Name: Pumpkin Doughnuts Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt; 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves; 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger; 1 cup canned pumpkin puree; 2 large eggs, room temperature; 1/2 cup neutral oil (canola, vegetable, or light olive oil); 1/3 cup milk (whole or 2%); 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 3 tablespoons melted butter, slightly cooled; 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted; 1-2 tablespoons milk; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 pinch ground cinnamon

Pumpkin Doughnuts Recipe tastes like a cozy October morning in every bite, with warm spices, tender crumb, and a light sugar crunch on top. It works perfectly for busy home bakers who want a fall treat in about 35 minutes from start to finish. I tested this batch on my neighbors, and they “accidentally” ate a dozen in one afternoon.

Why You Should Try This Pumpkin Doughnuts Recipe

Baked pumpkin doughnuts taste like pumpkin pie and a cinnamon sugar doughnut had a very polite, very fluffy child. You get all the flavor of deep fried doughnuts without a pot of hot oil or a smoky kitchen.

This recipe uses pantry staples, canned pumpkin, and a simple batter that you mix in one bowl. Cleanup stays easy, and the doughnuts stay soft for days, which makes them perfect for brunch, snacks, and lunchbox treats.

“These pumpkin doughnuts taste like a bakery special, but I watched them come out of my own oven. ★★★★★”

Ingredients You’ll Need

Dry ingredients

2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground ginger

You can use a pumpkin pie spice blend instead of the separate spices. Use 2 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice and skip the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.

Wet ingredients

1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling; Libby’s or store brand both work)
2 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup neutral oil (canola, vegetable, or light olive oil)
⅓ cup whole milk or 2% milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

If you bake dairy free, use oat milk or almond milk in place of cow’s milk. Use any neutral oil you like, or swap half the oil for melted butter for a richer flavor.

Cinnamon sugar coating

½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons melted butter, slightly cooled

You can roll the doughnuts in plain sugar if you want less spice. Brown sugar also works, but it gives a slightly stickier finish.

Optional glaze

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1–2 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of cinnamon

Whisk the glaze until smooth and pourable. Thin it with more milk or thicken it with more powdered sugar as needed.

Equipment

2 standard nonstick doughnut pans (6 cavities each)
Large mixing bowl
Whisk and rubber spatula
Measuring cups and spoons or a kitchen scale
Piping bag or large zip-top bag (to pipe batter into pans)
Wire cooling rack
Small bowl for cinnamon sugar

If you do not own doughnut pans, use a standard muffin pan and bake “pumpkin doughnut muffins” instead. The flavor stays the same, only the shape changes.

Tips & Tricks

Use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, since pie filling already has sugar and spices.
Blot very wet pumpkin with paper towels if it looks watery, so the batter stays thick and bakes fluffy.
Bring eggs and milk to room temperature so the batter mixes smoothly and rises better.
Do not overmix the batter; stir just until no dry streaks of flour remain to keep the doughnuts tender.
Grease the doughnut pans lightly, even if they say nonstick, to help the doughnuts release cleanly.
Fill each doughnut cavity about two thirds full so the batter rises without spilling over the center.
Use a piping bag or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off to pipe the batter neatly into the pans.
Rotate the pans halfway through baking if your oven heats unevenly, so every doughnut browns evenly.
Let the doughnuts cool for a few minutes in the pan, then move them to a rack so they do not steam and turn soggy.
Coat the doughnuts in cinnamon sugar while they still feel slightly warm so the sugar sticks beautifully.

How to Make Pumpkin Doughnuts Recipe

Mix the dry ingredients

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease your doughnut pans lightly with oil or nonstick spray and set them aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger until everything looks well combined.

Combine the wet ingredients

In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk pumpkin puree until smooth. Add eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla, then whisk until the mixture looks silky and uniform. Scrape the sides of the bowl so no streaks of pumpkin hide at the bottom.

Make the batter

Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir gently with a spatula until the flour disappears and the batter looks thick and smooth. Stop mixing as soon as everything comes together so the doughnuts stay soft.

Fill the doughnut pans

Spoon the batter into a piping bag or zip-top bag and snip off the tip. Pipe the batter into each doughnut cavity, filling each one about two thirds full. Tap the pans lightly on the counter to pop any air bubbles and level the batter.

Bake the doughnuts

Place the pans on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the tops spring back lightly when you touch them and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If your oven runs hot, start checking at 11 minutes so the doughnuts stay soft and not dry.

Cool and coat in cinnamon sugar

Let the doughnuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn them out gently onto a wire rack. Stir together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Brush each warm doughnut with melted butter, then roll it in the cinnamon sugar until coated on all sides.

Add optional glaze

If you want glazed pumpkin doughnuts, whisk powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and a pinch of cinnamon in a bowl until smooth. Dip the top of each cooled doughnut into the glaze and set it back on the rack so the glaze can set. You can coat some in cinnamon sugar and glaze others so everyone gets a favorite style.

What to Serve with Pumpkin Doughnuts Recipe

Pumpkin doughnuts taste amazing with a hot mug of coffee, chai, or black tea in the morning. Kids love them with cold milk or hot cocoa, especially on chilly fall weekends. Serve them on a brunch board with sliced apples, grapes, yogurt, and scrambled eggs for a full spread. You can also pack them in lunchboxes or serve them as an afternoon snack with a side of vanilla yogurt for dipping.

Storage Options

Store cooled pumpkin doughnuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Keep them in the fridge for 4 to 5 days if your kitchen runs warm, and let them come to room temperature before serving.
Freeze unglazed doughnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet, then move them to a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
Reheat doughnuts from room temperature in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or from frozen for 8 to 10 minutes, until warm and soft again.