Why You’ll Fall in Love with This Baked Pumpkin Donut Recipe

If you’re still debating whether to whip up a batch of these glorious pumpkin donuts, let us convince you. This recipe isn’t just another dessert; it’s an experience waiting to happen, offering several compelling reasons why it should be at the top of your fall baking list:

• Effortlessly Easy Recipe: Don’t be intimidated by the idea of homemade donuts! This recipe is designed for simplicity, making it a perfect baking project for beginners and seasoned pros alike. With straightforward steps and common kitchen ingredients, you’ll have these delightful treats ready in no time, leaving you more time to enjoy the flavors of the season. No deep-frying mess or complicated techniques required – just pure, simple baking joy.
• Incredibly Moist and Fluffy: One of the hallmarks of a truly great donut is its texture, and these baked beauties deliver on all fronts. Thanks to the magic of pumpkin puree and the careful balance of wet and dry ingredients, each donut bakes up wonderfully fluffy and incredibly moist. They practically melt in your mouth, offering a tender crumb that stands in stark contrast to dry, crumbly alternatives.
• Explosion of Autumnal Flavor: What could be better than the comforting taste of pumpkin spice combined with a rich cream cheese glaze? It’s a match made in heaven! The donuts themselves are infused with a delightful blend of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, evoking all the warmth and coziness of fall. This spicy-sweet base is then crowned with a tangy, smooth cream cheese frosting that adds a perfect creamy contrast and an extra layer of irresistible flavor. It’s a flavor profile that truly captures the essence of autumn.

For the Pumpkin Donuts:

• Cooking spray: Essential for greasing your donut pan, ensuring your donuts release easily.
• Milk: Any milk (dairy or non-dairy) works, but whole milk often yields the richest texture.
• Apple cider vinegar: This reacts with baking soda to create a buttermilk substitute, adding tenderness and a subtle tang.
• All-purpose flour: The structural base of our donuts.
• Light brown sugar: Provides moisture and a deeper, molasses-rich sweetness compared to white sugar.
• Baking powder & Baking soda: Our leavening agents, crucial for achieving that light and fluffy texture.
• Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves: The classic trio of pumpkin pie spices that give these donuts their irresistible fall flavor profile. Feel free to adjust quantities to your liking.
• Salt: A pinch of salt enhances all the other flavors.
• Pumpkin puree: Make sure you’re using 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which already has spices and sugar added.
• Vegetable oil: Adds moisture and helps keep the donuts tender. You can substitute with other neutral-flavored oils like canola or melted coconut oil.
• Vanilla extract: A touch of vanilla always rounds out the flavors beautifully.

For the Cream Cheese Glaze:

• Cream cheese: Softened, full-fat cream cheese is key for a smooth, rich, and tangy glaze.
• Powdered sugar: Also known as confectioners’ sugar, it gives the glaze its smooth texture and sweetness.
• Milk: Used to thin the glaze to your desired consistency. Start with a small amount and add more as needed.
• Vanilla extract: Enhances the flavor of the cream cheese glaze, making it even more delectable.

Please refer to the detailed recipe card below for exact quantities.

For the Donuts:

1. Prepare Your Oven and Pan: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). While the oven heats, generously grease your donut pan. Whether you’re using a metal or silicone donut mold, a good coating of cooking spray or butter ensures your donuts won’t stick, making for easy removal.
2. Create Your “Buttermilk”: In a small bowl, combine the milk and apple cider vinegar. Give it a gentle stir and let it sit undisturbed for at least 5 minutes. This simple step creates a homemade buttermilk substitute, which will react with the baking soda to give your donuts a tender crumb and a slight tang. You’ll notice the milk may curdle slightly – this is exactly what you want!
3. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together all of the dry donut ingredients: all-purpose flour, light brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Make sure there are no lumps of brown sugar and that the spices are evenly distributed.




Mix together the milk and vinegar in a small bowl and let sit for at least 5 minutes.




Stir together all of the dry donut ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

4. Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the “buttermilk” mixture, pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir gently until just combined. It’s crucial not to overmix the batter. Overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour too much, resulting in tough, dense donuts rather than light and fluffy ones.




Add in all of the wet donut ingredients and stir until just combined.




Tip: “Just combined” means you stop mixing as soon as you can no longer see streaks of flour. A few small lumps are perfectly fine. Do not overmix.

5. Fill the Donut Pan: Carefully pour or spoon approximately ¼ cup of the donut batter into each cavity of your prepared donut pan. To achieve perfectly shaped donuts, aim to fill each cavity about two-thirds of the way up. A piping bag with the tip snipped off can make this step extra clean and easy, but a spoon works just as well.




Pour or spoon in about ¼ cup of the batter into each donut cavity. The batter should fill the donut cavities about ⅔ of the way up.




Bake for about 13 minutes. Poke the donuts with a toothpick to check for doneness. Allow the donuts to cool on a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes before adding the glaze.

6. Bake to Perfection: Place the donut pan in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 13 minutes. Baking times can vary slightly depending on your oven, so keep an eye on them. To check for doneness, gently insert a toothpick into the thickest part of a donut. If it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, your donuts are ready! If there’s wet batter on the toothpick, return them to the oven for another 1-3 minutes.
7. Cool Completely: Once baked, remove the donut pan from the oven and let the donuts cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely on the rack for at least 10-15 minutes before glazing. Applying glaze to warm donuts will cause it to melt and run off, rather than set nicely.

Pro Tip: When checking if the donuts are done baking, the toothpick should come out clean or maybe with a few moist crumbs. There should not be any wet batter clinging to the toothpick. If there is, bake for another 1 to 3 minutes, checking again until they’re perfectly cooked through.

For the Cream Cheese Glaze:

1. Whip the Cream Cheese: In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar. Using an electric mixer (or a whisk and a lot of arm power!), cream them together until the mixture is smooth and lump-free. Ensure your cream cheese is at room temperature for the best results, as cold cream cheese will be difficult to blend smoothly.




Cream together the cream cheese and powdered sugar. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract. Add in 1 teaspoon of milk at a time until you reach the right consistency. Using less milk will result in a thicker frosting, using more milk will result in a thinner glaze.




Once the donuts are cool, ice them by dipping them in the icing or spooning the glaze onto the donuts and spreading it with the back of a spoon.

2. Adjust Consistency: Gradually mix in the milk and vanilla extract. The key here is to add the milk slowly, one teaspoon at a time, until you achieve your desired glaze consistency. For a thicker, more opaque frosting, use less milk. If you prefer a thinner, delicate glaze that lightly coats the donuts, you’ll need a bit more. Stir until perfectly smooth.
3. Glaze the Cooled Donuts: Once your baked pumpkin donuts have cooled completely, it’s time for the crowning glory! You can ice them by gently dipping the top of each donut into the cream cheese glaze, allowing any excess to drip off. Alternatively, you can spoon the glaze over the donuts and spread it evenly with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula. For an extra festive touch, sprinkle a tiny bit of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice over the glazed donuts before the glaze sets.

Essential Equipment for Homemade Pumpkin Donuts

Making delicious baked donuts doesn’t require a lot of fancy kitchen gadgets. Here are the basic tools you’ll need to successfully prepare this recipe:

• Silicone donut mold or donut pan: This is crucial for shaping your donuts. Silicone molds are often easier for non-stick release, but a good quality metal donut pan (properly greased) works just as well.
• Large mixing bowl: For combining your dry and wet ingredients. A large bowl makes mixing easier and prevents spills.
• Cooling rack: Essential for allowing your donuts to cool evenly and prevent them from getting soggy on the bottom.
• Whisk or Spatula: For mixing the ingredients.
• Measuring Cups and Spoons: For accurate ingredient proportions.

Storage Tips for Freshness

To enjoy these delicious baked pumpkin donuts at their best, proper storage is key. Here are some guidelines:

• Refrigeration: Once glazed, these donuts are best stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The cream cheese frosting contains dairy, so it should not be left at room temperature for extended periods. They will stay fresh and delicious for about 2 to 3 days.
• Freezing (Unglazed): You can absolutely freeze baked donuts! For best results, it’s highly recommended to freeze them before adding the cream cheese glaze. Place the cooled, unglazed donuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid (about 1-2 hours). Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe airtight container or a heavy-duty freezer bag. They can be frozen for up to 2-3 months.
• Thawing and Warming: To enjoy frozen donuts, simply remove them from the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature for about 1.5 to 2 hours. Once thawed, you can warm them briefly in the microwave (10-15 seconds) or a preheated oven (300°F/150°C for 5-7 minutes) for a fresh-from-the-oven feel before applying the glaze.
• Glazed Donuts and Freezing: While it’s possible to freeze glazed donuts, the texture of the cream cheese frosting can sometimes change upon thawing, becoming a bit watery or crumbly. For optimal quality, glaze fresh or thawed unglazed donuts.

Yes, you absolutely can freeze baked donuts! For the best quality, it is recommended to freeze them before adding the cream cheese glaze. Once baked and completely cooled, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and flash-freeze until solid. Then, transfer them to an airtight freezer bag or container. They can be stored for up to 2-3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, simply thaw at room temperature for about 1.5 to 2 hours and then apply your freshly made glaze.

This particular recipe has been tested with all-purpose flour, so we cannot guarantee the exact results with gluten-free flour. However, many readers have successfully used a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend (ensure it contains xanthan gum) as a direct substitute in similar recipes. For a vegan version, it’s quite easy! Simply replace the dairy milk with any type of non-dairy milk (such as almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk) and use a plain vegan cream cheese alternative in place of traditional cream cheese for the frosting. Make sure all other ingredients (like brown sugar) are vegan-certified if you have strict dietary requirements.

Always use 100% pure pumpkin puree, typically found in a can in the baking aisle. It’s important not to confuse it with pumpkin pie filling, which is already seasoned and sweetened. Pure pumpkin puree provides the natural flavor and moisture without altering the spice balance of the recipe.

Yes, you can prepare the donuts ahead of time. You can bake them and store them unglazed at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 day, or freeze them as described above. The cream cheese glaze can also be made a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator; just whisk it well before using to restore its smooth consistency.

If your cream cheese glaze is too thick, gradually add more milk (½ teaspoon at a time), whisking after each addition until you reach your desired pouring consistency. If it’s too thin, you can add more powdered sugar (1 tablespoon at a time) until it thickens up. Remember to adjust slowly to avoid overcorrecting.

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Baked Pumpkin Donuts with Cream Cheese Frosting