Pumpkin Donuts are made easily with a cake mix base! Delightfully spiced, soft, and perfect for fall mornings. Enjoy them frosted or dusted with cinnamon sugar – a tasty treat for everyone!
Baked Pumpkin Donuts With Maple Glaze
Our Baked Pumpkin Donuts recipe takes under 30 minutes using only a spice cake mix, pumpkin puree, and heavy cream. Spread a sweet maple glaze on top, and you have breakfast on-the-go or a delicious dessert.
This baked pumpkin donut recipe is my favorite for fall (along with my Pumpkin Cake Mix Cookies and Pumpkin Spice Muffins); it bakes the best sweetly spiced donuts in the oven without the mess, splatter, and hassle that comes with deep frying in hot oil.
Moist, soft, and full of flavor, pumpkin spice donuts are delicious as is, fresh from the oven, or you can cover them in a glaze, spread some cream cheese frosting on top, or sprinkle on cinnamon sugar or your favorite seasonal spice.
Why We Love Baked Pumpkin Doughnut Recipes
- Quick and easy to make with a cake mix shortcut.
- Uses only 5 simple ingredients.
- Baking with pumpkin puree is a healthy substitute for oil, adding moisture and health benefits to pastries and doughnuts.
- Great breakfast or brunch option but delicious for dessert too!
- Perfect for Halloween parties, potlucks, autumn celebrations, Thanksgiving or any other seasonal gathering!
Pumpkin Donuts Ingredients
- Spice cake mix
- Pumpkin puree: This recipe uses pureed pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. You can use canned or fresh, as long as it is 100% pumpkin.
- Heavy cream
- Powdered sugar
- Maple syrup
Substitutions and Additions
- Make With Another Mix: You can replace the spice cake mix with a white or yellow cake mix with 2-3 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.
- Create Without Cream: You can substitute whole milk or half and half for the heavy cream, but be aware that they will make the glaze thinner, so you probably won’t want to add as much of them to the glaze.
- Swap The Syrup: If you don’t have maple syrup, you may omit this and use ¼ teaspoon maple extract and increase the heavy cream slightly.
- Create Some Crunch: To add more to these donuts, add some chopped nuts to the batter, such as pecans or walnuts, or sprinkle them on top of the glaze for added texture and flavor.
- Tasty Toppings: You can omit the glaze and dip the donuts in melted butter and a pumpkin pie spice/sugar mixture or a cinnamon sugar mixture for a different finish.
Recommended Tools
- Donut pan(s)
- Baking spray
- Large mixing bowl
- Hand or stand mixer
- Measuring tools
- Mixing tools
- Medium mixing bowl
- Piping bag
How to Make Pumpkin Donuts
- Make The Batter: Mix together the cake mix, pumpkin puree, and heavy cream.
- Bake: Pipe the batter into each donut well and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-15 minutes.
- Form The Frosting: Whisk together the powdered sugar and maple syrup. Gradually pour in the heavy cream, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until it’s a thick, spreadable glaze.
- Spread And Serve: Spread the frosting on top of each donut and serve. Enjoy!
Tips For Making The Best Pumpkin Donuts
- I highly recommend using a piping bag, or zip-top bag with a corner snipped off to easily fill the donut pan with batter. If you try to scoop it in with a spoon it will be difficult to get level and even donuts.
- Don’t overfill the donut wells with batter; the donuts will rise and expand during baking.
- Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for a few minutes before turning them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. This will prevent them from breaking or sticking to the pan.
- When making the glaze, start with less cream and gradually add more until you reach the desired consistency. If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add more cream.
How to Store Pumpkin Donuts
- To Store: Store the cooled donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.
- To Freeze: Freeze the donuts in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2 months. To thaw frozen donuts, leave them at room temperature for several hours or overnight.
How To Maintain the Glaze Texture
If the glazed pumpkin donuts are stored for some time, the glaze may become a bit more moist or soft due to the moisture in the donuts. The glaze may also start to absorb into the donuts, causing the top of the donuts to become slightly sticky.
However, this should not affect the taste of the donuts, and they should still be delicious to eat. If you want to maintain the texture and appearance of the glaze, you can store the glazed donuts in a single layer on a plate or tray and cover them loosely with plastic wrap. This will help to prevent them from sticking together and preserve the texture of the glaze, but the donuts will dry out more quickly.
More Easy Pumpkin Recipes
Other Easy Fall Recipes
- Apple Cider Doughnut Cake
- Caramel Apple Grapes
- Fall Harvest Muddy Buddies
- Caramel Apple Dump Cake
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake
Pumpkin Donuts
Ingredients
Donuts:
- 15.25 ounce box spice cake mix
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
Glaze:
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 4-6 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a doughnut pan with cooking spray.
- Mix together the cake mix, pumpkin puree, and heavy cream in a large mixing bowl with a hand or stand mixer until combined. The batter will be thick.15.25 ounce box spice cake mix, 1 cup pumpkin puree, ⅓ cup heavy cream
- Using a piping bag, pipe batter into each donut well, filling it about ½ full of batter.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the top of the donuts bounce back if gently tapped.
- Remove the donuts from the oven and allow them to cool for 3-5 minutes before turning them out onto a cooling rack.
- Allow the donuts to cool completely, and then make the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar and maple syrup in a medium-sized mixing bowl.1½ cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- Gradually pour in the heavy cream, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until you reach a thick, spreadable consistency.4-6 tablespoons heavy cream
- Spread frosting onto the top of each donut and serve.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: Store the cooled donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.
- To Freeze: Freeze the donuts in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2 months. To thaw frozen donuts, simply leave them at room temperature for several hours or overnight.
- I highly recommend using a piping bag, or zip-top bag with a corner snipped off to easily fill the donut pan with batter. If you try to scoop it in with a spoon it will be difficult to get level and even donuts.
- Don’t overfill the donut wells with batter, as the donuts will rise and expand during baking.
- Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for a few minutes before turning them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. This will prevent them from breaking or sticking to the pan.
- When making the glaze, start with less cream and gradually add more until you reach the desired consistency. If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add more cream.
