Name: Glazed Pumpkin Donut Muffins
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour; 2½ teaspoons baking powder; 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; ½ teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg; ¼ teaspoon ground cloves; 1/2 cup whole milk; 1/2 cup buttermilk; 10 tablespoons butter (softened); 1/2 cup white granulated sugar; 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar; 2 large eggs; 1 cup pure pumpkin; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 cups powdered sugar; 3-4 tablespoons heavy cream; 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

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Pumpkin Donut Muffins bake up perfectly each time, are incredibly moist, full of warm pumpkin spices, and they taste just like your favorite glazed pumpkin donut but in muffin form! The best part is the maple cinnamon glaze that the muffins get ‘dunked’ into – truly a must make recipe for pumpkin season.

For more pumpkin muffins be sure and also try these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins (stuffed with a surprise cheesecake center) and these Perfect Pumpkin Muffins.

View of a donut muffin with pumpkin with a bite taken out of it.

Pumpkin Donut Muffins Recipe

Have you jumped on the pumpkin bandwagon yet?! I sure have – actually I was on it a long time ago. Pumpkin season tends to be more of a year-round thing for me 😁 I just have to wait for the “socially acceptable” time of when it’s ok to start talking about all things pumpkin! I think that time is now!

These pumpkin donut muffins tastes just like your favorite pumpkin donut but in muffin form, and then they’re dipped into a delicious maple cinnamon glaze. They are irresistible and definitely a must-make for me every fall. Super tender, insanely moist, and the best part is that they bake up perfectly round and puffy each time.

Overhead top shot of the tops of the donut muffins

The ingredient list is long with kind of some different methods to mixing it all together – but it’s what makes these muffins so moist, tender, and perfectly domed on top.

You may think that the recipe calls for a lot of spices but I promise you that it works! It’s the perfect blend of warm pumpkin spices with the canned pure pumpkin.

Pumpkin on its own is very bland so you need lots and lots of spices and flavor to bring out the ‘pumpkin’ taste we all love. You’ll just have to make them to see what I’m talking about.

Stack of muffins inside muffin wrappers.

Ingredients Needed

Pumpkin Donut Muffin Batter Ingredients

All-Purpose Flour
Baking Powder & Baking Soda
Salt : I use kosher salt or sea salt.
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Ground Cinnamon
Ground Nutmeg
Ground Cloves
Whole Milk
Buttermilk
Butter
Granulated Sugar
Light Brown Sugar
Large Eggs
Pure Pumpkin
Vanilla Extract

Maple Cinnamon Glaze Ingredients

Powdered Sugar
Ground Cinnamon
Pure Maple Syrup : This is not the same as pancake syrup. For best results, use 100% pure maple syrup, which can be found by the pancake syrup at the store.
Heavy Cream OR Milk : I like the glaze best with heavy cream, but you can use whole milk or half and half with good results. You won’t need as much of it if using a lower-fat milk than heavy cream.

How To Make Glazed Pumpkin Donut Muffins (Printable Recipe Card)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with parchment paper liners or cupcake liners. If you have two muffins pans then prepare both of them.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.

In a separate small bowl, or glass measuring cup, combine the milk and buttermilk. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until fluffy and combined, about 2 minutes.

Mix in one egg at a time and beat on low speed just until combined. Add in vanilla and pure pumpkin. Beat together until combined.

Add the dry ingredients (from the bowl set aside) into the pumpkin mixture in three separate batches, alternating with two additions of the milk mixture in between, mixing until just combined each time on low speed.

Divide the batter into the muffin cups. Filing each muffin cup 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool in the warm muffin pan for about 10-15 minutes. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make The Maple Cinnamon Glaze : Prepare the glaze by stirring together the powdered sugar, cinnamon, maple syrup, and milk. Depending on the consistency, you may need to add more or less milk. You want a thick glaze so that it stays on the muffin but not so thick that you can’t even dip the muffin into it.

When the muffins are cool (or almost cool) dip the muffin into the glaze to evenly coat the top. Allow the glaze to set or enjoy the muffins warm.

How To Store Leftover Glazed Pumpkin Muffins

Store any leftover muffins in a covered airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 3-4 days. If you’re worried about the milk in the frosting there are two options – use canned evaporated milk in the frosting instead of heavy cream, or store the leftover muffins inside an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Recipe Tips

Pure maple syrup is not the same thing as pancake syrup. You want to use the the 100% pure maple syrup in the recipe. You can find the pure maple syrup usually on the top shelf near the pancake syrups at the store. I always love to make my Pecan Cream Pie with the extra maple syrup.
Alternating the dry ingredients with the milks is important and is what produces an ultra tender and moist donut-like consistency to the muffins.
I highly recommend using parchment paper muffin liners because they help the muffins bake more evenly and prevent the bottom and sides of the muffins from getting too browned.
Don’t overfill the muffin cups! You want them 3/4 of the way full, or slightly less, so they can puff really nicely while baking and not spill over.
If you don’t want to buy pure maple syrup then just leave it out of the glaze. You will probably need additional milk if not using the maple syrup. But, I will say the maple compliments the pumpkin perfectly so I definitely recommend using it.

Glazed Pumpkin Donut Muffins