Pumpkin Donuts with Maple Glaze
These simple to make pumpkin donuts are the perfect fall treat. They are quick to bake and small enough size you feel no guilt. Let's also not forget that flavor... the pumpkin and maple are meant to be together.
Servings: 30
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour You can use 100% all-purpose if you prefer or even 100% whole wheat. Both methods produce a great donut!
- ⅓-1/2 cup brown sugar I think the glaze is really sweet, so I only used ⅓ cup sugar in the donuts for mine. If you love a really sweet dessert, up the sugar to ½ cup!
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ cup canola oil or other neutral oil. You can also use melted butter too, which is delicious!
- 1 egg
- ⅔ cup almond milk or milk or milk of choice
- ¼ cup plain greek yogurt or sour cream
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Maple Glaze
- ¼ cup cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- milk you will add this to get the consistency desired. I used about 1 ½ tablespoons.
- ¾ cup pecans, chopped this is for topping. If you prefer, you can alwats leave them off.
Instructions
- Be sure to read instructions all the way through before beginning.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Prep your donut pans for baking. I just spray mine with a pan release, but if you prefer you can use softened butter. Just make sure they are covered. Set aside.
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and brown sugar in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.
- Add oil, egg, almond milk, yogurt, vanilla, and pumpkin to a medium bowl. Mix well.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Mix only to combine, being careful not to overmix.
- I like to pipe my batter into the pans. If you don't have a piping bag, you can always add the batter to a ziplock bag and cut the corner to pipe. You can spoon it in as well, but it is really kind of a pain!
- Place pans in the oven.
- They bake quickly, so keep an eye on them. Mine generally take about 5 minutes, but plan for 5-8 minutes, depending on the actual temp of your oven and the thickness of the pans. I test by pressing on the top of the donut. You will want it to feel slightly, very slightly underbaked. The donuts will continue to bake even after you have removed them from the oven, this is called carry-over cooking. If you bake until it is fully baked, when the carry-over cooking happens, you run the risk of a dry baked good. So, be mindful of that.
- Remove from the oven.
- Allow them to sit for 2-5 minutes in the pan, then invert to remove. I turn them back over to cool completely.
- While they are cooling, which won't take long, start your glaze.
- Add all ingredients to a small bowl and stand mixer. Mix, adding milk as needed, until the glaze is really smooth and the consistency you are looking for.
- Now, carefully dip the donuts about halfway up in the glaze. Once they are glazed, sprinkle with the chopped pecans. You can also add granola, chopped pepitas, chopped walnuts, or even chopped pistachios. There are a lot of great options!
- They are best eaten the same day you bake them but can hold for up to 2 days. I prefer holding them in the fridge in an airtight container. Again, I prefer to eat them the day of if I can.
Notes
- Mix the batter gently: When adding ingredients, remember only mix to combine. Gentle mixing keeps the baked donuts light and tender. Overmixing will make them tough and dense! Watch the cooking closely: One of the best things about these donuts is how quickly you can make them. The baking time is fast, though, so don't walk away and get distracted. Ovens can vary slightly on cook time, and some pans may get warmer than others. It's best to keep a close eye on these until you confirm the bake time that works best for you. Use a piping bag: If you do not have a large piping bag, as I used, you can always use a ziplock bag. If you're inexperienced in filling piping bags, here's a super easy way to do it. Place the bag over a cup. Scrape the batter into the bag, then twist the zippered end to close. Snip one of the corner ends, and squeeze the pumpkin donut batter through the end to fill the mini donut pan. Don't overfill the pan: The donut pan does not need to be filled to the top. Donuts rise as they bake, so I like to fill the donut pan about ¾ of the way up. Let cool before glazing: Allow your baked pumpkin donuts to cool for a few minutes before glazing. If they are really hot, the glaze will mostly slide off.