These baked pumpkin doughnuts with cream cheese glaze are the perfect fall treat. Ready in 30 minutes start to finish – have them for breakfast or afternoon coffee!
The weekend finally felt like autumn — cooler air, leaves on the sidewalks, and the perfect excuse to turn on the oven. Naturally, that meant one thing: pumpkin baked goods. Enter these baked pumpkin doughnuts.
I’m a sucker for pumpkin recipes and I love using my doughnut pan, so this pairing is a no-brainer. They come together quickly — about 30 minutes from start to finish — making them ideal for breakfast, an afternoon coffee break, or a simple dessert.
These doughnuts have a bold pumpkin flavor brightened with warm spices and vanilla, while brown sugar adds a pleasant caramel note. The batter bakes into a tender cake-like doughnut that stays moist thanks to the pumpkin puree. They’re delicious plain, but a finishing glaze elevates them further.
The choice was between a sugar coating and a glaze — glaze won. Pumpkin and cream cheese are a classic match, and a simple cream cheese glaze brings a silky, tangy contrast to the spiced doughnuts. You can either dip the tops into the glaze or drizzle it over each doughnut for a pretty finish.
Whether you serve these for a cozy morning, at a weekend brunch, or as a seasonal treat with coffee, they’re reliably crowd-pleasing. You might find it hard to share, and that’s perfectly okay.
Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts
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Ingredients
For the Doughnuts
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
For the Glaze
- 3 tablespoons brick-style cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon milk or cream
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 6-cavity doughnut pan with non-stick spray or butter and set aside.
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In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. In a separate bowl whisk the brown sugar and granulated sugar, breaking up any clumps. Add the oil, vanilla, and egg, and whisk until combined. Stir in the pumpkin puree, then fold in the dry ingredients until just combined.
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Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, filling each cavity two-thirds to three-quarters full. Or place the batter in a large zip-top bag, seal, snip a bottom corner, and pipe into the cavities. Bake 8–10 minutes, until doughnuts are slightly firm and spring back when touched. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
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While the doughnuts cool, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add the icing sugar, then add milk or cream starting with 1 teaspoon, until the glaze reaches your preferred consistency. Dip or drizzle the cooled doughnuts with the glaze.
Notes
Nutrition
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