Using cake mix to bake donuts is quick, and easy, and takes only 3 ingredients and 10 minutes to make.
Do you ever just open the pantry looking for something to eat and just stand there?
Chiding your past self for being too optimistic at the grocery store about your current self's eating habits.
Past self wanted you to eat carrot sticks and drink water. Current self wants to mainline fresh donuts and an entire pot of coffee.
This cake mix donut recipe is dedicated to our current selves.

Jump to:
Baked cake mix donut tips and tricks
No. 1 --> Get creative with this recipe! Want sprinkles? Add them before the icing sets! Can't get enough chocolate and need chocolate glaze? Add a couple of tablespoons of cocoa powder to your glaze!
No. 2 --> Don't want to make pumpkin chocolate donuts? Use a different flavoured cake mix. Use a yellow, spiced, or another cake mix as long as it's ~ 15 oz!
No. 3 --> For these photos, I actually omitted the milk from the glaze / frosting and used my homemade pumpkin spice coffee creamer! It added a hint of pumpkin pie flavour to the glaze. So Yum!

Ingredients
- 15 oz box of cake mix, I used Devils's Food Chocolate
- 15 oz pumpkin puree
- pumpkin pie spice
- icing / powdered sugar
- milk
- vanilla extract

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How to make pumpkin cake mix donuts
- Preheat oven to 425f. Prepare a regular sized donut pan by spraying with cooking oil or by greasing with butter.
- Add cake mix to a medium-sized bowl, and whisk until all lumps are broken up. Whisk in pumpkin pie spice.
- Stir in pumpkin puree into the cake mix and stir until completely combined.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag or a gallon ziplock bag. I used an empty pickle jar to hold up my piping bag so I could fill it easily. Snip off the corner of your ziplock or piping bag.
- Fill each donut cavity about half full of donut batter. I smoothed to top of mine with my finger to seal the seams.
- Bake the donuts in the oven at 425f for 7-9 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the donut comes out clean.
- Remove the donuts from the oven, then allow to cool for 1-2 minutes in the baking pan before removing to a wire mesh cooling rack to cool.
- Glaze if desired Mix 1 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, 2-3 tablespoons of milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth, then dip warm donuts into glaze.
How to store cake mix donuts
These donuts are best served fresh! A glazed donut should be enjoyed quite soon after making.
If you're wanting to make these ahead, simply skip the glaze for now. Store the donuts in an airtight container, skip the ziplock bag, for up to 1 day. Glaze just before serving!

Recommended equipment:
Donut pan - can't bake a donut without a donut pan! This recipe makes 12-14 baked donuts, so it's nice to have two 6 cavity pans.
Piping bag - these icing piping bags make short work of this job! They're easy to fill and easy to wield.
More pumpkin recipes to love
📖 Printable Recipe

Pumpkin Chocolate Cake Mix Donuts
A 3 ingredient baked cake mix donut recipe full of rich chocolate, savoury pumpkin and perfectly spiced.
Ingredients
donuts:
- 1 15-oz box Devil's Food cake mix
- 1 15-oz can pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
glaze:
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 - 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425f. Prepare a regular sized donut pan by spraying with cooking oil or by greasing with butter.
- Add cake mix to a medium-sized bowl, and whisk until all lumps are broken up. Whisk in pumpkin pie spice.
- Stir in pumpkin puree into the cake mix and stir until completely combined.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag or a gallon ziplock bag.
- Fill each donut cavity about half full of donut batter.
- Bake the donuts in the oven at 425f for 7-9 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the donut comes out clean.
- Remove the donuts from the oven, then allow to cool for 1-2 minutes in the baking pan before removing to a wire mesh cooling rack to cool.
- Whisk ingredients for the glaze in a shallow bowl, starting with 2 tablespoons of milk and adding more if the glaze needs to be thinned.
- Dip the top of still warm donuts in the glaze and cool on a wire mesh rack. Double dip or a thicker icing layer if desired.
Notes
Storage:
Glazed donuts are best eaten fresh as they will absorb the glaze. Unglazed donuts can be kept in an airtight container for 1 day.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
-
Domino Powdered Sugar, 32 Oz
-
Libby's, 100% Pure Pumpkin
-
Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract, 4 ounces
-
Wooden Corner Spoon & Scraper
-
Stainless Steel Whisk
-
Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls
-
PAM Original Cooking Spray, 6 Ounce
-
Duncan Hines Classic Devil's Food Cake Mix
-
Wilton 12-Inch Decorating Bags
-
Wilton 6-Cavity Donut Baking Pan
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
14Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 174Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 225mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 1gSugar: 26gProtein: 2g
Pin these yummy pumpkin chocolate cake donuts!
