Baked Pumpkin Donuts with Maple Glaze

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Soft, warmly spiced baked pumpkin donuts made with canned pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice, then dipped in a glossy 3-ingredient maple glaze. No frying and no yeast. Perfect for fall breakfasts, Halloween mornings, Friendsgiving brunch, and Thanksgiving breakfast.

The Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts I Make Every Single Fall

I bought a donut pan a few years ago, used it once, and then let it disappear behind the Bundt pans. A few months ago, my husband dug it out while hunting for a screwdriver (which he was convinced I had "hidden" in the baking cabinet). He then asked if we were keeping the donut pan for decoration while simultaneously offering to throw it away to "declutter" our house. Absolutely not. I immediately started working on a baked donut recipe. After all, I had to get my money's worth out of that donut pan purchase! And the rest, as they say, is history. These baked pumpkin donuts became a huge hit with our family and friends, and I hope they'll become a hit with you, too!

Why Baked Pumpkin Donuts Beat Fried Ones

• Easy and quick: Only 10 minutes of hands-on prep, then 12 minutes in the oven. Uses pantry staples plus one can of pumpkin. 
• No frying required: You will not need a thermometer, a pot of oil, or a paper-towel-lined tray. These bake at 350°F (175°C) for 12 minutes. You'll love these because they're quick, oil-based, and forgiving. No mixer, no rising time, no pot of hot oil to babysit.
• A whisk is all you need: No stand mixer, no creaming butter. One bowl for the dry ingredients, one for the wet, and a whisk. Oil-based batters like this one stay tender for days, the same reason I use oil in my apple pumpkin bundt cake.
• The maple glaze takes 3 ingredients and about a minute. Once the maple glaze firms up, these stack cleanly for parties, a school snack, or a Thanksgiving breakfast table.
• Great for fall entertaining: Bake pumpkin donuts for Halloween morning, Friendsgiving brunch, Thanksgiving breakfast, or on a rainy day. Easy to double for a crowd, a bake sale, or a holiday brunch table.

No Frying, No Yeast, Just a Donut Pan

These are cake-style pumpkin donuts, not yeast donuts, so there is no need for frying. The batter is more like muffin or cake batter and bakes up soft, tender, and slightly springy. I also use vegetable oil rather than creamed butter in the batter, so the donuts stay soft for days, even after they cool. 

Baking also makes these much easier and less messy than fried donuts. Just pipe the batter into a greased donut pan and bake. You'll get neat, evenly shaped donuts that are perfect for dipping into the maple glaze.

About the Maple Glaze

I wanted a glaze that tastes like actual maple, not vanilla icing with a splash of syrup. Real maple syrup provides most of the sweetness and flavor, with just enough milk to loosen the glaze.

I recommend Grade A dark maple syrup (often labeled "robust taste") for the strongest maple flavor. The glaze should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it runs straight off the donut, whisk in another tablespoon of confectioners' sugar.

For an alternative caramel-flavored glaze, try the brown sugar glaze from my Apple Bundt Cake with Caramel Sauce.

Ingredients and Substitutions

You will find the full recipe with measurements in the recipe card below. I encourage you to read my ingredient notes below for helpful tips. This recipe has 2 components: the pumpkin donuts and the maple glaze.

1) Pumpkin Donut Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off. Scooping straight from the bag packs in too much flour and gives you dry, dense donuts.
• Pumpkin pie spice: I used 2 teaspoons for a strong fall flavor. If you don't have it, mix 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ginger, and ¼ teaspoon cloves. That's the same blend I use in my pumpkin cream cheese muffins.
• Baking powder and baking soda: You need both. The baking soda reacts with the acidity in the pumpkin to give the donuts a deeper color and a softer crumb, and the baking powder gives the donuts their lift in a shallow pan.
• Eggs: Bring them to room temperature. Cold eggs can seize up the oil and leave you with a lumpy batter. I set mine out for 30 minutes, or I warm them in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.
• Light brown sugar and granulated sugar: Dark brown sugar works too and gives a stronger molasses flavor. Brown sugar adds moisture and a soft caramel flavor, while granulated sugar keeps the crumb light.
• Whole milk: Whole milk gives the best texture, but 2% works. Buttermilk also works well here and adds a little tang.
• Vegetable oil: Canola, sunflower, or light olive oil work well as substitutes. Oil stays liquid at room temperature, so these donuts stay soft for days. I do not recommend swapping in melted butter, since the donuts firm up too much once cooled.
• Canned pumpkin puree: Use 100% pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced. If your puree looks watery, blot it with a paper towel first.
• Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon. Vanilla bean paste works too.

2) Maple Glaze Ingredients

• Confectioners' sugar: Sift it if it looks clumpy. Lumps in the sugar show up as lumps on the donut.
• Maple syrup: I use pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup. Pancake syrup is corn syrup with maple flavoring, and it doesn't work so well here. 
• Whole milk: Add slowly, 1 teaspoon at a time. You want the glaze thick enough to cling but loose enough to pour off a spoon in a ribbon.

Expert Tips

• Grease more than you think you need to. Batter clings to the center post. I spray the pan, then run a paper towel around each post to spread the spray evenly.
• Use a piping bag or a zip-top bag to fill the pan. I snip about ½ inch off one corner and pipe the batter into each cavity. Spooning it in works, but it is messy, and the tops come out uneven.
• Fill each cavity about ¾ full, not to the rim. Overfilled donuts rise over the center post and lose the hole. Underfilled ones come out thin and dry.
• Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears. A few small lumps in the batter are fine. Overmixing develops gluten and makes the batter tough.
• Let the donuts cool completely before glazing. Warm donuts melt the glaze right off. I leave them in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack for at least 20 minutes.
• Dip the top only. That way, the bottoms stay dry, and one batch of glaze stretches across all 12.
• Dip, then twist. I dip the top of each donut into the glaze, hold it for a second, then lift and give it a small twist as I pull up. It leaves a cleaner edge and less drip.
• Set a sheet pan under the rack. The excess glaze drips through, and cleanup takes ten seconds instead of ten minutes.

Glaze and Topping Ideas

The maple glaze is my favorite, but these donuts take well to almost anything. Here are other options I have tested:

• Cinnamon sugar coating: Brush the warm donuts with melted butter, then roll them in a mix of ½ cup granulated sugar and 1½ teaspoons of cinnamon. This is the closest you will get to an apple cider donut.
• Maple cream glaze: The richer maple glaze from my peach bundt cake works beautifully here if you want a more decadent option.
• Brown sugar glaze: Use the caramel-like glaze from my pumpkin bundt cake for a deeper, more festive finish.
• Cream cheese glaze: Thin the frosting from my carrot cake loaf with a splash of milk until it is pourable. The tang plays well against the pumpkin.
• A crunchy finish: Sprinkle chopped toasted pecans, pumpkin seeds, or a pinch of flaky sea salt over the wet glaze before it sets.

FAQs

1. Can I make these without a donut pan? Yes. Divide the batter among 12 lined muffin cups and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 18 to 20 minutes. Spoon the glaze over the tops instead of dipping. Mini muffins take about 11 to 13 minutes.
2. Why did my donuts stick to the pan? Almost always, it's because the pans are underseasoned or you waited too long to turn them out. Grease every crevice, and lift the donuts out after exactly 5 minutes while they are still slightly warm.
3. Can I use pumpkin pie filling instead of puree? I do not recommend it. Pie filling is already sweetened and spiced, so the donuts come out too sweet, and the texture gets soft. Look for a can labeled 100% pumpkin.
4. What do I do with the rest of the can of pumpkin? You will have about ¾ cup left. That is enough for my Pumpkin Banana Bread with Apples, or freeze it flat in a zip-top bag for up to 1 month.
5. Can I skip the glaze? Absolutely. Brush the warm donuts with melted butter and roll them in cinnamon sugar instead. That version disappears faster in my house, honestly.

How to Make Baked Pumpkin Donuts (Step-by-Step Photos)

You will find the full recipe with measurements in the recipe card above.

• Prepare: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease your donut pans well, including the center posts.
• Dry ingredients: Whisk the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in one bowl.

• Wet ingredients: In a second bowl, whisk the eggs with both sugars, then add the milk, oil, and vanilla. Stir in the pumpkin puree until smooth.

• Combine: Fold the dry mixture into the wet just until the flour streaks disappear.

• Fill the pans: Pipe or spoon the batter into each cavity, about ¾ full.
• Bake: 12 to 15 minutes, until the tops spring back and a toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool: 5 minutes in the pan, then completely on a wire rack.

• Glaze: Whisk the confectioners' sugar, maple syrup, and milk together, dip the donut tops, and let them set on the rack for 15 to 20 minutes.

More Pumpkin Recipes

• Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins (Starbucks Copycat)
• Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze
• Apple Pumpkin Bundt Cake
• Pumpkin Banana Bread with Apples
• Pumpkin Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce and Pecans
• Stuffed Mini Pumpkins with Sausage and Apples