Fall time is pumpkin time. Even though I think apple is the superior fall flavor (don’t attack me!) it’s pretty much a basic fact that pumpkin everything is a necessity for fall. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin this and pumpkin that. And now, you’ll be able to make baked pumpkin donuts! These cake donuts are so soft and fluffy and the glaze adds the perfect amount of sweetness. You won’t be disappointed! So let’s get started.
Ingredients and Special Equipment Needed:
Special Ingredients for Pumpkin Donuts:
The ingredients in these pumpkin donuts are easily found at almost any grocery store. However, these are the specialty ingredients that you may not already have on hand.
- Pumpkin puree – I simply got a generic can of pumpkin puree, but if you feel ambitious, you can feel free to use homemade as well!
- Pumpkin pie spice – This is absolutely necessary to create the right flavor.
- Spice cake mix – I used the cake mix portion of Krusteaz’ Cinnamon Swirl crumb cake mix, but any regular spice cake mix will also work. You could even switch it up and make chocolate pumpkin donuts with a chocolate cake mix. Yum!
Kitchen Tools Needed for Pumpkin Donuts:
In terms of special equipment needed, here is what I recommend having on hand in your kitchen:
- Silicone donut molds– These silicone donut molds make it super easy for the donuts to release after baking without sticking.
- Cookie sheets – I put my donut pans on cookie sheets so that the donuts retain the proper shape.
- Piping bags – You could also use ziplock bags, but I use a piping bag to pipe the batter into the donut molds. Make sure to cut a large enough hole to allow the thick batter to flow.
- Mixing bowl – I love silicone bottomed mixing bowls because they stay in place better than ones without the coating.
- Hand or stand mixer – The batter for these pumpkin donuts is fairly thick. Whether you use a hand or a stand mixer, I definitely recommend something other than mixing it by hand.
- Cooling rack – I highly recommend having a cooling rack and using it over the top of a cookie sheet so that when you glaze the donuts, the excess can drip off.
Pictures:
Unfortunately, I didn’t snag a ton of pictures of what the batter looked like, but more of the final product. Here are some pictures that show what your donuts and glaze should look like!
Just know that the donut batter will be fairly thick and you’ll need to cut a decent sized hole to pipe it into your donut molds.
Recipe:
Pumpkin Donuts with Vanilla Glaze
Equipment
- Silicone donut pans
- Piping Bag
Ingredients
Donuts
- 1 box spice cake mix We used the cake mix portion of the Krusteaz Cinnamon Crumb Cake Mix
- 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 egg
Vanilla Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tbsp whole milk
Instructions
Donut instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Put silicone donut molds on a cookie sheet and spray the molds with nonstick cooking spray.
- Mix all ingredients in a large bowl or in a stand mixer until just combined and no clumps of raw flour are present. It will be thick and sticky. Don't overmix!
- Fill a piping bag with the donut mixture. Cut a large hole in the tip to pipe the dough into your donut molds. You'll want to fill each of the donut molds about 3/4 of the way full with batter.
- Bake the donuts for 12-15 minutes or until batter is fully cooked and donuts are crispy on the outside. Let sit in the silicone donut molds for 10 minutes before removing donuts to a cooling rack.
Glazing Instructions
- When donuts have fully cooled, about 20-30 minutes after removing them to the cooling rack, they are ready to be glazed. Place your cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet.
- In a shallow bowl, whisk all ingredients beginning with only 1 tbsp of milk until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add milk a little bit at a time until the desired consistency is reached. You want the glaze to be slightly thick but not too runny otherwise it will run off of the donuts.
- After glazing, return the donuts to the cooling rack so that excess glaze can drip into the cookie sheet. Allow the glaze to harden for 30 minutes or so.
- Serve and enjoy!
These pumpkin cake donuts were so fluffy and delicious! My family will be sure to have them again. And because they aren’t deep fried, they’re a slightly healthier choice.
I hope you try this recipe and let me know what you think. I always appreciate feedback, so please leave a review and comment below. If you enjoyed this recipe and want more like it, make sure you follow for weekly updates. I post a new recipe every Friday. You can also check out my recipes page or any of the recipes down below. Thanks so much! Happy fall!
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