Chocolate Glazed Pumpkin Donuts

Light and fluffy baked pumpkin donuts coated with a rich chocolate glaze and topped with crushed pecans. Loaded with fall spices and just the perfect amount of pumpkin, these donuts are a delicious way to start your day this fall. 

Yesterday marked the first day of fall and there’s no turning back now folks. I’ve pretty much got a hall pass to post any and all things pumpkin and pecan from here on out. At least until Thanksgiving anyway. I’ve been sitting on this chocolate glazed pumpkin donut recipe since, like, I dunno, the first of August. So it’s high time we embrace this fall thing with open arms and a stockpile of canned pumpkin.

If you read last week’s blog post about Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Muffins, you know that I confessed that I am not a fan of Halloween. I know. It’s a lot to take in. I have another bombshell to drop on you this week and I feel like half of you are going to be totally on the same page and the other half of you are going to think I’m positively out of my mind. But at this point I consider us all friends so I’m just going to rip off the band-aid and say it.

Here it goes….

I don’t like pumpkin pie.

You still there??….

Let me explain.

I’m fairly certain my disdain for pumpkin pie is more of a texture issue than an actual flavor issue. And I’ll be the first person to admit that I’m not a huge fan of making pie of any sort. But I really do love pumpkin in every other form. Well….not pumpkin spice lattes but do those even count? That’s a whole separate conversation. I like pumpkin muffins, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies {stay tuned for that recipe coming sooooon!!}.

I even like that pumpkin ice cream that Trader Joes sells every year and the fresh pumpkin seeds my kids insist on baking every Halloween. And let’s not leave out pumpkin cinnamon rolls….swoon!

Since my love for pumpkin pie does not run deep, you won’t find me peddling any of that here on the blog. Not in my lifetime. BUT…I will be dishing out my fair share of pumpkin recipes that just scream “AUTUMN!”,  because that’s what we do when the air turns crisp and the days get shorter. I’m a big fan of breakfast as you know and an even bigger fan of recipes that can be thrown together in a pinch.

Enter these ridiculously delicious chocolate glazed pumpkin donuts. This recipe is embarrassingly easy to make and I had a dozen donuts sitting pretty on the kitchen counter in under thirty minutes. Under thirty minutes!! Take that, fried donuts!

Now I know you all are very aware that I am chocolate’s number one fan. So believe me when I say that this smooth, rich chocolate glaze takes these soft and tender pumpkin donuts from good to great in ten seconds flat. It’s made with just a handful of ingredients and can be topped with chopped nuts or chocolate sprinkles if your foodie heart so desires. Just look at all that shiny chocolate!

I’m a big fan of baked donuts over fried for lots of reasons. Baked donuts are healthier, much quicker to whip up and there is very little clean up involved. Fewer dishes to wash did you say? I’m IN!! Baked donuts do require a special donut pan but it’s the best ten bucks you’ll ever spend. I use this non-stick donut pan here from Amazon and it works like a charm every time.

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST BAKED DONUTS

Here’s a few tried and true tips to guarantee fluffy and tender donuts that just might keep you from buying a store bought donut ever again.

1. Don’t beat your batter. Over mixing your donut batter will lead to dense donuts that don’t rise properly. Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mix only until they are barely incorporated and then stop. Even better if there are a few streaks of flour remaining in the batter.
2. Pipe your batter into the donut pan. Scooping your batter into the pan with a spoon or spatula is just messy and usually leads to over handling of the batter. So do yourself a big favor and scoop the batter into a large ziplock bag, cut the tip and pipe the batter into the wells of the donut pan. Best tip I ever found on the internet, seriously!
3. Fill your donut pan 3/4 of the way full. To make sure you have nice, plump donuts, fill the wells of the donut pan 3/4 of the way full. It may seem like too much but the donuts will bake up perfectly, trust me.
4. Do not over bake your donuts. To avoid dry donuts, check the donuts at 10 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the center. The donuts are done if it comes out clean or with few crumbs remaining. The centers should look set and if you press lightly on the top of the donut they should spring back.

Once the donuts have cooled slightly on a wire rack, now comes the fun part! Mix the simple glaze and dip each donut top into the glaze one at a time. Flip over, top with chopped nuts or chocolate sprinkles, and allow the glaze to set for 15 minutes. Oh who are we kidding, we all know you are going to eat them warm from the oven. Who can resist?!!

I know I can’t!

These chocolate glazed pumpkin donuts are my newest chocolate and pumpkin obsession and I couldn’t be happier about it. This flavor duo is so delicious and it’s the perfect way to say “Hello Fall!” if I do say so myself. I’m still dreaming up all kinds of pumpkin deliciousness so stay tuned right here for lots of fall goodies coming your way.

If you love this recipe, be sure to leave a comment here on the blog, or send me a message on Instagram. I love seeing what you are baking up in your kitchens!

IF YOU LIKE THESE CHOCOLATE GLAZED PUMPKIN DONUTS YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

Cinnamon Sugar Baked Donuts

Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Muffins

 

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