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Pumpkin Spice Donuts

Snejana Andreeva - 1

By Snejana Andreeva

on Oct 27, 2021, Updated Jan 05, 2026

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This isn’t just another healthy donut recipe—it’s giving cozy fall baking moment, without the guilt 💅. Sweet potato , coconut sugar, and maple syrup make these Pumpkin Spice Donuts 🍩 naturally sweet and tender. They’re also naturally gluten- and dairy-free so everyone can enjoy them without compromise. Make a batch ahead and freeze them for busy mornings, or set them out warm with a drizzle of glaze when friends stop by. Pair them with a Pumpkin Spice Latte ☕️, fresh fruit, or even alongside a savory brunch dish for balance. However you serve them, these donuts bring a little pumpkin spice magic ✨ to any moment.

  • Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Spice Donuts
  • Ingredients
  • Nonna’s Tip 🍩
  • Storage Tips
  • Variations and Substitutions for Pumpkin Spice Donuts
  • Best Served With
  • More Pumpkin Recipes
  • Common Questions
  • Pumpkin Spice Donuts Recipe

Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Spice Donuts

Sweet potato 🍠 keeps these Pumpkin Spice Donuts soft, tender, and naturally sweet , while coconut sugar and maple syrup add cozy caramel notes that feel indulgent without overdoing it. Coconut flour and coconut oil team up for a light, melt-in-your-mouth texture, and pumpkin pie spice fills the kitchen with that irresistible fall 🍂 aroma. They’re naturally gluten-free and dairy-free , so everyone can dig in guilt-free . Finish them with a simple spiced glaze, and you’ve got a treat that’s fun to make, even more fun to eat, and totally worthy of sneaking an extra one…or two 😉.

Ingredients

🍠 Sweet potato –Brings natural sweetness and moisture while also adding fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants that make each bite a little more nourishing.

🥚 Eggs – Act as a binder and provide structure. Plus, they add a little protein.

🥥 Coconut sugar – Lends a caramel-like flavor with a lower glycemic index than refined white sugar, which means it won’t spike blood sugar as quickly.

🌾 Coconut flour – Thickens the batter and keeps these donuts gluten-free.

🌴 Coconut oil – This healthy fat adds richness and tenderness to the crumb.

🍁 Maple syrup – Adds cozy fall sweetness and contributes a little extra moisture to the batter.

👯‍♀️ Baking soda and baking powder – This leavening duo creates air bubbles when heated, which makes the donuts rise beautifully and gives them a soft, cake-like texture.

🌽 Cornstarch – Lightens the flour mixture and gives the donuts a finer crumb, making the texture soft and smooth.

🎃 Pumpkin pie spice – A blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and cloves gives these healthy donuts a hint of warm fall flavor.

🍭 Powdered sugar – Forms a silky glaze to create that classic donut finish.

🥛 Nut milk – I use a splash of almond milk to thin the glaze to the perfect consistency and keep it dairy-free.

Nonna’s Tip 🍩

To test for doneness, a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin should come out clean.

A white plate with pumpkin spice donuts - 3

Storage Tips

Whether you opt to leave them on the counter or save them in the freezer, these storage tips will ensure your Pumpkin Spice Donuts won’t go to waste 😉.

  • Room temperature: They’ll stay fresh for 1–2 days in an airtight container. Keep them out of direct sunlight and away from heat to maintain softness.
  • Refrigerator: Stored in an airtight container, they’ll last about 4–5 days , but the texture may firm up slightly. Let them come to room temperature or warm gently before serving.
  • Freezer: Wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and placed in a freezer bag, they can last up to 2 months . Thaw at room temp and warm slightly for that fresh-baked feel.

Variations and Substitutions for Pumpkin Spice Donuts

  1. After drizzling with glaze, decorate your donuts with orange sprinkles or fall-themed sprinkles like mini leaves 🍁 and pumpkin shapes.
  2. Replace glaze with chocolate, cinnamon+sugar, or with a dusting of powdered sugar.
  3. Instead of sweet potato, make these donuts with pumpkin puree 🎃. (Just make sure it’s not pumpkin pie filling.)
  4. Feel free to use a teaspoon of cinnamon or nutmeg in place of pumpkin pie spice – you can even use half of each.
  5. If you aren’t a gluten-free baker 👩‍🍳, you can swap coconut sugar and flour for traditional alternatives.

Best Served With

  • Enjoy with this Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe ☕️ for a fall themed coffee break.
  • Alongside this Halloween Cheese Board 🕷️ for a fun treat.
  • Pair with Oven Cooked Bacon 🥓 for a sweet+savory breakfast.

More Pumpkin Recipes

A slice of pumpkin pie with whipped cream sits on a plate, while a fork holds up a bite. The rest of the pie is in the background, along with cinnamon sticks and a light, rustic setting. - 4 A slice of pumpkin pie with whipped cream sits on a plate, while a fork holds up a bite. The rest of the pie is in the background, along with cinnamon sticks and a light, rustic setting. - 5

Pumpkin Pie

1 hr 20 mins

Sliced pumpkin bread with creamy swirls, displayed on vintage-style paper atop a cooling rack, with a small pumpkin and serving utensils nearby. - 6 Sliced pumpkin bread with creamy swirls, displayed on vintage-style paper atop a cooling rack, with a small pumpkin and serving utensils nearby. - 7

Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Filling

55 mins

A bright orange ceramic dish filled with 4 Ingredient Pumpkin Donut Holes, round sugar-coated treats, some covered by a matching lid. The dish is placed on a white cloth in natural sunlight. - 8 A bright orange ceramic dish filled with 4 Ingredient Pumpkin Donut Holes, round sugar-coated treats, some covered by a matching lid. The dish is placed on a white cloth in natural sunlight. - 9

4 Ingredient Pumpkin Donut Holes

16 mins

A loaf of pumpkin bread with creamy white frosting on top sits on parchment paper over a wooden board, shown cut in half to display its moist orange interior, against a white tiled background. - 10 A loaf of pumpkin bread with creamy white frosting on top sits on parchment paper over a wooden board, shown cut in half to display its moist orange interior, against a white tiled background. - 11

Pumpkin Bread

55 mins

Common Questions

If you do not own a donut pan, you can bake these into muffins by lining a standard-size muffin pan with liners , and then filling each liner halfway full with batter. The bake time will be about the same as the donuts. To test for doneness, a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin should come out clean.

If you don’t have a food processor, you can grate the sweet potato into the large holes of a cheese grater and then mix in the rest of the ingredients by hand.

These donuts are best enjoyed within a few days of baking. You can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days.

Yes, you can freeze these donuts for up to 2 months. However, it’s important to ensure they are properly sealed in an airtight container or freezer bag.

Spray your pan with nonstick cooking spray and dust with flour so the donuts don’t stick.

While 1 cup of flour weighs 160g in my kitchen, it might weigh anywhere from 120 to 180g in your kitchen and there’s a few reasons for that. The weight of ingredients may vary due to the brand of ingredients, the brand and style (wet vs dry) of measuring cups and spoons, and the technique for measuring into cups: scooping and leveling versus spooning the ingredients into the cup measure. For best results, go by the weight listed in the recipe.

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Video

Equipment

  • ▢ Donut Pan
  • ▢ Measuring Cups + Spoons
  • ▢ Mixing Bowls
  • ▢ Large Food Processor

Ingredients

  • ▢ 1 sweet potato , (medium-size, yielding about 2 cups of chopped potato)
  • ▢ 2 eggs
  • ▢ ¼ cup coconut sugar , or any sugar
  • ▢ ¼ cup coconut flour
  • ▢ 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • ▢ 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ▢ ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ▢ 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • ▢ 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice , or ground cinnamon

For the glaze

  • ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ▢ ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • ▢ 2 tablespoons nut milk , or any milk

Instructions

  • ▢ Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a donut pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  • ▢ Peel and roughly chop the sweet potato. You should have about 2 cups. Add it to a food processor and process until it is coarsely shredded.
  • ▢ If you don’t have a food processor, you can grate the sweet potato on the large holes of a cheese grater and mix in the rest of the ingredients by hand.
  • ▢ Once the potato is processed, add the eggs, sugar, flour, oil, maple syrup, baking soda, baking powder, corn starch, and pumpkin pie spice to the food processor. Process for 30 seconds, turn off the machine, scrape down the sides of the processor, and process again until all the ingredients are evenly combined.
  • ▢ Transfer the batter into a piping bag fitted with a large tip or a ziploc bag. If using a ziploc bag, cut off one corner of the bag. Pipe the batter into the prepared donut pan.
  • ▢ Bake the donuts for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the thickest part of a donut comes out clean.
  • ▢ While the donuts bake, make your glaze: in a bowl , mix together the icing sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and nut milk. Add more milk, as needed, to reach the desired drippy consistency.
  • ▢ Let the donuts cool, remove from the donut pan, and dip one side into glaze. Let the glaze set for a minute and then enjoy!

Nonna’s Notes

  • Toppings: After drizzling with glaze, decorate your donuts with orange sprinkles or fall-themed sprinkles like mini leaves and pumpkin shapes.
  • Glaze alternatives: Replace glaze with chocolate, cinnamon+sugar, or with a dusting of powdered sugar.
  • Pumpkin puree: Instead of sweet potatoes, make these donuts with pumpkin puree. (Just make sure it’s not pumpkin pie filling.)
  • Spices: Feel free to use a teaspoon of cinnamon or nutmeg in place of pumpkin pie spice – you can even use half of each.

My Notes

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Pumpkin Spice Donuts

Equipment

  • Donut Pan
  • Measuring Cups + Spoons
  • Mixing Bowls
  • Large Food Processor

Ingredients

  • 1 sweet potato (medium-size, yielding about 2 cups of chopped potato)
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ cup coconut sugar or any sugar
  • ¼ cup coconut flour
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon

For the glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 tablespoons nut milk or any milk

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a donut pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Peel and roughly chop the sweet potato. You should have about 2 cups. Add it to a food processor and process until it is coarsely shredded.
  • If you don’t have a food processor, you can grate the sweet potato on the large holes of a cheese grater and mix in the rest of the ingredients by hand.
  • Once the potato is processed, add the eggs, sugar, flour, oil, maple syrup, baking soda, baking powder, corn starch, and pumpkin pie spice to the food processor. Process for 30 seconds, turn off the machine, scrape down the sides of the processor, and process again until all the ingredients are evenly combined.
  • Transfer the batter into a piping bag fitted with a large tip or a ziploc bag. If using a ziploc bag, cut off one corner of the bag. Pipe the batter into the prepared donut pan.
  • Bake the donuts for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the thickest part of a donut comes out clean.
  • While the donuts bake, make your glaze: in a bowl , mix together the icing sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and nut milk. Add more milk, as needed, to reach the desired drippy consistency.
  • Let the donuts cool, remove from the donut pan, and dip one side into glaze. Let the glaze set for a minute and then enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • Toppings: After drizzling with glaze, decorate your donuts with orange sprinkles or fall-themed sprinkles like mini leaves and pumpkin shapes.
  • Glaze alternatives: Replace glaze with chocolate, cinnamon+sugar, or with a dusting of powdered sugar.
  • Pumpkin puree: Instead of sweet potatoes, make these donuts with pumpkin puree. (Just make sure it’s not pumpkin pie filling.)
  • Spices: Feel free to use a teaspoon of cinnamon or nutmeg in place of pumpkin pie spice - you can even use half of each.

Nutrition

Pumpkin Spice Donuts https://themodernnonna.com/pumpkin-spice-donuts/ October 27, 2021