My pumpkin donut holes are coated in buttery, cinnamon-sugar goodness for a delightful fall treat. They’re made with pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice for the perfect texture and warm flavor.
Pumpkin donut holes recipe
Pumpkin? For fall? Groundbreaking.
But come on – it’s a classic for a reason! The second the days start cooling, I’m whipping out the pumpkin puree and am ready to get baking.
With yummy options like Easy Pumpkin Snickerdoodles, Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake, and No-Bake Pumpkin Bites, my mixing arm is in for a serious workout.
Today, I’m sharing my newest fall obsession: pumpkin donut holes. They’re soft and pillowy, perfectly moist, and baked instead of fried for a lightened-up touch.
Want to add a sweet touch of pumpkin spice to your day? Follow along!
Ingredients needed
Here’s a little bit about everything that makes up my scrumptious pumpkin donuts:
- All-purpose flour: The base of these pumpkin donut holes is 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour. I have not tested a gluten-free variety, so if you do, let me know how it goes in the comments!
- Baking powder: 1 teaspoon of baking powder makes these donuts pillowy perfection.
- Pumpkin pie spice: For those warm classic flavors, I use 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice in the donut batter. If you want to make your own, scroll down for a quick and easy recipe.
- Salt: ½ teaspoon salt enhances the flavor of each ingredient in this recipe.
- Neutral oil: For fat content and flavor, you’ll need ½ cup neutral oil. I used avocado oil, though coconut or vegetable oil would also do the trick.
- White sugar: Add just the right amount of sweetness to this recipe, using ½ cup sugar in the donut batter and ½ cup in the cinnamon-sugar coating.
- Egg: Egg helps desserts bind and rise while baking. This recipe calls for just one.
- Pumpkin puree: ⅓ cup pumpkin puree adds a subtle sweet flavor to our donut batter while also giving it a deliciously moist texture.
- Milk: For extra moisture, I add ⅓ cup milk to the donut batter. Use any type you prefer.
- Vanilla: 1 teaspoon vanilla adds warm, creamy notes to these donut holes.
- Butter: To make these pumpkin donut holes extra decadent, I roll them in ¼ cup of melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Cinnamon: The final ingredient is 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon; I use this to create a sweet cinnamon sugar coating for the donut holes.
Kitchen tools required
Gather a few kitchen essentials to bake your very own pumpkin donut holes:
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- 2 small mixing bowls
- Mini muffin tin
- Non-stick spray
- Whisk
- Cookie scoop
You’ll also need some measuring cups, including 1 cup, ½ cup, ⅓ cup, ¼ cup, 1 tbsp, 1 tsp, and ½ tsp.
How to make pumpkin donut holes
First up for these pumpkin donuts – preheat your oven to 350°F and grease one mini muffin tin with a bit of non-stick spray.
Next, we will create our dry mixture. To a medium-sized mixing bowl, add 1 ½ cups of flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, and ½ teaspoon salt. Whisk well, then set aside.
In a separate large mixing bowl, create our wet mixture, including ½ cup neutral oil, 1 egg, ⅓ cup pumpkin puree, ⅓ cup milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Whisk everything until well combined.
Slowly add the dry mixture into the wet ingredients, whisking as you go. Once combined, spoon 1 ½ tablespoon of batter into each muffin tin; this should fill up 24 mini muffin slots.
Pop your muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let them cool for a few minutes before adding the cinnamon sugar coating.
While your donuts are baking, take a moment to prepare the sweet coating. Melt ¼ cup butter in a small mixing bowl. In a second bowl, whisk together ½ cup white sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.
Roll each of your pumpkin baked donuts in a layer of melted butter, then roll in cinnamon sugar until well-coated. Then, dig in!
Recipe tips
Below are some common pumpkin donut hole questions. Don’t see the answer you’re looking for? Leave a comment at the bottom of this post!
How to serve pumpkin donut holes
These pumpkin baked donuts are best served warm, freshly rolled in butter and cinnamon sugar coating. They make a delicious dessert alongside a fall-inspired beverage. Try them with hot chocolate, warm apple cider, or a cup of chai. For a boozy pairing, try:
If you want to make these pumpkin donut holes even more tasty, you can serve them with a homemade dipping sauce. Caramel sauce, chocolate ganache, and cream cheese glaze would all be scrumptious.
Can I make my own pumpkin pie spice?
Absolutely! If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice on hand, or simply prefer to make your own spice blends, here’s how to make a quick mix:
- 3 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 teaspoon ginger
- 1½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1½ teaspoon ground allspice
This will make just over 5 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice, so you’ll have leftovers for your next fall dessert.
Storing leftovers
If you’re planning on enjoying these pumpkin donuts at a later time, omit the butter and cinnamon-sugar coating until you’re ready to eat. This will help keep their texture and flavor top-tier.
These pumpkin donut holes are shelf-stable for 1-2 days, but will keep up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Store cooled donuts in an airtight container and warm them for a few seconds before coating and serving.
You can even freeze this recipe in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. Again, save the coating for when you're ready to dig in.
If you liked this recipe, you’ll want to try these!
Can't get enough of fall desserts? Sink your teeth into these autumn-inspired sweets.
- Simple Pecan Pie Recipe
- Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- Healthy Peanut Butter Fudge
- Apple Cider Donut Cookies
- Pudding Cookies
Recipe by Erin Morrissey and Photos by The Mindful Hapa
Pumpkin Donut Holes
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease mini muffin tin with non-stick spray.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together oil and sugar, then whisk in egg, pumpkin, milk, and vanilla.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk until well combined.
- Spoon 1.5 tablespoons of batter into each muffin tin, filling up 24 muffins.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes.
- While cooking, melt butter in a bowl and in a separate bowl, mix together the cinnamon and sugar.
- Coat each mini muffin in butter by rolling, and then roll in cinnamon sugar mixture until all are coated.
- Enjoy! If eating at a later date, toss in butter and coat in sugar closer to eating.
Abby S says
These are so yummy they don’t last long! I have made them several times and even made them one time with apple instead of pumpkin. Highly recommend!
Erin says
Hi Abby, so happy you love them and make them your own! 🙂
mary kate says
these are delicious! made them for a party and they were all gone so quickly! huge hit !
Erin says
Hi Mary Kate, so happy everyone loved them! 🙂
Miranda says
SO easy and SO delicious. Such a crowd favorite amongst my friends and family!!
Erin says
Hi Miranda, so happy you all love them! 🙂
Megan Hamilton says
I teach virtual education and we offer our students clubs to come socialize and just be kids. I host cooking club at the elementary level, so once a month, I lead students through a fun recipe! Today we did this one and the kids LOVED it! I had students making substitutions for ingredients based on preference and materials they had, etc. and a lot of fun learning! Thanks for the quick easy make 🙂
Erin says
Hi Megan, so happy they all loved them so much!! 🙂
Michelle says
These were absolutely delicious and so easy to make, highly recommend!!
Erin says
Hi Michelle, so happy you loved them!! 🙂
Mary says
I made these as a sweet treat for tailgating and they were a hit with the whole crowd! I can’t wait to make another batch! They are so easy to make and such a perfect little autumn treat!
Erin says
Hi Mary, so glad you loved them! 🙂
Megan Jones says
I had to make some substitutions due to allergies. I used 1 for 1 gluten free flour, vegan butter, applesauce (instead of egg) and oat milk - these still turned out *chefs kiss*
Erin says
Hi Megan, so glad you loved them and made them your own! 🙂
Jenny says
These baked donut holes were delicious and easy to make. My kids plus one sleepover friend had them all gone in about 10 minutes. Good thing I hid a few so my husband and I could try them. Thanks for the great recipe Erin. I will definitely be making them again. Maybe I will make them when they’re at school so I actually get a few.😂
Erin says
Hi Jenny, so happy they were a big hit! Sounds like you need to make double batches only! 🙂
Jill says
Made these yesterday and they are insanely delicious and incredibly easy to make. Can the batter be made the day before and then bake them the next day?
Kelsey says
These are INSANE. Make them like… yesterday!! (Mine turned out more like mini muffins but didn’t matter one bit.)
Erin says
Hi Kelsey, so glad you liked them so much! 🙂
Patricia Tammaro says
these were so easy to make and amazing. we don’t have mini muffin tins so just used regular and they still came out perfect. will definitely be making again!!
Erin says
Hi Patricia, so happy you loved them! 🙂
Jeanne Dubs says
I made these today to take along for Halloween at our families house and they turned out amazing! I will definitely make them again! Thanks Erin!
Erin says
Hi Jeanne, so happy they were a big hit! 🙂
Cheryl says
ERIN!!!!! Made these today!!!!! YUMMMMMMMM!!!!!
Erin says
Hi Cheryl, so glad you loved them!! 🙂
Sara says
These were absolutely amazing! Thanks for making and sharing!
Erin says
Hi Sara, so happy you loved them! 🙂
Jordan says
I made these for my office and they were a HIT! So easy to make and everyone loved them!
Erin says
Hi Jordan, so glad everyone enjoyed them!! 🙂
Kaleigh Rodriguez says
These are so good and so incredibly easy and quick to make! Great flavor, easy ingredients, and not too sweet - even rolled in cinnamon/sugar!
Erin says
Hi Kaleigh, so happy you loved them!! 🙂
Caitlin says
Used 1:1 flour and they came out delicious. My two year old helped make them and devour them! Will be a repeat here!!
Erin says
Hi Caitlin, so happy you both loved them!!