Loaded with warming spices and wholesome ingredients, these Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts are an irresistibly delicious and healthier way to treat yourself on a crisp Autumn day.
Of course I'm back with another pumpkin recipe already, although this time we're taking it up a notch.
Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts with Maple Cream Cheese & Chai Streusel.
Just let that sink in for a minute.
I'm fairly confident that these doughnuts might just become your new favourite Autumn treat. The doughnuts themselves are soft, moist and pick up all of those warm spices from the chai masala, which are perfectly balanced out by the sweetness of the maple cream cheese. And that chai streusel. Whew, it's a game changer. It adds a beautiful crunch to every bite and it really does take these doughnuts to the next level.
Also, instated of using white flour, my doughnuts use oat flour, which technically means you can eat them for breakfast too, right? The oat flour makes them more nutrient-dense and richer in soluble fibre.
But best of all, they take 10 minutes to make and 20 minutes to bake, so you've got yourself a delicious, hearty breakfast or dessert in 30 minutes! It doesn't get much better than that!
Why you'll love these Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts
They're baked, not fried
They have the texture of a doughnut and cake in one
They're ready in 30 minutes
They're refined sugar free, gluten-free and dairy-free
They're small batch!
Let's talk ingredients
Gluten-free oat flour - I always make my own oat flour as it's cheaper and so easy to make. Just blitz rolled oats in a blender until a fine flour forms. For an even softer and more cake-like texture, you can substitute oat flour with almond flour. I used sprouted oat flour for these doughnuts and they turned out delicious. Sprouted oats are easier on the digestive system, so if you find oats hard to digest, give sprouted oats a go. These are my go-to sprouted oats.
Pumpkin puree - make sure you use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling, as pumpkin pie filling usually contains sugar. Find my go-to pumpkin puree here.
Coconut sugar - adds natural sweetness to the doughnuts. You can substitute coconut sugar with soft brown sugar.
Butter - I recommend using grass-fed butter as it contains more vitamins than regular butter. You can substitute this with ghee, or coconut oil to make the doughnuts vegan.
Almond milk - used to loosen the batter slightly. Any milk can be used in its place.
Chai masala - added to both the doughnuts and the streusel for extra spice. You can use either homemade or store-bought. If using store-bought, just make sure it doesn't contain any added sugar.
Baking powder - as eggs aren't used in this recipe, baking powder is used to give the doughnuts a rise.
Apple cider vinegar - works as a leavening agent and flavour enhancer - great in vegan baking.
For the Maple Cream Cheese:
Maple syrup - be sure to use pure maple syrup and not maple flavoured syrup.
Vegan cream cheese - if you want to keep these doughnuts on the healthier side, I recommend using a good quality brand of vegan cream cheese, as many vegan brands contain preservatives. The Almond Milk Cream Cheese from Nush is my favourite. Alternatively, you could swap the cream cheese for coconut yogurt or a yogurt of your choice.
Top tips for making these doughnuts delicious
1. Make sure the oat flour is super fine to give the doughnuts the right consistency.
2. Do not miss out the toppings! Although these doughnuts are delicious on their own, the maple cream cheese and chai streusel really do take them to the next level (and they don't take long to make either).
3. Don't be alarmed when making the doughnut batter. It will have a thick and sticky consistency but that's because of the oats, so resist any temptation to add more milk.
4. Grease your doughnut pan with a little butter or coconut oil. This will help them slide right out.
Looking for more baked doughnut recipes? Try my Baked Apple Cider Churro Doughnuts (one of the most popular recipes on my site)!
Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts with Maple Cream Cheese & Chai Streusel (Gluten-Free, Vegan*)
Yields: 6 small doughnuts
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
For the doughnuts:
100g gluten-free oat flour
35g coconut sugar
1 tsp chai masala
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
125g pumpkin puree
30g grass-fed butter, ghee or coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp almond milk, or milk of choice
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
For the chai streusel:
25g gluten-free oat flour
10g coconut sugar
10g grass fed butter, ghee or coconut oil, melted
1/4 tsp chai
Pinch of salt
For the maple cream cheese:
130g vegan cream cheese
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp almond milk, or milk of choice
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180°c/160°c fan. Lightly grease doughnut tray and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the oat flour, coconut sugar, chai masala, baking powder and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, butter, apple cider vinegar, almond milk and vanilla extract.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until a thick, sticky batter forms.
5. Divide the batter evenly between 6 doughnut holes and use the back of a spoon to smooth them out.
6. Make the chai streusel by mixing all of the ingredients together until a coarse meal forms. Transfer to a small baking tray lined with parchment paper.
7. Bake both the doughnuts and chai streusel for 18-20 minutes. The doughnuts should be firm to touch and cooked through the middle when they're ready.
8. While these are baking, make the maple cream cheese by whisking the ingredients together until light and slightly fluffy. Place in the fridge.
9. Allow the doughnuts to cool completely, then top with the maple cream cheese and chai streusel.
STORAGE
Store the doughnuts in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
I hope you love this recipe!
Love,
Sasha
