Vegan Baked Pumpkin Donuts

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.

Baked Pumpkin Donuts with Maple Frosting in a stack on a plate.

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.

Table of Contents

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

baked pumpkin donuts ingredients in dishes.

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.)

whisk together the wet ingredients. — Sift together the dry ingredients.

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.

Set piping bag upright in a glass to make it easier to fill with batter. — Add batter to a piping bag.

Pipe the donut batter into your donut pan. — Add batter to a piping bag.

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

sift the powdered sugar into a large bowl. — Sift powdered sugar into large bowl.

Add maple syrup and gradually add milk whisking until thick glaze forms. — Sift powdered sugar into large bowl.

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

Brush donuts with melted butter and roll in cinnamon sugar. — Brush donuts with melted vegan butter and roll in cinnamon sugar.

Baked donuts rolled in cinnamon sugar on plate. — Brush donuts with melted vegan butter and roll in cinnamon sugar.

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.

vegan baked pumpkin donuts with maple frosting on white marble background.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you freeze baked pumpkin donuts?

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.

Can I bake pumpkin donuts in a muffin pan?

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.

What do I serve with baked pumpkin donuts?

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.