaze to drip off the sides cleanly.
How to Make Pumpkin Donuts
The recipe card below will give you detailed step-by-step instructions and a recipe video! But here are the basic steps you'll follow for your homemade pumpkin donuts:
Melt butter in saucepan, whisking constantly until it foams and begins to brown. Remove from heat immediately into a heatproof container. Save one tablespoon for the glaze.
Whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, and set aside.
Add pumpkin purée and whisk well.
Gradually mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients, gently mixing just until combined.
Pipe or spoon batter into a greased donut pan and bake until golden brown!
When donuts are cooled, combine powdered sugar, remaining brown butter, maple syrup, vanilla, milk, and salt to make glaze.
Dip donuts in glaze and place on wire rack with parchment paper underneath to catch any dripping.
Hint: A piping bag makes it easy to fill your donut pan with batter, but you can also just add your batter to a plastic freezer bag and snip off the corner!
Cinnamon-Sugar Pumpkin Donuts Variation
I love this maple brown butter glaze, but if you prefer, you can make this fall donut recipe with a cinnamon sugar coating! To make the cinnamon sugar topping, stir together ½ cup of granulated sugar and 2 tbsps of ground cinnamon in a small bowl.
Then, just brush the baked donuts with melted butter while they're still warm and pat them into the cinnamon sugar mixture so that they're fully coated all over. Whether you choose crunchy cinnamon sugar or sweet, nutty maple glaze, either way these will be the best pumpkin spice donuts you'll have all season!
Storage
Store your baked pumpkin spice donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You can freeze them, well wrapped, without glaze for up to 2 months. Thaw, then glaze before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make pumpkin spice donuts without a donut pan by baking the batter in a muffin tin. The texture will be more like pumpkin muffins, and you’ll just need to add a few extra minutes of bake time, but it's a great way to enjoy pumpkin spice season without a donut pan!. You can even make pumpkin spice donut holes with a mini muffin pan!
Baked pumpkin spice donuts are light, soft, and cake-like, while fried donuts are denser with a chewy, yeasty texture. Baked donuts are also quicker, healthier, and easier to make at home.
To make gluten-free pumpkin spice donuts, replace the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend. The texture will be similar, and the donuts will still bake up soft and flavorful.
Yes, fresh pumpkin puree works in pumpkin spice donuts. Roast and puree fresh pumpkin, then strain it to remove excess liquid so the donuts don’t turn out soggy.
You sure can! Just check the recipe card below for a note on how to make your own pumpkin pie spice for this recipe!
Top Tip
For best results, don't forget to measure your flour by weight with a kitchen scale! It'll help ensure accurate measurements and prevent your donuts from being too dense!
Related
Looking for other recipes like these pumpkin spice cake donuts? Try these:
Pairing
Recipes to pair with these pumpkin spice donuts:
10 cozy recipes. No stress. All the fall flavor.
Let’s make this your easiest, coziest baking season yet. Inside this ebook, you’ll get:
- 10 simple, foolproof fall dessert recipes
- Cozy flavors like pumpkin, chai, apple, and brown butter
- Step-by-step instructions made for beginners and busy bakers
- Bonus: fall flavor pairing guide and printable fall grocery list
If you try this recipe, I would love it if you could leave a star review rating and comment below! It’s so wonderful hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to share your creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!
📖 Recipe
Equipment you may need
Ingredients
- baking spray
- 11 tablespoon (154 g) unsalted butter - cut into cubes
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon (6 g) pumpkin pie spice - store-bought or homemade
- 1½ teaspoon (6 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (3 g) salt
- 1 cups (220 g) light brown sugar - packed
- 2 large eggs - room temperature
- 2 teaspoon (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 15-oz. can pumpkin purée - not pumpkin pie filling
Maple Brown Butter Glaze
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar - sifted; plus more as needed to achieve desired consistency
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) browned butter - reserved from above
- 1½ tablespoon (22 ml) maple syrup
- 1½ tablespoon (22 ml) milk
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray a 6-cavity doughnut pan with baking spray.
- To brown butter, add the cubed butter to a light-colored sauté pan over medium heat. Heat, whisking constantly.11 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Remove from heat once it is golden brown and has a nutty aroma.
- Pour your browned butter into a heatproof container, scraping the pan to get all the brown bits. Stir, and remove one tablespoon to reserve for glaze. Set both containers aside to cool slightly.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until well mixed. Set aside.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, 1½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Combine larger portion of brown butter with brown sugar in a large bowl and whisk until smooth.1 cups light brown sugar
- Whisk in eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin, mixing after each addition until smooth.
- Gradually fold in dry ingredients, mixing just until combined.
Maple Brown Butter Glaze
- In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, the tablespoon of brown butter reserved from earlier, maple syrup, milk, and salt. Whisk together until smooth.1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon browned butter, 1½ tablespoon maple syrup, 1½ tablespoon milk, pinch salt
- Dip donuts face down into the mixture and let excess glaze drip off. Place donuts onto a wire rack to let the filling set before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Chenée Lewis says
The brown butter in these pumpkin spice donuts is a game-changer! I just know you'll love them 🙂