Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts with Cinnamon Sugar
These moist, perfectly spiced pumpkin doughnuts make a cozy and sweet breakfast for a crisp Fall day.
Autumn brings with it so many things to enjoy…the cooler weather, the changing leaves, sweater weather and pumpkin spice! It’s the ushering in of the holiday baking season and if you’re like me, all things pumpkin are at the top of the to-bake list!
When I think of Fall, one of the best words I like to describe it as is “cozy”. Cozy weather, cozy celebrations and cozy flavors! What’s more cozy than pumpkin cake doughnuts baked to perfection?!
I love these doughnuts for so many reasons, but at the top of my list is their flavor and texture! Since they are not a Yeasted Doughnut, they require no rise time and are a perfect breakfast to make when you don’t have much time.
Baked Doughnuts vs. Fried Doughnuts
- Baked doughnuts are similar to the texture of a sweet bread or muffin. These pumpkin doughnuts are inspired by my delicious Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread. They’re moist, rich and have a tender crumb. Baking doughnuts instead of frying them, can be a healthier option to this sweet treat. Find my favorite doughnut pan HERE to make baking doughnuts easier.
- Fried doughnuts have a crispy outer layer and a tender interior. You can fry doughnuts that are yeasted or cake – both are delicious! Doughnuts made with a yeasted dough, have a more light and airy texture when cooked. They are amazing and decadent! Find more about how to make my Yeast Doughnuts deep fried, go HERE.
Each has its pro’s…and I can’t think of any cons! Whether you are baking or frying, I think we can all agree that doughnuts are just about the best treat around!
A look at the ingredients
- Pumpkin Puree adds amazing flavor and creates lots of moisture in the baked doughnuts.
- Buttermilk add a bit of tanginess to compliment all of the sweet. It also helps to create a fluffy, moist crumb.
- Eggs provide structure to the doughnuts.
- Spices like nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and allspice go perfectly into this recipe to create just the right amount of spice without being too overpowering. Whenever I can, I prefer to use this mixture of spices instead of a store bought pumpkin pie spice.
- Pure vanilla extract enhances all these flavors we are throwing together. While it does not affect the structure of the recipe, it’s great at creating a bridge to marry the spice with the sweet in this baked doughnut recipe
Making Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts with Cinnamon Sugar
- Preheat your oven and prepare your pan with nonstick spray. If you don’t have a doughnut pan, you can also use this pumpkin cake doughnuts recipe to make muffins instead!
- Combine all of the wet ingredients into one bowl, plus the sugar.
- Combine the rest of the dry ingredients into another bowl.
- Add the wet to the dry and mix until combined. You can mix by hand or use an electric mixer to make it easier.
- Fill the wells of the doughnut pan about 2/3 full. You can use a piping bag to make it quicker and cleaner.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes. Make sure an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the pumpkin doughnuts cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.
- Coat the baked doughnuts in cinnamon sugar while they are still warm. Let them continue to cool on the wire rack…or for a more amazing pumpkin spice doughnut experience, eat them while they are still warm!
If you like switching things up a bit, try adding a vanilla glaze to some of the pumpkin spice doughnuts! It creates a more concentrated sweetness and creaminess when you bite into it! Find my most used vanilla glaze in my Apple Streusel Muffin Recipe!
Pro tip:
- Whenever possible, weigh your ingredients! Scooping ingredients like flour can give you unpredictable results in your baking. Food Scales are pretty inexpensive but make a big difference in how your recipes turn out!
These pumpkin spice doughnuts with cinnamon sugar go fast in our home! Everybody loves them – I mean EVERYBODY!…You know as well as I do that very rarely happens!!
For a quick and easy pumpkin fix, you just can’t go wrong! I know you and your family will love this baked pumpkin spiced doughnuts recipe!
Need extra help working with yeasted doughs?!
Check out my Baking Academy!! Members have ALL ACCESS to my entire class library! Prerecorded videos, showing you how to master a recipe from start to finish!
One of my Baking Academy Members recently boasted:
“The Baking Academy has helped me to be more confident with baking bread. In the past, I would try new recipes and often fail because I didn’t quite understand all the particulars of bread making…I appreciate Heather’s tutorials, zoom meetings, videos and detailed explanations of the WHY behind the techniques of bread making.” -Brittny from Mesa, AZ.
More recipes to try…
Helpful tools…
(This post contains affiliate links of products I love!)
Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts with Cinnamon Sugar
Ingredients
Doughnuts
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare doughnut pans by spraying with nonstick spray. If you don’t have a doughnut pan, you can use a standard muffin tin and make muffins instead of doughnuts.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer* add the vegetable oil, buttermilk, eggs, pumpkin puree, vanilla and 1 & 1/2 cups sugar. Mix until combined and smooth, about 1 minute.
- In a separate bowl, add the nutmeg, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and flour. Stir to combine and fully incorporate.
- With the wire whisk attachment in place, turn the mixer on low and gradually add the flour mixture. Increase speed to a medium low setting to fully combine mixture, about one minute.
- Fill the wells of the doughnut pan about 2/3 full. I like to use a piping bag to make it less messy and quicker.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes. Check with a toothpick to make sure they are cooked all the way through – toothpick should come out clean. If baking muffins, increase bake time to 20-22 minutes.
- Allow the doughnuts to sit in the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.
- Combine the ingredients for the Cinnamon Sugar Topping in a shallow dish.
- Dip warm doughnuts in the cinnamon sugar, coating one or both sides.
- Allow to continue to cool on the wire rack or enjoy warm!
Notes
- *You can mix these by hand if you don’t have an electric mixer.
- Add a vanilla glaze for a creamy sweet topping.
- Store uncovered up to two days to prevent them from getting too moist and sticky. To store them longer, place in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to one month.
Nutrition
[…] Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts with Cinnamon Sugar […]