Name: Pumpkin Donut Holes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Ingredients: 1 cup All-purpose flour; ⅓ cup Brown sugar; 1 tsp Baking powder; ½ tsp Baking soda; ½ tsp Salt; 1¼ tsp Pumpkin pie spice; ½ cup Pumpkin puree; 2 tbsp Unsalted butter (melted); 1 Large egg; ⅓ cup Greek yogurt; 1 tsp Vanilla extract; ¼ cup Granulated sugar; 1 tsp Ground cinnamon; ¼ tsp Nutmeg; ¼ tsp Pumpkin pie spice; 3 tbsp Unsalted butter (melted)

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Pumpkin Donut Holes are baked until golden brown and fluffy and then coated with cinnamon sugar for a sweet fall treat! Enjoy them as a quick dessert or sweet pick-me-up with breakfast because they take less than 30 minutes to make, from start to finish.

Looking for more fall dessert recipes? Check out my Baked Apple Cider Donuts or Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread next!

If you love pumpkin spice, then you’ll find these baked donut holes totally irresistible! They’re light, fluffy, sweet, and spiced.

Why This is the Best Pumpkin Donut Holes Recipe

Perfect Fall Dessert: When the weather gets cold, I suddenly crave everything pumpkin spice flavored. These donuts take the flavor of the season and make them a bite-size delight!
Quick & Easy: It’s so simple to make these donuts from scratch, you’ll wonder why you didn’t try this recipe sooner!
Better Than Storebought: Drop the Entenmann’s box and skip the Dunkin’ Donut drive-thru because these homemade pumpkin spice donut holes are fresher and tastier!
Healthier Alternative: These baked, not fried donuts, are cooked without oil so they have fewer calories.

Ingredients

All-purpose flour: This is the main ingredient for donuts and is the foundation of its structure.
Brown sugar: This sweetens the batter.
Leavening Agents: Use both baking powder and baking soda in order to ensure the donuts rise, so they are pillowy soft, and not dense.
Salt: This makes the other flavors pop.
Pumpkin pie spice: Don’t have pumpkin spice? Make your own using pantry staples (t tablespoon of ginger, 1 tablespoon of nutmeg, 2 tablespoons of cinnamon, and ½ tablespoon of cloves.
Pumpkin puree: This provides fresh pumpkin flavor.
Unsalted butter: Use melted butter so its easier to mix with other ingredients.
Large egg: These act as a binding ingredient and add moisture.
Greek yogurt: This ups the moisture but also adds a tangy quality.
Vanilla extract: This adds a warm. spiced quality.

For the cinnamon sugar coating:

Granulated sugar:
Spices: I use a medley of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice.
Unsalted butter: Use melted butter so that it coats each donut hole.

How to Make Pumpkin Donut Holes

Mix Dry Ingredients with Wet Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 350° F (175°C). Grease a mini muffin tin or a donut hole pan with cooking spray or melted butter. Then in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, greek yogurt, egg, melted butter, vanilla extract, and brown sugar until well combined.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold together until just combined. Do not over-mix.

Bake Pumpkin Donut Holes

Using a spoon or a small cookie scoop, fill each cavity of the mini muffin tin or donut hole baking pan with the batter, about half full. Bake the donut holes for about 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Small round pumpkin donuts with a crispy exterior and soft interior.

Prepare Cinnamon Sugar Coating

While the donut holes are baking, prepare the cinnamon sugar coating. In a small bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice.

Once the donut holes are done baking, let them cool for a few minutes until safe enough to handle.

Coat Pumpkin Donut Holes with Cinnamon Sugar Mixture

Dip each donut hole into the melted butter, ensuring it’s coated all over, and then roll each donut hole into the cinnamon sugar mixture until completely coated.

Place the coated donut holes on a wire rack to cool completely or you can enjoy them immediately while warm.

Step-by-step image of rolling pumpkin donut holes in cinnamon sugar mixture

Pro Tips

The donut holes are done when the exterior is brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
Do not use pumpkin pie filling. You need pumpkin puree, which is just pumpkin without any sweeteners.

Recipe Variations

Pumpkin Donuts: For classic pumpkin donuts, prepare the batter according to the recipe instructions, then use a piping bag to release the batter into a greased donut pan. Cook the donuts for an additional 5 minutes.
Air Fryer: Instead of placing the donut batter in a muffin pan, place them in a parchment-lined air fryer basket. Bake them at 350°F for about 8 minutes.

Freshly baked pumpkin spice donut holes covered cinnamon sugar

Can Pumpkin Donut Holes Be Made Ahead?

Although these taste best fresh out of the oven, they last up to 3 days.

Storing Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, store them in the fridge for one additional day. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. You can eat them at room temperature or warm them up for about 10 seconds.

Common Questions

Why are they called doughnut holes?

Donut holes can refer to the actual hole in a classic ring shaped donut or the small, round balls of dough. It’s unclear how the term originated.

Are donuts deep fried or baked?

You can deep dry or bake donut holes. However, the ingredients for either cooking method varies.

More Dessert Recipes:

Peach Crisp

Double Chocolate Banana Bread

Rum Cake Recipe

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

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