Mini baked pumpkin donuts tossed in cinnamon sugar. These bite sized treats are the perfect fall sweet pick-me-up!
This happens to me every October when I walk into Trader Joe’s for “just a few things” and walk out with a cart full of everything pumpkin. Pumpkin pancake mix, pumpkin pecan instant oatmeal, and even a box of pumpkin dog biscuits for our pup Charlie.
These mini pumpkin donuts are my homemade answer to that seasonal craving. They taste like cross between pumpkin bread and cinnamon sugar donut holes. And, because they’re baked instead of fried, there’s no hot pot of oil to deal with. Simply pipe, bake, dip, and roll, and you’ve got a tray of pumpkin donuts ready for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon pick-me-up treat!
Recipe Highlights
- No frying. You need an oven and a mini donut pan.
- Fast bake. About 10-12 minutes per batch.
- Big yield. Bakes about 3 1/2 dozen mini donuts, perfect for sharing, parties, gatherings.
- Moist, tender crumb. The pumpkin puree plus buttermilk keeps these soft for days!
Ingredient Notes
The batter for these baked donuts are similar to muffin or cake batter.
Pumpkin : Use canned 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix. Other canned purees that are great substitutes include: sweet potato puree and butternut squash puree.
Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, stir 3/4 teaspoon lemon juice or distilled white vinegar into 1/4 cup milk. let sit for 5 minutes. I always keep buttermilk powder in the fridge as a backup.
Spices : These donuts are flavored with a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Or, go the traditional route and use pumpkin spice mix, if preferred. Pumpkin spice is a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and/or allspice.
All-Purpose Flour : For best results, weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale. If you prefer to use volume measurements (such as cups), use the Stir and Spoon Method to measure flour.
Recommended Tools
- Mini Donut Pan
- Piping Bag
- Plain Round Piping Tip
I use this mini donut pan. Although it has a nonstick coating, I still suggest applying nonstick cooking spray all over with each use. Alternatively, you may use a standard size donut pan.
Use of a piping bag fitted with a round piping tip is highly recommended. However, you may also use a large zip-top plastic bag with a corner snipped off.
Fill the donut pan molds a little over half full (3/4 full at the most). The batter will rise and expand in the oven. If you overfill the pans, you will lose the donut hole center.
Let the baked donuts sit in the hot pan for about 2 minutes. Then, invert pan and unmold mini baked donuts.
Quickly dip baked pumpkin donut into melted butter. Don’t let the donut sit in the butter. The donut will act like a sponge and drink up all the butter!
Immediately toss buttered donut in cinnamon sugar mixture. If desired, toss the donut in cinnamon sugar twice for extra sweetness.
Storage and Leftovers
Store cooled donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. For best results, donuts should be eaten within 2 days of baking. Overtime, the cinnamon sugar mixture will melt.
Baked Pumpkin Donuts
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 Tbsp unsalted butter, (70 g), softened
- ½ cup brown sugar, (100g) packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, (195 g)
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup buttermilk, (60 g) room temperature
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree, (180 g) canned
Cinnamon Sugar Coating:
- ½ cup granulated sugar, (100 g)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 Tablespoon unsalted butter, (42 g) melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a piping bag fitted with a small round top. Lightly grease mini donut pan with cooking spray (Pam, Baker’s Joy). Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. In another bowl, combine buttermilk and pumpkin puree.
- With mixer on low, add dry mixture in three additions, alternating with pumpkin mixture. Be sure to start and end with the dry mixture. Mix until combined.
- Fill prepared piping bag with batter. Pipe batter into prepared donut pans, filling mold a little over half full.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool in pan for 2 minutes before unmolding. Let donuts cool for 5 minutes on rack before coating in cinnamon sugar.
- Cinnamon Sugar Coating: In a small bowl, whisk together sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. In another bowl, keep melted butter warm
- Working with one donut at a time, dip donuts into melted butter. Toss to coat in cinnamon sugar mixture. Let donuts cool completely on wire rack.
Notes
- Grease every batch. Re-grease the pan between batches so the donuts release cleanly.
- Coat while warm. Warm donuts soak up just enough butter to grab the cinnamon sugar. Dip quickly so they don’t get greasy.
- Double-roll for extra crunch. Toss them a second time in cinnamon sugar if you like a sweeter, sparklier coating.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
I would like to use a standard donut pan for this recipe, since I don’t own or want to buy a mini. Should I double the batter to get 12 and what will the approximate cooking time be? Thanks.
I’m going to make these for a pre-thanksgiving breakfast. Do you think I could make the donuts the night before and frost the next morning? Or are these better when they’re made the same day?
These donuts are pretty durable. You can totally make them the night before. Make sure to let the donuts completely cool before storing them in an airtight container. They should remain moist until the next morning.
I’ve been meaning to use my donut pan more and these might just get me to do it! They look wonderful – love the pictures!
Those look great! I’ve been looking for a pumpkin donut recipe, and I think I’ve found it!
How adorable and delicious!