Pumpkin Donut Holes

These Pumpkin Donut Holes are little bites of autumn bliss. They’re incredibly soft, warmly spiced, and can be made two delicious ways: rolled in cinnamon sugar or dunked in a spiced glaze. Best of all, they come together quickly with no yeast or rising time required.

Yield: About 24-30 donut holes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 4-5 minutes per batch (frying) or 10-12 minutes (baking)
Total Time: About 35 minutes

Ingredients

For the Donut Holes:

1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¾ cup (170g) pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vegetable or canola oil, for frying (if frying)

For Cinnamon Sugar Coating:

¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (for dipping)

For Spiced Glaze (Alternative Coating):

1 ½ cups (180g) powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Mix Dry Ingredients:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.

2. Mix Wet Ingredients:
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, melted butter, pumpkin purée, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.

3. Form the Dough:
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula just until combined. Do not overmix. The dough will be soft and a bit sticky. Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. Chilling makes it much easier to handle and shape.

4. Choose Your Cooking Method:

To Fry:

While the dough chills, pour about 2 inches of oil into a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C). Use a thermometer to maintain a steady temperature.
Use a small cookie scoop or two spoons to drop rounded teaspoon-sized balls of dough carefully into the hot oil. Fry in batches (about 5-6 at a time) to avoid overcrowding.
Fry for 2-3 minutes, then flip and fry for another 2-3 minutes, until deeply golden brown and cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined baking sheet.

To Bake (Lighter Option):

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Use a small cookie scoop to portion the chilled dough into rounded 1-inch balls and place them 1 inch apart on the prepared sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool on the pan for 2 minutes before coating.

5. Coat the Donut Holes:
While the donut holes are still warm but cool enough to handle, choose your coating:

For Cinnamon Sugar:

In one bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. In a second bowl, have the melted butter ready. Dip each donut hole quickly in the melted butter, tossing to coat lightly, then immediately roll it in the cinnamon sugar mixture until fully covered. Set on a wire rack.

For Spiced Glaze:

In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla until smooth. The glaze should be thick but dippable. Dip each donut hole into the glaze, letting the excess drip off, and place back on the wire rack to set.

6. Serve:
Donut holes are best enjoyed warm and fresh, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Tips for Perfect Pumpkin Donut Holes:

Chill the Dough: This step is crucial. The pumpkin makes the dough soft and sticky; chilling firms up the butter and hydrates the flour, making the dough much easier to scoop and preventing them from spreading flat when fried or baked.
Oil Temperature is Key: If frying, use a candy/deep-fry thermometer and keep the oil as close to 350°F as possible. Too cool, and the donuts absorb oil and become greasy; too hot, and the outside burns before the inside cooks.
Don’t Overmix: Stir the wet and dry ingredients together just until you see no more streaks of flour. Overmixing develops gluten and makes the donut holes tough and dense rather than light and tender.
Make Ahead: The dough can be made and chilled a day ahead of time.

Enjoy your little bites of fall! Let me know if you’d like a cream cheese dipping sauce recipe to go with them.