These baked vegan pumpkin donuts with cinnamon sugar are soft, fluffy, light, and moist! They are packed with warm spices and make for a delicious fall treat that the whole family will love!
These fluffy vegan pumpkin donuts are made using simple ingredients and are infused with the mild, earthy flavor of pumpkin and a blend of warm and fragrant spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
This vegan pumpkin donuts recipe is one of the simplest pumpkin treats you can whip up. It comes together pretty quickly, making it a great option to enjoy for breakfast or just as a snack.
Since these pumpkin donuts are baked and not fried, they have a cake-like texture and obviously cannot be compared to their deep-fried counterparts. But they are good in their own way!
Bursting with warm, spiced, sweet, fall flavors in every bite, these vegan pumpkin donuts will certainly bring to mind beautiful memories of the fall season!! Vegan or not, either way, you will love this recipe, so go give it a try 🙂
- Why should you try this recipe?
- Ingredients needed
- How to make vegan pumpkin donuts – Step-by-step process
- Serving suggestions
- Storage instructions
- Recipe Tips & Variations
- Frequently asked questions
- Vegan Pumpkin Donuts With Cinnamon Sugar
Why should you try this recipe?
These easy pumpkin donuts;
☑ Are the perfect fall treat
☑ Come together pretty quickly, about 10 minutes of prep is all you need
☑ Are baked hence no mess of deep-frying
☑ Don’t require any fancy equipment
☑ Are packed with warm and cozy flavors
☑ Are vegan
Ingredients needed
Here’s what you will need to make these vegan pumpkin donuts. Please note the complete list of ingredients with quantities is mentioned in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Flour: I’ve used homemade cake flour for this recipe but you can use store-bought cake flour as well. You may also make this recipe with just all-purpose flour, but the cake flour tends to yield donuts that are light and tender.
Leavening agents: Baking powder and baking soda.
Pumpkin puree: Be sure to use canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. Just like my eggless pumpkin bread , the pumpkin puree used here acts like an egg replacer for this recipe.
Sugar: I’ve used castor sugar. You may also use cane sugar or raw sugar. You can also swap the cane sugar with light or dark brown sugar or a mix of the two.
Oil: Use a neutral-flavored oil, I’ve used sunflower oil.
Buttermilk: I’ve used homemade buttermilk by curdling unsweetened soy milk with white distilled vinegar. You can also use lemon juice in lieu of vinegar.
Vanilla extract: Enhances the flavor of these donuts!
Pumpkin pie spice mix: Use store-bought mix or your own homemade blend.
Salt: Just a pinch, to bring out the flavor of the other ingredients.
How to make vegan pumpkin donuts – Step-by-step process
Step 1: Make vegan buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 350° F/180° C. Brush or grease a donut pan generously with oil or with oil spray. ( Photo 1 )
Add 1/2 tablespoon vinegar into a measuring cup, and add soy milk up to the 1/2 cup line. Mix well and set aside for a couple of minutes. It will curdle and thicken. Your homemade vegan buttermilk is ready to use. ( Photos 2 to 5 )
Step 2: Dry ingredients
In a large bowl, sift 1 cup cake flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix. ( Photos 6 to 10 )
Whisk the ingredients well with a wire whisk and set aside. ( Photo 11 )
Step 3: Wet ingredients
In a medium mixing bowl, add ⅓ cup pumpkin puree, ⅓ cup sugar, ½ cup buttermilk, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. ( Photos 12 to 16 )
Whisk the wet ingredients until well incorporated. ( Photo 17 )
Step 4: Combine wet and dry ingredients
Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl containing the dry ingredients, and mix just until combined and no more flour pockets are visible. ( Photos 18 & 19 )
Avoid overmixing the batter as that can that will yield dry, chewy, and dense donuts.
Transfer the batter to a piping bag or use a resealable zip-top bag and snip off the tip of the bag. ( Photo 20 )
Step 5: Bake
Pipe the batter into the greased donut baking pan, filling each cavity about 3/4 full. Tap the pan on the counter to release air bubbles. ( Photos 21 & 22 )
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the top spring back when lightly pressed. ( Photos 23 & 24 )
Remove the pan from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Turn them out onto the wire rack to cool completely. ( Photos 25 to 2 6)
Step 6: Cinnamon sugar coating
In a small, shallow bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon until well combined. ( Photos 27 & 2 8)
Lightly brush the top and bottom of the donut with melted vegan butter, and twist to coat with cinnamon sugar. ( Photos 29 & 30)
You may only coat the top if desired if you don’t like them too sweet. Repeat with the rest of the donuts! ( Photo 32 )
Serving suggestions
These pumpkin spice donuts are best enjoyed warm with a cup of freshly brewed coffee, pumpkin spice latte, tea, or hot chocolate!
They are great for breakfast, snacking, or even for dessert!
Storage instructions
Though these vegan pumpkin donuts will keep well for up to 2 days, they are best enjoyed the day they are made.
Room temperature
- Allow the donuts to cool down completely. Place the donuts in a single layer in an airtight glass or plastic container.
- If there is more than 1 layer, separate the layers with parchment or wax paper to prevent them from sticking to each other.
- Store for up to 1 to 2 days in a cool, dry place.
- If it is hot and humid where you live, refrigerate the donuts.
- The longer you store them, the cinnamon sugar will become less crispy and may melt which will make the donuts soggy.
Freeze
- Once the donuts have cooled down completely, wrap individual donuts with cling film and place them in a freezer-safe bag or freezer-safe container.
- Label the contents and freeze them for up to 2 to 3 months.
- Thaw on the countertop for about 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
- Brush donuts with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar just before serving.
Recipe Tips & Variations
Grease the pan: Do remember to grease your pan generously with oil or oil spray even if it is nonstick. This will help the baked donuts slide out easily. If they don’t slide out easily, gently nudge the donuts around the edges with the help of a spatula to loosen them. That should help them slide out of the pan.
Measure the flour correctly: For best results, I always suggest weighing your ingredients. If you don’t have a weighing scale, remember to use the spoon and sweep method of measuring flour. To do that, first fluff the flour in the container, then spoon it into your measuring cup until overflowing, and level it off with the back of a knife.
Pumpkin puree: Use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. The latter is sweetened and will make the donuts too sweet. I haven’t tested this recipe with homemade pumpkin puree. I suggest using canned one for this recipe since homemade pumpkin puree tends to have more moisture and it can affect the outcome of the recipe.
To fill the donut pan: Use a Ziploc bag or piping bag to pipe the batter as it is mess-free.
Baking time: Baking time could vary from one oven to another. So keep an eye, overbaking will yield very dry, dense, and gummy donuts.
Sweetness: The donut itself is mildly sweetened since it is topped with a cinnamon sugar coating. If you intend to skip the coating, increase the sugar by another 2 to 3 tablespoons.
Try a different topping: Maple glaze, pumpkin spice sugar (use pumpkin spice mix instead of cinnamon), cream cheese glaze, and chocolate glaze are all great alternatives to spruce up these pumpkin spice donuts! It is best to have a thick glaze consistency here because the donuts absorb the thinner glaze in a couple of hours.
Can I make these pumpkin spice donuts without a donut pan?
You could simply use a standard muffin pan, and make muffins instead. You will just need to bake it for longer. Most standard muffins bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick, if it comes out clean, they’re done. But then technically, they won’t be donuts.
You can also use a mini cupcake pan to make pumpkin donut holes.
I suggest investing in a donut pan since it is pretty inexpensive and also it is available at most stores or even online. It is so handy to make a batch of donuts when those donut cravings strike! Also, if you really detest deep-frying donuts, this is the pan you need to make your favorite donuts!
Can I double this recipe?
Yes, you can! If you have 2 donut pans or a bigger donut pan with 12 to 18 cavities, you can make a bigger batch.
Can I skip the oil in the recipe?
Yes, you can! Swap the oil with applesauce.
Can I make this recipe gluten-free?
Vegan Pumpkin Donuts With Cinnamon Sugar
Ingredients1x2x3x
Dry ingredients
- 1 cup cake flour 140 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix 3 grams
Wet ingredients
- â…“ cup pumpkin puree 85 grams
- â…“ cup castor/cane sugar 75 grams
- ½ cup unsweetened soy milk 125 ml
- ½ tablespoon distilled white vinegar 7.5 ml
- 2 tablespoons neutral flavored oil or melted vegan butter 28 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 ml
Cinnamon sugar
- ¼ cup sugar 56 grams
- ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
- 1½ tablespoons melted vegan butter 21 grams
Instructions
Make vegan buttermilk
- Preheat the oven to 350° F/180° C. Brush or grease a donut pan generously with oil or with oil spray.
- Add vinegar into a measuring cup, and add soy milk up to the 1/2 cup line. Mix well and set aside for a couple of minutes. It will curdle and thicken. Your homemade vegan buttermilk is ready to use.
Dry ingredients
- In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice mix.
- Whisk the ingredients well with a wire whisk and set aside. (Photo 11)
Wet ingredients
- In a medium mixing bowl, add pumpkin puree, sugar, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract.
- Whisk the wet ingredients until well incorporated.
Combine wet and dry ingredients
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl containing the dry ingredients, and mix just until combined and no more flour pockets are visible. (Photos 18 & 19)
- Avoid overmixing the batter as that can that will yield dry, chewy, and dense donuts.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag or use a resealable zip-top bag and snip off the tip of the bag.
Bake
- Pipe the batter into the greased donut baking pan, filling each cavity about 3/4 full. Tap the pan on the counter to release air bubbles.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the top spring back when lightly pressed.
- Remove the pan from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Turn them out onto the wire rack to cool completely. (Photos 25 to 26)
Cinnamon sugar coating
- In a small, shallow bowl, whisk together sugar and ground cinnamon until well combined.
- Lightly brush the top and bottom of the donut with melted vegan butter, and twist to coat with cinnamon sugar.
- You may only coat the top if desired if you don’t like them too sweet. Repeat with the rest of the donuts!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Vegan Pumpkin Donuts With Cinnamon Sugar
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 1 cup cake flour 140 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix 3 grams
Wet ingredients
- â…“ cup pumpkin puree 85 grams
- â…“ cup castor/cane sugar 75 grams
- ½ cup unsweetened soy milk 125 ml
- ½ tablespoon distilled white vinegar 7.5 ml
- 2 tablespoons neutral flavored oil or melted vegan butter 28 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 ml
Cinnamon sugar
- ¼ cup sugar 56 grams
- ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
- 1½ tablespoons melted vegan butter 21 grams
Instructions
Make vegan buttermilk
- Preheat the oven to 350° F/180° C. Brush or grease a donut pan generously with oil or with oil spray.
- Add vinegar into a measuring cup, and add soy milk up to the 1/2 cup line. Mix well and set aside for a couple of minutes. It will curdle and thicken. Your homemade vegan buttermilk is ready to use.
Dry ingredients
- In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice mix.
- Whisk the ingredients well with a wire whisk and set aside. (Photo 11)
Wet ingredients
- In a medium mixing bowl, add pumpkin puree, sugar, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract.
- Whisk the wet ingredients until well incorporated.
Combine wet and dry ingredients
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl containing the dry ingredients, and mix just until combined and no more flour pockets are visible. (Photos 18 & 19)
- Avoid overmixing the batter as that can that will yield dry, chewy, and dense donuts.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag or use a resealable zip-top bag and snip off the tip of the bag.
Bake
- Pipe the batter into the greased donut baking pan, filling each cavity about 3/4 full. Tap the pan on the counter to release air bubbles.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the top spring back when lightly pressed.
- Remove the pan from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Turn them out onto the wire rack to cool completely. (Photos 25 to 26)
Cinnamon sugar coating
- In a small, shallow bowl, whisk together sugar and ground cinnamon until well combined.
- Lightly brush the top and bottom of the donut with melted vegan butter, and twist to coat with cinnamon sugar.
- You may only coat the top if desired if you don’t like them too sweet. Repeat with the rest of the donuts!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Khajur roll is a festive and delicious Indian dessert made by combining chopped walnuts, almonds, cashew nuts, and pistachios with pitted dates. The chewy texture, natural sweetness, and caramel-like flavour of the dates complement the nuttiness making this date and nut roll a perfectly balanced dessert.
Khajur rolls are a healthier alternative to the sugar-laden sweets that are available in the market during the festive season. If you are someone who needs a sweet treat after a meal or if you are simply looking to gift sugar-free mithai to your friends and family, these date and nut rolls certainly won’t disappoint.
Khajur rolls are also known by other names like dry fruit barfi roll, dry fruit halwa, date rolls, khajoor dates barfi, dry fruit mithai, date and nut roll, etc to name a few.
These khajoor dry fruit rolls have a soft and chewy texture and a subtle crunch from the nuts and the poppy seeds. They are sweet, nutty, and flavored with the exotic fragrance of cardamom.
Why should you try this recipe?
☑ Beginner-friendly recipe
☑ Not only delicious but also a good source of energy
☑ Free from refined sugar
☑ Much more economical to make it at home
☑ Can be enjoyed as a snack or dessert.
☑ Perfect for gifting this festive season
Ingredients you’ll need
- Dates: This forms the base of the recipe and also provides the sweetness needed for the rolls. Use any soft variety of dates.
- Nuts: I’ve used a mix of almonds, cashew nuts, pistachios, and walnuts. You can use either 1 or a combination of nuts. But stick to the ratio mentioned in the recipe for best results.
- Ghee: A small amount of ghee is used to roast the nuts and dates. Roasting the nuts in ghee helps in crisping them up while also enhancing their nutty flavour. Also, roasting the dates helps caramelize the sugars in them which gives these rolls a delicious depth of flavor.
- Cardamom: To flavor these rolls.
- Poppy seeds, slivered pistachios, and dried rose petals: These are used to coat the exterior of the roll. The poppy seeds and pistachios add a subtle crunch and also add a visual contrast making individual pieces of this date roll look beautiful!
How to make Khajur roll recipe – Step-by-step process
Step 1: Dates paste
Transfer 250 grams of pitted and roughly chopped dates into a blender. Process the dates using the pulse mode to make a coarse paste. ( Photos 1 & 2 )
Also, grease a plate with a little ghee or oil and set aside. ( Photo 3 )
Step 2: Roast poppy seeds, nuts, and dates paste
Dry roast 10 grams of poppy seeds on medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside. ( Photos 4 to 6 )
Heat 1/2 tablespoon ghee in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the chopped nuts (25 grams each of chopped cashew nuts, almonds, walnuts, and pistachios) and roast until they become slightly golden. Set aside. ( Photos 7 to 10 )
Heat the remaining half tablespoon of ghee. Add the dates paste and cook on low heat until it softens, around 3 to 4 minutes. ( Photos 11 to 13 )
Step 3: Combine nuts and cardamom powder with the roasted dates paste
Add the roasted nuts and 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder to the dates mixture, mix well, and cook for another 2-3 minutes on low heat. ( Photos 14 to 16 )
Turn off the heat and transfer the date-nut mixture to a plate. Allow it to cool down for a few minutes. ( Photo 17 )
Step 4: Shape the mixture, refrigerate and slice
Grease your palms with a little ghee or oil and shape the mixture into a 7-inch-long log by pressing it with both your palms. ( Photos 18 & 19 )
Place poppy seeds, 1 teaspoon each of slivered pistachios, and dried rose petals on a plate or silpat. ( Photo 20 )
Roll the log in the poppy seed mixture, ensuring an even coating on the exterior of the log. ( Photos 21 & 22 )
Wrap the log in parchment paper, aluminium foil, or plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 to 60 minutes to firm up. ( Photos 23 & 24 )
Step 5: Slice and serve
Unwrap the parchment paper and slice the log into 1/2-inch thick pieces. Enjoy! ( Photos 25 & 26 )
Storage instructions
Room temperature: These khajur rolls will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks in a cool, dark place.
Refrigerator: For a longer shelf life, it’s best to refrigerate these date rolls in an air-tight container. It will help maintain their freshness. They will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Freezer: You can freeze khajur rolls for several months. Wrap each roll individually in a cling wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag or in an airtight container. Thaw in the refrigerator for a few hours before you intend to serve.
Tips to make the best khajur roll recipe
The ratio of dates to dry fruits: Please stick to the ratio of dates to dry fruits as specified in the recipe. Adding extra dry fruits will make it difficult to shape the mixture into a log. I like to use a 1:2.5 ratio of dry fruits to dates.
Dates: I’ve used Omani dates for this recipe. These plump, soft, and moist dates have a rich sweet flavor and a chewy texture. Any soft variety of dates works well for this recipe. If you can get your hands on Medjool dates, definitely use those, they are the best! If you have a dry variety of dates, you can rehydrate them by soaking them in hot water for about 30 minutes. This will help to soften them up.
Sweetness: These khajur dry fruit rolls are pretty sweet with the variety of dates I’ve used in this recipe. The sweetness may vary from one variety to another. If the dates aren’t too sweet, you can add a couple of tablespoons of maple syrup, agave nectar, jaggery, or any other sweetener of your choice.
Yield: I got about 14 decent-sized pieces with this quantity. But you can either make smaller or bigger rolls and slice the roll as desired. You can also scale this recipe easily to yield more servings.
Variations
- Make it a ladoo or barfi: Instead of making khajur roll, you can shape the mixture into ladoos or set it in a pan and cut it into desired pieces.
- Play around with the coating: Instead of poppy seeds, you can use desiccated coconut or crushed nuts to coat the khajur rolls. Crushed pistachios give these rolls a very beautiful appearance.
- Dry fruits: You can add more dry fruits like figs, apricots, plums, prunes, raisins, cranberries, etc. Feel free to use whatever you have at hand.
- Seeds: You can also add pumpkin seeds, watermelon seeds, muskmelon seeds, flaxseeds, sesame seeds, etc.
- Spices: Feel free to play around with the spices. You can use nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, etc to give it a different flavor.
- Flavour: You can also flavour these rolls with rose essence, vanilla extract, almond extract, or saffron extract, etc.
What is khajur sweet?
Khajur sweet or khajur ki mithai is a delicious Indian dessert made from dates, nuts, and/or seeds, and ghee and usually flavoured with cardamom. The dates-nut mixture can either be shaped as a ladoo, barfi, or roll. It is prepared during special and festive occasions like Diwali, Holi, Eid, etc.
Can I make it vegan?
Yes, of course, you can! Simply swap the ghee with your preferred cooking oil.
Are khajur rolls healthy?
The ingredients used in these rolls are packed with good fats, fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They provide warmth and energy to the body, making it ideal to enjoy during the winter. Moreover, these are free from refined sugar, making them a healthier choice to enjoy as a dessert. Having said that, they are high in calories and should be consumed in moderation.
You may also enjoy these Diwali recipes
- Coconut ladoo
- Rava laddoo
- Karanji
- Shankarpali
- No-cook kaju katli
- Mawa barfi
Khajur Roll Recipe | Indian Date And Nut Rolls
Ingredients1x2x3x
- 250 grams pitted dates roughly chopped, 2 cups
- 25 grams chopped walnuts ¼ cup
- 25 grams chopped pistachios little less than ¼ cup
- 25 grams chopped cashew nuts ¼ cup
- 25 grams chopped almonds ¼ cup
- 10 grams poppy seeds approx 1 tablespoon
- 1 tablespoon ghee divided, plus more more to grease plate and palms
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
Other ingredients
- 1 teaspoon slivered pistachios optional
- 1 teaspoon edible dried rose petals optional
Instructions
Dates paste
- Transfer the pitted and roughly chopped dates into a blender. Process the dates using the pulse mode to make a coarse paste.
- Also, grease a plate with a little ghee or oil and set aside.
Roast poppy seeds, nuts and dates paste
- Dry roast the poppy seeds on medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.
- Heat ghee in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the nuts and roast until they become slightly golden. Set aside.
- Heat the remaining half tablespoon of ghee. Add the dates paste and cook on low heat until it softens, around 3 to 4 minutes.
Combine nuts and cardamom powder with the roasted dates paste
- Add the roasted nuts and cardamom powder to the dates mixture, mix well and cook for another 2-3 minutes on low heat.
- Turn off the heat and transfer the date-nut mixture to a plate. Allow it to cool down for a few minutes.
Shape the mixture into a log and refrigerate
- Grease your palms with a little ghee or oil and shape the mixture into a 7-inch-long log by pressing it with both your palms.
- Place poppy seeds, slivered pistachios, and dried rose petals on a plate or silpat. Roll the log in the poppy seed mixture, ensuring an even coating on the exterior of the log.
- Wrap the log in parchment paper, aluminium foil, or plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 to 60 minutes to firm up.
Slice and serve
- Unwrap the parchment paper slice the log into 1/2-inch thick pieces. Enjoy!
