These moist Pumpkin Donuts are finished with a silky, slightly tangy Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting. Light and fluffy, they’re packed with pumpkin and warm fall spices. For extra texture and flavor, dunk the donuts in a pumpkin-spice cinnamon sugar and finish with a drizzle of salted caramel sauce.

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Post Updated: 11/05/19

With Halloween behind us, it’s time for more pumpkin baking. In celebration of National Donut Day, these pumpkin donuts are the perfect seasonal treat.

Pumpkin Donuts with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

If you’ve tried other recipes here, you may remember the Ferrero Rocher Nutella Donuts. These pumpkin donuts are equally show-stopping but rely on classic fall flavors: pumpkin purée, warm spices and a rich salted caramel cream cheese frosting.

The BEST Pumpkin Donuts

These donuts taste like something from a bakery but are easy to make at home. Begin by whisking the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, baking powder and salt. If you don’t have pumpkin spice on hand, use a mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice—measurements for a substitute are provided in the notes.

For the wet ingredients, use one full cup of pumpkin purée for bold flavor and moisture. Add melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and a combination of brown and white sugar. Brown sugar can be increased for a deeper, more molasses-like pumpkin taste. Finish the batter with ½ cup of buttermilk for an exceptionally tender, fluffy crumb.

Baked not Fried!

These are baked donuts, so there’s no need to roll dough or fry. A donut pan is the only specialty tool required. For neat, even portions, fill batter into a zip-top bag, snip the corner and pipe into each cavity.

Bake for just 8–10 minutes until donuts spring back and a toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool in the pan for a couple of minutes, then use a butter knife to lift each donut out. This recipe yields about 15 donuts using a 6-cavity pan in three batches.

Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Sugar Coating

As soon as the donuts are out of the oven and still warm, dip them in a mixture of granulated sugar, ground cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. The sugar adheres best while the donuts are hot; once cooled, the sugar won’t stick as well unless you brush the donuts with melted butter first. Note that the sugar will eventually dissolve into the donut, so these are best enjoyed the same day.

Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Top the donuts with a generous swirl of salted caramel cream cheese frosting for a decadent finish. The frosting balances the tang of cream cheese with the deep sweetness of caramel and a touch of salt, so it isn’t overly sweet. For structure when piping, a small amount of shortening is sometimes used along with butter and cream cheese.

Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce

The frosting starts with homemade salted caramel sauce. While store-bought caramel can work in a pinch, homemade caramel is simple and more flavorful: melt sugar until amber, stir in butter, then whisk in heavy cream, simmer briefly, then remove from heat and add salt. Allow the sauce to cool completely before incorporating into the frosting—hot caramel will break down the frosting.

Beat butter, a little shortening (optional) and cream cheese until smooth, then add powdered sugar and cooled caramel. If your caramel already contains vanilla, omit additional vanilla from the frosting. Pipe a ring of frosting around the top of each donut, avoiding the center hole so the swirl sits neatly on top. Finish with an extra drizzle of salted caramel sauce and, if desired, crushed gingersnap crumbs for crunch.

Because the cinnamon-pumpkin sugar will dissolve over time, plan to prepare the caramel and frosting before you bake so you can assemble and serve the donuts at their best. They’re most appealing the day they’re made—after that they become softer and stickier as the sugar absorbs moisture.

I like to add a final caramel drizzle and a sprinkle of something crunchy for contrast. Serve immediately and enjoy the rich combination of pumpkin, spice and salted caramel.

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Pumpkin Donuts with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Yield:
15 donuts

Prep Time:
25 minutes

Cook Time:
10 minutes

Total Time:
35 minutes

Moist baked pumpkin donuts topped with salted caramel cream cheese frosting, flavored with warm fall spices.

Ingredients

• 1 recipe of Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
• 1 recipe of Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Donuts:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup pure pumpkin purée
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ½ cup brown sugar, packed
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Sugar:

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice

Instructions

1. Prepare a batch of homemade salted caramel sauce and allow it to cool completely.
2. Prepare the salted caramel cream cheese frosting and set aside while you make the donuts.

For the Pumpkin Donuts:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a donut pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
3. In a separate bowl combine the pumpkin purée, melted butter, eggs, both sugars, buttermilk and vanilla; whisk until smooth.
4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined—do not overmix.
5. Pipe or spoon batter into the donut pan cavities. Bake 8–10 minutes until donuts spring back and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan 2 minutes, then remove.

For the Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Sugar and Assembly:

1. Combine sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin spice in a shallow dish.
2. While donuts are still warm, dip them in the sugar mixture to coat. Place on a wire rack.
3. Fit the frosting into a piping bag with a large round tip and pipe a swirl on top of each donut, staying around the hole so the frosting sits on top.
4. Drizzle with extra caramel sauce if desired. Serve immediately.

Notes

1. These donuts are very moist; the sugar coating will dissolve over time. Serve on the day they are made for best texture and appearance.
2. Pumpkin spice substitute: combine 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground cloves and ½ teaspoon ground allspice. Use 2 teaspoons for the donuts and 1 teaspoon for the cinnamon sugar.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 15
Serving Size: 1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 189
Total Fat: 3g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Trans Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 31mg
Sodium: 247mg
Carbohydrates: 38g
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 23g
Protein: 3g

Nutrition does not include caramel sauce and frosting

BON APPÉTIT!

Love, Dedra

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