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My baked Pumpkin Donuts get their soft, tender texture from real pumpkin and cottage cheese blended right into the batter. They’re warmly spiced, baked in a donut pan instead of fried, and finished with melted butter and cinnamon sugar.
Whenever I open a can of pumpkin, I always seem to have some left in the fridge waiting to be used. I already make plenty of pumpkin muffins and pumpkin overnight oats, so adding pumpkin to donuts felt like a much more fun way to use it.
I love making these pumpkin donuts with cottage cheese for a weekend breakfast, and they’re easy enough to bake whenever I want something a little different from my usual routine. The pumpkin is the obvious ingredient, but the cottage cheese is what really makes the texture work.
Cottage Cheese Makes These Pumpkin Donuts Soft and Tender
Baked donuts can sometimes end up dry, so texture was especially important to me when I started working on this recipe. Instead of stirring the cottage cheese directly into the batter, I blend it with the other wet ingredients until completely smooth. This spreads it evenly throughout the batter, with no noticeable curds in the finished donuts.
A few other things that make this recipe work so well:
- They’re lighter and more filling. Cottage cheese and eggs add protein, while white whole wheat pastry flour adds fiber, making them more nutritious than traditional pumpkin donuts.
- The pumpkin flavor comes through. Pumpkin spice and cinnamon add plenty of warm flavor, but you can still taste the real pumpkin.
- Baked instead of fried. Unlike traditional fried donuts, these are baked in a donut pan to keep them healthier.
Ingredient Notes
The batter is easy to make, but a few ingredients make a big difference in how soft the donuts turn out and how well they rise.
For full recipe instructions and complete list of ingredients, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Pumpkin puree: Use 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, which already containers added sugar and spices. Pumpkin adds moisture and flavor, but be sure to measure it so the batter doesn’t become too wet.
- Cottage cheese: You can use any type of cottage cheese here, whole milk or low fat all work well in this recipe.
- Whole wheat pastry flour: This gives you some of the fiber of whole wheat flour while keeping the donuts lighter and softer than regular whole wheat flour would. White whole wheat flour, regular pastry flour or all-purpose flour will also work.
- Pumpkin spice and cinnamon: I use both so the donuts have plenty of warm spice without covering up the pumpkin. If you don’t have pumpkin spice, combine cinnamon with a small pinch each of ground ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Maple syrup and honey: Either one works, so use whichever you keep on hand. Maple syrup adds a deeper flavor that pairs especially well with pumpkin, while honey tastes a little sweeter.
- Avocado oil: This small amount of fat helps give the donuts a tender crumb. Any other neutral oil will work too, like canola oil.
- Cinnamon sugar coating: Melted butter helps the sugar and cinnamon stick while adding a little richness. Brush the butter onto the donuts instead of dipping them so they don’t absorb too much.
How to Make Pumpkin Donuts with Cottage Cheese
The blender does most of the work for the wet ingredients, and the batter comes together quickly after that. Here’s how I make them:
- Prepare for baking and blend the wet ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray the donut pan or pans with nonstick cooking spray or lightly coat it with oil. Add the cottage cheese, pumpkin puree, maple syrup or honey, eggs, avocado oil, and vanilla to a blender. Blend on high until completely smooth.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and salt.
- Make the batter. Pour the blended wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Don’t keep mixing once you no longer see dry flour.
- Fill the donut pan. Divide the batter between the 12 cavities, filling each one ⅔ to ¾ full. NOTE: I use two donut pans that make 3 to 3 ½-inch donuts.
- Bake and cool. Bake for 14 to 15 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean or with a couple of crumbs. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer the donuts to a wire rack.
- Coat the pumpkin cottage cheese donuts. Melt the butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Stir the sugar and cinnamon together in a separate shallow bowl or plate. Brush each donut with melted butter, then dip it into the cinnamon sugar. I like to coat them while they’re still a little warm so I can enjoy one right away.
jamie’s tips
My Best Tips for Baked Pumpkin Donuts
The batter is easy to work with, but a few small details make a big difference in how the donuts bake and release from the pan. Here’s what works best for me:
- Use a silicone donut pan if you have one. The flexible sides make it easy to lift out each donut without tearing it. A metal pan works too, but give every cavity a thorough coating of oil or nonstick spray first.
- Measure the flour carefully. Too much flour can make baked donuts dry. Spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off, or use the gram measurement if you have a kitchen scale.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Once the wet and dry ingredients come together, stop mixing as soon as you no longer see streaks of dry flour. Overmixing can make the donuts tougher.
- Fill each cavity ⅔ to ¾ full. Overfilling can close up the center hole, while using too little batter can make the donuts dry. A muffin scoop or piping bag makes it easier to portion the same amount into each one.
Make Ahead and Storage
These pumpkin donuts with cottage cheese stay soft for several days, so they’re easy to bake ahead for breakfast or snacks.
- Refrigerator: Keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let them come to room temperature or warm them briefly for 10 seconds in the microwave before eating.
- Freezer: Freeze the donuts without the cinnamon-sugar coating in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature or warm them gently in the microwave.
More Pumpkin Breakfast Ideas
If you’ve made and loved these Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Donuts or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and comments below!
Baked Pumpkin Donuts with Cottage Cheese
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour, white whole wheat flour, regular pastry flour or all purpose flour also work
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet ingredients
- ¾ cup cottage cheese
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup maple syrup or honey
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon sugar coating
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- ¼-⅓ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Prep a donut pan with by spraying with nonstick cooking spray or wiping with a small amount of oil. Note: I prefer a silicone donut pan, the donuts pop right out without sticking.
- In a blender, add cottage cheese, pumpkin, eggs, honey, avocado oil, and vanilla extract. Blend on high until smooth.
- In a medium bowl. combine the flour, pumpkin spice, ground cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.
- Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Fill the donut pan ⅔ – ¾ full. If you over fill them, they won't bake in the donut shape. If you under fill them, they'll be dry. I like to use a muffin scoop and then smooth the top of the batter.
- Bake for 14-15 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean or with a couple of crumbs and tops are lightly golden brown. Cool in the donut pan for 5 minutes and then remove to finish cooling on a wire rack.
- Melt the butter in a small microwave-safe bowl for about 30-40 seconds. In another shallow bowl or plate, combine the sugar and cinnamon.
- To coat in the cinnamon sugar mixture, brush each donut with the melted butter and then dip in the cinnamon sugar mixture. You can also add the cinnamon sugar to a gallon-sized bag and shake each donut in the mixture after coating with butter.
Notes
- Blend the cottage cheese well. Blending it until smooth keeps the donut batter creamy with no noticeable curds.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Mix just until everything is combined to help keep the donuts soft and tender.
- Don’t overfill the donut pan. Leave a little room for the donuts to rise as they bake.
- Add the cinnamon sugar while the donuts are still slightly warm. Brush or dip them in melted butter first so the coating sticks well.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an estimate.
Food photography by Marie-Catherine Dubé.
