This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy.
This pumpkin donut recipe has everything you want fall baking to be—fluffy, perfectly spiced, and topped with a drool-worthy salted caramel glaze that’ll have everyone asking for a second batch. Ready in no time, they’re awesome for weekend family breakfasts, holiday entertaining, or when you need a crowd-pleasing dessert that happens to be completely plant-based!
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Cheryl’s Tip:
I recommend making the caramel sauce first. It needs time to cool and thicken slightly before you turn it into glaze. And for fun, get your kids involved with glazing these pumpkin spice donuts; mine especially love dunking them right before they’re gobbled up!
Why This Recipe is So Good
- These donuts are ridiculously soft and cake-like without any eggs or dairy. The pumpkin purée keeps them incredibly moist while adding that gorgeous autumn color we all crave. And the salted caramel glaze has that perfect sweet-salty balance that gives you a jolt of bliss with every single bite.
- For a tasty dessert (or breakfast option), this pumpkin donuts recipe is surprisingly easy to make Just mix, fill the pans, and bake—no rolling, no rising, no pulling out your hair from stress during the holidays.
- Whether you’re hosting a fall brunch or need a dessert that works for vegan guests, these donuts look bakery-fancy but are totally doable for home bakers. And your kiddos will inhale them! Pair these delicious treats with Healthy Vegan Chocolate Truffles Recipe (Paleo), Paleo Hot Chocolate, Easy Golden Milk, or this Miracle Maca Latte.
More Recipes You’ll Love
What You Need to Know Before You Start
- If you’re new to donut making, do a test batch of these pumpkin spice donuts to get the timing and fill level right for your specific pans.
- Always let your pumpkin purée and vegan milk come to room temperature for smoother mixing and better texture.
- These don’t rise much, so fill each cavity about ¾ full. A piping bag or large zip-top bag with a corner snipped off makes this step super easy and mess-free.
- Don’t skip the cooling time! Let the donuts cool completely before glazing, or that rich, glossy caramel will just slide right off. Trust me, patience pays off here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Heck, yes! Bake the donuts up to 2 days ahead and store them covered at room temperature. Make the glaze fresh and dip the donuts right before serving for the best texture and appearance.
If you’re really pressed and lack time to pick up donut pans or just don’t have them, you can make these as muffins instead! Use a standard 12-cup muffin tin and bake for 18-22 minutes. They won’t have the classic donut shape, but they’ll taste just as amazing.
Indeed, you can! Agave nectar works perfectly, or you can use your favorite liquid sweetener. For sugar-free options, try sugar-free maple syrup or monk fruit syrup.
Insert a toothpick into the thickest part of a donut – it should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. The tops should spring back lightly when touched.
Yes! Freeze unglazed donuts in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw completely at room temperature, then make fresh glaze and dip before serving.
Unsweetened almond milk or oat milk work best – they’re not too thick or too thin. Avoid using full-fat canned coconut milk as it will make the glaze too thick.
More Fall Pumpkin Recipes
- Paleo Pumpkin Churros with Dark Chocolate Sauce (Made in Waffle Iron)
- Paleo Pumpkin Breakfast Bake
- No-Bake Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
- Healthier Pumpkin Cookies with a Maple Glaze
- No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Muffins with a Spiced Crumb Topping
- Homemade Pumpkin Spice Creamer Recipe
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
- Easy Keto Pumpkin Pie
- Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Caramel Macchiato
- Paleo Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting (Dairy-Free, GF)
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Vegan Pumpkin Donuts with Salted Caramel Glaze
Equipment
- 2 Standard donut pans 6-cavity each
- 2 large mixing bowls
- whisk
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Microwave-safe bowl with tall sides
- Piping bag or large zip-top bag optional, for filling donut pans
- Cooking spray
Ingredients
For the Donuts
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ cup vegan butter melted
- 3 egg replacements Just Egg, or flax eggs: 3 tablespoons freshly ground flax seed + 4½ tablespoons water
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups pumpkin purée not pumpkin pie filling
For the Salted Caramel Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup vegan caramel sauce store-bought or homemade
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup vegan milk of choice
For the Vegan Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup vegan butter melted
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
Instructions
Make the Vegan Caramel Sauce
- Whisk together 1 cup packed brown sugar, ½ cup melted vegan butter, ¼ cup coconut milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in medium microwave-safe bowl with tall sides.
- Microwave 1 minute, stir, then continue in 30-second bursts until bubbling and thickened. Set aside.
Make the Donuts
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176℃). Spray two donut pans with cooking spray.
- Combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1½ teaspoons baking powder and 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice in mixing bowl; whisk until well combined.
- In another bowl, stir together ¼ cup melted vegan butter, 3 egg replacements, ¾ cup maple syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1½ cups pumpkin purée until smooth.
- Add flour mixture and stir until just combined.
- Fill donut pan cavities ¾ full (recommend using a piping bag or zip-top bag).
- Bake 15 to 18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool in pans 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Glaze
- Combine 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 cup cooled caramel sauce, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and ¼ cup vegan milk; whisk until smooth.
- Dip tops of cooled donuts in glaze and serve immediately.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tag @40aprons on Instagram and be sure to leave a review on the blog post!
Never Miss A Meal!
New Recipes Straight To Your Inbox
A curated selection of our most recent recipes, delivered straight to your inbox once a week.
Leave A Review
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
These are the cutest ever!!! Well done.
Donuts are already fairly cute.. anything heart-shaped is just painful. Heart-shaped donuts and I can hardly handle it! Nom nom nom
Oh my gosh. I actually asked for a donut pan for xmas because of the apple cider donut recipe I saw on your site! I absolutely must try these (well, assuming I get my pan hehe). Have a great weekend, Cheryl! Ps. Love that monogrammed spoon.
I am a donut FIEND over here! And every food blogger deserves a donut pan under the Christmas tree, real talk. 🙂
I’m happy/sad that I just saw this recipe of yours because hello, donuts. And hello, vegan donuts topped with a salted caramel glaze. What’s not to love? Saving this recipe for sometime in the future when I need a donut. (Real talk: It might be tomorrow. Not guaranteeing anything on this one…)
Nice work!
Sad! Why!? Oh Erin.. donuts should never make anyone sad….. haha! How did your preggers diabetes test come back?
You’ve got a good point there. Donuts should just make people happy… always!
No result yet on the preggers diabetes test. Let’s cross our fingers so I can make these beauts sometime soon!
these look so freaking good!
Thanks Caralyn! I can attest.. they are damn good!
I think you captured what my heart actually looks like – a glazed pumpkin vegan donut. I am in total awe, and cannot wait to make these babies myself!
Yes!! How funny. I hope you try them and love them!
These look great!
Thanks Raven! 🙂