Made with simple vegan ingredients, these Pumpkin Coffee Cake Donuts are the perfect kid-friendly breakfast recipe high in protein and full of nutrients! Serve them with coffee for the perfect way to start the day.
Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice
Ya’ll already know I love donuts! I mean with recipes like Blueberry Crumble Donuts, Maple Pumpkin Donuts, and Vegan Coconut Maple Donuts how could I not? I mean, they might be the perfect food. After all, whether you’re looking for a quick breakfast, sweet afternoon treat, or delicious dessert to end your day, donuts are always there for you. Am I wrong?
However, the basic b that I am, I also love all things pumpkin spice. So, given that fall is officially here, I decided to truly treat myself (and all of you) by combining two of basically the best things ever. That’s right, today I’m giving you a pumpkin donut recipe for the best ever Pumpkin Coffee Cake Donuts! Super quick, perfectly soft and moist, and just the right amount of crumbly, these donuts are what dreams are made of. Trust me when I say you need them in your life! Personally, I like to serve them with a warm Pumpkin Spice Latte or my favorite Toffee Nut Latte, but you do you!
Cake vs Yeast Donuts..What’s the Difference?
As you might guess given their names, cake donuts are made from a cake-like batter that uses a leavener such as baking powder or baking soda. Meanwhile, yeast donuts are made from a dough that is leavened with yeast. As a result, there are pretty significant differences in the two donuts’ taste and textures.
Texture
Cake: Cake donuts bake pretty similarly to actual cake and result in a fairly dense donut that is thick and heavier than yeast varieties.
Yeast: Once cooked, yeast donuts have a somewhat airy quality due to the air pockets that occur while baking. As a result, they are slightly puffy and chewier than cake donuts.
Taste
Cake: Cake donuts come in a much wider variety of flavors than yeast. However, comparing the two basic donuts, cake donuts have a richer, more buttery flavor. Due to their density, cake donuts are more often topped with thicker icings and fun toppings such as nuts, bacon and more!
Yeast: Due to the inclusion of yeast, yeast donuts have a signature tang and come in lighter flavors. Most commonly yeast donuts are topped with a thin glaze. However, they come in jelly-filled varieties as well.
Ingredients
As per usual, I kept the ingredient list as short and sweet as possible. However, I will admit that I couldn’t resist from having a little fun with this pumpkin donut recipe! So, I also included items to make several glazed options, but I’ll just share the basics of what you’ll need below! Apart from basic pantry staples such as vanilla and baking powder, you should gather:
- Flax Egg – To make a flax egg, combine 1 Tablespoon of ground flax seed with 3 Tablespoons of water, mix them together, and let them sit until they have thickened.
- Yogurt – I used a vegan option and highly recommend keeping the flavor plain to prevent the risk of overpowering the other ingredients.
- Pumpkin Puree – Make sure you’re using plain pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling which has lots of added sugar and spices!
- Milk – Again, to keep this recipe vegan, I opted for dairy-free milk. However, the key is to use an unsweetened option.
- Flour – Almond flour works best for this recipe. You can find it in stores already ground. Or, create your own by using a food processor to blend almonds until they have reached a flour-like consistency!
- Protein – For the best texture, I used a vanilla pea protein. However, feel free to omit protein powder completely and use more milk instead.
- Pumpkin Spice Seasoning – For the easiest baked pumpkin donuts, I just used a store bought blend, but feel free to create your own using a homemade version!
How to Make Baked Pumpkin Donuts
If you thought making baked donuts is hard, think again! This recipe comes together in just about 30 minutes with easy steps! Here’s what you do:
- Preheat. To start, set your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and spray a donut pan with a cooking spray before setting it aside.
- Make Flax Egg. Using a large mixing bowl, combine the flax seed and water, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes or until it has become thick.
- Add Ingredients. Once the flax egg has thickened, add the remaining donut ingredients, and stir them until they are just combined.
- Form Donuts. Once the batter has mixed, spoon or pipe it into 6 donut molds.
- Add Crumble. In a small bowl, combine the crumble ingredients, and evenly distribute it over the top of each donut.
- Bake. Place the donuts in the oven for about 16 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and comes out clean, and let them cool in the pan for 20 minutes.
- Glaze. After 20 minutes, invert the donuts on a cooling rack, add your favorite glaze, and enjoy!
Baking Tips for the Best Pumpkin Donut Recipe
Of course, this recipe is super easy, and I know you’re all basically pros. However, I want you to have the best pumpkin donuts of your life every time you make them. So, I’m sharing just a few tips to help you out!
Don’t Overmix. You want to mix the batter until all of the ingredients are just combined and thick. Overmixing will result in flat donuts!
No Piping Bag? No Problem! Here’s a life hack that has saved me countless trips to the store for a piping bag! Instead of jumping in the car to run to the nearest store, create your own by adding the dough to a Ziploc bag, and snipping off a corner with a pair of scissors.
No Almond Flour? If you don’t have a gluten sensitivity, almond flour can easily be swapped out for all-purpose flour. A 1:1 gluten-free alternative would likely work just as well, but I haven’t tested it!
How to Store
For the best results, I recommend storing your baked pumpkin donuts in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days, but they never last that long in my house!
More Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Love
I hope you love this pumpkin donut recipe as much as I do! I know it’s quickly going to become a fall staple in my house. However, I’m curious. Do you have any go-to recipes you make when the weather turns cool? Let me know in the comments below!
Pumpkin Coffee Cake Donuts
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp flax egg 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water
- 1/4 cup vegan yogurt
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 2 tbsp unsweetened dairy-free milk
- 1 1/4 cup oat flour
- 2 tbsp vanilla pea protein can omit but omit the milk as well.
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice seasoning
- 1/4 tsp salt
Crumble:
- 1/4 cup oat flour
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp quick oats optional but recommended
Glaze
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp plant-based milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a donut pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, make your flax egg and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Once the flax egg thickens, add in the remaining donut ingredients and stir until just combined. The batter should be thick!
- Spoon or pipe the batter into 6 donut molds.
- In a small bowl, combine the crumble ingredients then evenly distribute the topping over each donut.
- Bake at 350 for about 16 minutes.
- Let cool in the pan for 20 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack.
- Top with glaze – whisk ingredients together
- Best kept in the fridge for up to 5-7 days…. if they last that long
