I really resisted the whole baked donut thing. For a long time. Cast them aside as imposters. Heretics. Then one day as I was mindlessly perusing Bed, Bath & Beyond I spied a donut tin heaped on top of a messy pile of towels and tooth brush holders and shower caps. I held it up and inspected it. I had visions of me in pajamas, making donuts in under an hour, teeth unbrushed, hair disheveled, glass of champagne in hand…
Not a bad vision, right? And so we find ourselves here today.
I am super excited to have these cute little pumpkin donuts participate in a virtual pumpkin party. What’s that you say? What’s a virtual pumpkin party?? Over one hundred food bloggers have come together to create just as many recipes all based around pumpkin. There are cakes, pudding, soup, stuffing, smoothies, fudge, pasta, dumplings, risotto and yep, these brown butter pumpkin donuts. I have links to everyone’s recipes below….scroll just below my pumpkin donuts recipe! A special THANK YOU to Sara at Cake Over Steak + Aimee at Twigg Studios for planning + organizing!!
Before We Get Started:
- Donut Tin. Invest in one. There are plenty of donut recipes out there and you don’t have to get dressed to eat donuts. I don’t think you need any more incentive than that.
- Butter. We need a fair amount of butter for the entire recipe. You need butter for the donuts, for your donut tin and to brush on the donuts just prior to baking. I think it’s completely necessary to butter the tin and brush the pre-baked donuts prior to baking because it lends a crispiness to them that baking without doesn’t give. That said, if you just can’t be bothered, you be you.
- Filling Your Tin. You’re going to want to fill the tins with more batter than you should. Resist this urge. You should fill them anywhere between 1/2 to 3/4 full…erring on the smaller side. I highly recommend piping the donut batter into the tin. If you don’t have pastry bags (which is fine), use a plastic bag. Place the bag in a large vase, with the edges hanging over the side. Put the batter inside the bag, twist the top to push everything to the bottom and cut a small corner of the bag…this is where you’re going to squeeze the batter out. Got it? Good.
Let’s get our bake on.
Brown Butter Pumpkin Donuts
Makes 24 Mini Pumpkin Donuts
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon all spice
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Chocolate Glaze
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 4 tablespoons milk***
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Spiced Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk***
- 1/3 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/3 teaspoon nutmeg
**To sprinkle on top: hella sprinkles, chopped nuts + pepitas and/or chopped chocolate.
***You will need to add additional milk to thin the glazes as they will firm up as they sit.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Use 1 tablespoon of butter to butter your donut pan. Set aside.
- Put 1 stick of butter in a small sauce pan and melt over medium heat. Once melted, crank up the heat to medium high. Stand by, stirring and watching. This isn’t the time to go and put your dry ingredients together. Watch yer butter. Small golden bits will start to settle on the bottom of the pan. Once this happens, take it off the heat and pour into a medium, heat-safe bowl. Let cool a minute or two before moving to the next step.
- Add the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly.
- In a small bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, sea salt, cinnamon, cloves, all spice, ginger and nutmeg.
- Pour your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Pipe (as detailed above) or spoon the batter into the donut tin. Fill each donut between 1/2 and 3/4 full.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and use a pastry brush to gently brush the melted butter over the tops of the pumpkin donuts.
- Place the donut tin on the middle rack of your preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- Whilst they bake, whip up your glazes. For the Chocolate Glaze: put the chocolate + milk in a small, microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute. Once out, stir until all of the lumps are gone, add the powdered sugar and stir until completely smooth. Add milk in small 1 teaspoon bits until you get the correct consistency. For the Spiced Glaze: Throw everything in a bowl and whisk until smooth. NOTE: you want the glazes to be thick enough to stay on top of the donut, but not so thick that your donut sticks to the glaze while you’re dipping it; so keep this in mind. Both glazes will firm up while they sit…add milk in 1 teaspoon increments until it’s smooth again.
- Let the pumpkin donuts cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then pop out of the pan and finish cooling on a rack. Sometimes there is some donut covering the hole in the middle of the donut (does that make sense?)…if this happens, turn the donut over in the pan. This will push the extra donut chunks off of the donut.
- When you’re ready to frost, dip the bottom side of the donut (the prettiest side) into the glaze and twist and slowly pull out of the glaze at an angle. Continue to spin the donut, upside down and at an angle, trying to keep most of the glaze on the donut and letting the excess drip back into the bowl.
- Set the pumpkin donuts back on the rack to firm up and sprinkle with anything your heart desires.
- I hope you love these brown butter pumpkin donuts!!!
- Store airtight at room temperature…they’ll keep for a couple of days.
- Be sure to tag me @displacedhousewife #displacedhousewife so I can see your pumpkin donuts!!
More Pumpkin Recipes
The following recipes were created by a ton of talented food bloggers!! If you want to peruse these recipes on Instagram, you can use the hashtag: #virutalpumpkinparty.
Cake Over Steak • Quick Pumpkin and Kale Risotto + Arancini
Twigg Studios • Sausage Stuffing Baked in a Pumpkin
Cloudy Kitchen • Pumpkin Cake with Vanilla German Buttercream
Vegetarian Ventures • Smoky Pumpkin & Black Sesame Hummus
Eat Boutique • Pumpkin Scallion Dumplings
Two Red Bowls • Pumpkin & Maple Caramel Baked French Toast
Wallflower Kitchen • Mini Pumpkin & Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
Wit & Vinegar • Pumpkin Butterscotch Banana Split
Style Sweet CA • Pumpkin Creme Brulee Cake
With Food + Love • Cinnamon Raisin Pumpkin Seed Bread
Sevengrams • Vegan Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
Grain Changer • Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal
Girl Versus Dough • Pumpkin Cranberry Flax Crisps
Earthy Feast • Pumpkin Grits + Pumpkin Home Fries + a Fried Egg
Harvest and Honey • Truffled Pumpkin Papardelle Alfredo with Frizzled Sage
Tasty Seasons • Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake
Broma Bakery • Pumpkin Butter Pop Tarts
Tending the Table • Roasted Pumpkin and Barley Salad
Delicious Not Gorgeous • Waffles with Spiced Pumpkin Butter and Brown Sugar Walnut Crumble
Taste Love and Nourish • Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Foolproof Living • Pumpkin Creme Fraiche Pasta with Sage
The Monday Box • Pumpkin Mini Bundt Cakes
Design Crush • Pumpkin Bourbon Hot Toddy
The Road to Honey • Pumpkin Pie & Chocolate Layer Cake
My Name is Yeh • Roasted Pumpkin with Yogurt and Hazelnut Dukkah
Give Recipe • Orange Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
Heartbeet Kitchen • Magic Vegan Pumpkin Pie Fudge
Eat Within Your Means • Vegan Pumpkin Blender Muffins
Snixy Kitchen • Pumpkin Tapioca Pudding with Candied Pumpkin Seeds
An Edible Mosaic • Pumpkin Spice Chia Seed Pudding
Hey Modest Marce • Mascarpone Pumpkin Pie
Inspired By the Seasons • Pumpkin Applesauce Smoothie
CaliGirl Cooking • Pumpkin Praline Cinnamon Rolls with Spiked Cream Cheese Glaze
Sally’s Baking Addiction • Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake
Well and Full • Spicy Chipotle Pumpkin Hummus
Appeasing a Food Geek • Cheese Fondue Stuffed Roasted Pumpkin
SweetPhi • Pumpkin Chili Biscuit Bake
Warm Vanilla Sugar • Buttermilk Pumpkin Doughnuts
Mademoiselle Poirot • Cinnamon-Pumpkin Mousse on Honey Panna Cotta topped with Hazelnut Brittle
Heart of a Baker • Pumpkin Sticky Buns with Vanilla Bean Frosting
Flourishing Foodie • Massaman Curry with Pumpkin and Chickpeas
Fix Feast Flair • Hokkaido Pumpkin + Sage Mac and Gouda
Will Frolic for Food • Pumpkin Kale Patties with Coconut Cilantro Rice
A Couple Cooks • Pumpkin Pecan Baked Steel Cut Oats
Britnell • Vegan Pumpkin Pie
DisplacedHousewife • Brown Butter Pumpkin Donuts
Sweet Gula • Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
La Pêche Fraîche • Pumpkin and Condensed Milk Cakes
Kitchen Konfidence • Pumpkin Ricotta Gnocchi with Rosemary Brown Butter Sauce
Loves Food, Loves to Eat • Savory Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Kale & Caramel • Goat Cheese & Sage-Stuffed Pumpkin Challah
Okie Dokie Artichokie • Pumpkin Chorizo Chili with Sweet Potatoes + Pinto Beans
Salted Plains • Easy Pumpkin Bread
Vermilion Roots • Sweet Rice Dumplings with Pumpkin
Celebrate Creativity • Pumpkin Mini Cheesecake Tarts
Serendipity Bakes • Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake
So Much Yum • Vegan Maple-Glazed Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts
The Brick Kitchen • Pumpkin, Pecan & White Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches
Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt • Pumpkin Pie Dip
The Speckled Palate • Pumpkin Caramel Cream Cheese Swirl Blondies
Cook Til Delicious • Fall Cliche Cake (Pumpkin Spice Cake / Maple Cream Cheese Frosting / Apple Cider Caramel Sauce)
Floating Kitchen • Chicken and Pumpkin Chili
Fork Vs Spoon • Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
Lemon & Vanilla • Pumpkin and Coconut Caramel Flan
Dunk & Crumble • Pumpkin Chocolate Icebox Cake
Chicano Eats • Pumpkin Butter Pan de Muerto
Rough Measures • Cosy Pumpkin Spice Latte (Caffeine and Dairy Free)
Brewing Happiness • Pumpkin Ginger Breakfast Cookies
The Little Loaf • Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Fork to Belly • Pumpkin Gnocchi
The Little Epicurean • Chocolate Hazelnut Pumpkin Pie
Bourbon and Honey • Spicy Roasted Pumpkin with Honey and Feta
What to Cook Today • Spicy Pumpkin Noodle Soup
Food by Mars • Pumpkin Pie (Grain-Free, Diary-Free)
The Bojon Gourmet • Pumpkin Butterscotch Pudding
Long Distance Baking • Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake
The Jam Lab • Pumpkin Madeleines Dipped in White Chocolate
The Lemon Apron • Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf with an Olive Oil Glaze
A Cookie Named Desire • Pumpkin Shrubs
Eating Clean Recipes • Vegan Pumpkin Chia Pudding
Kingfield Kitchen • Vegan Fresh Pumpkin Soup
The Pig & Quill • Pumpkin Sage Cannelloni (Dairy-Free)
My Lavender Blues • Pumpkin, Banana & Olive Oil Bundt Cake
Betty Liu • Pumpkin + Pear Butter Baked Melty Cheese
Happy Hearted Kitchen • Cinnamon Roasted Pumpkin with Tahini Yogurt + Hazelnut Dukkah
InHappenstance • Pumpkin Scones with Maple Butter
Live Eat Learn • Pumpkin Gingerbread Hot Cocoa
On My Mind
- This is an interesting read…be sure to watch the videos too.
- Stella and I made my Apple Spice Cake for @thefeedfeed’s Instagram Stories. You can watch it here. This one’s a quickie.
- More Fall Recipes: Apple Cinnamon Muffins, Slow Cooker Spiced Apple Cider, Spiced Apple Cake, Spiced Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Petite Pumpkin Scones, Pecan + Tart Cherry Granola, Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies (one of my favorites!), Fresh Fig + Pecan Fall Salad, Thai Thai Scones and Breakfast Crack Cookies, Maple Oat Scones, Harissa Steak Chili, Pumpkin Gnocchi and Dark Chocolate + Espresso Babka.
- Sending lots of love + peace.
–Rebecca xo
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I’m of the same mind set with regards to the doughnut pan.. as I am a yeasted doughnut girl. So I’ve resisted. I’m not sure I can stuff another pan into my kitchen anyway, but you make me want to jump in the car and hunt down a pan, Rebecca! They are just perfection and I LOVE how much pumpkin you stuffed into them! Delicious work my dear!
Traci — I hear you!! But there is just something so quick and delicious about them. I also need to do a regular vanilla donut too..because just the fresh grated nutmeg in there really gives it donut jazz hands!!! I still want to bust our my deep fryer too. ;)
These donuts look incredible!! I’m sure I could eat at least 3 in 1 sitting :) Happy belated Pumpkin Day!!
Brandon — At least three…they’re small…so, basically, I’m thinking at least 1/2 dozen. Let’s be real. xox
These are gorgeous!! I’d love to eat a whole handful of these right now. :)
Natasha — Thank you!! Me too!! xoxo
I still have not converted to baked donuts, I’ve never even eaten one! But they turn out so cute (and convincing) and especially with the brown butter I think it’s impossible for them not to be awesome right?
Joyce — You need to dip your toe in the water!!! It’s not going to taste like a crispy old-fashion…let’s just get our expectations in line. But a cake donut? Yup. Absolutely!!! xoxo
nothing better than donuts, baked included. and pumpkin and all those warm spices…yes, yes yes! i know what i’m doing this weekend!
Cathy — Nothing beats donuts!! Baked, fried…I’ll take them anyway that you make them!!! xoxox
Baked donuts!? That is brilliant! I have never tried making donuts! can you believe that?! These look absolutely scrumptious and I will have to try making them!
BTW I LOVE your pics here! So halloweeny and cute! :) Beautifully photographed!
Thank you so much for inviting me to this party! :) You are simply the best! Much love!
Amisha — Thank you so much!! No joke, I reshot these three times? Maybe four? Last time was a charm. I’m happy with how they came out! If I’m not mistaken…don’t you have a pan? Haven’t we talked about this before? Your kids would love them!!! I’m glad you were in the party!! xoxo
I *love* baked donuts! These are so calling my name… I will dream of them tonight! xo
I’ve never made baked donuts but you are totally inspiring me, Rebecca! They look so delicious and I love the different ways you’ve decorated them – especially the ghost and bat sprinkles. Think I need to make these for my pals at the office for Halloween !
That’s quite a pumpkin party!! LOVE the donuts. I can’t wait to get back to my kitchen in a few weeks and do some serious cooking again :) And thanks for the Girls on the Bus rec. We know a gal who is covering Trump for NBC, and she says the campaign events are getting scarier by the day… the utter breakdown of civil discourse is so disheartening. Donuts seem like a perfect balm. I’ve been hiding in stacks of books – particularly cookbooks – counting down the days til this miserable election is over.
You know I am obsessed with my donut pan. My kids go crazy when I make them and now they ask for them all the time. It’s a problem! These look so good and I love the browned butter addition. Thanks for sharing all those yummy pumpkin recipes!
Karen — I’m currently obsessed with all things pumpkin and apples and I’m already lamenting the end of the season…even though we have some weeks to go. And when it’s replaced with peppermint and gingerbread I’ll be like, apples and pumpkin are so yesterday. Yawn. I’m kidding. Go make some baked donuts!! They’re the best!!! xoxo
Yep you have officially inspired me to go out and get a donut tin ASAP. Just to make these. They sound so heavenly! Lovely post, it’s fun to be in this party all together :)
xx
Ruby — GOOO!!! Get thee a donut tin. Without haste!! I’m glad to be in the pumpkin party with you too!! xoxo
Oh Rebecca, do these look delicious!! I love making homemade donuts. And I know the browned butter in these makes them even better. That spiced glaze sounds perfect. Can’t wait to go through that impressive list of pumpkin recipes! Thanks for sharing and hope your week is off to a great start! I loved seeing you and Stella yesterday on the FeedFeed IG stories making the apple cake! Yay Stella!
Mary Ann — Thank you for the nice compliment!! I will be sure to share with Stella. Personally, I’m ready to conquer fried donuts to…if I could just make the perfect old-fashion donut. I would be in heaven!!! xoxo
Oh wow these look so good x
Aimee — Thank you!! And thanks so much for including me — I had a lot of fun!! xoxo
I’ve always been dubious of baked doughnuts but you make them look so good, I’ll have to give them a try!
Alida — I know, they seem shifty…but give them a chance! I promise, you won’t be sad!! xoxo