This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Simple, baked pumpkin doughnuts that taste and LOOK like pumpkins! These donuts that look like pumpkins add a lot of fall flare!

Want to save this recipe?
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Not only do these donuts look like pumpkins, they taste like pumpkin too!

We haven’t gone to the pumpkin patch yet.. I’m not quite sure I’m allowed to buy any more fall decorations since I already bought 10 fake pumpkins at Michaels.

I was torn between buying real pumpkins or fake pumpkins to put on our porch.

I sort of decided that I would rather invest in fake pumpkins that I can use every year than spend $50+ on real pumpkins that will go bad and may be eaten by squirrels.

But I’ve having some issues with the fake pumpkins falling off the porch when a big gust of wind blows in. AND now that real pumpkins are available pretty much everywhere, I really do want some real ones :)

I just want alllll the pumpkins, but my decorating budget is spent.

Good thing edible pumpkins don’t fall under the fall decoration category!

These pumpkin doughnuts are adorable and really add a lot of fall flare to any morning breakfast or snack time, because I am not above eating donuts for snack.

From my experience, the best way to ensure perfect donuts is to pipe the batter into the donut pan (rather than spooning in the batter) and do not overfill the pan! This method has worked flawlessly for me.

Supplies

  • a donut pan plus ingredients for the donuts
  • orange candy melts
  • orange sanding sugar
  • green food coloring added to buttercream
  • broken pretzels

How To Make Pumpkin Doughnuts

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a donut pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl whisk together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, vegetable oil, and milk. In a smaller bowl combine the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. 
  3. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing with a spatula just until combined. 
  4. Transfer the batter to a piping bag or ziplock bag, cut off the corner. Pipe the batter into each donut cavity. Evenly divide the batter among the 6 donuts. 
  5. Bake for 15-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Flip the pan upside down to release the donuts onto a cooling rack.

Baking Tips

  • Spoon and sweep flour into the measuring cups.
  • Be sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. The only ingredient on the back of the pumpkin puree can will be pumpkin. 
  • To cleanly pipe the batter into the pan, use a piping bag or ziplock bag with the corner cut off. 

More Pumpkin Recipes

Pumpkin Donuts Video

Simple, baked pumpkin spice donuts that taste and LOOK like pumpkins! These donuts that look like pumpkins add a lot of fall flare!
5 from 1 rating

Tap stars to rate!

Pumpkin Donuts

By: Beth
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6 donuts
Simple, baked pumpkin spice donuts that taste and LOOK like pumpkins! These donuts that look like pumpkins add a lot of fall flare!

Equipment

Ingredients 

Donuts

  • ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp salt

Decorations

  • ½ bag orange candy melts
  • orange sanding sugar
  • a few braided pretzels, broken into smaller size

green buttercream

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 3-4 tbsp powdered sugar
  • kelly green food coloring

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a donut pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl whisk together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, vegetable oil, and milk. 
  • In a smaller bowl combine the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing with a spatula just until combined. 
  • Transfer the batter to a piping bag or ziplock bag, cut off the corner. Pipe the batter into each donut cavity. Evenly divide the batter among the 6 donuts. 
  • Bake for 15-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. 
  • Flip the pan upside down to release the donuts onto a cooling rack. Allow the donuts to cool for at least 10 more minutes. 
  • Melt the candy melts according to the package. You can add vegetable oil or shortening to help thin out the candy melts. Dip the top of each donut into the melted orange candy melts. Allow the donut to set for 1-2 minutes before sprinkling on the orange sanding sugar. Allow the candy melts to harden.
  • Meanwhile, make the buttercream. In a small mixing bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar and kelly green food coloring, beat until combined. Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fit with a small round piping tip.
  • Use a skewer or something similar to make a small hole on the top of the donut. Put a broken pretzel piece in the hole as the pumpkin stem.
  • Pipe the green buttercream onto the donut, making vines or leaves.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 223mg | Potassium: 107mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 3312IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 2mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

About Beth

I believe that everyone should have a go-to dessert to bring to parties! With hundreds of recipes, I'll help you find yours!

You May Also Like:

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




9 Comments

    1. Hi Emma! I’m not sure, I don’t have a mini donut pan – maybe look online to get an idea of baking times.