Description
These Gluten-Free Pumpkin Donuts are moist, flavorful, and perfect for autumn or anytime you crave a delicious treat. Made with a gluten-free baking blend and spiced pumpkin purée, these donuts can be enjoyed plain, tossed in cinnamon sugar, or topped with a rich brown sugar glaze. Easy to prepare and baked to perfection in just 25 minutes, they’re a delightful seasonal dessert or snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups gluten-free 1:1 baking flour (230g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ginger)
- 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée (340g)
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (100g)
- ½ cup brown sugar (100g)
- ½ cup white sugar (100g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar Coating:
- 1/4 cup white sugar (50g)
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Brown Sugar Glaze:
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (150g)
- 1/4 cup milk or almond milk
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted (175g)
- Chopped nuts or sprinkles for topping
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease two 6-cavity non-stick donut pans with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt, ensuring they’re well combined to distribute the leavening and spices evenly.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin purée, eggs, vegetable oil, brown sugar, white sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and fully blended, creating a homogeneous mixture.
- Combine Mixtures: Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients and whisk until just combined. Be careful not to overmix to keep the donuts tender.
- Fill Donut Pans: Transfer the batter into a large Ziploc bag placed inside a measuring cup for stability. Cut a small hole at one corner of the bag and pipe the batter evenly into the prepared donut pans, filling each cavity almost to the top.
- Bake: Bake the donuts in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, indicating they are fully cooked.
- Cool Donuts: Remove the donuts from the oven and let them cool in the pans for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing or coating.
- Cinnamon Sugar Coating: For cinnamon sugar donuts, mix the sugar and cinnamon in a large resealable bag. While the donuts are warm but not fragile, place them in the bag and gently shake to coat evenly.
- Brown Sugar Glaze Preparation: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, milk, butter, and salt. Stir continuously until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth. Bring to a simmer and let it simmer for 1 minute.
- Finish Glaze: Remove the saucepan from heat, then whisk in vanilla extract and sifted powdered sugar until the glaze is smooth. Let the glaze cool for 5 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Glaze Donuts: Dip the tops of the cooled donuts into the warm glaze. If the glaze thickens too much during dipping, add a splash of milk or gently reheat it. Place glazed donuts on a wire rack over a baking sheet to catch drips.
- Add Toppings: Immediately top the glazed donuts with chopped nuts or sprinkles before the glaze sets for added texture and decoration.
Notes
- Use a gluten-free 1:1 baking flour blend that contains xanthan gum for best texture.
- Don’t overmix the batter to avoid dense donuts.
- You can substitute pumpkin pie spice with a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger as listed.
- To make these dairy-free, use almond milk and a plant-based butter substitute for the glaze.
- Store leftover donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Reheat donuts briefly in the microwave or oven before serving for a fresh-baked taste.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 donut
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
