Small Batch Baked Pumpkin Donuts
Small batch baked pumpkin donuts made with pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice for a soft, moist, cake-style texture. The easy recipe makes 6 donuts in under 25 minutes, finished with a smooth homemade maple glaze.
Servings: 6 Donuts
Calories: 296kcal
Equipment
- Piping Bag optional
Ingredients
Pumpkin Donuts
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons pure canned pumpkin
- ¼ cup brown sugar, light or dark
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ¼ cup milk, any kind
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Maple Glaze
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon maple extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Pumpkin Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Spray each donut well with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the pumpkin, both sugars, egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla, and whisk until the mixture is smooth.6 tablespoons pure canned pumpkin, 1/4 cup brown sugar, light or dark, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 large egg, room temperature, 1/4 cup milk, any kind, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a large well in the center.1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients well, and whisk the batter until no dry streaks or pockets remain. If there are any large flour lumps, use the whisk to break them up; otherwise, they will bake into dry clumps in the donuts.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag and pipe it into the prepared donut wells, or spoon the batter into the wells. Fill each well almost full, then smooth the tops with the back of a spoon or spatula.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the tops of the donuts spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool the donuts in the pan set on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes, then transfer to the rack to cool completely before glazing.
Maple Glaze
- In a small saucepan, add the butter and maple syrup. Heat over medium-low heat just until the butter melts and the syrup begins to bubble lightly. Don't overheat, or you'll end up with caramel.1 tablespoon unsalted butter, 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- Keep the pan on the stovetop, but turn off the heat. Add the powdered sugar, maple extract, and salt. Whisk until the powdered sugar dissolves and all the lumps are gone.3/4 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon maple extract, 1/8 teaspoon salt
- The glaze is ready to use immediately. Dunk and swirl each donut in the glaze and set on a wire rack for the glaze to fully set. If the glaze starts to harden in the pan, turn the heat back up to low to loosen it.
- Store the donuts covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. As they sit, moisture from both the donuts and glaze will soften the crisp glaze and make the donuts increasingly moist.
The glaze will start to harden pretty quickly, which is why I like to mix it all while still on the stovetop. The residual heat will help keep it at a glaze consistency.
Notes
- Serving Size - This is a small batch recipe for 6 donuts. The recipe can be doubled.
- Pumpkin – Be sure to use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. I like to use Libby's because I find it doesn't have as much moisture in it.
- Leftover Pumpkin - You will have leftover pumpkin puree regardless of the can size you buy. Check out my small batch pumpkin recipes to make another batch of pumpkin treats.
- Freezing - Place unglazed donuts in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature to glaze.
Nutrition
Calories: 296kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 220mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 2572IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 2mg