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If you’re looking for a fall breakfast that is easy and festive, you have got to try these delicious Baked Pumpkin Spice Cake Donuts! They only require a handful of ingredients and start with a cake mix…my favorite shortcut.
It is a recipe that I have been making for over 15 years and one that my family can not get enough of. They also love this Pumpkin Bread and Pumpkin Poke Cake which also start with a cake mix.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
- Recipe Name: Pumpkin Spice Donuts
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Bake Time: 12 minutes
- Servings: 12 baked donuts
- Time Saving “Practically Homemade” Ingredients: Spice cake mix and pumpkin puree
Table of Contents
What Goes into This Recipe
- Spice Cake Mix: Thanks to the boxed cake mix, you don’t need to worry about measuring out a bunch of dry ingredients and creating a donut dough. And all the warm fall spices are already built in!
- Pumpkin Puree: This takes the place of all of the wet ingredients usually used in donut recipes. Be sure to get canned pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling, which has added sugar and spices.
- Butter: Melted butter acts as the glue for the cinnamon sugar coating and gives the donuts amazing flavor.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
These easy baked pumpkin donuts are already amazing, but here’s a few ideas to make them even better:
- Serve them with cream cheese frosting. Cream cheese and pumpkin go great together and the tanginess will go perfectly with the sweetness of the donuts.
- Drizzle them with maple syrup. This will give you even more fall flavor!
- Add mini chocolate chips. Pumpkin and chocolate chips are a match made in heaven. If you love this flavor combo, try my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe with a Cake Mix.
How to make Pumpkin Cake Donuts
- In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, pumpkin puree and milk.
- Mix together using an electric mixer {or by hand} until you have a thick batter.
- Spoon or pipe the pumpkin donut mixture into prepared donut pans.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until the donuts are baked through. Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing them.
- Take melted butter and brush {or dip} each donut.
- Immediately take the buttered donut and roll it in cinnamon sugar until it is coated. Serve immediately.
Expert Tips
- Spray the doughnut pans liberally with nonstick spray. This will make removing the pumpkin doughnuts much easier and prevent sticking.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Stir just until ingredients are combined to keep the homemade donuts tender and avoid tough texture.
- For best results, use a piping bag or zip-top bag to fill the pan. This gives you more control and creates less mess than spooning the batter.
- Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. This helps them set up and makes them easier to remove without breaking.
Storage and Freezing
Store: These homemade pumpkin cake donuts are best enjoyed fresh, but they can be stored for a few days. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. The cinnamon sugar topping might soften a bit, but they’ll still taste great. If you live in a warm climate, you can refrigerate the donuts for up to 4 days.
Freeze: For longer storage, you can freeze these homemade pumpkin donuts for up to 3 months. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. When you’re ready to enjoy, thaw them at room temperature.
Recipe FAQs
Canned pumpkin is made of 100% pureed pumpkin without anything added. Pumpkin pie filling has pumpkin puree as well, but then it has other ingredients added to the pumpkin mixture like sugar and spices.
If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a large Ziplock bag with a corner snipped off. You can also try to carefully spoon the batter into the donut pan, but this will be a bit messier.
You could make it in muffin pans, but they won’t have the donut shape. They will be more like muffin tops. They will still be delicious, though! You could also try these 3 Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins.
Do you love to make donuts at home?
Did you try this recipe?
Leave a ⭐️ review below and tag @practicallyhomemade on Pinterest!
Pumpkin Spice Donuts with Pancake Mix Recipe
Ingredients
Donuts
- 1 box spice cake mix, {13.25 ounces}
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup milk
Topping
- ¼ cup butter, {melted}
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
Donuts
- In a large bowl mix together the spice cake mix, pumpkin puree and milk. When the batter is well mixed, transfer the mixture to a large piping bag {or a zipper bag}. Pipe the mixture into the donut pans.
- Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then flip the pan over onto a wire cooling rack and allow the donuts to cool completely.
Topping
- In a small bowl, mix together the granulated sugar and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, melt the butter in the microwave for 20-25 seconds. Dip or brush the butter onto the top and bottom of each donut and then immediately coat the buttered donut with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Serve immediately. Store leftovers at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
