Mini Pumpkin Spice Donuts with Vanilla Bean Glaze

Happy first day of Fall.  Here in Virginia, the weather has begun to turn chilly and I can't wait to start making all my favorite cold weather foods, beginning with these delicious Mini Pumpkin Spice Donuts with Vanilla Bean Glaze.  They're such a fun way to celebrate the change of season.  

I've baked mini donuts in pans like this, but I find I get much better results using an electric donut maker like this.  There really isn't anything wrong with donut pans that go in the oven, but the donuts they produce usually have one flat side, whereas the ones baked in the donut maker are domed on both sides. Also, you can crank out batch after batch pretty quickly.   

To prepare the donut maker, I use a silicone pastry brush to coat the indentations with a little vegetable oil or shortening.  The electric donut maker has a non-stick finish, but brushing with a little oil helps make donut removal a little easier.

The ingredients are mixed together easily.  No special techniques here, but I love using my BeaterBlade attachment so I don't have to stop to scrape down the sides of my mixer bowl.  If you don't have a BeaterBlade, you can use a standard flat beater, or feel free to mix everything together using a hand mixer if you don't own a stand mixer. 

To neatly dispense the batter into the donut indentations, I like to use a large disposable pastry bag.  It helps me fill the indentations quickly and easily.  Really cuts down on the mess too.  

No piping tip necessary, I just cut a small opening at the end of the bag.

I evenly pipe the batter, filling the indentations to the rim.  

Then I close the donut maker and wait 4-5 minutes until the mini donuts spring back when pressed slightly.   

Open the donut maker up and suddenly I have one dozen of the most perfectly shaped, evenly domed mini donuts.  Aren't they adorable? 

The mini donuts are removed from the donut maker and placed on a cooling rack to cool completely before glazing. 

Time to make the vanilla bean glaze.  Vanilla bean paste is full of those tiny little black vanilla bean seeds that look so nice on baked goods.  If you don't have vanilla bean paste, you can substitute pure vanilla extract.  Be sure to use the good stuff! 

Whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth - it should be about this thick to coat the donuts nicely.  If needed, add more confectioners sugar or half & half to adjust the consistency.  As soon as the glaze is ready, start dipping the donuts.

Dip the top half of the cooled donuts in the glaze and place them back onto the rack to rest for about 30 minutes so the glaze can set up. 

That's all there is to it.  Hope you give these tasty mini donuts a try.  Happy fall! 

Mini Pumpkin Spice Donuts with Vanilla Bean Glaze

makes 24 mini donuts

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

FOR THE DONUTS:

• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 1 large egg

• 3/4 cup 100% pure pumpkin puree

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup whole milk

• 1/4 cup canola oil

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FOR THE GLAZE:

• 1 cup confectioners sugar

• 1 tablespoon half and half

• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract)

Directions

To make the donuts:

1. Preheat electric donut maker and brush indentations with vegetable oil or shortening.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.

3. Add remaining ingredients and mix until combined using BeaterBlade attachment (or mix with a hand mixer).

4. Using a large pastry bag, fill bottom half of the prepared donut maker, filling each indentation to the rim.

5. Close donut maker and bake for 4-5 minutes (use a toothpick to check for doneness - the should spring back when pressed lightly).

6. Carefully remove mini donuts from maker and cool completely on wire rack before glazing.

To make the glaze:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners sugar, half and half, and vanilla bean paste until smooth.

2. Dip tops of cooled mini donuts in glaze immediately; allow glaze to dry for 30 minutes.

Note

• To use mini donut pans, preheat oven to 350F. Bake for 8-12 minutes until done.

Sweet Coconut Bread

Hi Everyone.  I'm thrilled to be joining the Secret Recipe Club once again.   It's been a few years since I last joined in, but I'm looking forward to once again taking part in this once-a-month bake along.

This month I was assigned the blog From Grandma Loy's Kitchen.  As soon as I read Loy's "about me" blurb, I knew we were cut from the same cloth, "I read cookbooks like novels, love to experiment in the kitchen, and spend way too much time reading blogs."  Oh my, can I relate!  

I am not exaggerating when tell you Loy's blog has hundreds and hundreds of delicious recipe.  I seriously had a hard time picking just one to share with you today.  I considered making Almond Joy Fudgies, Butterfinger Brownies, Chocolate Graham Marshmallow Drops, Japanese Fried Chicken, Hidden Treasure Mini Meatloaves, and Italian Sausage Casserole.  In the end I wanted to chose something that would satisfy my craving for coconut and the fact that this recipe uses toasted coconut sealed the deal.  So here it is, Loy's Key West Coconut Bread.  Loy makes this bread for her son-in-law at Christmas and I understand why - it's incredibly delicious.  I look forward to trying more of her recipes.  

I like to toast coconut in a dry skillet.

Stir it constantly - it doesn't take long.

Don't you just love toasted coconut?

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/3udVX90

• pure coconut extract https://amzn.to/3g3i1ep

• bakers joy https://amzn.to/3KRRxuo

• professional loaf pan https://amzn.to/3rjA5Yd

---

Sweet Coconut Bread 

makes one 8x4-inch loaf

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 2 teaspoons pure coconut extract (can substitute the best vanilla extract)

• 8 ounces sour cream

• 1 cup shredded coconut, toasted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F and spray an 8x4-inch loaf pan with Baker's Joy (I also lined my pan with a strip of parchment paper).

2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together.

4. Add eggs, extract, sour cream, and toasted coconut.

5. Add flour mixture and beat just until combined.

6. Pour batter into prepared pan.

7. Bake in center of preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.