Baked Pumpkin Donuts - Gluten Free

Name: Baked Pumpkin Donuts - Gluten Free
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1.5 cups canned pumpkin puree – not pumpkin pie filling; 4 large eggs – at room temperature; 1/4 cup melted coconut oil; 1.5 cups granulated sugar; 1.5 teaspoons baking powder; 1.5 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 + 3/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1/4 cup ground cinnamon; Melted butter – optional

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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 fall treat that even the kids will love!

Close up of 3 pumpkin spice donuts stacked on top of one another with more donut behind them.

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?

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!

Golden brown donut covered in cinnamon sugar with another donut with a bite out of it on top of it and more donuts around it.

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

Bowl of white flour with a bowl of pumpkin puree next to it with a bowl of brown eggs, a bowl of white sugar, and wooden spoons filled with borne spices and baking powder in front of it. With labels for each ingredient.

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

Cinnamon sugar coated donut on wire rack pan with another coated donut behind it and in front of it.

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 3/4 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.

Pumpkin donut wet ingredients in a glass mixing bowl.

Pumpkin donut batter in mixing bowl with a brown rubber spatula next to it.

3. Then pour the donut batter about 3/4 of the way full into each donut mold in the donut pan. About 1/4 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 3/4 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 1/4 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.

Donut coated in cinnamon sugar in a bowl of cinnamon sugar with more coated donuts on a wired rack pan behind it.

A bunch of baked, sugar coated brown donuts on a rack on a baking sheet.

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.

A stack of 3 brown donuts with a bite taken out of the donut on the top with more donuts around it.

How do you store baked pumpkin donuts?

You can store these pumpkin donuts in an airtight container on the counter for 2-3 days.

How long will pumpkin donuts last?

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.

Can I make these pumpkin donuts in a muffin pan?

Yes, you can! For a mini muffin pan, fill the muffin pan cavities 3/4 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 3/4 of the way full then bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.

Can you freeze pumpkin donuts?

These donuts do not freeze well, so I do not recommend freezing them.

More pumpkin recipes to try!

Stack of 3 cinnamon sugar coated pumpkin donuts with ore donuts behind them an a bowl od cinnamon sugar in front of them.

Did you try this pumpkin donut recipe? Please leave a comment and rating below I would love to hear how it turned out!