Pumpkin Donuts with Pecan Frosting

Pumpkin Donuts with Maple-Pecan Frosting! A healthy take on donuts! Save this one for company this fall! 

this Recipe

Even though October is over, we can still enjoy pumpkin baked goods, right? This is the first weekend it’s actually felt like fall in Sacramento, and surprisingly, I could not be more excited. While hot summer days will always be my favorite, I fully embraced rainy mornings and cool breezes this weekend.  It was time for fall food.

Butternut squash chili for Saturday’s lunch followed by these pumpkin donuts yesterday. BL and I both decided that the extra hour was the perfect excuse to sleep in a bit and enjoy a lazy morning catching up on Netflix (currently loving Criminal Minds) and these donuts.

I finally broke down and bought myself a donut pan when I was back home in Virginia. Ok, sure I bought both the regular and the mini, but for less than $7 a pop, I have no idea why it took me so long to get on board. Considering I’ve never actually made donuts before, this one took longer than normal to get right. After 4 batches, all lovingly taste-tested by BL, I knew I struck gold when he shouted “Nailed It!” from the other room and proceeded to ask for a second serving.

If you haven’t had baked donuts before, you are in for a treat! Similar to cake donuts, these are light, chewy, and bursting with pumpkin flavor. They are also pretty healthy- for a donut. Only 2 tsp. of oil and 1/3 cup sugar used in the entire batch! Don’t worry though, they don’t taste healthy. We are still making a donut after all, and even I wouldn’t bring you a bran-muffin donut.

The best part of these donuts might be the maple-pecan frosting. Since pumpkin and pecan are fall’s pb&j, it seemed all too perfect to frost these with a subtly sweet, buttery frosting. Of course, I’m keeping the frosting in line as well. Naturally sweetened with maple syrup, a smidge of coconut oil and freshly toasted pecans are all you need to make this fluffy frosting. Besides the obvious use, don’t be surprised if you find yourself slathering this pecan frosting on just about everything.

Healthy baked donuts that are ready in less than 30 minutes? Fall, I think I can get used to you.

PS- Try the leftover frosting on toast with sliced pears. While we enjoyed these with a giant mug of coffee (< —- amazing flavor combination comin’ atcha!), they would also make a great dessert!

If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking! 

Pumpkin Donuts with Maple-Pecan Frosting

• Author: Alex Caspero
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 9 donuts 1x

Description

Pumpkin Donuts with Maple-Pecan Frosting! A healthy take on donuts! Save this one for company this fall!

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Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

• Author: Alex Caspero
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 9 donuts 1x

• Author: Alex Caspero
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 9 donuts 1x

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• For the donuts: 1/3 cup soy milk
• 1 tbsp. white vinegar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. + 1/8 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup Pacific Foods pumpkin puree
• 1 egg or (1 serving egg replacer for vegan version)
• 2 tsp. oil
• For the maple-pecan frosting: 1 cup Diamond of California pecans, divided
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (pure maple syrup, not the pancake syrup kind)
• 2 tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the soy milk and white vinegar. Set aside for 5 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, soy milk mixture, pumpkin puree, egg or egg replacer, oil and vanilla.
5. Slowly stir in the wet ingredients to the flour mixture. Be careful not to overmix, the dough should just come together.
6. Spoon the dough into a pastry bag or plastic bag (see notes) and pipe into a [url:1]donut pan.[/url]
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes golden brown and spongy. Cool slightly and frost.
8. While the donuts are baking, make the frosting.
9. Place 3/4 cup pecans, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 2 tbsp. coconut oil, and vanilla extract in a [url:2]high-powered blender[/url] until creamy and smooth.
10. Finely chop the remaining 1/4 cup pecans for garnish.

Notes

You can spoon the dough into a donut pan but they won’t look as nice! I use a large plastic freezer bag. Just spoon the dough in and cut one corner off. Pipe the dough into the pan. I find that 11 minutes is perfect for these. I prefer them to be slightly undercooked when I take them out of the oven as the longer they cook, the drier they are. For ease of frosting, I pile the frosting onto a plate. When the donuts have cooled slightly, about 5 minutes I dip them into the frosting and then sprinkle with finely chopped pecans.

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 This post is sponsored by Pacific Foods & Diamond of California. Thanks for your support of brands that support Delish Knowledge.