Pumpkin Spice Donuts with Maple Glaze: Fall Recipe Delight

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These pumpkin spice donuts are a cozy fall treat—light, cakey, and warmly spiced with a glossy maple glaze. They bake up quickly and bring classic autumn flavors to breakfast, a snack, or dessert. If you enjoy seasonal baking, these donuts are simple to make and easy to personalize: skip the glaze for something less sweet, swap in a cream cheese icing, or sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

These baked pumpkin spice donuts are forgiving and versatile. They work well gluten-free when you use a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum, or you can use all-purpose flour without changing the recipe. The maple glaze is rich and sweet, so feel free to adjust its sweetness or omit it entirely. Once cooled, the donuts keep for a few days and are great warmed briefly in the microwave.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Loaded with warm pumpkin spice notes and finished with a buttery maple glaze for a comforting fall flavor profile.
• Baked rather than fried, these donuts are easier to make and have a tender, cake-like texture.
• Flexible: glaze, ice, or top them however you like—cream cheese icing, cinnamon sugar, or a simple dusting of powdered sugar all work.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

• Flour: For gluten-free results, use a reliable 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend that includes xanthan gum. All-purpose flour also works with no adjustments.
• Pumpkin pie spice: Readily available in most grocery stores. You can also make a homemade blend with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves.
• Brown sugar: Light brown sugar is recommended, but dark brown can be used if that’s what you have.
• Canned pumpkin puree: Use 100% pumpkin puree. Do not use pumpkin pie filling, which contains added sugars and spices.
• Milk: Whole, 2%, or nonfat dairy milk all work. Non-dairy milks like oat or almond can be substituted.
• Maple syrup: Use pure maple syrup for best flavor—avoid imitation pancake syrup.

Step-by-Step Instructions

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease your donut pans.

STEP TWO: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt.

STEP THREE: In a larger bowl, combine melted butter with the brown and granulated sugars. Stir in the pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla.

STEP FOUR: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring just until everything is combined. The batter will be on the thicker side—this is normal.

STEP FIVE: Spoon or pipe the batter into the prepared donut pan and bake for 12–15 minutes. Let the donuts cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

STEP SIX — Maple Glaze: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the maple syrup, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from heat, then whisk in the sifted powdered sugar, milk, and salt until smooth. Let the glaze rest for a few minutes to thicken, then dip the cooled donuts and set them on a wire rack to allow excess glaze to drip off.

Expert Tips

• Measure flour by weight if possible—222 grams yields the most consistent results.
• A piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner snipped makes filling donut pans neat and easy. Two spoons also work fine.
• Allow donuts to cool in the pan briefly before removing; if they’re too warm they may break apart.
• Ensure donuts are fully cooled before glazing so the glaze sets properly and doesn’t run off.

Frequently Asked Questions

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📖 Recipe

Pumpkin Spice Donuts – Maple Glaze

Light baked donuts flavored with pumpkin and warm spices, finished with a maple glaze.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cinnamon, donuts, eggless, fall, gluten free, maple, pumpkin

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 12 mins

Total Time 22 mins

Servings 12 donuts

Calories 187

Author Taleen Benson

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups (222g) flour*
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice*
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ⅓ cup (67g) light brown sugar, packed
• ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup (227g) canned pumpkin puree*
• ¼ cup (60ml) milk*
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the maple glaze:

• ⅓ cup (80ml) maple syrup*
• 1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter
• ¾ cup (90g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 tablespoon milk*
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the donut pans and set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt together.
• In a separate larger bowl, mix both sugars with the melted butter. Add the pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla, then fold in the dry ingredients until just combined.
• Spoon or pipe the batter into the prepared donut pan. Bake for 12–15 minutes. Allow donuts to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cool completely before glazing.

To make the maple glaze:

• Melt the maple syrup with the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and whisk in the powdered sugar, milk, and salt until smooth. Let glaze rest until slightly thickened, then dip cooled donuts and let set.

Notes

• If using gluten-free flour, a 1-to-1 blend with xanthan gum works best; all-purpose flour can be used without altering quantities.
• Homemade pumpkin pie spice is a good alternative if your store doesn’t carry it.
• Use 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
• Any milk works; whole milk yields slightly richer donuts. Non-dairy milks are fine as well.
• Use pure maple syrup for the glaze for the best flavor and consistency.
• Place parchment or paper towels under the cooling rack while glazing to catch drips and make cleanup easier.

Nutrition

Calories:
187
kcal