If PSL season is for you then these Baked Pumpkin Spice Latte Donuts are about to become your new fall crush.
They’re soft, warmly spiced, full of real pumpkin, and finished TWO ways because I have trouble making decisions… a silky espresso glaze for the icing lovers and a cinnamon sugar espresso coating for the crunch lovers. There’s no wrong decision here… I love both equally and count one of each kind as a single donut (just fyi).
These guys are baked in a mini donut pan (you can make them full sized too) and they come together in under 20 minutes. Coffee in one hand, donut in the other… it’s a fall dream.
Scroll past the recipe if you’re looking for tips, substitutions, questions, etc. and details on how to make this recipe, but if you want to get straight to it, here’s my recipe-ish…
Baked Pumpkin Spice Latte Donuts (two ways – glazed and sugar coated)
Ingredients
For the donuts:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp pumpkin spice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup oil
- 2 Tbsp butter melted
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp milk
- 1 tsp instant espresso
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
For the sugar coating:
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp espresso powder
- 2 Tbsp butter melted
Instructions
Make the donuts:
- In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt and pumpkin spice. Whisk well.
- In a separate bowl combine the pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar, oil, butter, egg and vanilla. Whisk well.
- Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture and mix just until combined.
- Fill a greased mini donut pan with the batter.
- Bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes.
- Cool before topping.
Make the glaze:
- In a medium bowl combine the milk, espresso powder and vanilla. Mix well.
- Add in the powdered sugar and mix well.
Make the sugar coating:
- In a medium bowl combine the sugar, cinnamon and espresso powder. Mix well. Melt the butter in a small dish.
For glazed donuts:
- Dip the top of the donuts in the glaze and set aside on a wire rack.
For sugar coated donuts:
- Brush the donuts all over with melted butter and then roll them in the sugar mixture.
my pro tips for making the best baked pumpkin spice latte donuts
Mixing – if you’ve heard it once you’ve heard it a bazillion times… don’t over-mix the batter. Mix the ingredients until just combined. Once the lumps are out you’re done.
Cooling – you’re going to want to cool the donuts before glazing or the glaze will just melt and slide right off. For the sugar coating you just need them to be cool enough to handle.
Donut Pan – I like to make these in a mini sized donut pan because I like to be able to eat one of each kind every time but that’s just greedy me. You can bake them in a standard donut pan too (and you can double the recipe if you like), just increase the baking time and start checking the donuts at the 13 minute mark.
recipe substitutions and variations
Omit the espresso and just make pumpkin spice baked donuts. They’re still amazing.
Try coconut sugar instead of white sugar in the coating. It has a less-sweet, caramel note to it.
Pumpkin Maple Version Version – make a maple glaze for coating. Use maple syrup instead of milk for the glaze. You may still need a drop of milk if the mixture is too thick. You can also add some maple sugar to the sugar coating for this version.
Cinnamon Vanilla Version – swap out the pumpkin spice for cinnamon and make a vanilla glaze by omitting the espresso powder and increasing the vanilla to one teaspoon.
serving suggestions
For a fun Fall treat I like to make these and serve them with chai tea or my easy Apple Cider.
They also make a great after lunch treat after a big bowl of creamy tomato soup.
My go-to is to make them in the morning and munch away with a steaming cup of coffee… Fall heaven.
storing leftovers and make ahead details…
Storing – these donuts are best the day they’re made, but I keep them at room temperature for 2 days and then refrigerate them… but they rarely last that long.
Make Ahead – if you want to make them ahead, I would wait to glaze or sugar them until just before serving.
Freezing – you can freeze the naked cooled donuts for a month or so and then thaw them completely before topping.
questions about these baked pumpkin spice latte donuts
Do you need a donut pan? You really do. You can try to make them as muffins, but I haven’t tried and can’t guarantel they’ll turn out the same. Let me know if you try! Or maybe just try my Banana Pumpkin Muffins or Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Blondies as an alternative.
Do I need real pumpkin puree? you do. Pumpkin pie filling is not the same thing and will produce a different result.
Whichever team you’re on (glazed, sugar rolled, both!) I want to know. Drop a comment, rate the recipe, or tag me over on Instagram @thepyperskitchen so I can see your baked pumpkin spice latte donuts… and if you’re deep in cozy baking mode, save this post to Pinterest so you’ve got it ready whenever that PSL craving hits. Happy fall baking, friend!
