These soft, fluffy Pumpkin Donut Holes, baked in a mini-muffin pan, are your healthier fall treats packed with pumpkin pie spices flavors. Plus, these pumpkin donut holes are made with just 5 ingredients and ready in less than 30 minutes.
I love making the simplest possible donut holes, like I did for my 2-Ingredient Banana Donut Holes, Air Fryer Donut Holes, or Sweet Potato Donuts. My base recipe is super simple and makes truly soft and fluffy donut holes in less than 30 minutes. But for fall, I wanted to make one with pumpkin and pumpkin spices.
I had to adapt the recipe quite a bit to accommodate the moisture of pumpkin puree, but trust me here, this is well worth it! These pumpkin donut holes are perfect! Don’t take it from me! I know they’re so good because they were all gone within a few hours of putting them on the benchtop!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Self-Rising Flour – If unavailable, mix 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour with 2 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder (and optionally 3/8 teaspoon salt).
- Oil – Can be any oil like light olive oil, almond oil, melted coconut oil, or any neutral-flavored oil.
- Pumpkin Puree – Use canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Homemade puree can be used if well-drained.
- Pumpkin Spices – Use store-bought or make your own blend with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Brown Sugar – Light or dark brown sugar works. Coconut sugar is a good alternative for a less refined option.
- Sugar (for coating) – Regular granulated sugar or coconut sugar can be used.
- Coconut Oil (for coating) – Can be replaced with melted vegan butter or any neutral oil.
How to Make Pumpkin Donut Holes
This recipe is really easy to follow with my recipe card further down, but I’ve included just below a few pictures of crucial steps.
Combine all the pumpkin donut hole batter ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Stir until the batter becomes sticky and uniform.
Place dough balls in 16 holes of oiled 2 mini-muffin pans.
Bake them in the oven for 13-15 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C).
Flavor and Texture Variations
- For extra texture, add a handful of finely chopped pecans or walnuts to the batter. Experiment with different spice blends, such as chai spice or apple pie spice, for variety.
- For a more decadent treat, dip cooled donut holes in melted vegan chocolate before rolling in the spiced sugar.
- If you prefer a less sweet version, reduce the sugar in the batter and skip the sugar coating, opting for a light dusting of powdered sugar instead.
Expert Tips
- Ensure your pumpkin puree is at room temperature before mixing for a smoother batter.
- For stronger pumpkin flavor, reduce the pumpkin puree by simmering it in a saucepan for about 5 minutes before using.
- Try a cream cheese glaze instead of sugar coating: mix softened vegan cream cheese with powdered sugar and a splash of plant-based milk.
- These donut holes freeze well. Make a double batch and store some for later. To reheat frozen donut holes, microwave for 10-15 seconds or warm in a low oven until heated through.
- To ensure even baking, rotate the pan halfway through the baking time, especially if your oven has hot spots.
More Donut Recipes
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Pumpkin Donut Holes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup Self-Rising Flour
- ¼ cup Light Olive Oil - (note 1)
- 1 ⅓ cup Pumpkin Puree - canned, not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Spices
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar - (note 2)
To coat
- ½ cup Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spices
- 3 tablespoons Coconut Oil - melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Oil generously two 12-hole mini muffin pans with cooking oil. This recipe makes about 16 donut holes, so you don't have to oil all of them.
- In a mixing bowl, stir oil, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spices, brown sugar, and self-rising flour until it forms a sticky muffin batter.
- Use a small cookie dough scoop to fill each muffin hole.
- Bake the donut holes for 13-15 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C) until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Flip the pan upside down on a cooling rack and let them cool for a few minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt some coconut oil in a small mixing bowl in the microwave in 30-second bursts.
- In a small bowl, stir sugar and pumpkin spices.
- Use a pastry brush to brush each muffin donut hole and immediately roll it into the pumpkin spice sugar.
Just came out of the oven. They are so light and fluffy. Really delicious. Love this recipe cause it doesn’t get any easier. Thank You!!
Hi there, thanks for the recipe.. want to make this for a group.. can I make these the night before and will it still keep its texture? Thanks!
Absolutely, they last 4 days in an airtight container
Hi can you use cake
Flour? Mine came out pretty dense was hoping to make it lighter
You need self-rising flour for this recipe, which is flour with incorporated baking powder. That’s the baking powder in the flour that makes the pumpkin donut holes fluffy
Just curious what brand pumpkin do you buy ? Here there is Libby’s at 15 oz which is about 1 3/4 c .. so there is a bit of waste . Thoughts?
I use Libby’s pumpkin puree. Once open, you can keep it for several days in the fridge and use it with one of my (many) pumpkin recipes.
Could you maybe use the 1 to 1 gluten free flour and baking powder to make it gluten free?
If you have a GF brand you trust, go for it! I haven’t found one I like yet.
Do you have a gluten free option fur these
Not yet 🙂
Could u use sweet potatoes instead of pumpkin?
Yes, but the recipe is slightly different. Use my Sweet Potato Donuts recipe
Carine, could protein powder be added to this recipe? I’m always looking for high protein snacks. If so, should I substitute some protein powder for flour? Any idea how much? I’m anxious to try these.
The texture will be dry if you add protein powder, and swapping some of the flour by protein powder won’t obviously make the batter hold together nicely. I wouldn’t recommend that
I’ve done ALL of your donut holes and donuts. This might be might favorite. Not sure. Maybe I need to do all of them again to make sure.
Loved it!!❤️does it have to be stored in the fridge or can it sit in an airtight container on the counter?
Thank you! if it’s not too hot where you live, you can easily keep them 2 days at room temperature in a cake box. Or 4 days in the fridge.
Oh I’m so glad!!
Thank you Carine for a delicious recipe