Light, fluffy, and moist these Baked Pumpkin Donuts wit Espresso Glaze taste like Pumpkin Spice Latte!! So tasty, perfect fall breakfast, snack or even a non-traditional Thanksgiving dessert. Video below!
These Pumpkin Donuts are one of the favorites from my cooking classes years and years ago. They’re basically a Baked Donut. Tender, moist, stays fresh for days, and almost cake-like with a burst of pumpkin and spice. To finish it all off, a silky smooth Espresso Glaze takes them to the next level!
PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE
If you’re on the hype of Pumpkin Spice Latte, then you probably need to try two things.
First one is today’s pumpkin donuts with espresso glaze. Second on is this cozy Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Latte. It’s oatmeal meets pumpkin spice meets latte meets pure love!
Now if you’re not that much into sweet Pumpkin Spice Latte, let me lure you into giving these moist and tender baked donuts a try—they might just have the perfect pumpkin-spice-espresso balance you were looking for!
PUMPKIN DONUTS AND GLAZE
Since these baked donuts are pumpkin spice donuts in the first place, I will tell you the pumpkin flavor here is unbeatable! It’s sweet, strong and very pumpkin-y!
Pumpkin here also adds an extreme level of moisture to the donuts that’s unbeatable! So unlike any baked donut, these taste fresh, moist and stay so for days. DAYS!
When it comes to pumpkin spice, it’s completely optional here. I love a warming seasonal spice blend, but the Mr. isn’t a fan, so I end up making the donuts with ginger and cinnamon only.
Now for the Espresso Glaze. I will say that with every cooking class that I made this recipe at, there was a huge interest in the glaze. Like why espresso? What other options are there? Can I skip the glaze all together?
So I just answered with one thing–wait until you taste it! And while some were still skeptical, let me tell you that the minute they taste the glaze, everything changed. All questions were answered.. The glaze is so so good!
Espresso pairs so beautifully with pumpkin, hence the famous pumpkin spice latte! Also espresso pairs beautifully with pumpkin spice. I urge you to try it before thinking of adjusting it!
If you however need a glaze substitute, try this classic vanilla cream cheese icing.
A final note about the glaze. These pumpkin spice latte donuts are really not that sweet, so don’t worry about the glaze over-sweetening them and at the same time don’t worry if you skip glazing all together! I’ll be sharing another way to use this recipe with cinnamon sugar–stay tuned!
HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE DONUTS
Pumpkin Donuts Step by Step:
Gather up all your ingredients:
- Flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- cinnamon, ginger or pumpkin spice
- salt
- pumpkin puree
- egg
- sugar
- yogurt
- melted butter
Start by mixing the dry ingredients in a large bowl and then add all remaining ingredients to the same bowl. Use a spatula to bring the batter together.
Scoop the batter into a piping bag.
Snip off the tip of the bag and divide the batter among the donut pan (12 donut cavities).
Ready for the oven!
Make the Glaze
In a bowl pour the confectioner sugar. Brew some espresso. And now carefully add the espresso into the bowl of sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Adjust the consistency of the glaze to your taste-always! Add extra espresso for a thinner glaze, and extra confectioner sugar for a thicker glaze.
When the donuts are out of the oven, let them cool for a bit.
Now dip the tops in the espresso glaze and flip the donut (glazed side up) on a cooling rack until the glaze dries out.
And you’re ready to devour a pumpkin donut with espresso glaze that tastes like you pumpkin spice latte!
PUMPKIN DONUT TIPS
- You can use fresh pureed pumpkin, or store bought canned pumpkin.
- use a piping bag to scoop the batter into the donut pan because it’s super tricky and time consuming to do using any other tool!
- If you don’t have a donut pan, you can try to pipe the donuts onto a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Keep in mind they might not all be identical in shape and size.
- Alternatively, If you don’t have a donut pan, your second best bet would be to bake the batter spread thinly on a baking sheet (lined with parchment) and then, using cookie cutters, you can cut out donut shapes from the baked donut.
- Be sure to let the donuts cool before glazing them.
- Adjust the consistency of the glaze to your taste by adding more of the espresso or the confectioner sugar. Remember the glaze thickens as it sits.
- When you glaze the donuts, allow them to cool so the glaze hardens.
- Keep them well covered on the counter.
- The donuts stay fresh and moist for 4 days!
PUMPKIN RECIPES
- Fall Baked Pasta with Roasted Pumpkin, Kale and Mushrooms
- Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Latte
- Hazelnut Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins
- Roast Pumpkin Mediterranean Salad
- Instant Chia Pumpkin Pudding
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Kale Mushroom Pumpkin Alfredo Pasta
Pumpkin Spice Latte Donuts
Light, fluffy, and moist these Baked Pumpkin Donuts wit Espresso Glaze taste like Pumpkin Spice Latte!! So tasty, perfect fall breakfast, snack or even a non-traditional Thanksgiving dessert. Video below!
Ingredients
For the Donuts:
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup canned pumpkin (unsweetened)
- 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (low fat or fat free is ok)
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1 egg
For the Glaze:
- 1 cup of confectioners sugar
- 2 tablespoons of strong espresso (more or less adjusted to the thickness of glaze you prefer)
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
-
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.
-
In a large bowl, mix the remaining ingredients and whisk them until well blended.
-
Using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until all blended.
-
Place the batter into a piping bag and snip off the tip, then fill up the donut pan about 3/4th of the way.
-
Bake the donuts for about 18-20 minutes (depending on your oven).
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In the meantime, make the glaze by whisking up the confectioner sugar and espresso until smooth. At this point, you can add more or less of the espresso to control the thickness of the glaze.
-
When the donuts are done, let them cool down for 5 minutes before removing them from the pan.
-
Dip each side of the donut in the glaze and flip it on a rack glazed side up, letting the excess glaze drip.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
PUMPKIN DONUT TIPS
- You can use fresh pureed pumpkin, or store bought canned pumpkin.
- use a piping bag to scoop the batter into the donut pan because it's super tricky and time consuming to do using any other tool!
- If you don't have a donut pan, you can try to pipe the donuts onto a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Keep in mind they might not all be identical in shape and size.
- Alternatively, If you don’t have a donut pan, your second best bet would be to bake the batter spread thinly on a baking sheet (lined with parchment) and then, using cookie cutters, you can cut out donut shapes from the baked donut.
- Be sure to let the donuts cool before glazing them.
- Adjust the consistency of the glaze to your taste by adding more of the espresso or the confectioner sugar. Remember the glaze thickens as it sits.
- When you glaze the donuts, allow them to cool so the glaze hardens.
- Keep them well covered on the counter.
- The donuts stay fresh and moist for 4 days!
Pumpkin spice anything is good with me! I really need to try making doughnuts myself.
These donuts sound incredible and absolutely perfect for Fall! I can’t wait to make these for me and my family – so good!
ooooh!! I love pumpkin and its spices!! I look forward to Fall just so I can indulge. And then you added the espresso flavor – it can’t get better than that. Now, all I have to do is get a donut pan.
I love that these donuts are baked rather than fried so I feel less guilty about going back for a second one! These would be perfect with a big cup of coffee!
I love all things pumpkin spice and these sound delicious. My kids would love them especially the glaze.
hahahahah my kids aren’t into espresso yet!
The glaze on your donuts looks amazing! I’m sure these were delicious, I can’t wait to try them
Thanks Michelle!
Three of the most popular words in my vocabulary these days.
1. Pumpkin spice
2. Espresso
3. Donuts
Can’t wait to give this a try!
hahahaha mine too!!! Thanks Noel
There is nothing like the combination of donuts and coffee! What a brilliant idea to use espresso in the glaze – delicious!
Thanks Lauren!
I haven’t embraced the pumpkin spice craze, but man these donuts look fabulous! I’m especially loving that espresso glaze…looks divine
Use just cinnamon Karyl, I prefer sticking to cinnamon and a touch of ginger over pumpkin spice!
Goes well with my morning espresso!
It really does! Thanks:)
If I wasnt such a nice mummy I wouldnt have left any for my kids! It was like survival of the fittest! We finished them all in one day! Even though the kids had it without the glaze and just ate one after the other… I couldnt believe my eyes! These picky little kids actually liked them! They LOVED them! And so did I! The only trick was not to mention they had pumkin untill they said it was yummy otherwise they wouldnt have touched them!
Seriously delicious and a must try and rebake recipe!
hahahahahahaha! I feel you!! I do that too 😉 My oldest one really loves them too which keeps me from espresso glazing them all!