Super-Easy Pumpkin Donuts

INGREDIENTS

For the Pumpkin Donuts:

• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour (210g)
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup pumpkin purée (225g)
• ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
• ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar (110g)
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• For the Maple Glaze:
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons milk or water

For the Cinnamon Sugar:

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• melted butter if needed

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter 2 (6-well) donut pans or spray with baking spray and flour.

For the Pumpkin Donuts:

• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In another large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, sugars, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture. Fold together with a spatula until the flour is fully combined. (Batter will be thick.)
• Transfer the dough to a piping bag or large zip-top bag with one corner snipped. Pipe the dough into the wells of the pan, filling about 1/2 to 2/3 full.
• Bake for 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 5 minutes.

For the Maple Glaze:

1. In a medium bowl, sift the powdered sugar. Whisk in the maple syrup. Whisk in the water or milk, adding more if a thinner consistency is desired. Dip warm donuts in glaze. Let cool on a wire rack.

For the Cinnamon Sugar:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon. Add a warm donut to the cinnamon sugar and toss to coat. If the sugar isn’t sticking to the donuts, very lightly brush them with melted butter before coating them in cinnamon sugar. If storing the donuts, only coat what will be eaten immediately. Coat any remaining donuts in cinnamon sugar just before serving.

NOTES

• To make your pumpkin spice mix, combine 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon ground all-spice.
• Try adding ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom to the cinnamon-sugar mixture. It pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee!
• Swap the maple syrup and water in the glaze for bourbon or spiced rum for a fun fall brunch treat.
• Not all canned pumpkin is the same. Libby is my preferred brand as it is thick with a rich color. Other brands may be lighter in color and more watery in their consistency. They are fine to use, but the donut batter might be a bit runnier, causing the donuts to close up in the center. If you have a different brand of pumpkin purée, then you might have to blot the pumpkin.
• If your donut batter is on the runnier side and your donuts bake up with closed or small centers, simply cut out the center with a small round cookie cutter or the end of a piping tip.
• The ideal way to measure flour is with a scale. If you don’t have one, then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
• The egg should be at room temperature to ensure they incorporate into your batter evenly. If you forgot to take your egg out of the fridge ahead of time, you could quickly bring it to room temperature by placing it in a large bowl and covering it with warm tap water for 5 minutes.