There's something magical about fall mornings when the smell of maple glazed pumpkin donuts fills your kitchen. I discovered this recipe last October when Emily begged me to make "real donuts like the bakery" but with pumpkin spice.
Honestly? I was skeptical about baking donuts at home. But after one bite of these fluffy, spiced beauties dripping with maple goodness, I was completely sold.
These homemade pumpkin donuts are everything you want in a fall treat. They're tender, perfectly spiced, and that maple glaze? It's the perfect sweet finish that makes these donuts absolutely irresistible.
If you're looking for more pumpkin treats, you'll love my cinnamon sugar pumpkin donut holes too!
Jump to:
- Why You Will Love This Maple Glazed Pumpkin Donuts Recipe
- Ingredients For Baked Pumpkin Donuts With Maple Glaze
- How To Make Perfect Maple Glazed Pumpkin Donuts
- Storage And Reheating Your Maple Glazed Pumpkin Donuts
- Tips For The Best Homemade Pumpkin Donuts
- Variations For Your Pumpkin Donut Recipe
- Frequently Asked Questions About Maple Glazed Pumpkin Donuts
- Recipes You May Like
- Final Thoughts On These Homemade Pumpkin Donuts
- Maple Glazed Pumpkin Donuts
Why You Will Love This Maple Glazed Pumpkin Donuts Recipe
- Ready in just 25 minutes from start to finish, perfect for weekend morning treats
- Baked, not fried so they're lighter than traditional donuts but still incredibly fluffy
- Real pumpkin puree gives these donuts amazing moisture and authentic fall flavor
- Maple glaze that actually tastes like maple thanks to real maple syrup and extract
- One bowl mixing method makes cleanup super easy (my type of recipe!)
- Freezer friendly so you can make a batch ahead for busy mornings
Ingredients For Baked Pumpkin Donuts With Maple Glaze
For The Pumpkin Donuts
- 250 grams (2 cups) all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 150 grams (¾ cup) light brown sugar
- 10oz (1¼ cups) pure pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 4oz (½ cup) vegetable oil
- 2oz (¼ cup) buttermilk
For The Maple Glaze
- 180 grams (1½ cups) confectioners sugar, sifted
- 4 tablespoons real maple syrup
- 2-3 teaspoons maple extract
- 2-4 teaspoons milk or cream
Pro tip: Make sure your pumpkin puree is the plain stuff, not pumpkin pie filling. I learned this the hard way when Emily and I made super sweet, weirdly spiced donuts because I grabbed the wrong can!
How To Make Perfect Maple Glazed Pumpkin Donuts
Making The Donut Batter
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and generously grease your donut pan. Don't skip this step or you'll be chiseling donuts out later (trust me on this one).
Mix your dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Give it a good whisk to break up any lumps.
Combine wet ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together the brown sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs, vanilla, vegetable oil, and buttermilk until everything's well combined.
Fold everything together gently. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold until just combined. Don't overmix! A few small lumps are totally fine.
The batter should be thick but pipeable. If it seems too thick, add a tablespoon of milk.
Piping And Baking The Pumpkin Donuts
Set up your piping situation. Place a large piping bag (or a sturdy plastic bag) in a tall cup and fill it with the donut batter. This makes it so much easier than trying to fill the bag while holding it.
Snip and pipe. Cut about a ¾ inch opening in the bag and pipe the batter into your greased donut pan. Fill each cavity about ⅔ full.
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. The donuts are done when they spring back lightly when touched, or a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool properly. This is crucial! Let them cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack. Wait until they're completely cool before glazing, or the glaze will melt right off.
Creating The Perfect Maple Glaze
Sift your powdered sugar if it's lumpy. Nobody wants chunky glaze!
Start with less liquid. Mix the powdered sugar, maple syrup, and 2 teaspoons each of maple extract and milk. You can always add more, but you can't take it back.
Test the consistency. The glaze should drip slowly from a spoon and hold its shape for a few seconds before leveling out. Too thick? Add milk a teaspoon at a time. Too thin? Add more powdered sugar.
Taste and adjust. Want more maple flavor? Add another teaspoon of extract. This is your glaze, make it perfect for your taste!
Storage And Reheating Your Maple Glazed Pumpkin Donuts
These baked pumpkin donuts are definitely best the day you make them, but they'll stay fresh for up to 2 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
For longer storage, you can freeze the unglazed donuts for up to 3 months. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap, then store in a freezer bag.
To refresh day old donuts, pop them in a 300°F oven for about 3-4 minutes. The glaze might soften, but they'll taste fresh again.
Reheating tip: Never microwave glazed donuts. The glaze gets super hot and can burn your tongue (Emily learned this lesson!).
Tips For The Best Homemade Pumpkin Donuts
- Room temperature ingredients mix better and create a smoother batter. Take your eggs and buttermilk out about 30 minutes before baking.
- Don't overfill the donut cavities. ⅔ full is perfect. More than that and you'll get flat donuts that lose their shape.
- Invest in a good donut pan. Non stick is worth it. I've tried cheap ones and spent way too much time trying to get stuck donuts out.
- Make mini versions by using a mini donut pan and reducing baking time to 6-8 minutes. Emily loves these for her lunchbox!
- Try different glazes. A simple cinnamon sugar coating or vanilla glaze works beautifully too.
Have you ever noticed how the smell of pumpkin spice donuts baking can make your whole house feel like fall? There's something so cozy about it.
Variations For Your Pumpkin Donut Recipe
Chocolate lovers can add ½ cup mini chocolate chips to the batter. Just fold them in gently at the end.
Spice it up by adding a pinch of cayenne pepper to the pumpkin pie spice for a subtle kick.
Make them dairy free by substituting the buttermilk with non dairy milk mixed with a teaspoon of vinegar.
Cream cheese glaze is amazing too. Just beat 4 oz softened cream cheese with 2 cups powdered sugar and enough milk to reach your desired consistency.
Baked donut holes are perfect for parties. Use a cake pop maker or mini muffin tin and bake for 6-8 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions About Maple Glazed Pumpkin Donuts
Yes, you can use a muffin tin instead. Fill each cup about ⅔ full and bake for 12-15 minutes, adjusting time as needed.
These donuts stay fresh for up to 2 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. For best taste, enjoy them the same day.
Yes, use pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling). The recipe calls for 1¼ cups of pure pumpkin puree for the best texture and flavor.
Pumpkin pie spice is a blend containing cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice. You can substitute with 2 teaspoons cinnamon plus ¼ teaspoon each of nutmeg and ginger if needed.
Recipes You May Like
- Mini Blueberry Muffins – Another perfect breakfast treat that's ready in no time
- Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies – When you want something sweet but not a huge batch
- Old Fashioned Pumpkin Bread Recipe – More pumpkin goodness for your fall baking
Final Thoughts On These Homemade Pumpkin Donuts
These maple glazed pumpkin donuts have become our go to fall breakfast treat. They're so much better than anything you can buy, and making them at home means you control every ingredient.
The combination of warm spices, tender pumpkin cake, and that incredible maple glaze is pure autumn magic. Plus, they're baked instead of fried, so you can feel a little better about having one (or two) for breakfast.
Whether you're hosting a fall brunch, need a special weekend treat, or just want to fill your kitchen with the most amazing smells, this recipe delivers every time. Emily always asks if we can make "the pumpkin donuts" when her friends come over, and honestly, I never say no.
Give these a try this fall season. Save this recipe to Pinterest so you can find it easily when that pumpkin craving hits!
Maple Glazed Pumpkin Donuts
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Prepare the oven and pan: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and generously grease a donut pan. Set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs, vanilla, vegetable oil, and buttermilk. Mix until fully combined.
- Make the batter: Gently fold the dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined and no flour streaks remain. Don't overmix.
- Pipe the donuts: Place a large piping bag or plastic disposable bag into a large cup and fill with pumpkin donut batter. Snip the bottom to create about a ¾ inch opening and gently pipe the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake: Bake for 9-11 minutes. If you gently press the top of the donut it should immediately bounce back, or insert a toothpick into the center to check for any wet batter.
- Cool: Place the donut pan on a wire rack to cool for 5-10 minutes, then invert and let cool completely before frosting or the frosting will melt off.
- Make the maple glaze: In a medium bowl, mix together powdered sugar, maple syrup, maple extract, and cream. Use the smaller quantity of maple extract and cream at first.
- Adjust the glaze: Check if the maple flavor is to your liking; if not, add more maple extract. Check the consistency - it should drip down and hold its shape for a couple of seconds. If too thick, add cream a teaspoon at a time.
- Glaze the donuts: Lay a dishtowel down and place a wire rack on top for easy cleanup. Dip donuts in the glaze, place on wire rack to drip off excess. Add sprinkles if desired.
