Baked Pumpkin Donuts with Cinnamon Sugar Coating and Cream Cheese Glaze Recipe
These Baked Pumpkin Donuts are a delicious fall-inspired treat combining the warm spices of pumpkin pie spice with moist pumpkin puree. Lightly baked and coated with a cinnamon-sugar mixture or a creamy maple or vanilla glaze, they offer a perfect balance of sweet and spice in every bite. Ideal for breakfast, snacks, or dessert, these donuts are easy to make using a boxed spice cake mix for convenience without compromising on flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Total Time: 24 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Donut Batter
- 1 box spice cake mix
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
Cinnamon-Sugar Coating
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Glaze
- 2 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- 1¼ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon maple extract (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a donut pan thoroughly. If you have multiple pans, prepare those as well to bake all donuts at once.
- Mix Batter: In a large bowl, combine the spice cake mix, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix just until combined to avoid overmixing. Transfer this batter to a large zip-lock bag, press out excess air, and seal tightly.
- Pipe Batter and Bake: Cut about a ½-inch corner off the bottom of the bag and pipe the batter evenly into the donut pan cavities. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the donuts comes out clean.
- Cool Donuts: Allow the donuts to cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan so they firm up slightly before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool fully.
- Prepare Cinnamon-Sugar Coating: In a bowl, whisk together sugar and cinnamon. While donuts are still slightly warm, toss them gently in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat evenly.
- Make the Glaze: In a mixing bowl, cream together softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, maple or vanilla extract, and milk until smooth. Warm the glaze slightly in the microwave for a few seconds to achieve a thinner consistency suitable for dipping.
- Glaze Donuts: Dip the cooled donuts into the glaze, allowing excess to drip off. Optionally, sprinkle additional cinnamon-sugar over the glazed donuts before setting them aside to allow the glaze to firm up completely.
Notes
- You can substitute pumpkin pie spice with a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves if desired.
- Ensure the pumpkin puree is pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling to avoid excess sweetness and altered texture.
- For dairy-free or vegan options, use appropriate substitutes for cream cheese and milk in the glaze.
- The glaze can be kept thicker or thinner by adjusting the amount of milk used.
- Donuts are best enjoyed fresh but can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
