Published: Sep 15, 2018 · Modified: Nov 16, 2022 by Claire

Pumpkin Spice Latte Doughnuts

Name: Pumpkin Spice Latte Doughnuts
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup all purpose flour; 1/3 cup granulated sugar; 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon; 1/4 tsp. baking soda; 1 tsp. baking powder; 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted; 1 egg; 1/2 cup milk; 1 tsp. vanilla extract; 3/4 cup pumpkin puree; 3 cups powdered sugar; 5 tbsp water; 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 2 tsp espresso powder; 2 tsp water

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe· 5 from 13 reviews

Looking for an easy, bite-sized breakfast for your busy fall mornings? Look no further! These pumpkin spice latte doughnuts are sure to get your day off to a sweet start.

It has officially started feeling like fall here in the Pacific Northwest... The days are getting noticeably shorter, the mornings are cool enough to require a jacket and the skies seem to be more clouds and rain than anything else these days.

I say, bring it on! I am SO ready to break out the sweaters, cozy boots and stock my pantry to the brim with all things pumpkin. ESPECIALLY these pumpkin spice latte doughnuts!

How to make pumpkin spice latte doughnuts

If you're not a morning person, good news: These doughnuts are SO easy to make! And they don't even require fancy kitchen equipment. Just a whisk and some good ol' fashion elbow grease.

There are just 3 steps for making these doughnuts:

First, combine the dry ingredients in one bowl, wet ingredients in another, and then whisk together. Pour your batter into a greased doughnut pan and bake for 8-10 minutes.

Second, whisk your glaze ingredients together in a small saucepan over low heat until the glaze begins to form a crust. Whisk to break up the glaze and then start dippin'!

Third, whisk your espresso powder and a little extra water into the remaining glaze and drizzle it over your doughnuts.

How to make the perfect pumpkin spice latte doughnuts

Never made these doughnuts before? No worries! Here are some tricks and tips to help you make the perfect batch the first time around.

Use a piping bag to pipe your doughnut batter into your doughnut pan. This is a lot easier and less messy than trying to pour from the bowl.
Doughnuts are easiest to remove from the pan while they're still warm. The sweet spot seems to be about 2 minutes after they come out of the oven. Simply turn the pan over and gently shake it until the doughnuts come out (hot-pads are a good idea).
Be sure not to over-cook the glaze. Over-cooked glaze loses too much liquid and becomes too hard and thick to work with. The best way to make sure your glaze doesn't get over-cooked is to cook it over low heat and remove it immediately once a crust starts to form. If your glaze becomes over-cooked, simply add more water in ½ teaspoon increments until the glaze breaks up enough to use.
Why we cook the glaze: You may be wondering why we're cooking the glaze. After all, there are lots of doughnut recipes on the web that don't require this step. Here's why: cooking the glaze causes a chemical reaction that results in a glaze that hardens quickly and becomes a shell (rather than a soft glaze). It's perfect for locking in moisture and making life easier if you need to pack these doughnuts.
Leftovers: Baked doughnuts don't keep well and tend to dry out faster than the fried variety. If you end up with leftovers, the best way to store them is in a paper bag. Whatever you do, don't refrigerate them or put them in plastic.
Reviving stale doughnuts: If you wound up with leftovers and they've gotten stale, no worries! You can soften them back up by microwaving them in 5-10 second increments until soft. Just watch out for melting icing.

Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear how it went in the comments below. Better still, snap a photo and tag it on Instagram with #thesimplesweetlife. I love seeing your creations!

Recipe

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Well look at you making it all the way to the bottom of the post! You deserve some doughnuts. But since I can't send you any (you know, 'cause no amount of microwaving could undo that level of staleness), please accept this photo of our cat wondering how long I'd have to look away for him to make off with one of these. Nice try Odie, nice try...

Update Notes: This post was originally published in September of 2014 but was republished with step by step photos and tips in September of 2018.

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