Let’s Make Pumpkin Spice Baked Donuts (Grab Coffee First!)

I swear, every time the temperature dips below 65 (which is rare where I live, but humor me), I find myself craving something pumpkin-y. The first time I tried making these baked donuts, I was actually meant to be cleaning out the garage but got totally sidetracked by a can of pumpkin purée I’d forgotten about. Long story short, the garage waited, my kitchen was a glorious mess, and the whole house smelled like autumn candles but, you know, edible. I figure if I can pull these off mid-chaos, anyone can. Oh, and I’ve burnt myself on the pan more than once, so you know these are tried and true.

Why You’ll Love These (Or at Least Why I Do)

I make these baked donuts when I want to feel like the kind of put-together person who owns matching tea towels. My family goes nuts for them because—well, they’re soft, not too sweet, and you can devour two without feeling like you just ate a brick. These are perfect for lazy Sunday mornings or, if you’re like me, when it’s Tuesday and you’re avoiding real work. If you hate cleaning oil splatters, rejoice—no deep frying. PS: I used to hate that you needed a donut pan, but I found a workaround (see below).

What You’ll Need (And Substitutions I’ve Actually Tried)

1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (Grandma swore by Gold Medal, but honestly, Aldi’s does the job just fine)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (I sometimes use coconut sugar if I’m out, it’s a little earthier but works)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon (I heap it because I can’t help myself)
1/2 tsp nutmeg (fresh grated if you’re feeling fancy, jar stuff if not)
1/4 tsp cloves (optional, sometimes I skip if I can’t find it in the spice chaos)
1/4 tsp allspice (see above)
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin purée (NOT pumpkin pie mix, unless you like things weirdly sweet)
1/4 cup milk (any kind—I’ve done oat, almond, 2%, all fine)
1/4 cup melted butter (or coconut oil. One time I ran out and used applesauce which… wasn’t my best work)
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the cinnamon sugar topping (not optional in my opinion):

1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon (I eyeball these, sometimes more cinnamon, sometimes less)

How To Make These Cozy Little Donuts

Preheat your oven to 350°F (or about 175°C if you think in metric). Grease your donut pan—spray, butter, whatever. Sometimes I just use a muffin tin if I can’t find the pan, and they come out like weird, chubby muffins. Not bad though.
In a big bowl, mix all the dry stuff—flour, sugars, baking powder and soda, salt, spices. I use a fork. Who needs more dishes?
In another bowl (or honestly, just make a well in your dry ingredients, I do that when I’m lazy), whisk together eggs, pumpkin purée, milk, melted butter (or coconut oil), and vanilla. Don’t worry if it looks a bit gloopy, it always does at this stage.
Mix the wet into the dry. Stir until just combined—don’t overmix! This is where I usually sneak a taste (egg risk and all. Living dangerously.)
Spoon the batter into your donut pan. You can use a piping bag if you want to feel pro, or just a zip-top bag snipped at the end. Or do what I do and glop it in with a spoon. If it’s messy, who cares? They’ll still taste great.
Bake for 13–15 minutes, until the tops spring back when you poke them (gently, unless you fancy lava-hot pumpkin on your finger). They should look golden around the edges.
Let them cool in the pan for a few minutes, then tip out onto a wire rack. Or a cutting board, or a clean dish towel if all your racks are mysteriously missing.
Dip the warm donuts in melted butter, then toss in cinnamon sugar. Don’t skip this part. It’s the magic.

My Notes from the (Literal) Trenches

Scooping the batter into the pan with wet hands keeps things less sticky (learned this after years of doughy fingers).
If you use coconut oil, make sure your eggs and milk are at room temp, otherwise it’ll firm up and look weird. Tastes fine, but not pretty.
Actually, they taste even better the next day. If you can wait, which I never do.

Variations I’ve Messed With (And One Fail)

Chocolate chips: Just toss a handful in before baking. Foolproof.
Maple glaze: Mix some powdered sugar with maple syrup and a splash of milk. Drizzle on cooled donuts. My kids call it “breakfast syrup” donuts.
GF version: I tried with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour; actually, not bad! A bit denser but still tasty.
Fail: I once tried stuffing them with cream cheese filling and it just oozed everywhere. Tastes good, looks like a crime scene. Avoid.

Don’t Have a Donut Pan? Me Neither, Sometimes

So, a donut pan is nice, but plenty of times I’ve just spooned the batter into muffin tins. Or, if I’m feeling really reckless, I shape tin foil into circles and plop them on a baking sheet. Not pretty, but they work. I saw Sally’s Baked Donut Holes recipe and did that once—so good!

How to Store (But They Never Last, Seriously)

Keep these in an airtight container for 2–3 days max. After that, they start to get a bit soggy, but still edible. You can freeze ‘em, too, though honestly, in my house they never last more than a day! I tried hiding some once and still caught my son sneaking them at midnight.

Serving: What We Do at My Place

Honestly? With coffee. Or tea. Sometimes late at night with a drizzle of caramel sauce if I want to feel fancy (it’s just store-bought). My cousin dips hers in chai, which is probably not traditional but tastes like a hug in a mug, if you’re into that sort of thing. Oh, and if you want to go all out, a dab of whipped cream is never a bad idea.

Pro Tips (AKA “Oops, Learned the Hard Way”)

I once tried rushing the cooling step and they stuck like glue. Let them cool a bit—just trust me.
If you try to overfill the pan, you’ll get donut tops that look like volcanoes. Still yummy, a bit odd looking though.
Don’t skip greasing the pan. I keep forgetting and it’s a disaster every time.

FAQ (Because My Friends Actually Ask This Stuff)

Can I use pumpkin pie filling instead of purée? I mean, you can, but it’s way sweeter and has spices already, so cut the sugar and spices in half. Or don’t. It’ll just be really, really pumpkin-spicy.
How do I make them vegan? Actually, I find it works better if you swap eggs for flax eggs, use plant milk, and coconut oil. Texture’s a bit different, but still good!
What’s the best substitute for nutmeg? I usually just toss in more cinnamon if I’m out. Or a bit of allspice. No one’s noticed yet, anyway.
Can these be made ahead? Yep. But they’re best fresh or the next day. Any longer and they get a little rubbery (in my opinion, anyway).
Where’d you get your donut pan? Picked it up cheap at Target but honestly, Amazon has tons—see this one I’ve used.

That’s the scoop! If you have questions, drop me a note or just try the recipe and let me know how it turns out. Oh—side note—if you ever drop an entire bag of cinnamon in the batter, just roll with it. It’ll just be extra autumnal, right?