Easy Baked Pumpkin Donuts {With Cake Mix}
Quick, easy, baked pumpkin donuts recipe with cake mix. Topped with cinnamon sugar topping. Only 4 simple ingredients!
These delicious donuts with spiced cinnamon sugar are great as as breakfast, snack or even dessert. We always make it on Thanksgiving morning too! In general, I am very fond of fried yeasted donuts but when it comes to this specific flavor, I prefer the baked cake-like version. If you have leftover pumpkin puree, be sure to try these Pumpkin Truffles and this Pumpkin Fudge.
Table of contents
Key ingredients for pumpkin spice donuts
- Cake mix- I like yellow cake mix best in this recipe, even compared to the spiced cake mix.
- Pumpkin spice- This is a combination of all your favorite Fall spices like cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and more. In a pinch, you can also simply use cinnamon powder.
- Pumpkin puree- Makes these treats moist and cannot be substituted for pie filling.
- Powdered sugar- It is important to use the fine powder and not your every day granulated sugar.
Variations
- Glazed donuts- Use a simple sugar glaze or spiced donut glaze, made by mixing together powdered sugar and milk to coat the entire donut. Try this Powdered Sugar Glaze (Vanilla Cake Glaze) and you can also substitute maple extract for vanilla for a new flavor.
- Gluten free donuts- Use a gluten free cake mix.
- Donut holes- Follow the same recipe but instead of a donut pan, use a donut hole pan.
- Make muffins- If you don’t have that pan, you can use a mini muffin pan and make mini muffins instead. They will still have the same flavor and texture.
- Adjust pumpkin spice– Amounts based on your preference.
- Add-ins- For added texture and flavor, mix in some finely chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans or even mini chocolate chips in the batter.
- Melted chocolate- Use white or semisweet chocolate to drizzle on top or dip the donuts in.
- Cinnamon sugar topping- Brush some melted butter on top of each donut and just dip it in cinnamon spice granulated sugar.
How to make easy baked pumpkin donuts recipe with cake mix?
- Mix together- The cake mix powder, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin spice.
- Spoon- This mixture into a greased donut pan.
- Bake– Until cooked through.
- Cool- Donuts completely.
- Cover- Them in a sugar and spice mixture.
Tips and techniques
Use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling– Both look similar but are totally different and can dramatically affect this recipe.
Use yellow cake mix– Because it yields the best flavor. The spiced cake mix surprisingly didn’t yield the best results in my opinion. I felt like the spices were over-powering the pumpkin flavor.
Pipe batter into pan- Because the donut batter is thick and difficult to pour. Simply fill a piping bag with the batter and then pipe it into the donut pan.
Do not fry- Baked donuts have a soft and moist cake-like texture. However, fried donuts are typically lighter in texture and more airy and have almost a soft bread-like texture. The recipe below cannot be used for fried donuts.
Recipe FAQ
They were most likely over-baked.
No, it cannot be used because it has additional ingredients like milk, eggs, butter e.t.c. that will affect the texture of these donuts. Only use pumpkin puree.
You can use a mini bundt pan or mini muffin pan. They won’t look like a donut but they would still taste good.
Storage of homemade donuts
Room temperature- Leftovers can be stored in a covered container at room temperature for 2 days.
Fridge- Store leftovers in an sealed container for 3 days.
Freezer- Place donuts (that have not been coated in anything) in a sealed container with wax paper between layers for up to 1 month. Thaw and then coat in powdered sugar before serving.
More donut recipes
- Jelly Filled Donuts (Sufagniyot)
- Baked Apple Cider Donuts
- Pikachu Donuts (Pokemon)
- Christmas Donuts
- Halloween Donuts
Easy Baked Pumpkin Donuts (With Cake Mix)
Ingredients
Donuts
- 1 box Yellow cake mix
- 15 oz Pumpkin puree
- 1 tbsp Pumpkin spice
Sugar topping
- 2 cups Powdered sugar
- 1 tsp Pumpkin spice, Or cinnamon powder
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add cake mix, pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice and mix everything together. It will be a thick mixture.
- Spoon mixture into a donut pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes or until donuts are cooked through.
- Allow the donuts to cool down.
- While the donuts are cooling down, prepare the sugar topping mixture: Mix the sugar and pumpkin spice together in a mixing bowl.
- Roll around each donut in the sugar mixture and enjoy!
Notes
- I highly recommend piping batter into pan because the batter is thick and difficult to pour.
- Do not even think about replacing pumpkin puree with pumpkin pie filling because they not interchangeable and will affect the recipe drastically.
- If you don’t have a donut pan, consider using a mini muffin pan.
- Scroll up to to read additional tips above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a covered container at room temperature for 2 days.
Ahhh…these pumpkin donuts are incredible! They’re light and fluffy with the perfect crumb. These lovelies will be enjoyed again on Friday morning.
I love this recipe. I have such a weakness for donuts, and pumpkin, and these are PHENOMENAL and super easy to make!
Do you mix the yellow cake box as directed on back of box first, then add puree and spice?
I didnt see eggs, oil, butter on your recipe. Thanks in advance!!
No, you ignore everything on the box and follow the recipe as directed in the recipe card above. Hope you like them.