Salted Caramel-Glazed Pumpkin Donuts

Pumpkin is one of my forever obsessions. Any season, all the time, pumpkin-everything lives rent-free in my kitchen. After falling in love with these baked cinnamon donuts, I tried a version made with pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice. I’ll say it right now, these pumpkin donuts are the stuff of dreams. Soft, fluffy, and baked, not fried. They’re glazed with salted caramel sauce, too. Just try to stop yourself from having two, three, or four… these donuts are THAT delicious!

Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Donuts

• Easy to make. Cake donuts are the easiest of all homemade donuts. These pumpkin donuts bake up similar to how you’d make pumpkin muffins or cupcakes. Just mix the batter, fill your pan, and bake.
• Filled with fall flavor. Real pumpkin puree and cozy pumpkin pie spice pack this donut recipe with authentic, fall-ready flavor. Every bite is fluffy, moist, and irresistibly cake-like.
• Glazed with salted caramel. I dip my pumpkin donuts in salted caramel sauce for the (literal) icing on the cake (donut).
• Storage-friendly. Baking means these donuts store better and keep longer than your average deep-fried donuts. Just one more reason to skip the oil!

What You’ll Need

You can make these bakery-worthy pumpkin donuts with just a handful of pantry staples. Check out my notes here, and scroll to the recipe card for a printable list with the full recipe details.

• All-Purpose Flour – If you’re making gluten-free donuts, I recommend a finely ground oat or almond flour as they’re less coarse.
• Baking Powder – Make sure it’s fresh. If your baking powder has expired, the donuts won’t rise properly.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice – You’ll find prepared pumpkin pie spice at your local supermarket. Or, to make pumpkin pie spice from scratch, combine 1/4 teaspoon each cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, and allspice.
• Vegetable Oil – Choose a neutral-flavored oil, like canola oil. Olive oil works, too, and it gives these pumpkin donuts a subtle herby note.
• Eggs – For best results, bring the eggs to room temperature before you start.
• Sugar – You can use granulated sugar, brown sugar, or another sweetener, like coconut sugar.
• Pumpkin Puree – Please, whatever you do, make sure you get 100% pumpkin puree and NOT pumpkin pie filling. It can be canned or mashed from scratch (my slow cooker pumpkin puree works well here).

For the Glaze

• Powdered Sugar
• Caramel Sauce – Choose your favorite store-bought caramel sauce.
• Sea Salt – I like the milder flavor and crunchier texture of flaked sea salt. Use regular salt in a pinch, but I’d advise adding a little less at first and then to taste, so the caramel doesn’t become overly salty.
• Milk – This can be any dairy or non-dairy milk, including oat or almond milk.

How to Make Pumpkin Donuts

If you don’t have a doughnut pan, dough-not worry. You can easily make these pumpkin donuts using a standard muffin tin instead (they’ll be more like a donut muffin, and still delicious!). Here’s how to make the best pumpkin donuts:

• Make the batter. First, whisk your dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, cream the oil, eggs, and sugar with pumpkin puree. Afterward, add the dry ingredients to the wet batter and give that a mix.
• Fill the pans. Lightly grease your donut pan and fill each well about 2/3 full with donut batter. Since baked donuts don’t “puff up” as much as deep-fried donuts, you can be a bit generous!
• Bake. Bake your pumpkin donuts at 350ºF for 15-18 minutes. See? Easiest. Donuts. Ever!

Adding the Caramel Glaze

While these donuts are baking, you’ll have plenty of time to whip up an easy salted caramel glaze. Be sure to let the finished donuts cool off a bit before you dip them.

• Combine the ingredients. To make the salted caramel glaze, simply add all the ingredients together in a bowl and whisk until the glaze is smooth. 
• Dip! When your donuts have baked until they pass the toothpick test, take them out and allow them to cool a bit. Then, dip the top of each donut into the caramel glaze and serve.

Tips for Success

• Use a piping bag. To make filling your donut pan easier, fill a piping bag or Ziploc bag with donut batter. Snip the tip/corner off, and pipe the batter into the pan. No mess!
• Add garnishes. Sprinkle the freshly-glazed donuts with crushed nuts, sprinkles, cinnamon sugar, or extra sea salt. The trick is to add any toppings before the glaze sets.
• Bake in a muffin tin instead. If you don’t have any donut pans handy, you can still bake delicious pumpkin donuts in a muffin tin. Fill each well 2/3 full as directed and bake for slightly longer, about 25 minutes.

How to Store

• To store. Store the cooled donuts (glazed or plain) in an airtight container. They’ll keep for up to 2 days at room temperature or about 1 week in the fridge.
• Freeze. Flash-freeze the pumpkin donuts on a lined baking sheet, and then transfer the frozen donuts to a freezer bag or container. Freeze them for up to 3 months and thaw them in the fridge overnight before serving. You can also warm the donuts quickly in the microwave.

More Pumpkin Recipes to Try

• Pumpkin Spice Latte
• Pumpkin Scones
• Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
• Pumpkin French Toast
• Pumpkin Peanut Butter Dip