Easy Baked Pumpkin Donuts with Cinnamon Sugar Coating Recipe
These Easy Baked Pumpkin Donuts are a delightful fall treat, combining the warm flavors of pumpkin and spices with a light, tender crumb. Baked instead of fried, they offer a healthier twist on traditional donuts, finished with a buttery cinnamon sugar coating that adds the perfect sweet and spicy touch.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 16 minutes
- Total Time: 36 minutes
- Yield: 6 donuts 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Donuts
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter (melted)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Donut Pan: Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC) and spray a donut pan with non-stick cooking spray to ensure easy removal of the donuts after baking. Set the pan aside.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, vegetable oil, and milk until well combined and smooth.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a smaller bowl, mix the all purpose flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt evenly. Gradually add these dry ingredients to the wet pumpkin mixture, folding gently with a spatula until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the donuts tender.
- Fill Donut Pan: Transfer the batter into a piping bag or a resealable plastic bag with a small corner cut off. Pipe the batter evenly into the donut cavities, distributing among six molds.
- Bake the Donuts: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 15-16 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the donuts cool in the pan for 10 minutes to set.
- Cool on Rack: Carefully flip the pan upside down to release the donuts onto a wire cooling rack. Allow them to cool fully for at least 10 more minutes before coating.
- Prepare Cinnamon Butter Coating: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave. Using a pastry brush, coat the cooled donuts with the melted butter or briefly dip each side of the donut if a brush is unavailable.
- Apply Cinnamon Sugar: In a bowl, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon. Roll each butter-coated donut in the sugar mixture, flipping to thoroughly coat both sides for a sweet, crispy finish.
Notes
- Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, for best flavor.
- If you don’t have a piping bag, spooning the batter carefully into the donut pan cavities works as well.
- Allow donuts to cool completely before applying the cinnamon sugar to avoid melting the sugar coating.
- Store donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days for freshness.
Keywords: pumpkin donuts, baked donuts, easy pumpkin recipe, fall desserts, cinnamon sugar donuts
