These Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts are so delicious and bursting with warm, cozy Fall flavors. A perfect treat for any time of day. Quick and easy to make too!
October was doughnut month at my house and thank God for that because life gets tough sometimes. Maybe you’ve picked up on that by how quiet things have been around here. But, I’m not going anywhere, so keep your oven mitts on 😉 Anyway, I’ve recently realized how very therapeutic a dozen warm doughnuts can be. Not that I ate a whole dozen…not at one sitting anyway.
Aside from baking up these amazing rings of pumpkin bliss last month, I also made Ina Garten’s Cinnamon Baked Doughnuts and a recipe I found online for Old Fashioned Baked Doughnuts. Even though we enjoyed them all, these pumpkin ones were our favorite.
Doughnut month at my house concluded with a doughnut-themed party for my youngest daughter’s 11th birthday. I made doughnut sugar cookies, a doughnut decorated cake, and these baked pumpkin doughnuts. They disappeared in under 10 seconds. I set the doughnut-stacked plate down on the counter for the party guests, looked away for 6 seconds and then they were gone. My conclusion – tweens are gremlins. And also, these doughnuts are delicious.
As much as I love doughnuts (my cell phone screen is a stack of sugar doughnuts and I haven’t changed it in 3 years), I had never made them before. I especially love yeast raised doughnuts, like the dangerously delicious Krispy Kreme ones. But, I wanted to start with an easier version, so I went the baked route.
These babies are so quick and easy! It’s a perfect and fun baking project to get the kids involved in. I do realize that not everyone has doughnut baking pans. I certainly didn’t have any. But, they are inexpensive and easy to find. Plus, you’ll have them for experimenting with many other flavors in the future. I used these.
The ingredient list Рall-purpose flour (see notes below recipe for gluten-free option), sugar, oil, canned pumpkin pur̩e, eggs, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.
These basic ingredients just get quickly mixed up in a bowl (no need to use a mixer) and then the batter goes right into the doughnut pans. Easy. I do recommend placing the batter in a piping bag or a plastic zipper bag to fill the pans. It makes it 100% easier, quicker, and tidier.
After spending 12-15 minutes in the oven, they get (gently) tossed with cinnamon sugar while they’re still warm. If you prefer your doughnuts iced or glazed, that would be delicious too. You really can’t go wrong with these. They are so, so good even just plain. I love their cozy, warm spices dunked into a latte or a cappuccino.
Because they are so moist (thanks to the pumpkin), storing them completely covered can make them a bit sticky. My solution is to store them in a large covered container along with extra cinnamon sugar on the bottom. Then, I just turn them and coat them in the sugar before serving. It takes care of any stickiness and ensures you have that crunchy coating in every bite. If you want to freeze them, no problem. They freeze very well in an airtight container. I suggest freezing them without the cinnamon sugar and just coating them prior to serving. Perhaps a fun make-ahead treat for your Thanksgiving dessert table.
Our family gave these Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts two enthusiastic thumbs up. I hope you’ll try them out this Fall season. Enjoy!
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Toasted Marshmallow Pumpkin Bars
Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts
These Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts are moist and full of warm Fall flavors. Quick and easy too!
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree (do not use pumpkin pie filling )
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus 1/4 heaping teaspoon each of ground nutmeg and ground ginger)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 3/4 cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 Tablespoons cinnamon-sugar
Cinnamon-Sugar Coating
- 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
- 3 Tablespoons Granulated sugar
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease two standard doughnut pans (I used nonstick spray).
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In a large bowl, beat together the oil, eggs, sugar, pumpkin, spices, salt, and baking powder until smooth.
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Add the flour, stirring just until smooth.
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Place the batter into a gallon-size plastic zipper bag or a piping bag. Snip off the corner and fill the doughnut pans 3/4 full.
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Bake the doughnuts for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.
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Allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Then, loosen their edges, and transfer to a rack to cool slightly.
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While the doughnuts are still slightly warm, mix cinnamon and sugar for coating and gently toss them in a bag with the cinnamon-sugar.
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Cool completely and store at room temperature for several days (see notes for storing tips)
Storing: These can get a bit tacky and sticky when covered. You can either store these semi-covered to allow some air circulation or place them into a large container sealed with a lid with the cinnamon-sugar on the bottom of the container. Prior to serving, gently toss each doughnut in the sugar.
Freezing: Place doughnuts into a freezer safe container without the cinnamon-sugar coating. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature with lid off. Toss in cinnamon-sugar before serving.Â
Gluten-free option: Substitute measure-for-measure gluten-free flour for all-purpose flour and increase baking time to 16-18 minutes.
Muffins: No doughnut pans? You can make these into muffins using standard muffin tins. Fill each greased well about 3/4 full and bake for about 20 minutes at 350° F. Check doneness with a toothpick. Once baked, sprinkle the muffin tops liberally with cinnamon-sugar. Makes about 14-16 muffins.
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Adapted (slightly modified) from King Arthur Flour
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