These easy vegan pumpkin doughnuts are so simple to make and are baked, not fried. With a soft, fluffy, perfectly spiced doughnut coated in cinnamon sugar, they take just 20 minutes to make from scratch.
Yep, it’s official – I am now an avid member of the obsessed with pumpkin everything club! Just like my recent vegan pumpkin snickerdoodles, I’m back with another pumpkin version of a classic recipe.
I absolutely love my dairy free baked cinnamon doughnuts, and I knew I wanted to create a vegan version that was also egg-free, but I didn’t want to compromise on the structure and texture of the doughnuts. That’s why pumpkin is so amazing – it’s one of the best natural egg replacers.
The result? After making these, I promptly ate two and posted on Instagram, confessing that I thought these were actually better than regular cinnamon sugar doughnuts! That’s how highly I rate them. Even my husband, who was sceptical about pumpkin, went back for another!
These doughnuts are perfectly sweet, spiced, and honestly just delicious. They’re soft and moist, and that cinnamon sugar coating – wow, I just love them so much. Plus, this doughnut recipe is great because it makes just 8, meaning you won’t be drowning in baked goods. Not that too many doughnuts is necessarily a problem, but you get it.
If you love cinnamon doughnuts, you really must give these a try. And while you’re at it, why not give this vegan pumpkin bread a go too?
Key Ingredients
Baked doughnuts are always one of my favourite things to make as they use very simple ingredients that I usually have on hand. For this pumpkin version, you’ll of course need the pumpkin but the rest should be pantry staples.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Plain flour – also known as all purpose flour in the US. You can also substitute this with a 1-1 gluten-free flour blend containing xanthan gum.
- Baking powder – so the doughnuts rise while baking and become light and soft.
- Pumpkin pie spice – I am using my homemade pumpkin pie spice blend which is a combination of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. You can use a store bought blend or just substitute with all cinnamon.
- Pumpkin puree – not only is this the key flavour of these doughnuts, but the pumpkin also adds essential structure acting as an egg replacer. I am using my homemade pumpkin puree but you can also use canned pumpkin in this recipe.
- White sugar – used in the doughnuts themselves plus extra for the cinnamon sugar coating.
- Vanilla extract – make sure to use vanilla extract instead of imitation vanilla essence for the best flavour.
- Canola oil – keeps these doughnuts soft and moist. You can use any flavourless vegetable oil here.
- Dairy-free milk – I use oat milk in the batter, but you could use soy milk or almond milk, or even regular if you do not need these to be suitable for a dairy-free or vegan diet.
For the cinnamon sugar coating, I just use a combination of white sugar with ground cinnamon but you can also use additional pumpkin pie spice here for a stronger flavour. I also like to brush the doughnuts lightly with some melted dairy free butter to get the cinnamon sugar to properly stick and add a little extra flavour.
Step-By-Step Instructions
This is a relatively simple recipe that doesn’t take long to make. You will need a doughnut pan though if you’re wanting to get that classic shape. I can’t remember where I bought mine – I’ve had it for so long, but this doughnut pan from Amazon (affiliate link) is very similar. I’ve also seen them quite cheap at Kmart.
I know it’s just another thing to clutter your kitchen, but once you’ve had freshly baked doughnuts at home, you’re going to want to make them again and again. If however you’re not ready for another pan, you can use a muffin tin but you may need to adjust your cooking times.
Start by combining your dry ingredients in a bowl and whisking them well to combine.
Then, in another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, sugar, vanilla extract, and oil until well combined. Gradually add in the dry ingredients, whisking as you slowly pour in the dairy-free milk, until the batter is smooth.
From here, you can carefully spoon the batter into your doughnut pan that has been greased with a light spray of cooking oil, or the easier option is to pour the batter into a large piping bag or ziplock bag, and snip off the tip. Then you can easily pipe the batter into the doughnut pan, filling each mould until ¾ full.
Bake in the oven for 10–12 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. Let the doughnuts cool in the pan for 2 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack.
👉 This recipe makes a total of 8 doughnuts and my doughnut pan only has 6 holes so I do need to bake them in batches. Once the first batch has been turned out onto a wire rack, gently wash out the pan and give it another spray of cooking oil and you’re ready to bake the remaining doughnut batter.
For the coating, mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, and set aside. In another small bowl, melt the dairy-free butter in the microwave.
Once the doughnuts are cool enough to handle, you can either dunk them in the melted butter or, as I prefer, brush them lightly with the melted dairy-free butter. This way you’re avoiding too much soaking into the doughnuts making them soggy.
Once they have the butter on them, dip them in the cinnamon sugar mixture until fully coated.
For a different option, instead of coating the doughnuts in the cinnamon sugar mixture, you can dunk them in the maple glaze from my vegan maple glazed doughnuts recipe.
Recipe FAQs
For the best texture and flavour, these pumpkin baked doughnuts are best enjoyed fresh or on the day they are made, however they will last for up to 2 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. If you need to store them longer, you can freeze them for up to 1 month and allow them to defrost at room temperature before serving.
If you don’t have a doughnut pan, you can use a muffin tin. The shape will be different, but they’ll still taste delicious. Reduce the filling in each mould slightly, and you may need to adjust the baking time slightly.
Yes, you can replace the plain flour with a gluten-free flour blend. Make sure it’s a 1:1 substitute and contains xanthan gum for the best results. I like and use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour (affiliate link).
More baked doughnut recipes:
Now that you’ve gone and picked up that doughnut pan, here are a few other recipes to use it for!
Baked Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts
Baked Chocolate Doughnuts
Biscoff Baked Doughnuts
Vegan Maple Glazed Doughnuts
Christmas Wreath Doughnuts
Glazed Baked Doughnuts
Vegan Pumpkin Doughnuts
Equipment
Ingredients
For the doughnuts:
- 1 ¼ cups plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- ½ cup dairy-free milk
For the coating:
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2-3 tablespoons dairy-free butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and lightly spray a doughnut pan with cooking oil.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the plain flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt to combine.
- In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin puree, sugar, vanilla extract, and oil until well combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients, whisking as you slowly pour in the dairy-free milk, until the batter is smooth.
- Pour the batter into a large piping bag or ziplock bag, and snip off the tip. Pipe the batter into the doughnut pan, filling each mould until ¾ full.
- Bake in the oven for 10–12 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. Let the doughnuts cool in the pan for 2 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack.
- For the coating, mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, and set aside. In another small bowl, melt the dairy-free butter in the microwave.
- Once the doughnuts are cool enough to handle, brush them lightly with the melted dairy-free butter, then dip them in the cinnamon sugar mixture until fully coated. Repeat with all doughnuts.
- These are best enjoyed slightly warm but will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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