Baked Pumpkin Donuts
This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure PolicyThese Baked Pumpkin Donuts are one of my favorite fall sweet treats. Not only are these easy to make, but they are full of pumpkin spice flavor. You can serve them up for breakfast, a snack, or even dessert!
You are in for a treat today! Friends, if I knew Baked Pumpkin Donuts were this easy, I would have been making them for years. This is now my favorite way to start the day. Coffee and donuts make me one happy man.
Donuts are one of my guilty pleasures, but I have yet to make a traditional deep-fried donut here on IBC. There’s something about tossing dough into boiling oil that kind of scares me. Maybe (with some encouragement from you) I’ll take the risk one of these days.
In the interim, I’m going to satisfy my donut craving sans oil. And since it’s fall, what’s better than baked donuts loaded with pumpkin spice?
I’ll admit there’s a difference between baked donuts and their fried counterparts. However, this particular recipe truly captures the qualities you’ve come to love in a traditional donut. The soft, cakey interior is perfectly complemented by the crunchy cinnamon-sugar exterior.
Let me show you how to make them!
Kitchen Tools I Recommend for This Recipe:
Whether you’re wondering what equipment you’ll need for this recipe, curious about my favorite utensils, or if you’re just looking to stock your own kitchen, these are the kitchen tools I recommend for this recipe:
Want more? You can find the list of My Ultimate Kitchen Essentials HERE.
How to Make Pumpkin Donuts:
Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray your baking pan(s) with a nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, baking powder and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, milk, brown sugar, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla.
Add the wet mixture to the dry. Stir with a spatula until just combined.
Scoop the batter into the muffin tray. The cavity should be almost completely filled. If you’re using a mini muffin pan to create donut holes, the dough should be rounded on the top.
I opted to make donut twists (unfortunately I can’t find a link to the pan I used anymore.)  and donut holes in a mini muffin pan. You can use what works best for you. Even a traditional donut pan would be great.
No matter what kind of pan you choose, make sure to mostly fill the cavity since these donuts don’t expand very much when baking. With the mini muffin pan, the dough should be slightly domed. This will give you the look of a donut hole.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
In a small bowl, prepare the cinnamon-sugar topping by mixing together the cinnamon and sugar.
After a quick trip to the oven, you’ll want to let your donuts cool in the pan for about five minutes. While they are still warm, rub each donut with melted butter; then roll it in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
You only need a little butter to get that cinnamon-sugary goodness to stick. Rubbing the butter on with your fingers or brushing on a thin coat of it works well.
Voila! Homemade pumpkin donuts. You’re welcome!
This Baked Pumpkin Donuts is one I will likely be returning to every autumn. The are SO GOOD! I know you’re going to love them as much as I do.
Want More PUMPKIN-INSPIRED TREATS? Try these:
- Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Swirl
- Aunt Maggie Pumpkin Roll
- Pumpkin Pie Bars
- Pumpkin Spice White Hot Chocolate
- Pumpkin Spice Cream Horns
- Pumpkin Whoppie Pies
- Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
Give these a try and let me know what you think. What other donut recipes would you like to see on IBC?
Happy Fall Baking!
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Pumpkin Donut Recipe:

Baked Pumpkin Donuts
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray your baking pan(s) with a nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, baking powder and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, milk, brown sugar, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry. Stir with a spatula until just combined.
- Scoop the batter into the muffin tray. The cavity should be almost completely filled. If you're using a mini muffin pan to create donut holes, the dough should be rounded on the top.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
- In a small bowl, prepare the cinnamon-sugar topping by mixing together the cinnamon and sugar.
- When the donuts are baked, cool them for about 5 minutes. Then rub or brush the melted butter on each donut and coat it in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Allow to cool or enjoy warm.
I made two batches of these with my 9yo and 6yo tonight. His batch followed the recipe exactly as written, and hers used gluten-free flour and dairy-free milk plus 1 tsp lemon juice. They are both delicious, and it’s almost impossible to tell the difference between them. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
I’m hoping to make these this weekend as I have canned pumpkin available. They look and sound wonderful!
Soooooo good! I’ve made them twice already. I had a question about leftovers (when there are any!) . . .the next day the sugar coating seems to lose its texture and is like a wet glaze. I’ve tried putting them in the refrigerator and leaving them out of the refrigerator. Any ideas? Thanks!!
Yeah – I’m not sure what to do about this either. Maybe wait to sugar coat some? It seems to happen with anything sugar coated.
xo Michael
Michael – These Baked Pumpkin Donuts look amazing and I can’t wait to try them! I was wondering how to get them round (as shown in the picture) so they look like donut holes rather than mini muffins? Thanks!
I am the last one who wants to let go of summer but these pumpkin donuts were calling out to me. Just wiped off my fingers to type and tell you they are delicious! So moist and better than other recipes I have tried in the past. Thanks. (PS – boiling oil scares me too!)
I tried these – so easy to make and very yummy! I had to bake them for 16 minutes for the toothpick to come out clean… just in case others find that they need more time as well 🙂
Kyle – yay! So glad they turned out for you. Thanks for the oven time info. Every oven is different, that’s why it’s always good to check.
xo Michael
2 mins trying to figure out what slat was. SALT misspelled! lol on me!
Just wanted to give your brain a little workout. 😉 Keep you on your toes.
xo Michael
Be still my heart! A donut that isn’t fried. with pumpkin spice! How is it you just made Fall better? Thank you!
As a totally addicted to anything pumpkin these are a must make! They look delicious and I really like that they are baked instead of fried. So enjoyed your Fall tour and glad I found your blog. Thank-you for this wonderful post.
These look amazing! Just pinned the recipe for later. xo
Your fall tour was amazing, Michael! Your photography is stunning, too. I LOVE pumpkin donuts and love even more that these aren’t fried. Definitely trying this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Must. Try!!! Holey delicious looking!