Pumpkin Spice Donuts Recipe delivers soft, cakey donuts packed with warm cinnamon, nutmeg, and real pumpkin, finished with a sweet glaze that tastes like a cozy October morning. This recipe works for busy home bakers who want bakery-style donuts 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 Spice Donuts Recipe

This baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts Recipe gives you all the flavor of a coffee shop donut without deep frying or fancy equipment. The batter comes together in one bowl, and you bake the donuts in under 15 minutes.

The texture lands between a cake donut and a muffin: tender, moist, and full of pumpkin spice flavor. You can coat them in cinnamon sugar or dip them in a simple vanilla glaze, so the recipe fits both low-effort mornings and show-off brunches.

“These pumpkin spice donuts taste like a coffee shop treat but come together faster than my latte order ★★★★★”

Ingredients You’ll Need

Dry ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- Use a standard unbleached flour like King Arthur or Gold Medal.
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
- You can use a pre-mixed pumpkin pie spice: use 2 1/2 teaspoons and skip the individual spices.

Wet ingredients

3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
- Use 100% pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. Libby’s or store brand both work.
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup neutral oil (canola, vegetable, or light olive oil)
1/3 cup milk (dairy or unsweetened almond milk)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Cinnamon sugar coating (option 1)

1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons melted butter, slightly cooled

Vanilla glaze (option 2)

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2–3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Equipment

2 standard nonstick donut pans (6-cavity each)
- You can bake in batches if you own only one pan.
Large mixing bowl
Whisk and rubber spatula
Measuring cups and spoons
Piping bag or large zip-top bag (for easy batter portioning)
Wire cooling rack
Small bowls for coating or glazing

Tips & Tricks

Grease the donut pan lightly with baking spray or a thin film of oil so the donuts release cleanly.
Use room temperature eggs and milk so the batter mixes smoothly and bakes evenly.
Stir the batter just until no dry streaks of flour remain to keep the donuts tender.
Fill each donut cavity about two-thirds full so the donuts rise without overflowing.
Use a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off to pipe the batter neatly into the pan.
Taste your pumpkin puree; if it tastes dull, add an extra pinch of cinnamon and salt to wake it up.
Let the donuts cool 5 minutes in the pan before you turn them out so they hold their shape.
Dip slightly warm donuts in cinnamon sugar so the coating sticks better.
If you glaze them, let the donuts cool completely so the glaze sets instead of sliding off.
Bake one test donut if you worry about oven temperature, and adjust time by a minute or two as needed.

How to Make Pumpkin Spice Donuts Recipe

Mix the dry ingredients

Preheat your oven to 350°F and place the oven rack in the center.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice until everything looks evenly mixed.
Set the bowl aside while you prepare the wet ingredients.

Combine the wet ingredients

In another bowl, whisk pumpkin puree, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and oil until the mixture looks smooth and glossy.
Add the eggs one at a time and whisk after each addition until the mixture looks thick and uniform.
Pour in the milk and vanilla and whisk again until everything blends into a smooth pumpkin mixture.

Bring the batter together

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Use a rubber spatula to fold the mixture together gently until no dry flour streaks remain.
Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so you catch any hidden pockets of flour, but stop stirring once the batter looks uniform.

Fill the donut pans

Lightly grease your donut pans with baking spray or a thin layer of oil.
Spoon the batter into a piping bag or zip-top bag and snip off a corner about 1/2 inch wide.
Pipe the batter into each donut cavity, filling each one about two-thirds full and smoothing the tops with a small spoon if needed.

Bake the donuts

Place the pans in the preheated oven.
Bake for 10–12 minutes until the donuts spring back lightly when you touch them and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Remove the pans from the oven and let the donuts cool in the pans for 5 minutes.

Cool and coat

Turn the donuts out onto a wire rack and let them cool while you prepare your coating of choice.
For cinnamon sugar, stir granulated sugar and cinnamon together in a shallow bowl, then brush each warm donut with melted butter and roll it in the mixture.
For vanilla glaze, whisk powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until smooth, then dip the tops of cooled donuts into the glaze and set them back on the rack so the glaze firms up.

What to Serve with Pumpkin Spice Donuts Recipe

Serve these pumpkin spice donuts warm with hot coffee, chai, or a big mug of cocoa for a cozy breakfast. Kids love them with cold milk or a pumpkin smoothie. You can add a bowl of yogurt and fresh fruit on the side to balance the sweetness. For brunch, stack the donuts on a cake stand and pair them with scrambled eggs, crispy hash browns, and a big fruit salad.

Storage Options

Store leftover pumpkin spice donuts at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Keep them in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 5 days if you use glaze.
Freeze unglazed donuts on a baking sheet until firm, then move them to a freezer bag and store for up to 2 months.
Reheat donuts in a 300°F oven or toaster oven for 5–7 minutes until warm, then coat or glaze after reheating if you froze them.