Mini Donut Recipe // Baked Pumpkin Spice Mini Donuts (2024)

This mini donut recipe makes the most delicious, baked, bite-sized pumpkin spice donuts! Scroll down for the recipe and to download a printable recipe card that you can share with all your friends.

Mini Donut Recipe // Baked Pumpkin Spice Mini Donuts (1)
Mini Donut Recipe // Baked Pumpkin Spice Mini Donuts (2)

I have to say, whether it’s fall or not — I’m a pumpkin spice fan. Not in the obsessy way that necessitates wearing a t-shirt about it or anything, but in the way that I just plain like it. And this mini donut recipe has the perfect amount of pumpkin spice, so they’re perfect year round (but especially enjoyable in the fall).

Psst — before you dive in, be sure to check out these other recipes that are perfect for fall!

  • Make Fall Treats // Gold-Splattered Pumpkin Spice Macarons
  • Morning Pumpkin Spice Smoothie
  • How to Make Rum Balls
  • Pumpkin Donut Holes Two Ways
  • Pumpkin Nut Roll
  • Gluten Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
  • Persimmon Cookies with Chocolate Chips

Why I love this Mini Donut Recipe

For the record, can I just tell you how much I love these? I particularly love this mini donut recipe because these babies are baked. And that means a couple of things.

First, it means that you’re not eating a lot of grease when you snack on these little pumpkin spice mini donuts. No greasy fingers, no greasy bags. They feel light and fluffy.

And secondly, it means you don’t have to worry about deep frying anything at home! It can definitely be fun to deep fry at home but it comes with a lot of logistical problems, and kind of makes a big mess. So these are easy-peasy, and the flavor is still totally donut-y and worthwhile.

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Printable Recipe Card

And hey, I made a little printable recipe card so you can share your new favorite mini donut recipe with friends! This recipe was my go-to for a long time when I was baking for other people. I would make a batch, bag some up for friends, and give them the recipe card along with the mini donuts.

It makes for a really great little gift for lots of occasions — teacher gifts, hostess gifts, neighbor gifts, and more.

Enter your info below to download the free recipe card.

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Can I Use a Mini Donut Maker?

Heck yes, you can!

This recipe is great because it works with either the mini donut pan I used here, or one of those cute little mini donut makers. But! A few things to note.

If you’re using a donut pan, you can make about 20 mini donuts at a time (depending on the size of the pan). You put the pan in the oven and bake as you would muffins or something similar.

If you decide to use a mini donut maker, you’ll need to stay with the donuts while they cook, as this machine functions like a waffle maker. You can make 7 mini donuts at a time with most mini donut makers.

So! Decide what will work better for you and go for it!

Substitution Ideas for this Mini Donut Recipe

Now, I think these are insanely delicious just as-is, but there are so many great ways you could alter or substitute the recipe to try something new.

  • Add diced apples to the mix for a little texture and more fall flavors.
  • Substitute apple pie spice for the pumpkin pie spice (and add apples!) to make apple pie mini donuts.
  • Drizzle them with a caramel bourbon glaze to create an extra delicious fall treat.
  • Or with a vanilla glaze for something more simple!

Pumpkin Spice Mini Donut Recipe

DONUTS

  • mini donut pan or mini donut maker
  • 1/2 c vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 c granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 c canned pumpkin
  • 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 3/4 c + 2 tbsp (8 ounces) unbleached, all-purpose flour

Beat all ingredients except flour together in a large bowl until smooth. Add flour, stirring until evenly mixed.

Grease a mini donut pan and pipe mixture into wells until each is a little more than half full. If you don’t have a piping bag, then you can put the mixture into a Ziploc bag and snip off the tip. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes.

SUGARING

  • 1/4 c melted butter
  • 1 c granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp cinnamon

Remove donuts and let them cool. Next, mix sugar and cinnamon in a large Ziploc bag. Then brush donuts with melted butter and drop into bag with sugar and cinnamon mixture. Roll until covered, serve, and enjoy!

More Fun Fall Projects to Try

Once you make your pumpkin spice donuts, pair them with a fall crafternoon! Get some friends together and then try our Gold Botanical Pumpkins, this mini Fall Garland, or this easy and fast wreath. Have fun! xoxo

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Mini Donut Recipe // Baked Pumpkin Spice Mini Donuts (6)

Pumpkin Spice Mini Donut Recipe

Yield: 40 mini donuts

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 42 minutes

These mini pumpkin spice donuts are perfect for snacks, parties, sweet gifts, and more!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 c vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 c granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 c canned pumpkin
  • 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 c baking powder
  • 1 3/4 c + 2 tbsp (8 ounces) unbleached, all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 c melted butter
  • 1 c granulated sugar
  • 2 TBSP cinnamon

Instructions

    Mini Donut Recipe // Baked Pumpkin Spice Mini Donuts (7)

    1. Beat all ingredients except flour together in a large bowl until smooth. Add flour, stirring until evenly mixed.
    2. Grease a mini donut pan and pipe mixture into wells until each is a little more than half full. If you don’t have a piping bag, then you can put the mixture into a Ziploc bag and snip off the tip. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes.
    3. Remove donuts and let them cool. Next, mix sugar and cinnamon in a large Ziploc bag. Then brush donuts with melted butter and drop into bag with sugar and cinnamon mixture. Roll until covered, serve, and enjoy!

Notes

While I love this recipe and think it's absolutely delicious, there's always room for substitutes and experimentation!

Try a few of these substitutes to switch it up.

  • Make these into vegan mini donuts by substituting Just Egg (or your favorite egg substitute) for the eggs.
  • Try substituting stevia for the sugar and a keto-friendly flour (like almond or coconut) to make these into keto mini donuts.
  • Instead of rolling them in cinnamon sugar, try dipping in melted chocolate.
  • Or skip the cinnamon sugar and drizzle them with a delicious vanilla glaze!
  • Try adding chopped apples to the batter for an extra fall twist.
Mini Donut Recipe // Baked Pumpkin Spice Mini Donuts (2024)

FAQs

Why are my mini donuts not fluffy? ›

Why are my donuts tough? This could be due to a few things - either your oil temperature isn't hot or cool enough, or you over or under proofed the donut dough, meaning that it did not puff up in the oil. Check the oil temperature before each batch and make sure the donuts are properly proofed when you fry them.

How many mini donuts does a 50 lb bag of mix make? ›

50 lbs. of mix will yield up to 460 donuts at 2.5 oz. dough pieces. Donuts are commonly used as a breakfast or snack item.

How much money can you make selling mini donuts? ›

Look at these tasty profits...

Let's say you placed your machine in a good traffic location and operated at full speed for 2 hours, selling all the mini-donuts you produced. As much as 95% profit - that's over $500.00 per hour possible!

How many mini donuts equal a regular donut? ›

About three mini donuts equal the size of one regular donut. Try a Fruity Pebble donut, one filled with Boston cream and another piped with key lime pie filling and topped with a sprinkle of graham cracker crust. You'll be able to finish them all without a stomachache.

What is the secret for soft doughnuts? ›

How to Make Super Soft and Fluffy Sugar Glazed Doughnuts | Fried or Baked. There's only one way to make doughnuts even softer and fluffier and that is by scalding some of the flour. Scalding is a technique used to not only make bread softer, but also to make it stay soft for longer.

What is the best flour for doughnuts? ›

All-purpose flour works well for doughnuts since it has a moderate amount of gluten–the binding protein commonly used in baking. This gluten content helps create a dough that is strong enough to trap air, which helps create the fluffy doughnut texture we all love.

How many mini donuts per person? ›

We recommend approximately 4 mini donuts per person, but that may vary depending on your particular event and what other items, if any, you may be serving.

How many mini donuts come in a box of Krispy Kreme? ›

Minis Bundle

Includes 16-count Original Glazed® mini doughnuts and 16-count Assorted mini doughnuts.

How much does it cost to make a single donut? ›

The cost to make one donut is , on average, only $0.12. Talk about an opportunity to make some serious dough! Restaurants should prepare to spend anywhere from $5,000 to $25,000 on monthly food costs , or about 30% of their revenue on food items and supplies .

How much should I sell donuts for? ›

Cost-Plus Pricing

For example, if it costs you $0.50 to make a donut and you want a 50% markup, you would sell the donut for $0.75. This method is straightforward and ensures that you will make a profit, but it may not take into account market demand.

What company sells the most Doughnuts? ›

The data has been calculated by Statista based on the U.S. Census data and Simmons National Consumer Survey (NHCS). According to this statistic, 63.83 million Americans consumed Dunkin' Donuts in 2020.

Can you make mini donuts without a donut pan? ›

You don't need to add another pan to your collection in order to make baked doughnuts. Instead, grab a muffin tin and some aluminum foil to create a makeshift doughnut pan.

What do you call a small donut without hole? ›

Jelly Doughnut

These classic doughnuts are typically round without a hole in the middle, and generally leavened with yeast. The center is stuffed with jelly, jam, or preserves (and sometimes chocolate!), giving you a burst of flavor with each bite.

Do mini donuts freeze well? ›

If you're not going to use your mini donuts 1 -2 days after receiving them, put them in the freezer. Please do not refrigerate your mini donuts because that will dry them out. They should be either frozen or kept at room temperature.

Why didn't my donuts puff up? ›

The liquid was too hot, or not hot enough.

It will usually tell you to use “warm” water. The water temperature should be between 110 - 115 F degrees. If your liquid is too hot (i.e. boiling) it will kill the yeast and prevent the rise. If it's not hot enough, the yeast won't have the heat needed to bloom.

Why are my homemade donuts so dense? ›

Proofing is the final rise when making bread. In this case it would be after the donuts have been cut out and they are waiting to be fried. It is important to proof them enough, otherwise they will turn out flat and dense. To check whether or not the donut is sufficiently proofed poke it with your finger.

Why are my doughnuts not soft? ›

The most important things are: Correct mixing - kneading of the dough. It needs to be thoroughly kneaded but not over-kneaded or they will be tough. Under-kneaded dough will produce donuts that flatten out instead of get taller when they are proofed.

Why did my donuts go flat? ›

If the donut collapses when touched, it is overproofed. Frying -- Proper temperature of the shortening is 375° F (190.5° C). Allow donuts to dry off at least five minutes before frying. Let the underside attain a golden brown color (55 to 60 seconds) then turn and finish the second side.

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