MuffinsAmericanEasy

Quinoa Pumpkin Spice Donuts

Name: Quinoa Pumpkin Spice Donuts
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 27 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1½ cups (180 g) quinoa flour; ¾ cup (90 g) all-purpose flour; 1½ tsp (7 g) baking powder; 1½ tsp (3½ g) ground cinnamon; ½ tsp (1 g) ground nutmeg; ¼ tsp (½ g) ground ginger; ⅛ tsp (¼ g) ground clove; ¼ tsp (1½ g) fine sea salt; 1 cup (240 ml) pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling); ½ cup (120 ml) plain Greek yogurt, full-fat; ¼ cup (55 ml) refined coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly, melted and cooled; 1 large egg; ¾ tsp (4 ml) pure vanilla extract; ¼ cup (60 ml) pure maple syrup; 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter; ½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon; 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar; pinch fine sea salt

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender, cake-style donuts made with nutty quinoa flour and pure pumpkin puree, spiced with warm cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove. Naturally moist from Greek yogurt and coconut oil, they're baked rather than fried for an easier weeknight treat. A maple-cinnamon glaze finishes them off, making them perfect for fall mornings or an afternoon snack.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 12 min
Wait: 10 min
Total: 37 min
Makes: 12 donuts

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Ingredients

12 servings

For the donuts
1½ cups (180 g) quinoa flour
¾ cup (90 g) all-purpose flour
1½ tsp (7 g) baking powder
1½ tsp (3.5 g) ground cinnamon
½ tsp (1 g) ground nutmeg
¼ tsp (0.5 g) ground ginger
⅛ tsp (0.3 g) ground clove
¼ tsp (1.5 g) fine sea salt
1 cup (240 ml) pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
½ cup (120 ml) plain Greek yogurt, full-fat
¼ cup (55 ml) refined coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly, melted and cooled
1 large egg
¾ tsp (4 ml) pure vanilla extract
For the glaze
¼ cup (60 ml) pure maple syrup
2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter
½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon
1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
pinch fine sea salt

Equipment (7)

12-cavity nonstick donut pan
Medium mixing bowl
Small mixing bowl
Whisk
Wooden spoon or spatula
Piping bag with wide tip (or gallon zip-top bag with corner snipped)
Small saucepan

Steps

Before you start

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and position a rack in the center
Grease a 12-cavity nonstick donut pan with coconut oil or cooking spray
Have all ingredients at room temperature for easier mixing

1
Mix dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together quinoa flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, and salt.
- Set aside.
- This dry mix is the foundation of your donuts' structure and spice profile.
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Ready when: Spices are evenly distributed throughout the dry ingredients
Tip: Whisk thoroughly so spices are distributed evenly—no clumpy pockets of cinnamon in finished donuts
2
Combine wet ingredients
- In a small bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, Greek yogurt, cooled melted coconut oil, egg, and vanilla extract until completely smooth and no streaks remain.
- The mixture should be pale orange and creamy.
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Ready when: Wet ingredients are fully blended with no lumps or streaks
Tip: If your coconut oil is still warm, let it cool for 1–2 minutes after melting so you don't scramble the egg
3
Fold together until just combined
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and fold with a spatula or wooden spoon until the two are just combined.
- The batter should be thick, like soft cake batter.
- Do not overmix—lumps are okay and lead to a more tender crumb.
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Ready when: Dry and wet ingredients just come together; small pockets of flour visible
Tip: Stop folding as soon as the dry ingredients disappear—overmixing activates gluten and makes donuts tough
4
Fill donut cavities
- Transfer batter into a piping bag (or a gallon zip-top bag with a corner snipped off).
- Pipe batter into each of the 12 greased donut pan cavities, filling them about three-quarters full.
- Fill the center hole and along the top edge so each donut is evenly shaped.
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Ready when: All 12 cavities are evenly filled to about three-quarters height
Tip: If you don't have a piping bag, use two spoons to carefully spoon and push batter into cavities, then smooth the tops with a damp finger
5
Bake donutsOven 350°F / 175°C
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 11–13 minutes, until the donuts spring back when lightly touched on top and a toothpick inserted into the thickest part comes out clean.
- The tops should be set but still slightly moist looking.
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Ready when: Tops spring back when touched; toothpick inserted comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs
Tip: Oven temperatures vary—start checking at 11 minutes so you don't overbake and dry them out
6
Cool in pan
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
- They will firm up slightly and become easier to remove.
- Run a thin knife or offset spatula around the edge of each donut to loosen them.
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Ready when: Donuts are no longer steaming and are cool enough to touch
Tip: Don't skip this step or remove donuts while very hot—they're fragile and will crack
7
Remove from pan
- Gently turn the pan over onto a wire rack or plate and tap the bottom until donuts fall out.
- If any stick, use the knife to carefully pry them free.
- Let them cool completely, about 5 minutes more, before glazing.
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Ready when: Donuts are completely cool to the touch
Tip: A nonstick pan makes this much easier—if donuts resist, tap harder rather than force and risk tearing
8
Make the glaze
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat.
- Add maple syrup, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt, stirring gently for about 1 minute until warm and combined.
- Remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar, a little at a time, until the glaze is smooth and pourable but still thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
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Ready when: Glaze is smooth, shiny, and falls from a spoon in a thin ribbon
Tip: Add powdered sugar slowly—too much makes it stiff; too little makes it drippy. Consistency should be like thin cake frosting
9
Glaze the donuts
- Dip the top of each cooled donut into the warm glaze, twisting gently to coat evenly.
- Place on a wire rack or parchment paper to set.
- Let the glaze firm up for about 5 minutes before serving.
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Ready when: Glaze has a light matte finish and no longer looks wet
Tip: Work quickly while the glaze is still warm—it hardens as it cools, making dipping harder
10
Serve or store
- Serve the donuts warm or at room temperature.
- They are best eaten the same day but will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Good to know

Tips

Quinoa flour can absorb slightly more moisture than wheat flour, so if your batter looks very thick after folding, don't add more liquid—it will loosen as it sits for 1–2 minutes.
For extra pumpkin spice flavor, add a few grains of fresh nutmeg grated by hand over the top of each donut before the glaze sets.
If you don't have a donut pan, you can bake these as regular muffins in a muffin tin—they'll bake in about the same time and are just as delicious.
The quinoa flour gives these donuts a subtly earthy, slightly nutty undertone that complements the warm spices beautifully—don't be tempted to skip it or substitute with all-purpose flour alone.

Make ahead

You can prepare the dry ingredient mix the morning of or the night before; store in an airtight container. Mix the wet ingredients and bake on the day you want to serve them for the best texture and flavor.

Storage & reheating

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, wrap individually and freeze for up to 2 weeks; thaw at room temperature for 1 hour before serving. To reheat, warm in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5–7 minutes to restore moisture.

Substitutions

quinoa flour → buckwheat flour or teff flour. Use the same amount. Both add a similar nutty flavor and gluten-free option; the crumb will be slightly denser but still tender.
plain Greek yogurt, full-fat → sour cream or plain whole-milk yogurt. Use the same amount. Greek yogurt is thicker, so sour cream may make donuts slightly less dense. Adjust by adding 1 tbsp more flour if the batter seems very loose.
refined coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly → neutral oil (vegetable, canola, or light avocado oil). Use the same amount. You'll lose the subtle coconut note but gain a more neutral crumb structure.
pure maple syrup → honey or agave syrup in the glaze. Use the same amount. Honey adds a richer sweetness; agave is milder. Both work well with the cinnamon and spices.