These baked chocolate pumpkin donuts combine the best of both worlds - warm pumpkin flavors and rich chocolate. A perfect fall dessert recipe!
Today is a fabulous day for two reasons: the O's clinched the AL East last night and we're eating baked chocolate pumpkin donuts.
Maryland boy B and his sweet tooth are ecstatic, and I'm pumped to have yet again snuck in pumpkin to our eats. If there's anything you should know about me, it's that I can take a theme and run with it. "Oh, you like waffles?" Let me throw everything we eat on the waffle iron. "Did you just say those granola bars are tasty?" Perfect - I just put seven boxes in our cart. And don't even get me started on smoked gouda. I've forgotten to buy mozzarella the last three times I've gone to the store because I have tunnel vision for gouda.
There are worse problems to have.
Anyway, we're a happy crowd around here and we celebrate with food, so what better way to whoop it up than with these donuts? For starters, there's chocolate and pumpkin involved, so you can seasonably address your sweet tooth and indulge your chocolate craving at the same time. These donuts are just efficient like that.
You get the best of both worlds with these chocolate pumpkin donuts. In one bite you taste the warm spice of pumpkin + fall flavors, and with the next you're teeth deep in chocolatey goodness. These donuts are topped with a simple shake of powdered sugar to make sure the pumpkin and chocolate flavors come through loud and clear. Of course, things like chocolate frosting are pretty easy on the taste buds, so feel free to whip some up if your sweet tooth is being exceptionally authoritative.
Theoretically you can double either the chocolate or the pumpkin batter in the recipe below to make purely pumpkin or chocolate donuts, but I'll tell you it was actually really simple to combine the two! There were a few extra kitchen dishes to clean which isn't exciting, but I think the extra five minutes of clean up are well worth it. 🙂 After preparing the batters, I transferred each to a plastic bag, snipped a corner of each bag, and piped the batters into my donut pan in an alternating pattern. The batters are sturdy and don't glop all over the place, so both the pumpkin and the chocolate respect each other's personal space and maintain distinct boundaries. Told you these donuts are sweet (in more ways than one).
Tools used:
- Baked donut pan <--never had a problem with sticking!
Baked Chocolate Pumpkin Donuts
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Batter:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
For the Chocolate Batter:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ tablespoon canola oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
For the Pumpkin Batter:
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, mix together sugars, egg, vanilla extract, pumpkin, and canola oil. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir until just combined, taking care not to overmix. Transfer batter to a plastic bag and seal closed.
For the Chocolate Batter:
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar, and cocoa powder. In a separate bowl, combine egg, vanilla extract, and canola oil. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir until just combined, taking care not to overmix. Transfer batter to a plastic bag and seal closed.
- Grease a donut pan and snip the corners of both bags of batter. Starting with one batter, pipe three separate sections into each donut space, leaving equal spaces between. Fill in the remaining three spaces with the other batter.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until a tester inserted into a donut comes out clean. Let donuts cool to room temperature on a wire rack, and sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
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Catherine says
Dear Alyssa, these look splendid. I love the idea of combining the chocolate and pumpkin together for a truly delicious treat! xo, Catherine
Alyssa says
Thanks so much Catherine! I couldn't resist combining two of my favorite dessert flavors into one treat. 🙂
Tina @ Tina's Chic Corner says
I love themes! For better or worse, I can be the same way as you. 🙂
These donuts look fab. You don't have to decide if you want chocolate or pumpkin because you get both! I love the action shot of you sprinkling powdered sugar on them. Did you have your camera on a tripod when you did that?
Alyssa says
I have a hard time choosing between flavors sometimes so combining both is right up my alley. And thanks! I actually didn't use a tripod. Somehow I kept the camera still. 🙂
Annie @Maebells says
Oh my gosh we could be the same person! I am so obsessive, if one thing works I just run with it! Idk what is wrong with me! No variety, whatsoever! But I am totally loving this donuts! They are so pretty!!!
Alyssa says
Haha Annie we are the same!! Consistency could be my middle name (most of the time). And thanks! 🙂
Michele says
These look so good....I love pumpkin stuff! Question, has anyone made these gluten free? I was going to try these with coconut flour, coconut oil and coconut sugar.
Alyssa says
Thanks Michele! I love all the pumpkin recipes this time of year, too. I don't have much experience baking gluten free, but generally really like baking with coconut oil. I'll give these a whirl with that next time! 🙂
Zainab says
Baked donuts are the best!! I love these pumpkin chocolate donuts 🙂
Alyssa says
Thanks Zainab - they're one of my favorites, too!
Mary Frances says
Ahhhhh! Alyssa, you ROCK! I wanted to do something like this with muffins but I love the donut idea 10x better. And I even have a donut pan now! Thanks so much for sharing, pinned!
Alyssa says
Thanks Mary Frances! I bet combining two flavors like this would be FAB in muffins, too! And thanks for the pin. 🙂
Helen @ Scrummy Lane says
Alyssa, I think I would have to say that these donuts look pretty much perfect! I know you said the mixture is easy to pipe, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have made them look quite as pretty as you have!
I think these might be a winner and pinning!
Alyssa says
Thanks Helen! And gosh, I surprised myself with how well the piping went. Sometimes decorative steps that require finesse start to head south quickly for me. Kitchen stress is no fun, though thankfully it was kept at bay with these donuts! And thanks for the pin! 🙂
Erin | The Law Student's Wife says
These donuts just scream party! I love the effect of marbling the two batters. So creative!
Alyssa says
Thanks Erin! 🙂
ATasteOfMadness says
These doughnuts are gorgeous! I am loving all the pumpkin recipes on the blogosphere now 🙂
Alyssa says
Thanks! I'm loving them all, too! 🙂
Lu @ Super Nummy Yo! says
I love the alternating bites! That's EXACTLY what I want in my donut. So brilliant 😛 I only have a heart shaped donut pan. It's okay to make heart shaped donuts year round right??
Alyssa says
Thanks Lu! I have such a hard time choosing which flavor to choose, I figured why not include them both! And I LOVE the sound of your heart shaped donut pan. Gahh so cute!! I think it's more than okay to make heart shaped donuts year round. 🙂
Kristi @ Inspiration Kitchen says
Ahhhh! I love the colors of these donuts. And, two of my favorite flavors in a doughnut. Girl, did you make these for me? Because I am totally digging them. Pinned!
Jessica @ Jessica in the Kitchen says
These donuts look so fluffy and delicious Alyssa! Love the flavour contrast - it makes them so pretty.
Alyssa says
Thanks Jessica! 🙂