Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts (And Bonus Pumpkin Spice Syrup Recipe for Coffee!)

Published: Sep 19, 2023 by Faith · This post may contain affiliate links · 66 Comments

These baked pumpkin doughnuts whip up in just 30 minutes and are fluffy, moist, and full of pumpkin spice flavor for the ultimate fall treat.

stack of pumpkin spice donuts with glaze dripping down side

I’ve mentioned Tim Hortons a couple times before, and it's also the inspiration for today’s post.

Tim Hortons is a coffee shop chain in Canada and several (mostly northern) states in the U.S. that was started by the famous hockey player, Tim Horton.

Chain or not, Tim Hortons has the best coffee ever (as evidenced by the traffic-stopping lines leading into their parking lots on pretty much any given morning).

Not to mention their amazing baked goods.

This time of year my favorite Tim Hortons treat is a pumpkin spice coffee and doughnut, so of course I wanted to try my hand at making a homemade version of both.

The good thing about remaking restaurant favorites at home is you know exactly what’s going into your food. Not to mention it’s much cheaper!

pumpkin spice donut with bite taken out showing fluffy inside next to cup of coffee

In This Article

Tim Hortons Pumpkin Spice Coffee

So, let's talk about the coffee first.

You can add this pumpkin spice syrup to black coffee as a sweetener. And if you like, you can add milk or cream and froth it up a little if you prefer a latte.

This homemade pumpkin syrup is rich, sweet, and spicy. It's not too sweet or overpowering, and the addition of maple is a really nice flavor accent.

The only thing I don’t like about it is that the pumpkin solids have a tendency to settle to the bottom of the cup.

That never happens with store-bought pumpkin spice coffee! (Hmmm, how do they do that? Which begs the question, what’s really in it if it’s not actual pumpkin?)

Oh well, just give it a little swirl with a spoon and problem solved, lol!

pouring homemade pumpkin spice syrup into coffee cup

Pumpkin Spice Syrup for Coffee (Tim Hortons Copycat Recipe)

This recipe makes about 1 ½ cups of pumpkin spice syrup for coffee.

Pumpkin Spice Syrup Ingredients:

1 cup water
¼ cup pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin puree is fine, but make sure it's not pumpkin pie filling)
¼ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 pinch salt

How to Make Pumpkin Spice Syrup for Coffee:

Whisk together all ingredients in a small to medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.
Bring up to a boil (stirring occasionally), and then turn the heat down to low and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
Add warm syrup to taste (about 2 tablespoons per cup) to your favorite coffee; add milk or cream if desired.

baked pumpkin spice donuts stacked on wax paper with coffee in background

The Best Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts Recipe

Now for the doughnuts! Just like the pumpkin spice syrup for coffee, these donuts were inspired by the pumpkin spice donuts at Tim Hortons.

I have to say these are the best doughnuts I’ve ever had and probably the only doughnut I’ll ever eat again. They're tender and moist from pumpkin, with a delicious balance of sweet and spice flavors.

The complete gilding of the lily is vanilla bean glaze, which not only added great flavor, but also smells ahhhhmazingly divine.

After I glazed these babies up I got lost in their magical scent for at least a minute. (Close eyes, inhale deeply. who needs yoga with these around? Lol!)

I think these baked pumpkin doughnuts were about 50 times better than their store-bought counterparts. Even Mike (who of course doesn’t usually like pumpkin or doughnuts) couldn’t get enough of them.

The only caveat to their deliciousness is that like any doughnut, they are best eaten right away. Wait until the next morning, and yes, they're still edible; however, you’ll have missed their mind-blowing effect.

Ingredients

Pumpkin Spice Donuts:

Butter - to grease the donut pan; or you can use coconut oil or nonstick cooking spray
Light brown sugar - I love using brown sugar paired with pumpkin because the molasses notes pair beautifully
Egg - acts as a binder and helps create the perfect fluffy, moist texture
Canned pumpkin puree - not pumpkin pie filling
Whole milk - or any kind of milk you like
Vegetable oil - or another mild or neutral-flavored oil
All-purpose flour - or a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend
Baking powder - the leavening agent
Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger - the spice blend for our pumpkin doughnuts
Salt - a natural flavor enhancer

Vanilla Bean Glaze:

Powdered sugar - the base of our glaze
Vanilla bean paste - this adds vanilla flavor and aroma, as well as pretty flecks of vanilla bean; you can substitute with regular vanilla extract if you don't have this on hand
Water - to give the glaze a pour-able consistency

How to Make Baked Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts

Add the brown sugar, egg, pumpkin puree, and milk to a large bowl, and whisk to combine.
Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.
Whisk just until combined, being careful not to over-mix.
Transfer the batter to a buttered donut pan, and smooth it out.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 8 to 10 minutes at 350F. Cool to room temperature.
Once the donuts are cool, whisk together all ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl, adding more water ½ teaspoon at a time if necessary to achieve the right pour-able consistency. Dip the top of each donut in glaze, and place the glazed donuts on a wire rack set on top of a baking tray. Let the glaze set before serving.

Storage

Like most donuts, these are best eaten the same day they're made. However, you can store them wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days.

stack of baked pumpkin doughnuts on wax paper

Pumpkin Donuts FAQs

What Pan Should I Use to Make Baked Donuts?

The donut pan I use is smaller than a standard size donut pan, but bigger than a mini donut pan. (The cavity for each donut measures 3 ¼ inches in diameter.) Using this pan, I get 8 donuts out of this recipe.

You can use a smaller or a larger donut pan, just make sure to adjust your bake time up or down accordingly.

Can I Make This Into Muffins Instead?

Yes! You can bake this donut batter as muffins if you don't have a doughnut pan.

You should get about 6 regular-sized muffins from this recipe. Don't forget, you'll need to increase the cooking time a bit (you can use the toothpick test to see if they're done).

overhead view of baked pumpkin donuts with coffee on dark wooden table

What's the Best Way to Fill a Donut Pan?

Once the batter is made, transfer it to a pastry bag or a large zip-top plastic bag that you can cut a corner off of.

Now you can easily pipe it into the prepared donut pan!

Smooth out the batter on top, and you're ready to bake the doughnuts.

piping batter into donut pan — *You can transfer the batter to a gallon-sized zip-top plastic bag, cut off one corner, and pipe the batter into the donut pan.*

What Are Cake Donuts?

Cake doughnuts are usually leavened with baking powder or baking soda instead of yeast. Instead of being chewy, they have a much more cake-like texture than regular doughnuts.

These are a type of cake donuts!

More Pumpkin Treats to Make

2 pumpkin spice donuts on white plate with espresso in front

Let's Connect

Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media.

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This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on November 7, 2010 and updated on September 19, 2023.

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