Soft baked pumpkin donuts coated in a cinnamon-sugar butter exterior—these donuts are baked pumpkin perfection.
I can’t believe it’s already September. The leaves on the Rocky Mountains to the east are starting to change, morning runs have a crisp bite to the air, and a few backyard trees have begun to drop their first leaves. My cravings for hot chocolate and apple cider are louder every day—fall is definitely drawing near.
I hadn’t made donuts before except for homemade french crullers, which remain a favorite. With fall approaching, I wanted pumpkin donuts and an easy baked version. These turned out incredible; I couldn’t stop sneaking bites. Each donut is tender inside with a light, buttery, cinnamon-sugar crust on the outside. Serving them alongside hot chocolate and marshmallows felt like the only right choice. They’re simple to make and will definitely be on repeat this season.
No mixer is necessary, which is nice sometimes. I love my stand mixer, but using fewer dishes and only a whisk still delivers a delicious result. The ingredients come together quickly with just a bit of whisking to form the dough.
You’ll need a donut pan for these. I don’t own one (yet), but my sister-in-law has both regular and mini pans and they’re adorable. I planned to use the mini pan but the batter only filled the larger pan—next time I’ll double the recipe so I can make both sizes. If you have both pans, double the dough so you can enjoy big and little bites.
The original recipe suggested pumpkin pie filling, but I used pumpkin puree from my pantry and stirred in pumpkin pie spice. The result was wonderfully soft donuts—using puree keeps them tender and moist.
Each bite delivers buttery cinnamon-sugar sweetness that exceeded my expectations of a pumpkin donut.
Store the donuts at room temperature on a wire rack or plate for best texture. They’ll disappear fast. Sealing them in an airtight container will soften the cinnamon-sugar crust slightly, though they’ll still taste good. Enjoy them quickly with family—these became a new fall favorite in our home.
I’d love to see your versions of these donuts. Tag me @bakingwithblondie or use #bakingwithblondie on social media so I can see your creations.
As always, happy baking!
xo, Mandy
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Baked Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Donuts
Soft tender pumpkin donuts, baked to perfection and coated in butter and cinnamon sugar.
Servings: 12 servings
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Ingredients
Baked Pumpkin Donuts
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 1 cup whole milk
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 2-4 Tablespoons cinnamon
Equipment
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donut baking pan mini or full sized
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly spray a donut baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.
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In a separate bowl, whisk the pumpkin puree, melted butter, and milk together. Gently fold the wet mixture into the dry ingredients, being careful not to overmix.
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Transfer the batter to a large zip-top bag (or a piping bag without a tip) and cut a corner. Pipe the batter into the donut wells, filling slightly under the top so the center hole remains. Bake for about 10 minutes, then turn the donuts out onto a wire rack to cool.
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For the cinnamon-sugar coating, pour the melted butter into a shallow bowl and combine the sugar and cinnamon in a separate shallow bowl. When the donuts are completely cool, dunk one or both sides of each donut in the butter, then coat in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place back on the wire rack and serve immediately.