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These baked pumpkin donuts are fluffy, deliciously spiced, and coated in yummy brown butter and cinnamon sugar. Perfect for fall and no donut pan needed!
Who said pumpkin baking was just for muffins and breads?
These baked donuts are the new fall must-have.
You don’t need a donut pan to make them, and they’re just as fluffy as fried donuts since they’re yeast-raised.
Best served in brown butter and cinnamon sugar, they’re perfect for fall brunch or anytime you’re craving a snack and dessert in one.
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Complete your fall baking lineup with classic favorites: Libby’s pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread with cream cheese!
Why You’ll Love This Baked Pumpkin Donuts Recipe
- You don’t need a donut pan for this baked pumpkin donut recipe.
- Enjoy the fluffiness of fried donuts minus the excess oil!
- With spiced pumpkin and cinnamon sugar, these baked donuts are perfect for fall.
Ingredients
Pumpkin donuts:
Unsalted butter – For greasing the bowl. We’ll also make brown butter for the cinnamon sugar donuts.
Whole milk and pumpkin ale – For perfectly light and fluffy pumpkin donuts.
Instant dry yeast –This baked pumpkin doughnut recipe uses a kneaded dough leavened by yeast!
Granulated sugar and light brown sugar – We’ll use white and brown sugar for a deep, sweet flavor.
Kosher salt – To balance the sweetness of the baked pumpkin donuts.
Pure vanilla extract – Adds another layer of flavor to the spiced donuts.
Ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg – Of course, no fall donut recipe is complete without these cozy spices.
Egg and egg yolks – For richness and structure.
Pumpkin puree – Adds moisture to these delicious baked donuts!
Bread flour and pastry flour – Using a blend of bread and pastry flour gives the donuts a light texture with just the right chew.
Cinnamon sugar topping:
Brown butter – Helps the cinnamon sugar stick to the pumpkin donuts.
Granulated sugar – Adds a crunch that perfectly contrasts the fluffy pumpkin spice donuts.
Ground cinnamon – Because fall donuts shouldn’t be rolled in boring plain sugar!
Ingredient Substitutions For Pumpkin Donuts
Pumpkin pie spice
You can use pumpkin pie spice instead of individual spices. The extra spices in the blend are perfect for pumpkin baked donuts!
Chocolate drizzle
Try melting chocolate chips with a little coconut oil and drizzling it on top of your homemade donuts. Chocolate and spiced pumpkin taste amazing together.
Maple glaze
These baked donuts call for something sweet and sticky. Skip the cinnamon sugar and dip them in a maple glaze!
Whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons maple syrup, then slowly add 1 teaspoon of milk at a time until the mixture thickens.
Tips For Making This Recipe
Check Your Canned Pumpkin
Like in most fall treats, this pumpkin baked donut recipe is best made with canned pumpkin puree, not canned pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling is sweeter, and we don’t want overly sweet baked pumpkin donuts.
Make-Ahead Tips
For make-ahead, you can refrigerate the dough overnight. Just remember to take the bowl out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before continuing with the recipe.
Do Not Overproof
Do not let the donuts rise for more than 90 minutes, or they will overproof and turn flat!
Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts Recipe FAQs
Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned pumpkin puree?
Of course! This baked pumpkin doughnut recipe is perfect for fall, and homemade pumpkin puree works just as well.
What other topping can I put on baked pumpkin donuts?
You can top your pumpkin donuts with pumpkin spice butter and chopped candied walnuts for a delicious, creamy-crunchy finish.
Can you bake doughnuts in the oven?
You can bake donuts in the oven instead of frying them! And while most baked donuts are made from a cake-like batter piped into a donut pan, you can just cut a yeast-raised dough, like in this baked pumpkin donut recipe.
Do baked donuts taste the same as fried?
Nope. Baked donuts taste more like what you put in the batter or on top, while fried donuts have that distinct richness from the oil.
How to store homemade pumpkin donuts?
You can store pumpkin baked donuts in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you want to freeze them, skip the cinnamon sugar coating and place the plain donuts in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
More Delicious Pumpkin Desserts
- No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
- Pumpkin Roll
- Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
- Fizzy Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Truffles
I found this recipe for Pumpkin Cake that I HAVE to try!
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Baked Pumpkin Donuts
Equipment
Ingredients
For the pumpkin donuts:
- 3 tbsp butter for the bowl
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp pumpkin ale beer
- 1 envelope instant dry yeast
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 large egg
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 cups bread flour
- 1 1/4 cups pastry flour
For the cinnamon sugar topping:
- 1/2 cup brown butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
For the pumpkin donuts:
- In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the milk and beer.
- Microwave the mixture in 10-second intervals until it reaches 105°F.
- Pour the beer mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the yeast and stir to combine. Let it stand for 5 minutes.
- Add the sugars, salt, vanilla extract, spices, egg, yolks, and pumpkin puree.
- With the dough hook, mix on medium speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined.
- Add the bread and pastry flour and mix on medium-high for 4 to 6 minutes, or until a soft, sticky dough forms.
- Transfer the dough to a buttered bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter for about 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface. Flour your hands to make handling the sticky dough easier.
- Knead for about 1 minute, punching it down and adding a bit more flour if it becomes too sticky.
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to about 1/2 inch thick.
- Cut out donut rounds with a floured 3-inch cutter. Arrange them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each donut.
- Re-roll the dough scraps and cut out more donuts until all the dough is used.
- Punch out the center of each donut with a floured cutter, between 1/2 and 1 inch in diameter. Transfer the donut holes to another lined baking sheet.
- Cover the baking sheets with plastic wrap and let the donuts rise in a warm spot for 1 hour up to 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Bake the 3-inch round donuts for 20 minutes, or until light golden brown. You can bake the donut holes for 10 minutes, or until golden.
For the brown butter:
- Heat a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the butter, stirring frequently to help it melt.
- The butter will crackle and bubble up. Eventually, the foam will disappear. Continue whisking.
- Once the butter turns amber brown and smells nutty, remove it from the heat and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Let it cool before use.
For the cinnamon sugar topping:
- Combine the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon.
- Dip each baked pumpkin donut and donut hole into the melted brown butter, then coat with cinnamon sugar.
Notes
- Like in most fall treats, this pumpkin baked donut recipe is best made with canned pumpkin puree, not canned pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling is sweeter, and we don’t want overly sweet baked pumpkin donuts.
- For make-ahead, you can refrigerate the dough overnight. Just remember to take the bowl out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before continuing with the recipe.
- Do not let the donuts rise for more than 90 minutes, or they will overproof and turn flat!
Nutrition
PIN FOR LATER!
