Pumpkin Donut Puffs
An Ode to Pumpkin, or more importantly Pumpkin Donut Puffs
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.
More importantly … Pumpkin. Yes… pumpkin. That little odd shaped vegetable that makes my life worth living because it’s just amazing – it’s good savory (in Pumpkin Ravioli) and it’s good sweet (in Pumpkin Pie Pancakes).
Pumpkin is quite possibly my favorite flavor. It’s hard, because really it ties with gingerbread and that’s still a couple months away. But for right now, we’re focusing on pumpkin. 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 These little donut puffs were originally made with Cinnamon and Sugar and are to die for that way, but add the pumpkin and some pumpkin pie spice and you are talking about pure heaven in a little puff.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 for #SundaySupper. 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.
Pumpkin Donut Puffs
Alright, back to those little donut puffs.
Pumpkin Donut Puffs are seriously like having dessert for breakfast.
Pumpkin Donut Puffs
Little puffs of Fall that are perfect for breakfast or dessert. We served ours for dessert with some pumpkin ice cream and it was the best combination!
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 Tablespoon of Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup pumpkin
- 1/2 cup milk
For Pumpkin Pie Spice coating
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 3/4 cup of 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.
pumpkin donut puffs
Also, if you think these little pumpkins are adorable, click the photo to go check out the recipe!
Sunrise (Breakfast and Brunch)
Paula from Vintage Kitchen Notes is bringing her Orange Ricotta Pancakes
Erin from Dinners Dishes and Desserts is baking up some Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Heather from Girlichef is bringing Pumpkin Doughnuts with Spiced Buttermilk Glaze
Nicole from Daily Dish Recipes is making Pumpkin Donut Puffs
Kris from In the Kitchen with Audrey and Maurene is bringing Sweet Potato Pancakes
Patti from Comfy Cuisine is bringing Classic Orange Marmalade
Sunithi from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz is making Spiced Pumpkin Ricotta Muffins with Craisins and Walnuts
Wendy from The Weekend Gourmet is cooking up some Pumpkin Maple Oatmeal
Jamie from Mama Mommy Mom is bringing Butternut Squash Butter
Chelsea from Chelsea’s Culinary Indulgence is bringing Pumpkin Spiced Donuts with Chai Icing
High Noon (Soups, Salads and Sandwiches)
Renee from Magnolia Days is serving up some Butternut Squash Soup
Beate from Galactopdx is bringing her Carrot Ginger Soup
Jen from Juanita’s Cocina is making some Curried Sweet Potato Salad With Cranberries and Pecans
Megan from I Run For Wine is making Skinny Roasted Butternut Squash and Italian Sausage Soup
Sarah from What Smells So Good is filling our bowls with some Spicy Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup
Alice from Hip Foodie Mom is coming with her Roasted Carrot and Red Quinoa Salad
Susan from The Wimpy Vegetarian is making Cider – Spiced Sweet Potato Soup
Tora from Tora’s Real Food is bringing Butternut Squash and Tomato Soup
Melanie from From Fast Food to Fresh Food is making Monty’s Pumpkin Soup
Lyn from The Lovely Pantry is bringing Roasted Pumpkin & Coconut Soup
Kim from Cravings of a Lunatic is whipping up some Mandarin Chicken Salad
Sunset (Dinner and Main Dishes)
Sarah from Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends is offering up some Pumpkin Ravioli
Shelia from Pippis In The Kitchen Again is serving her Roasted Squash and Ricotta with Honey
Pam from The Meltaways is making Spooky Stuffed Peppers
Patsy from Famfriendsfood is bringing her Carrot Souffle
Laura from Small Wallet Big Appetite is bringing Chicken and Sweet Potato Fritters
Mehereen from Chattering Kitchen is making Sichuan Orange Glazed Chicken with Toasted Sesame Seeds
Tammi from Momma’s Meals is making Hearty Pork Stew
Kristin from Kwistin’s Favorites is making Orange Chicken
Soni from Soni’s Food For Thought is cooking up some Rigatoni with Pumpkin Ricotta Sauce
Shelby from Diabetic Foodie is cooking up some Moroccan Vegetable Stew
Dara from Generation Y Foodie is bringing Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Brandie from Home Cooking Memories is sharing a DIY Baked Sweet Potato Bar
Amber from Mama’s Blissful Bites is bringing Rice and Fig Stuffed Mini Pumpkins
Valerie from Val’s Food and Or Art made Double Stuffed Roasted Acorn Squash
By The Bonfire (Sweets, Snacks and Sips)
Carla from Chocolate Moosey is making Pumpkin Tiramisu with Pumpkin Butter Caramel Sauce
Heather from Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks is offering up some Pumpkin Cake Truffles
Shelia from Cooking Underwriter is bringing Sweet Potato Bacon Beet Salsa
Anne from Webicurean is making some Drunken Pumpkin Bread
Karen from In The Kitchen With KP is making Oven Baked Sweet Potato Chips
Leslie La Cocina De Leslie is making Sweet Potato Atole
Seet Fei from My Trials in The Kitchen is bringing Sweet Potatoes Mini Balls
Tara from Noshing With The Nolands is bringing Oranges En Suprise
Susan from The Girl in The Red Kitchen is making Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scone with Pumpkin Glaze
Brie from Brie’s Bites is bringing Peanut Butter Pumpkin Bites
Conni from Mrs. Mama Hen is making Orange Glazed Poundcake
Isabel from Family Foodie is baking up Moist Pumpkin Bread
Cindy from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings is baking up a Vegan Pumpkin Orange Cake
Brenda from Meal Planning Magic is whipping up some Creamy Pumpkin Dip
Laura from Family Spice is making some Unprocessed and Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
Kathya from Basic and Delicious is baking up Butternut Squash and Carrot Bread
Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake is serving up Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling
Stephanie from The Cookie A Day Challenge is whipping up some Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwiches
Katie from She Like Ruffles, He Likes Truffles is bringing Pumpkin Harvest Cookies
Nancy from Gotta Get Baked is baking up some Orange Macadamia Dark Chocolate Cookies
Angie from Big Bear’s Wife is bringing Orange Soda Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes
Katy from Happy Baking Days is bringing Carrot Cake with Orange Glaze
Sandra from Midlife Road Trip is bringing Orange ya glad it’s fall! Hungarian Apricot/Walnut pastries
That’s fifty nine awesome dishes this week!
Please be sure you join us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper.
We’ll be meeting up at 7:00 pm(Eastern) for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat where we’ll talk about our favorite recipes featuring our favorite fall color.
All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, or you can follow us through TweetChat.
We’d also love to feature your easy go to recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers, too.
Come hungry!
Paula @ Vintage Kitchen
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!
Pam @ The Meltaways
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!
Cindys Recipes and Writings
I never coated a baked good with butter. Sounds interesting! I’ll have to try it!
Patti
Love that these are baked Nicole! What a treat!
Megan @Irun4Wine
These sound so good. I love that they are baked instead of fried!
Faye Leong
What a great idea to serve this pumpkin donut puff with pumpkin ice cream….I will try this out!
Katie
These sound absolutely delish! I love that they are baked donuts as well…
Dara
Sooo adorable! Love pumpkin.
Kelly
These look delicious! I love pumpkin everything! I can’t wait to try this recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Sheila Fretz (@CookUnderwriter)
I love donuts and these look delicious….
Renee
Oh what sweet little puffs perfect for the fall season!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
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!
Nicole Humphrey Cook
Thanks so much Susan! They are absolutely amazing and melting in your mouth is an understatement 😉
Jen @JuanitasCocina
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’…
Nicole Humphrey Cook
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!
Anne @ Webicurean
I love that these are baked! I can’t wait to give them a try.
Nicole Humphrey Cook
Agreed Anne, I prefer the baked version over the fried version of almost anything. 🙂
Bea
These look so good!
Nicole Humphrey Cook
Thanks so much Bea!
Tara
Amazing, I love these!! I want one now please!!
Nicole Humphrey Cook
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
Audrey's Mamma
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.
Nicole Humphrey Cook
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!
Carla
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 😉
Nicole Humphrey Cook
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
Nancy @ gottagetbaked
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!
Nicole Humphrey Cook
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!
Susan
Yeah for doughnuts! Yeah for doughnuts that don’t need to be fried! Wonderful recipe Nicole!
Nicole Humphrey Cook
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!
Kathia Rodriguez
Oh my this is a lovely and delicious recipe.
Nicole Humphrey Cook
Thank you Kathia!
Sarah
They’re so cute! I cant resist!
Nicole Humphrey Cook
Ha! Thanks so much Sarah!
Tora Estep
These look wonderful!
Nicole Humphrey Cook
Thanks Tora!
Soni
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 🙂
Nicole Humphrey Cook
They are amazing for breakfast and equally as delicious for dessert with some ice cream! hahah we’re addicted!
Hezzi-D
These look awesome! I want to make them for my students, I think they’d adore them!
Nicole Humphrey Cook
They are really good! And like I said, I love their size, perfect for a snack!
Wendy (The Weekend Gourmet)
These look very good, Nicole…and love the bite-sized portion!
Nicole Humphrey Cook
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!
diabeticFoodie
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!
Nicole Humphrey Cook
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!
Tammi @ Momma's Meals
These look amazing Momma! I want to take a bite…like now!
Nicole Humphrey Cook
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!
Jamie (Mama.Mommy.Mom)
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
Nicole Humphrey Cook
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!!
Brandie (@ Home Cooking Memories)
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!
Nicole Humphrey Cook
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!!
Laura @ Family Spice
I swear I can smell the pumpkin spice right now – yum!
Nicole Humphrey Cook
That was one of my favorite parts. My house smelled delicious for hours after baking these – all the delicious spices! 🙂 Thanks Laura!
Family Foodie
I can just imagine how fluffy and tasty these are. They look amazing and I am so glad you shared during #SundaySupper.
Nicole Humphrey Cook
Thanks Isabel! Delicious, I tell ya!
Jamie
If these the night before will they taste good the next morning? (If there’s any left that is!)
Nicole Humphrey Cook
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.
Kim Bee
There is nothing better than homemade donuts. My hubby would go crazy for these.
Nicole Humphrey Cook
There really isn’t, I agree. Thanks!
Lyn @LovelyPantry
Nicole, thank you for baking these donuts! They look quite tasty! You mentioned pumpkin ice-cream…was it home made? Just curious…
Nicole Humphrey Cook
Yes it was! We love making homemade ice cream and the hardest part is just waiting for it to be done! 🙂 Thanks Lyn!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom
I LOVE that you baked these! I just printed this recipe and can’t wait to try it! thank you for sharing! 🙂
Nicole Humphrey Cook
Alice, please let me know what you think after you try them! 🙂 So good!
Crazy Kwistin
Yummmmmmm, these look super tasty! I love the blog too, looks great! 🙂
sunithi
Love that these are baked and not fried. Healthy savory donut holes 🙂 Sounds and looks so yummy ! All your food pics make me drool 🙂
Anita at Hungry Couple
These are so good. I made them a few weeks ago and they disappeared in the blink of an eye!
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
I love pumpkin and fall! These little guys sound perfect! Great flavors and super cute!
Sarah
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
Fork and Whisk
These look great, think I am going to have try this recipe out.
Chelsea
Yum!! These donuts look delicious! I love that you made them in mini muffin tins!
Jarome
Looks wonderful, nice colors! 🙂