September 27 2019

Easy Candy Coated Baked Spiced Pumpkin Donuts Recipe

Name: Baked Spiced Pumpkin Doughnuts Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Desserts
Ingredients: 1 box Betty Crocker spice cake mix*; 1 cup water; ½ cup vegetable oil; 3 Eggs; Orange Wilton Candy Melts; Tootsie Rolls/Chocolate Fingers/brown Jelly Beans for pumpkin stem

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These baked Spiced Pumpkin Donuts are ridiculously easy to make thanks to using a box of cake mix. You can use any kind of spice cake mix that is available to you, and make sure you invest in a donut pan so that you can whip up a batch of these delicious pumpkin doughnuts post haste!

For more seasonal food, check out The Ultimate List of Autumn Recipes for the Fall Season! Right-click and open a new tab to read next.

spice pumpkin donuts (made with cake mix!)

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Baked Spiced Pumpkin Donuts

I love donuts – not just the regular jam-filled kind which are the ones I remember from my childhood, but ALL the yummy flavors and toppings that are available these days thanks to chain donut stores! It always feels really indulgent when I have to buy a box of a dozen donuts for an occasion; like that one time that I piled them up and made a donut cake for my husband!

However, those specialty donuts don’t come cheap, and it’s actually not that hard to make doughnuts (which spelling is correct?!) at home. You don’t even have to worry about deep frying as this donut recipe is baked!

And because they are baked not fried, that makes them kinda healthy, right? But then they do get a candy coating, so I guess that puts them back into the sweet treats pile? Oh well, you can’t have it all I guess!

Ingredients used in this recipe

The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post, but here is a brief outline so you know what to expect from the recipe. I highly recommend always reading a recipe all the way through before starting.

Betty Crocker Spice Cake Mix + ingredients to make the mix: eggs, water, oil.

Unfortunately, the Betty Crocker Spice Cake Mix isn’t available in the UK, but you can buy it online. A good alternative would be Betty Crocker Carrot Cake Mix which we can get in UK supermarkets. Both mixes contain spices, and the tiny amount of carrot in carrot cake mix isn’t like to alter the flavour too much.

Orange Candy Melts – these come in a variety of colors, but you have to be mindful when using them! Follow my candy melting tips below
Tootsie Rolls

For those wondering what the heck Tootsie Rolls are, Wiki says the following: Tootsie Roll is a mildly chocolate-flavored taffy-like candy that has been manufactured in the United States since 1907. The candy has qualities similar to both caramels and taffy without being exactly either confection and does not melt.

And then if you are wondering what taffy is: Taffy (American English) or chews (British English) is a type of candy. Taffy is made by stretching or pulling a sticky mass of boiled sugar, butter or vegetable oil, flavorings, and colorings until it becomes aerated (meaning that tiny air bubbles are produced, resulting in a light, fluffy and chewy candy). So in the UK think of it a bit like the texture of Starburst (I still call them Opal Fruits!) or Chewits.

*If you can’t get hold of Tootsie Rolls (which are used to make the stalk of these pumpkin donuts) you could use a brown coloured Jelly Bean, or you could snap a Chocolate Finger or a Matchmakers chocolate stick and use those instead.

Equipment used in this recipe

Gather the following cooking tools to make these donuts:

6-Cavity Donut Pan
Mixing Bowl
Electric Mixer – stand or handheld
Cooking Spray
Measure Cup/Jug
Wire Cooling Rack
Microwave Safe Bowl or Melting Pot

How do you make baked spiced pumpkin donuts?

These are ridiculously easy to make! Simply make the cake mix according to the package instructions then pour into a greased donut pan and bake for around 15 minutes – or until cooked through.

Then melt the Candy Melts according to the package instructions and dip the front of the donuts into the melted candy to cover.

Poke in a piece of candy for the stem (you may have to cut it down to size) and leave the candy-coated donuts to set. DONE!

You can save the baked spiced pumpkin donuts recipe video to your YouTube Playlists for future reference. (Don’t forget to subscribe while you are there!)

Melting Tips for Candy Melts

You can melt candy melts/candy wafers in the microwave or a double boiler, or if you plan on making lots of candy-covered treats in the future, I recommend investing in a Wilton candy melting pot as treat-making life is then so much easier!

Try this PME one if you’re in the UK, as the Wilton one is not available on Amazon.co.uk.

If you use the Wilton Candy Melting Pot, you can check out Wilton’s demo video on YouTube which is really helpful. They also give tips on how to melt candy melts in the microwave, as well as using the double boiler method.

The two most important things are

Do not overheat – use an even melting temperature
Do not add water – it makes the candy seize up and become unusable. Make sure the equipment used is completely dry, and avoid using utensils that retain moisture like a wooden spoon.

If you find that the candy is too thick, add vegetable shortening or (solid) coconut oil in 1 teaspoon increments, up to 1 tablespoon, and stir well.

Another reminder – do not add water. The very first time I used candy melts I managed to get water in the bowl and it was ruined. Learn from my mistakes! Additionally, do not use vegetable oil, butter, milk, or any other liquids as this will also make the candy seize up.

If you are using your microwave, test melt a small amount of candy melts first, to see how it works. You may need to adjust the temperature and time to suit your machine. Heat in 15-30 second increments, stirring the candy melts each time. They may not look melted, but they might have started melting from the inside. Stirring helps to distribute the heat.

Make It A Meal!

You’ve made the dessert, but what about the rest of the courses? Here are some recipes to take a look at to make a complete meal!

Appetizer: Spicy Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup
Main Dish: Slow Cooker Chili Chicken & Pumpkin Stew
Side Dish: I don’t have a ton of side dishes on my blog (yet!) but I’ve got a mega list of 100 side dishes that I rounded up. The list was created for Christmas, but there is a ton of great sides to enjoy year-round!
Beverage: Bourbon Apple Cider Maple Fizz Cocktail

There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy! Please feel free to check them out too.

More Recipes Using Cake Mix

More Easy Dessert Recipes

Looking for more easy dessert recipes to try? Why not these:

Baked Spiced Pumpkin Doughnuts Recipe

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

These baked spiced pumpkin donuts are a delicious treat for fall or Halloween!

Ingredients

1 box Betty Crocker spice cake mix*
1 cup water
½ cup vegetable oil
3 Eggs
Orange Wilton Candy Melts
Tootsie Rolls/Chocolate Fingers/brown Jelly Beans for pumpkin stem

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 (or according to box instructions) and grease donut pan with cooking spray.
Place the cake mix, water, oil, and eggs into a bowl and use an electric mixer to mix together.
Transfer the batter to a measuring cup/jug for easy pouring (or if you have one large enough, mix the batter in there in the first place!)
Pour the batter into each of the donut cavities and bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through (test with a toothpick).
Leave to cool for 5 minutes while you melt the Candy Melts according to the package instructions.
Dip the front of the donuts into the melted orange candy to cover, and leave to harden.
Cut the candy you are using for the stem to the required size and stick into the top of the donut. You could use a little melted candy to hold in place.

Notes

*The eggs, water and oil listed are for the Betty Crocker brand of spice cake mix, adjust according to the brand you use.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 291Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 339mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 1gSugar: 23gProtein: 4g

This site uses an outside source (Nutritionix) to provide estimated nutrition. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.

The post is part of the Crafty October series on The Purple Pumpkin Blog. Check out Crafty October from 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012 for awesome Halloween ideas and inspiration; including recipes, printables, crafts, and more!