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These are the best light and fluffy pumpkin donuts! They only take 30 minutes and they come out soft, light, and packed with wonderful pumpkin spice flavor. They’re the perfect healthy fall treat that even the kids will love. Only 150 calories per serving and gluten-free!
It’s fall and pumpkin season is here! These PUMPKIN DONUTS are the best healthy fall treat. They come out perfectly fluffy and soft, brushed with melted butter, and coated in a dusting of sweet cinnamon sugar. You will love this amazing gluten-free version that everyone can enjoy!
What’s better than a nice warm, sweet donut to enjoy with a piping hot cup of coffee right? Well, maybe a soft pumpkin cookie but these donuts are at the top of my list!
You may also love these pumpkin donut holes which are similar to this recipe but bite-sized.
Why you’ll love this pumpkin donut recipe
- Perfectly fluffy, soft, and flavorful homemade donuts!
- It only takes 30 minutes to make them!
- They are lighter since they are baked with no frying in oil needed.
- From scratch donuts that only require a few simple ingredients.
- Very kid-friendly!
- Amazing gluten-free pumpkin donuts!
What makes these pumpkin donuts healthy?
- Coconut oil is used in place of butter to add a healthier fat.
- Fully gluten-free thanks to the use of All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour in place of regular white flour.
- They are baked in the oven rather than frying them in oil.
Ingredients you will need
- Gluten-free all-purpose flour – I used King Arthur’s Measure for Measure gluten-free flour. Bob’s Red Mill 1 for 1 flour also works great in this recipe.
- Pumpkin puree – any pumpkin puree will work. I like Libby’s. Just make sure it is not pumpkin pie filling.
- Sugar – white, granulated sugar works best in this recipe.
- Eggs – 4 large eggs that must be at room temperature. I let them sit in a bowl, wrapped up in a clean kitchen towel for 1.5-2 hours before I make the donuts.
- Coconut oil – melted coconut oil or unsalted melted butter will work.
- Baking powder
- Cornstarch – this helps to give the donuts that nice light, cakey texture.
- Warm spices – pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg
- Salt – to enhance all of the incredible flavors.
- Butter – optional to brush on the donuts to help the cinnamon sugar stick to them after they are baked.
Recommended tools for making this recipe
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring cups
- Donut pans – To bake these donuts I used donut mold pans, which I purchased on Amazon for only $10 each. Note: If you don’t have donut mold pans then you can use a mini muffin pan or a regular-size muffin pan. See the notes section of the recipe card for baking time recommendations.
- Rubber spatula
Recipe Variations
- Don’t have any pumpkin puree? You can use unsweetened applesauce or even greek yogurt in place of the pumpkin in this recipe. The flavor will be slightly different but they will still be super delicious!
- Add in some chocolate chips or chopped pecans for added texture. Simply fold them into the batter before filling the donut pans.
- Want to cut out the white sugar in the donut recipe? Sub in half the coconut sugar and half brown sugar in place of the white sugar – 1 cup coconut sugar and ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar.
Let’s get down to the good stuff, and make these healthy donuts.
How to make Pumpkin Donuts
Be sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of recipe ingredients, instructions, and nutrition.
- Combine the melted coconut oil, eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree, spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice), salt, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Then mix until a smooth batter forms.
- Add in the flour and cornstarch and mix well to form a slightly thick but still smooth pumpkin donut batter.
3. Then pour the donut batter about ¾ of the way full into each donut mold in the donut pan. About ¼ cup of batter works perfectly to fill each mold. Smooth the top of each out with the back of a spoon or small spatula.
4. Bake the pumpkin donuts at 350 degrees F in a preheated oven for 15-17 minutes, until the tops are puffed up, firm, and starting to turn golden brown.
Expert tip: To easily fill the donut pans with the batter, add the donut batter to a Ziploc bag, cut an end off and pipe the donut batter into the donut cavities ¾ of the way full. This recipe makes about 13 even-size donuts.
5. Remove the donuts from the oven and let them cool for about 2-3 minutes. While they are cooling you can make the cinnamon sugar topping. Combine 1 cup of granulated sugar with ¼ cup of ground cinnamon in a medium size mixing bowl and lightly whisk until all of the cinnamon is incorporated with the sugar.
6. Carefully run a butter knife around the edge of each donut, lift them out of the pan and shake each lightly in the cinnamon sugar. Note: You can also melt some butter in a bowl in the microwave and brush it on the donuts before you coat them in the cinnamon sugar for extra decadent donuts.
Recipe Tips for making homemade donuts
- Don’t over mix the batter – mix well to combine the ingredients but do not over mix or the pumpkin donuts will turn out gummy and not cakey and soft.
- Spray the donut pan with cooking spray before adding the batter to allow the donuts to easily be removed from the pan after baking.
- Let the coconut oil cool slightly after melting it before combining it with the rest of the ingredients – 4-5 minutes of cooling time should do the trick.
- Make sure to coat the donuts in cinnamon sugar when they are warm or the coating won’t stick to the donuts.
- Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour that already has xanthan gum in it. It should say on the package if it has xanthan gum or in the listed ingredients. See the ingredients list for the flours I recommended.
You can store these pumpkin donuts in an airtight container on the counter for 2-3 days.
Baked pumpkin donuts are the best if eaten right away. Although, they will last for 2-3 days if you store them at room temperature in an airtight container. If you plan to store them then don’t brush them with butter since they will get soggy.
Yes, you can! For a mini muffin pan, fill the muffin pan cavities ¾ of the way full with the batter then bake them for 15-17 minutes at 350 degrees F. For a regular-size muffin pan, fill ¾ of the way full then bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.
These donuts do not freeze well, so I do not recommend freezing them.
More pumpkin recipes to try!
- Protein Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin Lasagna
- Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
- Easy Pumpkin Chili
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Did you try this pumpkin donut recipe? Please leave a comment and rating below I would love to hear how it turned out!
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Baked Pumpkin Donuts – Gluten Free
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 13 donuts 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
The best easy-baked homemade pumpkin donuts that you can make in 30 minutes with a few simple ingredients. They come out perfectly fluffy, soft, and flavorful and they are gluten free!
Ingredients
For the donuts
- 1.5 cups canned pumpkin puree – not pumpkin pie filling
- 4 large eggs – at room temperature
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- 1.5 cups granulated sugar
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1.5 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 + ¾ cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
For the cinnamon-sugar coating
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup ground cinnamon
Other
- Melted butter – optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and grease two donut pans or mini muffin pans.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine together the pumpkin, eggs, coconut oil, sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt and mix until smooth
- Add in the flour and cornstarch and mix well until the batter is slightly thick but smooth.
- Fill the donut mold with the batter about ¾ of the way full, about ¼ cup of batter fills each donut mold. Note: You can fill a ziplock bag with the batter, cut off one of the ends, and pipe the batter into the donut pans to make it a little easier. Or use a spoon to spoon the batter into the donut cavities.
- Place the pans in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 15-17 minutes, until the tops of the donuts are puffed up and lightly golden brown.
- Remove the donuts from the oven and let them cool for 2-3 minutes.
- While the donuts are cooling, you can make the cinnamon sugar topping – Combine the sugar with the cinnamon in a medium bowl and lightly stir.
- Carefully remove each donut from the donut pan by running a butter knife around the edge of each and lifting them from the pan.
- Gently toss each donut in the cinnamon-sugar coating. Serve warm. Alternatively, you can brush each donut with melted butter and then coat in the cinnamon sugar for more decadent pumpkin donuts.
Notes
- For making these in a mini muffin pan bake them for 12-15 minutes.
- For making these in a regular-size muffin pan bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Spray the donut pan with cooking spray before adding the batter to allow the donuts to easily be removed from the pan after baking.
- Let the coconut oil cool slightly after melting it before combining it with the rest of the ingredients – 4-5 minutes of cooling time should do the trick.
- These donuts can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
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These look absolutely AMAZING! My husband is going to love them.
Love the recipient and the hints, but I am allergic to coconut. Is there an alternative I can use?
I have a question, do these rise much?
Hi Diane, They rise a up a little bit. If you let the batter sit for 5-10 minutes, it will thicken up more, allowing the donuts to rise more.