These Pumpkin Donut Holes are little bites of fall, perfect for enjoying any time of day! They’re a family favorite, and it’s easy to see why. They’re sweet and fluffy with just the right amount of pumpkin spice.
We tried them with a scoop of pumpkin ice cream, and it was the perfect fall dessert combo!
Why Should You Make These?
- These are so easy to make, and are especially full of flavor.
- They are easy to source ingredients and you probably have most of it on hand already.
- They taste like fall… plus your house will smell great as they bake as a bonus!
If you love pumpkin as much as we do, you should also try our awesome savory Pumpkin Ravioli or our deliciously sweet morning treat, Pumpkin Pie Pancakes!
Autumn is my most favorite time of year.
The cool crisp air, the smell of fire pits and bonfires, the changing leaves and the crunch beneath my feet when I walk.
But more than all of those things, I love the foods that seem to be associated with this time of year.
Pumpkin is quite possibly my favorite flavor. It’s hard, because really it ties with gingerbread and that’s still a month or so away.
But for right now, we’re focusing on pumpkin. Specifically these little delicious pumpkin donut puffs.
I have loads of pumpkin recipes on my blog, but despite having them, I can always think of something new to make.
These little donut puffs were originally made with Cinnamon and Sugar and are to die for that way, but add the pumpkin and some pumpkin pie spice and you are talking about pure heaven in a little puff.
Why do I call them puff’s? Because when they bake up, they bake up into more of a puff than an actual muffin shape (which you can see in the photos).
Pumpkin Donuts are awesome, Pumpkin Donut Puffs are even better.
Mostly because they are pretty much bite size and you can eat more than one and not feel guilty because they are small.
That’s how that works, right?
But enough about the pumpkins. Let’s talk about this week’s theme. It’s the Color Orange. Which is not my favorite color. Not at all.
But since part of the thing I love about this time of year is the changing leaves, it gets a special place next to red and yellow in the color of the leaves as they change.
I love driving down the road day after day and seeing the leaves all changing.
Are the leaves changing at your house yet? They are here.
It’s just starting, but it’s happening. Can’t wait to get some pictures soon. Always such a reflective time of year.
Alright, back to those little donut puffs.
Pumpkin Donut Puffs are seriously like having dessert for breakfast.
Also, if you think these little pumpkins are adorable, click the photo to go check out the recipe!
More Delicious Pumpkin Recipes
- Spiced Pumpkin Ricotta Muffins with Craisins and Walnuts
- Pumpkin Maple Oatmeal
- Rigatoni with Pumpkin Ricotta Sauce
- Rice and Fig Stuffed Mini Pumpkins
- Pumpkin Cake Truffles
- Drunken Pumpkin Bread
- Peanut Butter Pumpkin Bites
Recipe for Pumpkin Donut Puffs
Pumpkin Donut Puffs
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 Tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup pumpkin
- ½ cup milk
For Pumpkin Pie Spice coating
- 8 tablespoons butter melted
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F and spray mini muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.
- Combine the first four dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk.
- In a separate bowl, mix the oil, brown sugar, one egg, the vanilla, the pumpkin and the milk.
- Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and blend until combined. Don’t over mix.
- Fill a mini muffin tin up with batter almost to the top of each cup. Bake for about 10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- For the Pumpkin Pie Spice CoatingMelt the stick of butter in a small bowl.
- In another small bowl, mix the sugar and the pumpkin pie spice.
- After the donut puffs have cooled and you can handle them, dip them first in the melted butter and then roll them in the pumpkin pie sugar mixture.
- Place on waxed paper or cooling racks to finish cooling.
- And be sure and pop a warm one into your mouth to test to make sure they are okay for the rest of the family to eat.
This is a perfect recipe to try as I go on with baking pumpkin things for the first time. I love that they´re baked! And the sugar coating is to die for! Happy Sunday Nicole!
These look amazing! I wish I had a big pile of them right now! Thank you so much for joining in this week – its been so much fun!
I never coated a baked good with butter. Sounds interesting! I’ll have to try it!
Love that these are baked Nicole! What a treat!
These sound so good. I love that they are baked instead of fried!
What a great idea to serve this pumpkin donut puff with pumpkin ice cream….I will try this out!
These sound absolutely delish! I love that they are baked donuts as well…
Sooo adorable! Love pumpkin.
These look delicious! I love pumpkin everything! I can’t wait to try this recipe. Thank you for sharing.
I love donuts and these look delicious….
Oh what sweet little puffs perfect for the fall season!
Autumn is my favorite season too. I love this recipe and love the fact they’re baked! These look like they would just melt in your mouth!
Thanks so much Susan! They are absolutely amazing and melting in your mouth is an understatement 😉
I LOOOOOVE that these are made in a donut pan.
So, here’s the thing. When we have our visit, we need at least a week to cook and another week to have fun. Just sayin’…
We’re probably going to need more time than that, even. Wish we lived closer to each other, because I have a feeling we’d be cooking all the time. 🙂
Love you girl – your Sweet Potato Salad has had me drooling all day today!
I love that these are baked! I can’t wait to give them a try.
Agreed Anne, I prefer the baked version over the fried version of almost anything. 🙂
These look so good!
Thanks so much Bea!
Amazing, I love these!! I want one now please!!
You’re welcome to come and get some. I’m happy to make them again, as I’m sure we will be in the near future (like tomorrow!). Can you be here by then? :p
These sound so simple to make. The girls and I have never made donuts and this recipe might be just the thing to get over our (my) fear of attempting.
They are super easy for kids to make or at least help with. They aren’t anything like a traditional donut and I promise the girls will love them!
Ok, I love you. Why? Because 1 – no frying! and 2 – no buying a specialty doughnut pan! Can you tell I’m excited 😀 I wish I was at my place right now where I have pumpkin so I can make these for dinner I mean snack 😉
Well, thank you. I’m like you too – I don’t want a special pan and I really don’t want them fried. These of course are obviously more like cake donuts and could maybe even be stretched to call them muffins but they don’t bake up in a normal muffin shape. Therefor, I call them puffs. Love you with your dinner, I’d totally eat these for dinner… I mean snack :p
Nicole, I just ate breakfast but my stomach is growling in hunger just staring at your gorgeous photos. I love that coating of sugar/pumpkin pie spice and your donut puffs look wonderfully most and light on the inside. I also love that these aren’t deep fried. This recipe is definitely on my must-bake list. And fall is my favourite season too. I chose the month of October to get married because I love fall so much!
Nancy, October is a beautiful month to get married. My mom did too. Thanks so much for the sweet words about the donuts, the sugar pumpkin spice mix on the outside is AMAZING!
Yeah for doughnuts! Yeah for doughnuts that don’t need to be fried! Wonderful recipe Nicole!
I’m with you on yay for donuts! And yes, the ones that don’t need to be fried are even better! 🙂 Thank you so much Susan!
Oh my this is a lovely and delicious recipe.
Thank you Kathia!
They’re so cute! I cant resist!
Ha! Thanks so much Sarah!
These look wonderful!
Thanks Tora!
Oh I would absolutely love to have this for my breakfast!!So tasty with the pumpkin pie spice! I also love pumpkin and all the lovely fall foods 🙂
They are amazing for breakfast and equally as delicious for dessert with some ice cream! hahah we’re addicted!
These look awesome! I want to make them for my students, I think they’d adore them!
They are really good! And like I said, I love their size, perfect for a snack!
These look very good, Nicole…and love the bite-sized portion!
Wendy, they are the perfect portion size. Any bigger and well, I’d probably eat more than one and feel a lot more guilty than I do eating two of this size. Thanks!
I’ll bet these would be great even without the coating. I think I know what I’ll be making for my nephews the morning after Thanksgiving!
They are indeed fantastic without the coating so yes, you should do that. I myself don’t adore tons of sugar so I made a handful of them without the sugar and goodness they were good. Thanks!
These look amazing Momma! I want to take a bite…like now!
Well come on over my sweet friend, I’ll make up a fresh warm batch (because really they are more amazing warm than anything!!). Thanks!
I love that these are baked, not fried, and I’m always looking for a reason to bust out the mini-muffin tin!
Jamie @ http://www.mamamommymom.com
Jamie, I love my mini muffin pan but I use it so infrequently so we are trying to make more “puff” like foods. haha I know there are things I can make and do with it, so that’s my mission. Thanks!!
These look so fun and yummy! I’m also a big fan of the flavor of pumpkin. This time of year I like to go crazy with my baking/cooking with pumpkin!
Ha Brandie, me too – and I got a tweet yesterday from someone telling me “enough with all the pumpkin”. My reply back was, “I’m only getting started…” haha Deal with it. It’s my favorite. Thanks Brandie!!
I swear I can smell the pumpkin spice right now – yum!
That was one of my favorite parts. My house smelled delicious for hours after baking these – all the delicious spices! 🙂 Thanks Laura!
I can just imagine how fluffy and tasty these are. They look amazing and I am so glad you shared during #SundaySupper.
Thanks Isabel! Delicious, I tell ya!
If these the night before will they taste good the next morning? (If there’s any left that is!)
They are still very good the next morning. The outside is a little stickier but the flavor is delicious. We store them in an airtight container.
There is nothing better than homemade donuts. My hubby would go crazy for these.
There really isn’t, I agree. Thanks!
Nicole, thank you for baking these donuts! They look quite tasty! You mentioned pumpkin ice-cream…was it home made? Just curious…
Yes it was! We love making homemade ice cream and the hardest part is just waiting for it to be done! 🙂 Thanks Lyn!
I LOVE that you baked these! I just printed this recipe and can’t wait to try it! thank you for sharing! 🙂
Alice, please let me know what you think after you try them! 🙂 So good!
Yummmmmmm, these look super tasty! I love the blog too, looks great! 🙂
Love that these are baked and not fried. Healthy savory donut holes 🙂 Sounds and looks so yummy ! All your food pics make me drool 🙂
These are so good. I made them a few weeks ago and they disappeared in the blink of an eye!
I love pumpkin and fall! These little guys sound perfect! Great flavors and super cute!
These are so cute and you don’t have to feel guilty about eating them. Unless you eat the whole batch in one sitting. Which I could do easily! nom nom nom
These look great, think I am going to have try this recipe out.
Yum!! These donuts look delicious! I love that you made them in mini muffin tins!
Looks wonderful, nice colors! 🙂