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Soft, fluffy donuts with all the flavors of fall! Gluten-free and oil-free! These baked Vegan Baked Pumpkin Donuts are perfect on their own or top them off with sweet vanilla icing for an indulgent treat.
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My son used to be obsessed with the frosted pumpkin donuts at the local farm down the road. He would start getting excited for them in August even though they don’t start selling them until October.
I couldn’t blame him…they’re soft, fluffy, perfectly spiced, and dunked in glorious vanilla icing. I decided to make my own version and I’m happy to say these were just as big of a hit!
It’s time to celebrate fall in all it’s glory with these amazing Vegan Baked Pumpkin Donuts!
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Flour ~ I love oat flour for baked donuts. It bakes up soft, tender, and fluffy. And, it’s gluten-free!
Just be sure to choose certified gluten-free oat flour if you are allergic or sensitive to gluten as most oats are processed in facilities that also process wheat.
Sugar ~ Coconut sugar is a great choice for it’s caramel-like flavor. Brown sugar may be used instead.
I’m sure white cane sugar would also be fine. The donuts likely will turn out more pale in color.
Pumpkin ~ Be sure to use 100% pumpkin purée, NOT pumpkin pie filling.
Spices ~ I take the easy route and use pumpkin pie spice. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can use a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
How to make the recipe
Please scroll down to the recipe card for exact ingredient measurements and instructions.
- Step 1: Whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Step 2: Whisk together the wet ingredients.
- Step 3: Whisk the cornstarch with water to create a cornstarch slurry.
- Step 4: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
- Step 5: Mix until evenly combined and smooth.
- Step 6: Transfer the donut batter to a piping bag (or plastic bag). If you don’t have one, skip this step.
- Step 7: Pipe the batter evenly into the prepared donut pan. Alternately, you can spoon the batter into the pan if you don’t have a piping bag.
- Step 8: Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the donuts are set and pulling away from the sides of the pan.
Cool the donuts in the pan on a cooling rack for a few minutes before removing the donuts from the pan. Continue to cool the donuts on the cooling rack.
Serving suggestions
These soft vegan pumpkin donuts are perfectly yummy all on their own. If you like sweeter donuts, try them with the optional vanilla icing.
If you want to try other topping ideas for your batch of donuts, you could use the dairy free maple frosting that I use on my Soft Baked Vegan Pumpkin Cookies. You’ll need to spread it on with a knife or an offset spatula. Serious fall indulgence!
Or give the donuts a simple sprinkle of cinnamon sugar like I do on my Baked Apple Cider Donuts!
You could even melt some chocolate chips with a splash of dairy-free milk and dunk the donuts to coat for a glistening chocolate glaze.
Storage and freezing
These baked pumpkin donuts are really best eaten fresh on day one. However, if you have leftover donuts, you have a few options for storage.
Pro tip: If you know you aren’t going to eat them all right away, I suggest waiting to add the icing until you’re ready to serve.
Counter: Store the donuts in an airtight container at room temperature on the counter for 1 to 2 days.
Fridge: To store them a bit longer, transfer them to fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: You can also freeze these vegan pumpkin donuts. Put them on a parchment-lined large plate or baking sheet in an even layer and place it in the freezer for an hour or two. Once the donuts are frozen, transfer them to a freezer safe bag or container. They should keep for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Thaw on the counter and reheat in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds.
Pro tips and tricks
~ Look for certified gluten free oat flour if you are allergic or sensitive to gluten.
~ Whisk the batter just until combined. No white flour should be visible, but a few lumps are okay. Do not over mix.
~ Use a piping bag to easily pipe the batter into the donut pan.
~ If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a plastic zip-top bag. Press the batter into one bottom corner of the bag and snip a small piece off the end of the bag. Pipe the batter through this snipped hole in the bag into the donut pan. Alternately, simply spoon the batter evenly into the pan and smooth out the tops.
~ Let cool for a few minutes in the pan before removing the donuts from the pan.
~ If you are icing the donuts, let them cool completely before dunking in the glaze.
FAQs
Webster’s Dictionary tells us the correct spelling is “doughnut,” but either spelling is acceptable.
Traditional donuts are made with eggs and milk, but you can definitely make them vegan! And with these vegan baked pumpkin donuts, you can also make them gluten-free and oil-free!
Let’s face it, donuts are a treat…even vegan ones.
Baked donuts tend to be healthier than yeast donuts that are fried in oil.
Homemade donuts are likely to be healthier than bakery or store-bought since you can control the ingredients.
No, actually you don’t! They can be made in a muffin tin. They won’t have the signature hole in the middle, but they’re still be delicious!
More vegan pumpkin desserts
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the star rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment with your feedback. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!
Vegan Baked Pumpkin Donuts
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
For the Vegan Pumpkin Donuts
- 1 cup oat flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water
- ⅓ cup 100% pure pumpkin purée
- ½ cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
For the Vanilla Icing
- 1 cup organic powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons lite coconut milk or non-dairy milk of choice
Instructions
For the Vegan Pumpkin Donuts
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spritz a 6-cavity donut pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water. Set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, coconut sugar, milk, vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar, and cornstarch slurry.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
- Fill the donut cavities using either a piping bag or a spoon.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until set.
- Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. Turn the donuts out onto the cooling rack and let them completely cool.
For the Vanilla Icing
- Whisk the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla in a bowl.
- Add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition, until the desired consistency is reached.
- Dunk the top of each donut into the icing and place back on the cooling rack to set up.
Notes
Nutrition facts calculated WITH the vanilla icing.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.
Diann Cupples
This is the mother load of vegan, pumpkin donut recipes. They are delicious and so easy to make! I followed the recipe and instructions exactly and turned out six delightful donuts, with a hearty, fluffy texture that hold their shape beautifully. I also tried icing them with maple butter – mmmm! Thank you so much!
Jenn Sebestyen
I love this comment! Thank you, Diann! So happy you love them. And maple butter for icing sounds like a fabulous idea…I am trying that next time!
Seven
These donuts changed. my. life. Seriously! I cannot believe how fast + easy they were to whip up, and the finished product? Perfection. I have a pretty severe sugar intolerance so I replaced the powdered sugar and coconut sugar with their erythritol + monk fruit alternatives and the result was a mere 70 calorie circle of heaven. Highly recommend to anyone and everyone, can’t wait to try out the other donut variations from this site!
Jenn Sebestyen
I LOVE this! Thank you, Seven! So happy you love them. Great to hear the sugar subs worked out, too. I hope you enjoy the other donut recipes I have here, too. Thanks for your feedback!
Tiffany
Hi Jenn!
If I don’t have cornstarch or arrowroot flour on hand can I still make these without any problem? Are there any other substitutes?
Jenn Sebestyen
The cornstarch makes them tender and helps everything hold together. You could try a tablespoon of flour mixed with the water, but the texture may not be quite the same.
diane
Can these be frozen, I have so much pumpkin puree left over from Halloween haha
Jenn Sebestyen
I honestly don’t know as I haven’t tried, but I don’t see why not! Donuts, in general, can be frozen, so I’d say give it a try!
ann
I didn’t make donuts, but made the mixture into muffins. They were delicious; I didn’t have oat flour, so I ground up oats that I use for oatmeal. I also substituted arrowroot for cornstarch & used brown sugar for coconut sugar. They are moist & soft. Delicious! Thanks so much.
Jenn Sebestyen
So glad you loved them, Ann! Those subs are perfect! Thank you for your comment!
Diane
Hi Jenn, I would love to make these donuts but my body reacts to oats as if they were gluten. Would any other flour be acceptable in this recipe?
Jenn Sebestyen
Hi, Diane. You can try subbing an equal amount of gluten free flour blend. Make sure to use a gluten free flour blend that is made to be a 1:1 replacement for wheat flour…like Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour. Let me know how they turn out!
Frances
Is it possible to replace the Coconut sugar with Maple Syrup as we don’t eat coconut? And if so, would I need to adjust the oat flour since there is additional liquid?
Jenn Sebestyen
You can use regular sugar or brown sugar without any other adjustments.
Frances
5 Stars – The donuts were delicious! I replaced the sugar with Maple Syrup and they turned out fabulous. All the flavours came out. I didn’t use a frosting as I enjoyed them on their own. The donuts were not as firm as the typical donut but that may have been due to the maple syrup.
Jenn Sebestyen
Thank you, Frances. So glad you love them! And I’m happy to hear that maple syrup works just as well!