These buttermilk pumpkin donuts are great any time of the year, not just fall. We love them for a sweet breakfast treat, as well as dessert, too.
You are going to be surprised at how easy they are to make; these donuts use common ingredients found in your pantry or refrigerator. We topped them off with a crushed Heath bar, and it gave the perfect toffee crunch that pairs so well with the maple glaze.
We love to use buttermilk in these buttermilk pumpkin donuts. Buttermilk helps keep baked good moist and tender by breaking down strands of gluten and giving it more body. The tartness of buttermilk adds a delicious tang to your baked goodies.
Recipe Ingredient Notes
- Flour
- Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Ginger
- Cloves
- Egg
- Buttermilk
- Vanilla
- Pumpkin Puree
- Butter
- Maple Syrup
- Brown Sugar
- Regular Milk
- Powder Sugar
Equipment Needed
If you want to make donuts, then you will need a donut pan for this recipe. You could make these into tiny mini muffins. Watch them closely because they may not need as much cooking time. If you make this batter into mini muffins, you can frost them with the same maple glaze that you would use with the buttermilk pumpkin donuts. These donuts are not raised donuts, making them similar to a cake donut.
How to Make Buttermilk Pumpkin Donuts with Maple Glaze
Donut Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350℉. Spray your donut pan with non stick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.
- In another medium sized bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla.
- Add the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Then add in pumpkin and melted butter. Mix until combined. The batter is very thick.
- Carefully spoon the batter into the prepared donut pan. Our pan makes 6 donuts. I used a very small spoon and carefully added the batter into each donut cavity. Divide the batter evenly between all 6 donuts. I carefully smoothed the tops with my little spoon.
- Place in the oven and cook for 10 – 12 minutes or until the tops bounce back after being touched with finger. Let the donuts sit in the pan for about 5 minutes and then remove to a cooling rack.
Maple Glaze Instructions
- While the donuts are cooling, make the maple glaze. In a small sauce pan add the butter, maple syrup, brown sugar and milk. Stir over med/low heat until the butter is melted.
- Pour the heated mixture into a mixing bowl and add in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy.
- Dip the cooled donuts halfway into the maple glaze. Place on a cooling rack that is sitting in a cookie sheet. This will catch any frosting that drips off of the bottom. (You could also place them on parchment paper while the frosting glaze sets up.) Sprinkle with crushed Heath bar pieces.
Buttermilk Alternatives
If you don’t have buttermilk, the closest substitute would be milk with a little acidity added to it. This recipe calls for ¼ cup of buttermilk. You could use ¼ cup milk with ¼ Tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice in place of the buttermilk.
Storage Suggestions
These donuts are best served fresh and warm. You can refrigerate them, but refrigeration tends to dry them out.
- Counter: Once cooled to room temperature, place in an airtight container or ziplock for 2 to 3 days.
- Freezer: Cool the donuts completely, and place into a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. If you are making this recipe with the intention of freezing, wait to coat them until after they have defrosted.
- Defrosting: Leave out at room temperature for 6-12 hours.
Enjoy More Delicious Pumpkin Breakfast Recipes
We absolutely love pumpkin recipes, especially in the fall and winter. Check out our comprehensive collection of pumpkin recipes here.
- Baked Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes
- Mini Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Mini Pumpkin Pie Crescents
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Pumpkin Pull Apart Breakfast Bread
Buttermilk Pumpkin Donuts with Maple Glaze Recipe
Ingredients
Donut
- 1 ¼ cup flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
Glaze
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1½ Tablespoons milk
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Topping
- 2.8 ounces heath bar, 2 (1.4 ounce bars), crushed
Instructions
Donuts
- Preheat oven to 350℉ and spray donut pan with non stick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl combine the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla. Whisk together well.
- Add the egg mixture to the dry mixture and stir until moistened.
- Then add in pumpkin and melted butter. Mix just until combined. The batter will be thick.
- Carefully spoon the batter into the prepared donut pan.(I used a small spoon to spoon out the batter into the donut pan). Dividing the batter evenly between all 6 donuts.
- Cook for 10-12 minutes or until the donut tops spring back after being touched.
- Let set in pan for about 5 minutes and then remove from pan and place on a cooling rack.
Glaze
- While the donuts are cooling, prepare the maple glaze.
- In a small saucepan add the butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, and milk. Stir over medium/low heat until the butter is melted.
- Pour into a mixing bowl and add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy.
- Dip the tops of the donuts halfway into the maple glaze.
- Place on the cooling racks that is sitting in a cookie sheet. This will catch the excess frosting/glaze that drips off.
- Sprinkle with chopped Heath bar.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.
Questions & Reviews