These soft, baked Pumpkin Donuts are made with real pumpkin puree and coated in cinnamon sugar. Ready in about 30 minutes, they're the perfect fall treat that makes you feel like you're out picking pumpkins from a patch!
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When I created these donuts, I debated finishing them with a cinnamon-sugar coating or maple glaze. I shared a poll in my email newsletter and the sweet spiced coating was our winner!
Just like my Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins and Cinnamon Honey Pancakes, these pumpkin donuts have become a fall favorite in our home. They're an easy breakfast treat that adds kefir into more of my day (I have it in my protein fruit smoothie for lunch every day already)!
As with many of my recipes using kefir, I partnered with my friends at Lifeway to bring you these fluffy baked donuts! Their kefir helps create a tender crumb while adding a subtle tang that perfectly complements the pumpkin and spices.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- These donuts are ready in about 30 minutes - perfect for busy mornings or when you're craving something sweet!
- No special ingredients needed - just pantry staples and pumpkin puree.
- Baking instead of frying means less mess, more safe, and easier cleanup!
- They're a great fall breakfast or afternoon snack with coffee or tea.
Recipe Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make these pumpkin spice donuts:
Ingredient Notes:
- Baking powder & baking soda: The combination gives these donuts their perfect rise.
- Cinnamon & pumpkin pie spice: Provides that classic warm fall flavor! Pumpkin pie spice can typically be found near the cinnamon in the spice aisle. However, you can also make your own!
- Lifeway Organic Plain Whole Milk Kefir: Creates an incredibly tender crumb with a subtle tang.
- Vegetable oil: Keeps the donuts moist and tender.
- Granulated & light brown sugar: The combination provides the perfect sweetness and moisture.
- Pumpkin puree: Make sure to use pure pumpkin puree. Pumpkin pie filling is not the same as it has additional spices and sweeteners.
- Unsalted butter: This is melted and brushed on the donuts before coating them in cinnamon sugar.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Don't have kefir? Substitute with buttermilk or thin plain yogurt.
- Make them extra decadent by drizzling with a maple syrup powdered sugar glaze instead of cinnamon sugar.
- Add mini chocolate chips to the batter for chocolate chip pumpkin donuts.
- Try different toppings like cream cheese or vanilla icing.
- Bake them into mini muffins if you don't have a donut pan!
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Equipment
- Donut pan: I recommend a metal donut pan over silicone as it conducts heat better so they bake more evenly. Be sure to grease it with non-stick spray so the donuts fall out nicely!
- Piping bag: This makes filling the donut cavities much easier and neater! When filling, pipe the batter into each cavity so it's even with the height of the center hole. If you don't have a piping bag, you can use a large zip-top bag with a corner snipped off or spoon the batter in.
- Pastry brush: This isn't required, but comes in handy when brushing the melted butter onto the baked donuts (if coating them in cinnamon sugar).
How to Make Pumpkin Donuts
Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.
Wet Ingredients
In a separate bowl, mix together the egg, kefir, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and pumpkin puree until well combined.
Combine
Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ones just until combined. Be careful not to over-mix!
Fill & Bake
Transfer the batter to a piping bag, cut off the tip, and pipe into a greased donut pan. Bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes.
Cinnamon Sugar Coating (Optional)
The following steps are optional. I recommend waiting to do them until right before serving!
Brush with Butter
Working with one pumpkin donut at a time, lightly brush melted butter around its entire surface.
Add the Coating
Place the buttered donut into a bowl with the cinnamon-sugar mixture, flipping and moving it around so it's coated completely.
Expert Baking Tips
- Don't overmix the batter! Mix just until the ingredients are combined to ensure tender donuts.
- Give a donut a gentle poke to know when they're done baking. If it springs back up after getting poked, they're ready to come out of the oven!
- Wait until you're about to serve the donuts to add the cinnamon sugar coating so that the sugar doesn't melt in storage.
Common Questions
Yes! They're best fresh, but can be made 1-2 days in advance. Store uncoated and add the cinnamon-sugar coating just before serving. You can also make the batter a few hours in advance and store it in the fridge until you're ready to bake them!
Brushing butter on the donuts helps the cinnamon sugar stick to them. However, you can attempt to get the cinnamon sugar to stick without it by placing the donuts in the cinnamon sugar while they're still warm.
This usually happens from over-mixing the batter or over-measuring the flour. Use a light hand when mixing and weigh your ingredients in grams using a food scale.
Yes! Freeze uncoated donuts for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and add the optional cinnamon sugar before serving.
Their plain kefir can typically be found in the refrigerated dairy aisle at grocery and convenience stores around the U.S. Check lifewaykefir.com to find it near you!
Storage
Room Temperature
Store cooled, uncoated pumpkin donuts in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Freezing Instructions
Place cooled, uncoated donuts in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before adding the cinnamon-sugar coating.
Did you try this recipe?
Let us know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, & Pinterest!
Thank you!
-Kayla
📖 Recipe
Easy Baked Pumpkin Donuts
Equipment
- Donut pan metal recommended
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Pastry brush recommended
- Wire cooling rack recommended
Ingredients
Baked Pumpkin Donuts
- 1⅓ cups (166.67 g) all-purpose flour weighed in grams for best results
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons (29.57 ml) vegetable oil
- ¼ cup (59.15 ml) Lifeway Organic Whole Milk Plain Kefir
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (55 g) light brown sugar packed
- ¾ cup (167 g) pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
Cinnamon Sugar Coating (Optional)
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup (66.67 g) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a donut pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, vanilla extract, vegetable oil, kefir, sugars, and pumpkin puree.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ones just until the flour streaks disappear.
- Transfer the batter into a piping bag, cut off the tip, and pipe batter evenly into the greased donut pan so that it's about level with the pan's center hole.
- Bake the donuts on the middle rack for about 10 minutes. Test if they're done by gently poking a donut - if it springs back up, it's ready to come out of the oven!
- Let the donuts cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
- Optional (wait until you're ready to serve them): Mix together the cinnamon and sugar in a small/medium bowl. Working one at a time, lightly brush melted butter over each donut and then dunk them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
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