Description
These baked pumpkin donuts bring the cozy flavors of fall into a soft, moist treat that's perfectly spiced and topped with a rich brown sugar icing. With a quick prep and under 45 minutes total time, these donuts are easy to make and delicious to enjoy, whether for breakfast, dessert, or a seasonal snack. The icing sets well for easy stacking and storing, making these donuts as practical as they are tasty. Options include turning them into pumpkin muffins or mini pumpkin donuts for variety.
Ingredients
Donut Batter
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil (or canola oil or melted coconut oil)
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (226g) fresh or canned pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup (80ml) milk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Brown Sugar Icing
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk (whole milk is best)
- 1 Tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups (170g) sifted confectioners’ sugar
- pinch of salt, to taste
- optional topping: crushed walnuts or other desired toppings
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease the donut pan(s) thoroughly with nonstick spray and set aside to ensure easy removal of baked donuts.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice until fully combined. This creates the base flavor and rising agent mixture for the donuts.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk the vegetable oil, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and well incorporated. This will ensure the wet ingredients are evenly blended for a consistent batter.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently whisk the batter just until no flour pockets remain, being careful to not over-mix to keep the donuts tender and light.
- Fill Donut Pan: Spoon the batter into the donut cavities. For ease and neatness, transfer the batter into a large zip-top bag, cut a small corner off, and pipe the batter into each cavity, filling each about halfway to allow room for rising.
- Bake the Donuts: Bake for 10–11 minutes or until the edges and tops are lightly browned. Test doneness by gently pressing the top; if it bounces back, they are done. For mini donuts, bake for 8–9 minutes.
- Cool Donuts: Let the donuts cool in the pan for 2 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Re-grease the pan and bake the remaining batter if necessary. Allow all donuts to cool at least 10 minutes before icing.
- Prepare Brown Sugar Icing: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the brown sugar, milk, and unsalted butter. Stir until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth. Allow it to simmer for 1 minute, then remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract and sifted confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Add a pinch of salt to balance sweetness if desired. Let the icing cool for 5 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Ice the Donuts: Dip the tops of the cooled donuts into the warm icing. If the icing thickens too much while dipping, whisk in a little extra milk or gently warm it again. Place donuts on a cooling rack over a baking sheet to catch drips. Optionally, sprinkle crushed walnuts or preferred toppings on the wet icing. The icing sets in about 1 hour for easy stacking and storage.
- Store Leftovers: Cover leftover donuts tightly and store at room temperature for 1–2 days or refrigerate up to 1 week. They can also be frozen plain or iced for 2–3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before warming briefly in the microwave to serve.
Notes
- Make Ahead: Donuts freeze well, plain or iced, for up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight and warm briefly before serving.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: Use store-bought or homemade. Homemade spice can be 1/4 teaspoon each of ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice, in addition to the cinnamon.
- Milk: Any milk works in the batter, including dairy or non-dairy alternatives. Whole milk is best for the icing for flavor and consistency.
- Optional Toppings: Try sprinkles, chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted coconut, toffee bits, or a sprinkle of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice on top of the icing. Alternatively, try a cinnamon-sugar coating instead of icing.
- No Donut Pan? Use a standard 12-cup muffin pan to make donut muffins, then top with brown sugar icing before serving.
- Mini Donuts: Use a mini muffin pan and fill cups about 3/4 full. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 8–9 minutes.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Breakfast, Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
