The moment the calendar flips to September I want everything in my kitchen to taste like fall and these pumpkin spice donuts with maple glaze are the first thing I make every single year. Soft, fluffy baked donuts packed with real pumpkin puree and warm pumpkin pie spice, dipped in the most perfectly simple maple glaze that sets up beautifully and adds that rich sweetness that takes these completely over the top. Twenty minutes from start to finish and your whole house smells like a fall morning at your favorite coffee shop.

Baked donuts are genuinely one of the easiest things you can make at home once you have a donut pan and this recipe proves it. Dry ingredients in one bowl, wet ingredients in another, stir them together until just combined, fill the pan two thirds full, and ten minutes in the oven is all it takes. The pumpkin puree keeps these incredibly moist and tender in a way that baked goods sometimes miss and the pumpkin pie spice gives you that full warm fall flavor in every single bite. These are the donuts that make people think you went to a bakery this morning and you made them in your pajamas in twenty minutes.

The maple glaze is three ingredients and the step that makes these look and taste completely finished. Powdered sugar, maple syrup, and just enough milk to thin it to a dippable consistency. Dip each cooled donut straight into the bowl, let the excess drip off, and set them on a wire rack to firm up. The glaze sets with a slight shine that looks beautiful and the maple flavor paired with the warm pumpkin spice underneath is one of those fall flavor combinations that just works completely every single time.

Make these for a fall brunch, a cozy weekend morning, a Halloween gathering, or any September through November day that calls for something that smells incredible and tastes even better. They keep well in an airtight container for two days and they reheat beautifully in the microwave for about fifteen seconds if you want that fresh from the oven warmth back. Fall baking does not get more approachable or more rewarding than this.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

Twenty minutes from start to finish for baked donuts that make your whole house smell like a fall morning at your favorite coffee shop and taste like they came from a specialty bakery
Real pumpkin puree keeps these incredibly moist and tender in a way that most baked donuts miss and the pumpkin pie spice gives you that full warm fall flavor that goes all the way through every single bite
The three ingredient maple glaze sets up with a beautiful slight shine that looks completely professional and the maple and pumpkin spice combination is one of those fall flavor pairings that is just completely right
One bowl for dry, one bowl for wet, stir together until just combined, and ten minutes in the oven for a fall bake that is genuinely as approachable as it gets and as impressive as anything you would buy

Key Ingredients:

Real pumpkin puree: Half a cup is the ingredient that makes these taste specifically like pumpkin rather than just spiced donuts and that keeps them so incredibly moist. Use pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling which has added sugar and spices that would throw off the balance of the whole recipe
Pumpkin pie spice: One full teaspoon is the warm spice blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves that gives these donuts that unmistakably fall flavor in every single bite. Do not reduce it because the spice is the whole point and a timid amount produces a timid pumpkin donut
Melted butter or neutral oil: Two tablespoons adds the fat that keeps these tender and moist and gives the donut that slightly rich quality that makes every bite feel satisfying. Melted butter adds a subtle flavor that oil does not but either works beautifully
Maple syrup in the glaze: Two tablespoons is the entire flavor of the glaze and the ingredient that makes it taste like maple rather than just a sweet sugar coating. Use real maple syrup rather than maple flavored syrup for the most genuine and most delicious result
Powdered sugar: One cup sifted into the glaze bowl creates that smooth, dippable consistency that coats each donut evenly and sets up with that beautiful slight shine that makes these look so impressive
A donut pan: The one piece of equipment that makes baked donuts possible and completely worth owning if you do not already have one. A standard six cavity donut pan works beautifully and the batch fills it exactly twice for twelve total donuts

Tips for Success:

Mix the wet and dry ingredients until just combined and stop the moment no dry streaks remain. Overmixing develops gluten and makes baked donuts tough and dense rather than soft and fluffy
Fill the donut pan cavities exactly two thirds full and not more. Overfilled cavities overflow during baking and the donuts lose their ring shape. Two thirds is the sweet spot for a perfectly domed donut that bakes through evenly
Cool the donuts completely before dipping in the glaze. Even slightly warm donuts will dissolve the powdered sugar glaze and you will lose all that beautiful shine and clean coating
Dip each donut and let it drip over the bowl for a few seconds before setting it on a wire rack so the glaze is even and the excess falls back into the bowl rather than pooling under each donut

Storage:

Store pumpkin spice donuts with maple glaze in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. The glaze will set completely within about thirty minutes of dipping and stays glossy throughout the storage window. Reheat individual donuts in the microwave for about fifteen seconds to bring back that warm fresh from the oven quality. These do not freeze well with the glaze already applied but the unglazed donuts freeze beautifully for up to two months. Glaze after thawing at room temperature.

FAQ:

Do I need a donut pan or can I use a muffin tin?
A donut pan is strongly recommended for the classic donut shape that makes these look so impressive. If you do not have one a muffin tin works as a substitute and gives you pumpkin spice muffin bites rather than donuts. The bake time increases to about fifteen to eighteen minutes in a muffin tin and you will need a toothpick to check for doneness. The glaze works just as well on muffin shapes if that is what you are working with.

Can I use a different glaze instead of maple?
Yes. A simple vanilla glaze made with powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract works beautifully and is a more neutral pairing that lets the pumpkin spice flavor be the star. A brown butter glaze adds a nutty caramelized depth that pairs extraordinarily well with pumpkin spice. A cinnamon cream cheese glaze similar to the one on the pumpkin cookies post makes these taste like a pumpkin spice cream cheese donut from a fancy bakery. Any glaze you enjoy on baked goods works here.

Can I add mix-ins to these donuts?
Yes and there are some great options. Mini chocolate chips folded into the batter before filling the pan add little pockets of chocolate that pair beautifully with pumpkin spice. Chopped pecans or walnuts add a satisfying crunch. A swirl of cream cheese batter through the pumpkin batter before baking creates a beautiful marbled effect. Keep any mix-ins to about a quarter cup so the batter stays the right consistency and the donuts bake through evenly.