These baked pumpkin spice donuts are made with healthier ingredients and coated with a delicious cinnamon sugar mixture. They’re soft and fluffy and make for the perfect fall treat.
I’m obsessed with my baked apple cider donuts so when brainstorming new fall recipes I thought I’d take a stab at making a pumpkin version with pumpkin puree instead of apple cider and applesauce. And if I do say so myself, these pumpkin spice donuts turned out so so good! They might just be my new favorite fall treat. Especially, when served warm with a pumpkin spice latte. The combo of a warm pumpkin cake donut + a warm PSL is a fall lover’s dream!
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Spice Donuts
Perfect fall treat that both adults and kiddos will love!
Super simple to whip up!
Baked instead of fried and made with healthier good-for-you ingredients.
Healthy enough to enjoy for breakfast but decadent enough for dessert.
Ingredients Needed
whole wheat pastry flour – whole wheat pastry flour is great for light and fluffy donuts while still getting nutrients from the whole wheat! My go-to brand is Bob’s Red Mill whole wheat pastry flour. Cake flour and all-purpose flour will also work.
pumpkin pie spice – can’t have pumpkin spice donuts without pumpkin pie spice! Make your own pumpkin pie spice mix at home or use store-bought.
baking powder & baking soda – to help the donuts rise.
sea salt – brings all the flavors together.
pumpkin puree – the pumpkin puree not only adds extra nutrients to these donuts but also moisture without the need for a ton of oil. Make your own pumpkin puree or use store-bought. Just make sure to not grab pumpkin pie filling as that’ll have added sugar.
coconut sugar – my personal favorite for these donuts! The coconut sugar adds a nice molasses flavor which pairs perfectly with the pumpkin and fall spices.
vanilla extract – a nice flavor enhancer.
coconut oil – instead of butter we’re using melted coconut oil.
eggs – helps bind the ingredients together and provide structure for the donuts.
cinnamon sugar topping – a simple mixture of cinnamon, cane sugar and coconut oil. You could definitely skip the cinnamon sugar coating if you’d like to keep these donuts lower in sugar, but it’s definitely what takes these donuts to the next level!
How to Make
Prep: Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F and spray two, 6-cavity, donut pans with cooking spray.
Combine ingredients: In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt. In another medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, sugar, vanilla extract, oil and eggs until combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
Bake: Spoon or pipe batter evenly into the donut pans. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the donuts spring back when lightly pressed.
Make topping: While the donuts are baking, make cinnamon sugar topping by combining cane sugar, cinnamon and coconut oil in a shallow bowl.
Serve: Remove the pumpkin spice donuts from the oven and let them cool in the pan for a few minutes. Invert donuts onto a wire rack, brush each one with melted coconut oil on both sides and dip them into the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat. Serve warm and enjoy!
Substitutions & Notes
Eggs: I haven’t tried this recipe with flax eggs or chia seed eggs, but if you decide to try either let me know in the comments below!
Coconut sugar: White granulated sugar, cane sugar or brown sugar should all work just fine as a substitute. I wouldn’t recommend swapping the coconut sugar for a liquid sweetener like maple syrup or honey as it’ll likely change the consistency of the donuts.
Flour: You can use all-purpose flour or a blend of all-purpose and whole wheat flour for this recipe. I haven’t tried it, but if you need these donuts to be gluten-free I bet a gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose flour would work as a substitute.
Coconut oil: Melted butter or another neutral oil like avocado oil or olive oil will work as a substitute.
Tips For Success
Use room temperature eggs. Make sure you’re using room temperature eggs, otherwise the coconut oil could solidify and create clumps.
Make a piping bag. I prefer to pipe my batter into my donut pans by scooping the batter into a plastic baggie and cutting the corner to make a piping bag. It can also be handy to have a large icing piping tip for adding the donut batter into the pan, but it’s not 100% necessary. You can also always spoon the batter into the pan and then shake it to make sure the batter is even.
Don’t over-mix. When combining your dry and wet ingredients make sure you mix until just combined and don’t over-mix, otherwise your donuts could turn out too dense or rubbery.
Use non-stick donut pans. I have this set of 2 non-stick, six-cavity Wilton donut pans.
Brush the coconut oil on. When you’re ready to coat the donuts in the cinnamon sugar mixture just lightly brush on the coconut oil instead of dipping the donuts in the coconut oil before the sugar topping, otherwise your donuts could get too wet.
What to Serve With Pumpkin Spice Donuts
Coffee – coffee + donuts = the best combo! If you’re really feeling the fall vibes this pumpkin spice latte would go perfectly with your donut. If you’re more of an iced coffee person, this pumpkin cream cold brew is delicious!
Cocktail – if you’re serving these donuts at a brunch a mimosa would be the perfect pairing. Go for these apple cider mimosas if you’re looking for more fall goodness!
An egg dish – enjoy a delicious egg dish for breakfast alongside this pumpkin spice donut and a cup of coffee. This sweet potato kale frittata would be delicious!
Ice Cream – if you’re looking to eat a donut for dessert why not serve one with a scoop of your favorite ice cream? Vanilla would be my first choice, but for some dairy-free options this banana ice cream or chocolate banana ice cream would be tasty!
How to Store Leftovers
These pumpkin spice donuts are best served fresh, but you can store leftovers in an air-tight container for 2-3 days. I like to reheat them in the toaster oven so they get nice and crispy!
For longer storage, store them in the fridge for 4-5 days or in the freezer for up to three months. You can store them in the freezer with or without the cinnamon sugar topping.
These baked pumpkin spice donuts are made with healthier ingredients and coated with a delicious cinnamon sugar mixture. They're soft and fluffy and make for the perfect fall treat.
Looks amazing and perfect to kick off fall. Any recommended subs for pastry flour? I have tons of other flour kinds – AP, whole wheat, wheat white, cake, bread, oat, coconut, etc. – but no pastry.
Woo! So glad you loved this recipe and I’m glad to hear they turned out with gluten-free flour. Thanks for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it.
Hey Lauren – You could probably just make these as muffins without the center. I’m not sure on the cook time though. It might be different. Let me know if you end up trying it!
Hey Kim – I haven’t tried a gluten-free flour substitute for these donuts, but if I were to try one I would use a gluten-free all-purpose 1:1 flour like Bob’s Red Mill. Hopefully that helps! Let me know if you end up trying these donuts and how they turn out.
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Looks amazing and perfect to kick off fall. Any recommended subs for pastry flour? I have tons of other flour kinds – AP, whole wheat, wheat white, cake, bread, oat, coconut, etc. – but no pastry.
You can use all-purpose flour or a blend of all-purpose and whole wheat! Let me know how these turn out for you if you end up making them!
Made the GF version and they were a hit! Thank you👏🏼
Woo! So glad you loved this recipe and I’m glad to hear they turned out with gluten-free flour. Thanks for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it.
Hi! I don’t have a donut mold, do you recommend something else to make this recipe in? Maybe a muffin tin with aluminum foil as a center?
Hey Lauren – You could probably just make these as muffins without the center. I’m not sure on the cook time though. It might be different. Let me know if you end up trying it!
These are delicious! So moist and very flavorful. I will definitely be making these again.
Woo! So pumped to hear you loved these donuts, Laurie. Thanks for making them and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
What flour could I use instead of wheat for this. My daughter has celiac’s and can’t have rice nor oats.
Hey Kim – I haven’t tried a gluten-free flour substitute for these donuts, but if I were to try one I would use a gluten-free all-purpose 1:1 flour like Bob’s Red Mill. Hopefully that helps! Let me know if you end up trying these donuts and how they turn out.