WHAT’S A SWEET TREAT?
Pumpkin Donuts with Brown Sugar Glaze
Array/5
COOK TIME
10 min
TOTAL TIME
20 min
SERVINGS
10-12 donuts
Making these baked Pumpkin Donuts with Brown Sugar Glaze are exactly what you need on your Fall bucket list! Made with warm spices, sweet pumpkin, and a homemade glaze, they’ll give you that cozy feeling with no frying required.
Fall is here which means it’s time to start making some of my favorite cozy recipes! Honestly, if I had to pick one recipe that screams fall, it’s these baked pumpkin donuts. The spices are warm, the pumpkin flavor is just right, and the brown sugar glaze just ties everything together perfectly.
For the longest time, I thought donuts were a “leave it to the bakery” kind of thing. I really didn’t want to deal with the complicated equipment and recipes when I could just grab a box. Then I made these and realized I had been missing out all along. Baked pumpkin donuts come together quickly, use simple ingredients I almost always have in the pantry, and I don’t even need a donut pan to make them. A muffin tin works just as well, and no one complains when they come out of the oven.
My favorite part is that there is no frying involved. No hot oil, no messy cleanup, and no sitting over a scary stove with popping oil while you wait for each batch to cook. Instead, they bake up in the oven which makes them even more soft and tender.
And is there ever really a bad way to serve donuts? These work for breakfast, dessert, or an after school snack. I love them paired with a hot cup of coffee or milk. But they are even better when made for a Fall brunch alongside Chocolate Pumpkin Bread, Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal, Apple Cinnamon Muffins, or these savory Breakfast Sliders!
Ingredients You’ll Need
All-Purpose Flour – Flour gives them structure and a soft, tender bite. Regular all-purpose flour works perfectly here so you don’t need anything fancy.
Baking Powder and Soda – Helps the donuts puff up in the oven so they come out light and fluffy instead of dense.
Kosher Salt – Balances the sweetness and brings out the warm pumpkin spice flavor in every bite.
Fall Spices – A mix of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice adds that signature fall warmth and coziness.
Vegetable Oil – Keeps the donuts moist and soft without weighing them down.
Brown Sugar – Adds sweetness with a hint of molasses for a deeper, richer flavor that pairs perfectly with pumpkin.
Eggs – Bind the ingredients together and help give the donuts their light, cake-like texture.
Canned Pumpkin Purée – Adds flavor, moisture, and that gorgeous golden-orange color. Use pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling.
Milk – Loosens the batter for easy mixing and adds a bit of richness to the donuts.
Pure Vanilla Extract – Enhances all the other flavors and adds a subtle sweetness and warmth.
Brown Sugar Glaze
Brown Sugar – Melts into a rich, caramel-like topping that soaks into the donuts.
Milk – Creates a smooth, pourable consistency for the glaze while keeping it creamy.
Butter – Adds richness.
Pure Vanilla Extract – Brings a touch of warmth and rounds out the sweetness of the glaze.
Powdered Sugar – Gives the glaze its body and smooth texture while adding a hint of extra sweetness.
Pinch of Salt – Just a little in the glaze keeps it from being overly sweet and makes every bite balanced.
How To Make Baked Pumpkin Donuts
Prepare for baking: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a donut pan with nonstick spray to make sure the donuts release easily after baking. If you do not have a donut pan, you can also use a muffin tin.
Mix the dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, ground cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir until the spices are evenly distributed throughout the flour.
Combine the wet ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, brown sugar, eggs, canned pumpkin purée, milk, and pure vanilla extract. Mix until smooth and well combined.
Combine wet and dry mixtures: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Gently stir until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Overmixing can lead to dense donuts, so stop as soon as you no longer see streaks of flour.
Fill the donut pan: Spoon the batter into the prepared donut pan, filling each well about three-quarters full. For a cleaner and more even fill, you can transfer the batter to a large zip-top bag, snip off one corner, and pipe the batter into each donut well.
Bake the donuts: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the donuts are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the donuts cool in the pan for about 2 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool.
Make the brown sugar glaze: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, and milk. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and begins to simmer. Let it simmer gently for 1 minute, then remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and a pinch of salt until smooth. If the glaze has small lumps, return it to low heat and whisk until they dissolve.
Glaze the donuts: Place your wire cooling rack over a sheet of parchment paper or a baking sheet to catch any drips. Dip the tops of each donut into the warm glaze, letting the excess drip off before returning them to the rack.
How to Glaze Donuts Properly
Let the donuts cool completely or until just slightly warm so the glaze sticks without melting off.
Place a wire cooling rack over a baking sheet or parchment paper to catch any drips and make cleanup easy.
Hold each donut upside down by the edges and dip the top into the glaze.
Give the donut a gentle twist in the glaze before lifting it out.
Let the excess glaze drip off for a few seconds before flipping the donut right side up.
Set the glazed donuts back on the rack to let the glaze firm up.
For a thicker glaze, wait until the first layer sets, then dip the donuts a second time.
Keep the glaze warm over low heat as you work so it stays smooth and easy to dip into.
Expert Tips
Let the pumpkin purée sit on a paper towel for a few minutes before mixing if it looks watery. This will keep the batter from being too loose.
Use a large ice cream scoop or a piping bag for perfectly even portions, which helps all the donuts bake at the same time.
Lightly tap the filled donut pan on the counter before baking to release any hidden air bubbles.
For the softest texture, pull the donuts from the oven as soon as a toothpick comes out clean. Even an extra minute can make them dry.
Let the donuts cool just slightly before glazing so the glaze clings well but doesn’t melt off completely.
Keep the glaze warm on the stove over low heat while dipping so it coats evenly.
If you’re using a muffin tin, bake a couple of minutes longer and check for doneness in the center with a toothpick.
When glazing, hold each donut upside down for a few seconds after dipping to avoid heavy drips and get a neater finish.
Ways To Customize
Swap the brown sugar glaze for a classic cream cheese frosting.
Roll the warm donuts in cinnamon sugar instead of glazing for a crunchy, sweet coating.
Use maple extract in the glaze in place of vanilla for a deeper, fall flavor.
Fold mini chocolate chips into the batter for a pumpkin-and-chocolate combo.
Add finely chopped pecans or walnuts to the glaze for a crunch on top.
Use buttermilk instead of regular milk in the batter for a slightly tangy flavor and tender donut.
Mix espresso powder into the glaze to give the donuts a coffee kick.
Add orange zest to the batter for a fresh citrus note that pairs well with pumpkin.
Use coconut oil instead of vegetable oil in the batter for a light coconut flavor.
Replace pumpkin pie spice with chai spice for hints of cardamom and black pepper.
Dip the donuts in caramel sauce instead of glaze.
Sprinkle the glazed donuts with sea salt for a sweet-and-salty combination.
Add a teaspoon of ground ginger to the batter for extra warmth.
Drizzle the donuts with melted white chocolate for a different kind of sweetness on top.
Storing & Freezing
Storing: Store cooled baked pumpkin donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days to keep them soft and fresh. If you want them to last a little longer, place them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, bringing them back to room temperature before serving. Keep the donuts in a single layer or place parchment paper between layers to prevent the glaze from sticking.
Freezing: Freeze completely cooled donuts in a single layer on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
FAQ
Do I need to use cake flour for making donuts?
No, all-purpose flour works perfectly for this recipe and still gives the donuts a soft, tender texture. Cake flour can be used if you want a slightly lighter crumb, but it’s not necessary.
Can these be baked in a mini donut pan?
Yes, a mini donut pan works fine, just reduce the bake time to about 6–8 minutes and check for doneness early so they don’t overbake.
Why did my donuts turn out dense instead of fluffy?
Overmixing the batter can make the donuts dense, so stir just until the wet and dry ingredients are combined. Also check that your baking powder and baking soda are fresh.
How do I keep the donuts from sticking to the pan?
Grease the pan generously with nonstick spray, making sure to get into all the grooves of the donut wells. This helps the donuts release easily and keeps their shape.
More Fall Recipes
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Pumpkin Donuts with Brown Sugar Glaze
Tons of pumpkin flavor, moist texture and topped with a sweet brown sugar glaze. And it’s baked! Perfect for a Fall treat!
Ingredients
1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Brown Sugar Icing
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup milk
1 Tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a donut pan with nonstick spray. (If you do not have a donut pan, you can always use a muffin tin as well)
- Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together in a large bowl until all mixed together. Then in another bowl, mix together the oil, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin, milk and vanilla until combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix the two together. Mix until everything is just combined.
- You can either spoon the batter into the donut pan or you can place the batter into a ziploc, cut off the corner and pipe the batter into the donut pan that way. Easy and consistent.
- Bake for about 10 minutes and then remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 2 minutes. Then remove from the pan and let cool on a cooling rack.
- Glaze: In a medium saucepan on medium heat, warm the butter, brown sugar and milk together. Whisk together until combined and bring top a slow simmer. Let simmer for about 1 minute then remove from the heat. Add the vanilla and the powdered sugar, whisk together until smooth. (If you have powdered sugar chunks, place back on low heat. Heat and stir until smooth)
- Place the wore rack over a baking sheet or parchment to catch excess drip. Now dip the tops of the donuts in the glaze and place back on the wire rack to set.
- If the glaze starts to firm up, then place back on low heat to melt again than start dipping again.
- Store in an airtight container, but these definitely won’t last long.
Notes
Note- If you do not have a donut pan, you can use a muffin pan and fill batter up halfway. Dip tops of muffins in the glaze as directed.
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19 Responses
100% the most delicious!! Other than chocolate, which is my family fav, this is the best!
100% the most delicious!! Other than chocolate, which is my family fav, this is the best! We used gluten free 1 to 1 flour and coconut palm sugar with added molasses for the brown sugar in the donut but went straight for brown sugar in the frosting. Awesome!
Yay! Thank you! So happy you liked them! These are a major favorite for us too, that glaze! 🙌
I made these today they are so yummy 😋 and easy to make
So happy you liked them! Those are one of my favorites!
These were fantastic! So easy to make and the flavor was phenomenal. Only thing I adjusted was used 1 1/4 cup cake flour and 1/2 cup all purpose flour.
This will be made many times 😊
Yay! I am so happy you liked these! These are a favorite! I love the cake flour addition too, great idea!
Made these recently, and while they tasted delicious, I had an issue with the frosting. When left on the counter (in an air tight container), the frosting completely melted/disappeared and made the donuts a sticky mess. I also had trouble when frosting the donuts; the frosting kept seizing and wouldn’t stick to the donuts. Not even keeping the glaze warm helped, and I actually ended up burning myself. So while yummy, they weren’t worth the trouble for me.
So sorry you had trouble with these!
Can u freeze these? And then frost them later?
Yes, definitely!
Could I do this with a mini donut tin?
Yes! You would just need to bake them for less time.
Hi! These look amazing. I could have missed it, but I can’t find out how much it yields! When it says to use a donut mold (which I do have) is it referring to a 6 or 12 mold pan?
This makes about 12 regular size donuts. (I have a 6 donut pan, so just have to do 2 rounds)
Do we use unsalted or salted butter? So excited to make these!
Great question, I use salted butter for everything. I hope you love them!
I’ve made these twice and halved the recipe since there are only 2 people in my household. They are absolutely delicious. Very moist, not cakey and heavy like some baked donuts can be. I agree that the brown sugar glaze sends them over the top. Thank you for a fantastic recipe.
Yay! That makes my heart so happy, I am so glad you like them!