Easy now. Thanksgiving is tomorrow. I'm not going to bombard you with suggestions on what to make nor drop cheesy lines about putting a twist on the classics. All I want to say is I hope you have a very happy Thanksgiving, however you celebrate it.
These super cute baked pumpkin donuts were an afternoon treat after a game of kickball. You're never too old for a game of kickball! They were served with a cup of hot apple cider and a lot of post-game trash talk.
I've only made baked donuts one other time before, so I was pretty excited to give it another go. This recipe has EVERYTHING going for it.
For starters, the flavor is delicious. You can taste the pumpkin clearly and it's lightly spiced. It's kind of cakey and a few are rather filling. Roll the donuts in anything you want! The recipe calls for cinnamon and sugar, but you can sub with honey, raw sugar, or confectioner's sugar. I did not roll the entire donut in sugary goodness because I enjoyed the actual cake so much.
The ingredients are simple and basic, nothing out of the ordinary. You can find everything you need at the local grocery store. There's surprisingly very little sugar compared to most cakes.
I used a mini donut mold, but a scrap of parchment paper and a zip lock bag does the trick just fine. The batter is thick and easy to work with. Oh! And 10 minutes in the oven? Thank you Jeebus! They're great for sharing (make about 32 mini donuts).
And of course... it's baked. My insane issue with fried food prevails! No oil dunking for these bad boys.
The fact they're stupid cute may create a slight bias as well! The sheer sight of them makes me smile.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Pumpkin Donuts
from Buns In My Oven2 cups all-purpose or white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
Cinnamon and sugar, for rolling
1/2 cup butter, for dipping
If using a babycakes donut maker, turn it on to preheat. Otherwise, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a donut pan or regular cookie sheet.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix together the dry ingredients.
Beat in the pumpkin, eggs, milk, and butter until well combined.
Fit a pastry bag with a large tip and fill with the donut batter. Alternately, fill a large ziploc bag and snip off the end.
Pipe into the donut maker, donut pan, or just pipe in circles on a greased cookie sheet. The dough is thick enough that it should stay in the general shape you pipe it in while in the oven.
If using the donut maker, cook for about 3-5 minutes, checking for doneness with a toothpick.
If using the oven, bake for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
Cool on a wire rack.
Melt the 1/2 cup of butter in a small dish and mix together cinnamon and sugar in a second dish for dipping.
Dip the donuts in the butter and then the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Store in an air-tight container.
