Buttermilk Pumpkin Donuts with Maple Glaze

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.

• Large Mixing Bowl
• Medium Mixing Bowl
• Donut Pan
• Small Saucepan

How to Make Buttermilk Pumpkin Donuts with Maple Glaze

Donut Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350℉. Spray your donut pan with non stick cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.
3. In another medium sized bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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

1. 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.
2. Pour the heated mixture into a mixing bowl and add in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy.
3. 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