Pumpkin Doughnuts Recipe tastes like a cozy October morning in every bite, with warm spices, tender crumb, and a sugary crust that crunches just a little. This recipe works perfectly for busy home cooks who want bakery-style pumpkin doughnuts in about 35 minutes, start to finish. I test pumpkin recipes year-round in my tiny Seattle kitchen, and my neighbors never complain about the leftovers.
Why Choose This Pumpkin Doughnuts Recipe
This Pumpkin Doughnuts Recipe uses real pumpkin puree, plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg, and a simple vanilla glaze that sets beautifully. You bake the doughnuts instead of frying, so the process stays cleaner, easier, and weeknight friendly.
You mix the batter in one bowl, spoon it into a doughnut pan, and pull out soft, cake-style pumpkin doughnuts that taste like a coffee shop treat. The texture stays moist, not gummy, and the spices shine without tasting like a candle.
“These pumpkin doughnuts taste like a bakery made them, but I whipped them up in 30 minutes before school drop-off. ★★★★★”
Ingredients You’ll Need
Dry ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves (optional, but adds great fall flavor)
You can use a good quality unbleached all-purpose flour like King Arthur or Gold Medal. If you use a pumpkin pie spice blend, replace the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves with 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice.
Wet ingredients
- 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/3 cup neutral oil (canola, vegetable, or light olive oil)
- 1/3 cup whole milk (or 2% in a pinch)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Use 100% pumpkin puree from a can for consistent moisture. Libby’s or store-brand puree both work well, as long as the label lists only pumpkin.
Cinnamon sugar coating (optional but highly recommended)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
You can swap the cinnamon sugar for powdered sugar if you want a lighter coating. Toss the warm doughnuts gently so the sugar sticks nicely.
Simple vanilla glaze (optional)
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 2–3 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Use whole milk for a richer glaze or use half-and-half if you want it thicker. Add more powdered sugar to thicken or more milk to thin until it drips slowly from a spoon.
Equipment
- 2 nonstick doughnut pans (standard size, 6 cavities each)
- 2 medium mixing bowls
- Whisk and rubber spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Piping bag or large zip-top bag (for easier filling)
- Wire cooling rack
- Small bowls for sugar coating or glaze
If you do not own doughnut pans, you can bake the batter in a mini muffin pan for pumpkin doughnut holes. Adjust the bake time and start checking early.
Tips & Tricks
- Grease the doughnut pans lightly with oil or baking spray so the doughnuts release cleanly.
- Use room temperature eggs and milk so the batter mixes smoothly and bakes evenly.
- Stir the batter gently and stop when no dry streaks remain to keep the crumb tender.
- Spoon or pipe the batter so you fill each cavity about 3/4 full for nicely shaped rings.
- Rotate the pans halfway through baking if your oven heats unevenly.
- Coat the doughnuts in cinnamon sugar while they still feel warm so the sugar sticks.
- Let doughnuts cool completely before glazing so the glaze sets instead of sliding off.
- Taste the first batch and adjust spices slightly next time if you want more or less kick.
How to Make Pumpkin Doughnuts Recipe
Mix the dry ingredients
Preheat your oven to 350°F and place the rack in the center. Lightly grease your doughnut pans and set them aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Break up any spice clumps so the flavor spreads evenly.
Mix the wet ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla until the mixture looks smooth and glossy. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so no sugar hides in the corners.
Taste the mixture with a clean spoon if you want to check sweetness and spice level. The batter should taste warmly spiced and slightly sweet.
Combine wet and dry
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold the mixture together until no dry flour streaks remain.
Stop mixing as soon as the batter looks uniform so you avoid tough doughnuts. The batter should feel thick but scoopable.
Fill the doughnut pans
Spoon the batter into a piping bag or a large zip-top bag and snip off the tip. Pipe the batter into each doughnut cavity, filling about 3/4 full.
If you prefer, spoon the batter in carefully and smooth the tops with a small spatula. Wipe any spills from the center posts so the holes stay open.
Bake the pumpkin doughnuts
Place the pans in the preheated oven. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the tops spring back lightly when you touch them and a toothpick comes out clean.
If your oven runs hot, start checking at 9 minutes. The doughnuts should look set and slightly golden around the edges, not dark.
Cool and coat in cinnamon sugar
Let the doughnuts cool in the pan for 3–4 minutes. Gently loosen the edges with a small spatula and lift them onto a wire rack.
Stir the cinnamon and sugar together in a shallow bowl. Brush each warm doughnut with melted butter, then toss or dip in the cinnamon sugar until coated.
Glaze the doughnuts
If you want glazed pumpkin doughnuts, whisk the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt in a small bowl until smooth. Adjust the thickness so it drips slowly.
Dip the cooled doughnuts halfway into the glaze or drizzle it over the top with a spoon. Place them back on the rack and let the glaze set for about 10 minutes.
What to Serve with Pumpkin Doughnuts Recipe
Serve this Pumpkin Doughnuts Recipe with hot coffee, chai tea, or a big mug of cocoa for a cozy breakfast. Kids love them with cold milk or warm apple cider. You can plate them with a bowl of fresh fruit, yogurt, or scrambled eggs to balance the sweetness a bit. If you host brunch, stack the pumpkin doughnuts on a cake stand and watch them disappear faster than the eggs.
Storage Options
- Store leftover pumpkin doughnuts at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Keep them in the fridge for 4–5 days if you live in a warm or humid climate.
- Freeze unglazed or glazed doughnuts on a baking sheet until solid, then move them to a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
- Reheat at 300°F in the oven or toaster oven for 5–7 minutes, or microwave in 10–15 second bursts until warm but not hot.
Pumpkin Doughnuts Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and place the rack in the center. Lightly grease standard doughnut pans and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, breaking up any spice clumps.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla until smooth and glossy, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula just until no dry flour streaks remain. The batter should be thick but scoopable.
- Spoon the batter into a piping bag or large zip-top bag and snip off the tip. Pipe the batter into each doughnut cavity, filling about 3/4 full. Alternatively, spoon the batter in and smooth the tops, wiping batter off the center posts.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the tops spring back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Start checking around 9 minutes if your oven runs hot.
- Let the doughnuts cool in the pan for 3–4 minutes, then gently loosen the edges and transfer to a wire rack.
- Stir the granulated sugar and cinnamon together in a shallow bowl. Brush each warm doughnut with melted butter, then toss or dip in the cinnamon sugar until coated.
- For glazed doughnuts, whisk the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt in a small bowl until smooth, adjusting with more sugar or milk as needed so it drips slowly from a spoon.
- Dip cooled doughnuts halfway into the glaze or drizzle over the top, then place on the rack and let the glaze set for about 10 minutes.
Notes
Approximate per 1 of 12 doughnuts (with cinnamon sugar, without glaze): 210 calories; fat 9 g; saturated fat 2 g; carbohydrates 30 g; fiber 1 g; sugars 17 g; protein 3 g; sodium 190 mg. Values will vary based on brands, coating, glaze, and portion size.
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