2-Ingredient Pumpkin Donuts

2-Ingredient Pumpkin Donuts prove that sometimes the easiest recipes are the most satisfying. With just a box of cake mix and canned pumpkin, these soft, cakey donuts come together with almost no effort and deliver cozy fall flavor in every bite. They bake up tender, lightly spiced, and pair beautifully with a simple glaze or a dusting of cinnamon sugar.

Because there are so few ingredients involved, this recipe is perfect for busy days, beginner bakers, or whenever a sweet craving strikes. Even better, these donuts taste like something much more involved, yet they come together with pantry staples and minimal cleanup. A warm donut with coffee or tea? That’s hard to resist.

Recipe Yield: 12 donuts

INGREDIENTS

1 box yellow cake mix (15.25 oz)
1 can pumpkin puree (15 oz)

Glaze (optional, recommended):
1 cup powdered sugar
1–2 tbsp milk
½ tsp vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare the oven and pan:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a standard 12-cavity donut pan with nonstick spray.

2. Make the batter:
In a large bowl, stir together the cake mix and pumpkin puree until no dry spots remain. The batter will be thick. Avoid overmixing.

3. Fill the pan:
Transfer the batter to a piping bag or a zip-top bag with one corner snipped off. Pipe the batter into the donut cavities, filling each about three-quarters full.

4. Bake the donuts:
Bake for 14–18 minutes, or until the tops spring back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted into the thickest part comes out clean.

5. Cool the donuts:
Let the donuts rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely.

6. Make the glaze:
Whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1 tbsp milk. Add the remaining milk as needed until the glaze reaches a smooth, pourable consistency.

7. Glaze and serve:
Dip the cooled donuts into the glaze and let the excess drip off. Allow the glaze to set for several minutes before serving.

Helpful Tips to Perfect This Recipe

• Don’t use pumpkin pie filling.
  Make sure you’re using plain pumpkin puree. Pumpkin pie filling contains added sugar and spices, which can throw off the texture and sweetness.
• Pipe the batter for neat donuts.
  Since the batter is thick, transferring it to a piping bag makes filling the donut pan much easier and helps create evenly shaped donuts.
• Let the donuts cool before glazing.
  Although it’s tempting to glaze them immediately, allowing them to cool first helps the glaze set beautifully instead of melting right off.