3-Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Latte Donuts

These easy Pumpkin Spice Latte Donuts are made with just three ingredients: spice cake mix, pumpkin puree and instant coffee. They’re soft, incredibly moist and full of the warm pumpkin-spice-and-coffee flavor of a favorite fall latte.

And they couldn’t be much easier.

Everything gets stirred together in one bowl, spooned or piped into a donut pan (affiliate link) and baked for about 10 minutes.

I’ve always been a fan of recipes that use a cake mix as a shortcut, especially when the result doesn’t taste like much of a shortcut. The pumpkin adds moisture and richness, while just a little instant coffee deepens all those warm spices and gives the donuts their pumpkin spice latte twist.

They’re a fun way to celebrate pumpkin season without spending the afternoon baking.

Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Spice Latte Donuts

• Just 3 ingredients. Spice cake mix, pumpkin puree and instant coffee are all you need.
• One-bowl easy. The batter comes together in minutes with very little cleanup.
• Baked, not fried. No deep fryer or pot of hot oil required.
• Ready quickly. They need just 10 to 12 minutes in the oven.
• Soft and moist. Pumpkin puree keeps the donuts wonderfully tender.
• Perfect for fall. Pumpkin spice and coffee give you those familiar pumpkin spice latte flavors in donut form.
• Easy to customize. Enjoy them plain or dress them up with powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar or a simple glaze.

If you’ve never baked donuts before, you’re in for a treat. They’re surprisingly simple to make. You will need a donut pan (affiliate link), but otherwise there’s no special equipment required.

And if you prefer baking donuts from scratch instead of using a cake mix, try my Healthy Baked Whole Wheat Donuts.

Ingredients

You need just three basic ingredients:

Spice cake mix (1-3/4 cups) – This is the shortcut that makes the recipe so easy. The flour, sugar, leavening and warm spices are already combined for you.

To lower the calories and WW Points, you can substitute your favorite sugar-free white or yellow cake mix and add about 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice.

Pumpkin puree – Be sure to use pure canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin adds moisture and richness without needing oil or butter. You can also make your own homemade pumpkin puree.

Instant coffee or espresso powder – This is what transforms simple pumpkin spice donuts into pumpkin spice latte donuts. You don’t need much. I often use decaf instant coffee, and I’ve also substituted espresso powder when that’s what I had on hand.

You’ll also need ½ cup hot water to dissolve the coffee.

How to Make Pumpkin Spice Latte Baked Donuts, Step-by-Step

Step 1: Gather and prepare your ingredients

Step 2: Preheat the oven and prepare you pan.

Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Spray a donut pan (6 cavity) with non-stick spray and set aside.

Step 3: Dissolve coffee powder.

Add coffee powder to a mixing bowl and dissolve in 1/2 cup hot water.

Step 4: Mix the batter.

Stir in cake mix and pumpkin until thoroughly mixed and smooth with no lumps.

Step 5: Fill the doughnut pan with the batter.

Distribute batter evenly between doughnut pan cavities, using either a spoon or piping it in with a pastry bag. If you don’t have a pastry bag, you can add the donut batter to a large Ziplock plastic bag, squeeze out the excess air and snip off one corner and pipe batter directly in the pan.
Pro tip: Smoothing out the tops will make for better looking donuts.

Step 6: Bake

Bake about 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in a donut comes out clean, or with a few small crumbs.

Step 7: Cool

Allow donuts to cool in the pan before removing to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.

Step 8: Decorate if desired.

If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. (The pumpkin makes these donuts extremely moist, so any powdered sugar is likely to absorb quickly.)

Step 9: Store leftover donuts in an airtight container.

Recipe Notes & Variations

Instant coffee or espresso powder: Either works. I used espresso powder when I made the batch pictured because that’s what I had on hand.

Prefer decaf? That’s what I often use. You still get the subtle coffee flavor without adding much caffeine.

No spice cake mix? Substitute yellow or white cake mix and add about 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice.

Try a sugar-free cake mix: This is an easy way to reduce the calories and WW Points. Add pumpkin pie spice if you’re using a plain white or yellow mix.

Make your own pumpkin puree: If you have fresh pumpkin, try my homemade pressure cooker pumpkin puree.

For prettier donuts: Pipe the batter into the pan and smooth the exposed surface before baking. Thick cake-mix batter doesn’t always settle on its own.

Add a simple topping: Powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar or a light glaze all work well.

Serving Suggestions

I like these best with a hot cup of coffee—which seems especially appropriate for a pumpkin spice latte donut.

They’re also delicious with tea, cold milk or a mug of warm apple cider.

For an easy fall dessert, serve a donut slightly warm with a spoonful of vanilla yogurt or a little light whipped topping.

Half of pumpkin spice latte donut sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Soft and moist inside

Storing Pumpkin Spice Latte Donuts

Because these donuts are so moist, let them cool completely before storing.

Place them in an airtight container, separating layers with wax or parchment paper if you need to stack them.

Baked pumpkin spice latte donuts stacked on serving platter.

Fresh baked pumpkin spice latte donuts

A Fun Cake Mix Shortcut for Fall

There’s a lot to be said for baking from scratch, but I’m equally fond of a good shortcut when it works.

And this one works.

The pumpkin does something almost magical to a box of spice cake mix, making the donuts soft, moist and satisfying. Then that little spoonful of coffee gives them just enough of a latte flavor to make them interesting.

Three ingredients. One bowl. About 10 minutes in the oven.

That’s my kind of fall baking.

Calories & WeightWatchers Points

According to my calculations, each donut has 170 calories.

To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)

If you’ve made these Baked Pumpkin Spice Cake Donuts, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.

Recipe source: Hungry Girl Magazine (affiliate link), Fall 2021

More Easy Donut and Muffin Recipes

• Healthy Whole Wheat Baked Donuts – Light, fluffy, and baked instead of fried, I love that these donuts use wholesome whole wheat flour for a healthier twist on a classic treat.
• Low-Fat Baked Pumpkin Donuts – Moist, warmly spiced, and full of pumpkin flavor, these baked donuts are a fall family favorite that works all year long.
• Glazed Easy Cake Mix Mint Chocolate Baked Donuts – A favorite shortcut recipe that starts with cake mix but tastes like a bakery indulgence, finished with a refreshing mint glaze.
• 2-Ingredient Apple Spice Cake Mix Cupcakes – Quick, easy, and perfectly spiced, these cupcakes provide me with a simple way to enjoy the flavors of fall with minimal effort.
• Low Calorie Fiber One Mango Muffins – Sweet, fruity muffins that use Fiber One cereal for a lighter breakfast or snack that still leaves me feeling satisfying.

Make Healthy Baking Easy

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