Description
These Baked Pumpkin Fritters are a soft, spiced autumn treat perfect for breakfast or dessert. Made with a blend of whole wheat and all-purpose flour, warm spices, and pure pumpkin puree, they’re baked to golden perfection and topped with a sweet vanilla glaze. Lightly sweetened and tender, these fritters are a healthier alternative to fried versions, delivering comforting fall flavors with a delightful glaze finish.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Fritters
- ¾ cup white whole wheat flour
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup milk
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
For the Glaze
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1 teaspoon maple or vanilla extract
- 1–2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the white whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt to evenly distribute the spices and leavening agents.
- Cut in Butter: Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut the cold butter into the dry mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, which helps create a tender fritter texture.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk until smooth. Add this mixture to the flour and butter mixture, stirring to combine.
- Add Pumpkin Puree: Gently fold in the pumpkin puree until just combined, being careful not to overmix to keep the fritters light.
- Form Fritters: Drop the batter by ¼ cupfuls (or heaping tablespoons for smaller fritters) onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly.
- Bake: Bake for 14-19 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown and the centers are set. For smaller fritters, start checking doneness around 12 minutes.
- Cool: Transfer the baked fritters to a wire rack to cool while you prepare the glaze.
- Prepare Glaze: Whisk together the confectioner’s sugar, maple or vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon of milk until smooth. Add more milk, up to another tablespoon, to reach your desired glaze consistency.
- Glaze Fritters: Dip the tops of the warm fritters into the glaze and place back on the wire rack to let the glaze harden before serving.
- Serve: Enjoy these fritters best on the day they are made for optimal freshness and flavor.
Notes
- Use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, to control sugar content and flavor.
- For smaller fritters, reduce baking time to around 12 minutes to prevent drying out.
- The glaze can be flavored with maple or vanilla extract according to personal preference.
- Fritters are best eaten the same day but can be stored in an airtight container for 1-2 days and warmed before serving.
- Substitute dairy milk with a plant-based milk to make the recipe dairy-free, though texture may vary slightly.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snack, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 fritter
- Calories: 170
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
Keywords: baked pumpkin fritters, pumpkin recipe, fall desserts, pumpkin snack, healthy fritters, autumn baking, pumpkin puree fritters, sweet fritters
