Baked Pumpkin Donuts with Cream Cheese Glaze

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Simple to make: The method is quick and uses common pantry ingredients.
• Moist texture: These baked donuts stay tender thanks to pumpkin puree and a bit of oil.
• Balanced flavor: Pumpkin spice warms the batter and cream cheese glaze adds a tangy sweetness.

Pumpkin Donuts Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• ½ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup pumpkin puree
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Glaze Ingredients

• ¼ cup cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons milk (plus extra if needed)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

See the recipe notes below for yield and storage tips.

For the donuts:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a donut pan well with cooking spray.

2. In a small bowl, combine the milk and apple cider vinegar and let the mixture sit for at least 5 minutes. This creates a quick buttermilk-style mixture that helps tenderize the donuts.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, light brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry: pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and the milk-vinegar mixture. Stir gently until just combined — do not overmix. Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears and the batter looks uniform.

5. Spoon or pour about 1/4 cup of batter into each donut cavity so that the batter fills each cavity roughly two-thirds full.

6. Bake for about 13 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the donut comes out clean or with a few crumbs but no wet batter. If wet batter remains, bake an additional 1–3 minutes. Transfer the donuts to a cooling rack and let cool at least 10 minutes before glazing.

Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and can make the donuts dense. Stir just enough to incorporate the ingredients.

For the cream cheese glaze:

1. In a bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and mix until combined.

2. Stir in the vanilla extract and add milk 1 teaspoon at a time until you reach a spreadable glaze consistency. Use less milk for a thicker frosting and a little more for a thinner glaze suitable for dipping.

3. Once the donuts are completely cool, dip the tops into the glaze or spoon it over each donut and smooth with the back of a spoon. Place the glazed donuts back on the rack to set.

Equipment

• Silicone donut mold or a metal donut pan
• Large mixing bowl
• Cooling rack
• Small bowl for the milk-vinegar mixture
• Spoon or piping bag to fill the donut cavities

Storage

Store glazed donuts in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days in an airtight container. For longer storage, freeze unglazed donuts on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag. Thaw at room temperature for about 2 hours before glazing or warming gently.

Yes. Freeze the donuts before glazing for best results. Thaw at room temperature for about 2 hours and then add the glaze.

This recipe has not been formally tested with gluten-free flour blends. To make the recipe vegan, substitute plant-based milk for dairy milk and use vegan cream cheese for the glaze; be aware results may vary slightly.

Baked Pumpkin Donuts with Cream Cheese Frosting

Moist, warmly spiced baked pumpkin donuts topped with a smooth cream cheese glaze — quick to prepare and perfect for fall.

Ingredients

Pumpkin Donuts

• Cooking spray
• ½ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup pumpkin puree
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Glaze

• ¼ cup softened cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons milk (add more if needed)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a donut pan.
2. Combine milk and apple cider vinegar; let stand 5 minutes.
3. Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl.
4. Add pumpkin, oil, vanilla, and milk mixture to dry ingredients; stir until just combined.
5. Spoon about ¼ cup batter into each donut cavity (about 2/3 full).
6. Bake ~13 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on a rack before glazing.
7. For the glaze, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Add vanilla and milk 1 teaspoon at a time to reach desired consistency. Glaze cooled donuts.

Notes

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 donuts.

Storage: Freeze unglazed donuts for longer storage. Refrigerate glazed donuts up to 2–3 days.

Toothpick test: Toothpick should come out clean or with a few dry crumbs; no wet batter.

Nutrition (per donut)