Is there anything better than sitting down with a cup of coffee and a homemade treat? These vegan baked pumpkin donuts with maple frosting or cinnamon sugar are just the thing for treating yourself on a lazy weekend morning.
What is your favorite holiday dessert? Although cinnamon rolls are typically what we ate as a sweet breakfast during the holidays, these pumpkin donuts may just become a new tradition! They are way easier to make than cinnamon rolls and just as delicious if you ask me.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Makes a small batch of just 6 baked pumpkin donuts. Since these are best eaten the day they are made, you won’t have to toss any uneaten donuts.
- Delicious cake-like texture.
- Baked not fried so the preparation is so much simpler.
- Delicious either plain OR rolled in cinnamon sugar OR with a maple glaze.
- You would never guess these are vegan too! This recipe is a great option for anyone with a dairy or egg allergy.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour: I like using a combination of whole wheat flour and unbleached white all-purpose flour. That way, you still get a lighter, more airy donut while still getting some of the nutty flavor and fiber that whole wheat flour provides.
- Granulated sugar: You can use any traditional granulated white sugar. I like using an organic cane sugar like this one for baked goods.
- Canned pumpkin: Make sure you are using a plain canned pumpkin and not the canned pumpkin pie filling which has added sugar and spices.
- Soy Milk: Use a plain, unsweetened soy milk for this recipe. If you prefer, you can also use almond milk or your favorite plant-based milk.
- Powdered Sugar: If you make the maple glaze for your donuts and want to make sure they are vegan, use an organic powdered sugar like this one. Not all powdered sugar is vegan because it can be processed with bone char.
How to Make this Recipe
STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray donut pan with cooking spray.
STEP 2: Add vinegar to the soy milk, stir, and set aside. (This creates a vegan buttermilk.)
STEP 3: Sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
STEP 4: Whisk together the milk, sugar, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir just until combined.
STEP 5: Fill piping bag (or ziplock bag) with batter. I find that standing the piping bag up in a glass helps with filling it! Pipe the batter into your donut pan, evenly dividing it between the 6 wells.
STEP 6: Bake for 12-14 minutes or until toothpick inserted into donut comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring the donuts to a cooling rack.
For Maple Glaze
If you want to make the maple glaze: Sift powdered sugar into a large mixing bowl. Add the maple syrup and 1 tablespoon of milk. Whisk together. Start adding more milk a teaspoon at a time until you have a thick but pourable glaze. Spoon glaze onto cooled donuts. Let glaze set for at least 5 minutes to harden.
For Cinnamon Sugar Topping
If you plan to use a cinnamon sugar topping for these donuts: Melt vegan butter in a small dish and combine the cinnamon and sugar on a small plate. Brush each donut with butter and the roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat.
Expert Tips:
- Measure out the flour for this recipe by scooping the flour into the measuring cup with a spoon and leveling it off with the blunt edge of a butter knife. (Check out this video to see it in action.) If you scoop with the measuring cup, you’ll likely get more flour than you need which can cause a denser donut.
- Mix all of your dry ingredients together in one bowl and all the wet ingredients together in a second bowl.
- Use a piping bag or ziplock bag with one of the corners cut off to pipe the donut batter into the donut pan. It can get very messy if you try to spoon it in by hand!
- Don’t bake your donuts too long! My oven only takes 12-14 minutes to bake these donuts but I usually start checking them at the 10 minute mark. If you over bake them, you’ll get a tougher/denser donut.
- Make sure your donuts are completely cooled before adding the glaze. Your glaze will become too runny if you add it to donuts that are still warm from the oven.
- Add liquid to the glaze gradually. I like a thick glaze, so I start by adding only 1 tablespoon of the milk and then drizzling in the second tablespoon a little bit at a time until it is the consistency I like.
- The maple frosting/glaze should be pretty thick so I found it easier to spoon the glaze over the donuts rather than dipping them into the glaze to cover.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can freeze these for up to 3 months in an airtight container or ziplock bag. If you plan to glaze the donuts, wait to glaze them until after defrosting. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight. You can also reheat for a few seconds in the microwave.
Yes, add the batter to 6 wells of a muffin pan and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 16-18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. You can also check out this chocolate chip pumpkin muffin recipe if you want muffins.
I like to balance a sweet breakfast treat like these pumpkin donuts with a savory dish that has some protein. Here are a few yummy options: mini vegan frittatas, vegan broccoli cheddar quiche, easy vegan tofu scramble.
Recommended Equipment
Looking for more pumpkin recipes? Check out these!
- Pumpkin spice smoothie (perfect for using up leftover pumpkin from this recipe!)
- One pot vegan red lentil pumpkin soup
- Vegan pumpkin chocolate chip muffins
Vegan Baked Pumpkin Donuts
Ingredients
Donuts:
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (60 g)
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour (60 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup soy milk (120 mL)
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar (68 g)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (NOT canned pumpkin pie filling) (122 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
Maple Glaze:
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted (187 g)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1-2 tablespoons soy milk
- Dash of sea salt
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
For the Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray donut pan with cooking spray.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, sift together the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a small mixing bowl, stir together soy milk and apple cider vinegar and let sit for 1 minute. Add the sugar, pumpkin, vanilla, and oil. Whisk together.
- Combine: Pour wet ingredients into mixing bowl with dry ingredients and mix just until everything is incorporated.
- Transfer batter to a piping bag or ziploc bag with one corner cut off.
- Divide batter evenly among the 6 wells of a donut pan by piping into the wells with the piping bag. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until toothpick inserted into donut comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring donuts onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
For the Maple Glaze
- To make the maple glaze, sift powdered sugar into a mixing bowl. Whisk in maple syrup, 1 tablespoon of the milk, and salt. Stir and add more soy milk 1/2 teaspoon at a time until thin enough to spoon over donuts. You want a thick frosting for dipping the donuts.
- Spoon glaze over donuts and allow to set, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon if desired.
For the Cinnamon Sugar
- Melt butter in a small dish. Add cinnamon and sugar to a small plate. Brush donut with melted butter and then roll in the cinnamon sugar until coated.
Notes
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
These turned out amazing, seriously so delicious! But the recipe was super confusing to follow. The directions said cinnamon and nutmeg instead of pumpkin spice, it called for the sugar to be added to the dry ingredients and wet ingredients, and it left out the baking soda. I trusted my instincts and it worked out but it was very frustrating in the moment lol.
These donuts just rocked my world. Had to make a second batch to bring to my parents lol. But seriously, didn’t think it was possible to make a decent baked donut until I found this recipe! THANK YOU
So glad you enjoyed them!!
I made these in a vegan version subbing flax meal for egg and almond milk for the milk and came out amazing.
I am TOTALLY making these. They look amazing!