Description
Moist, spiced Baked Pumpkin Donuts recipe with rich brown sugar icing. The perfect fall treat, baked not fried.
Ingredients
Scale
Pumpkin Donuts
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (store-bought or homemade)
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil (or canola oil or melted coconut oil)
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (226g) fresh or canned pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup (80ml) milk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Brown Sugar Icing
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk (whole milk is best)
- 1 Tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups (170g) sifted confectioners’ sugar
- pinch of salt, to taste
- optional topping: crushed walnuts or pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and lightly grease a donut pan.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.
- Mix wet ingredients: In another bowl, whisk oil, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
- Combine: Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fill the pan: Spoon or pipe the batter into the donut pan, filling each cavity about 3/4 full.
- Bake: Bake for 14–16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Let donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
For the Brown Sugar Icing
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, milk, and butter. Stir until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to simmer.
- Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla, sifted confectioners’ sugar, and a pinch of salt. Mix until smooth.
- Dip cooled donuts into the icing and sprinkle with crushed nuts if desired. Let icing set before serving.
Notes
Use silicone or nonstick metal donut pans for easy release.
Let icing cool slightly before dipping to avoid runoff.
Try adding a pinch of cardamom for extra depth.
Optional toppings: cinnamon-sugar, maple glaze, or toasted coconut.