After I shared my baked Pumpkin Spice Donut recipe last week, I started getting feedback that many of my readers don't have a donut pan and were wondering if there was another way to bake them. YES! Allow me to introduce you to my Baked Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes!
These donut holes are made with the very same pumpkin spice batter and come together in less than 30 minutes, just like the original, but instead of baking in a pumpkin pan, they can be baked on a cookie sheet or mini muffins tin!
Baked Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes
Do you have a secret pumpkin obsession this time of year? I have the perfect baked pumpkin donut hole recipe for you and your whole family!
This easy recipe is so quick to make and pumpkin donut holes are an easy grab and go breakfast in the morning!
I know that we have some major pumpkin lovers in this world—me being one of them! They say the cause of the leaves and the cooler temperatures make the pumpkin craving stronger, but let’s be honest, I could eat pumpkin all year long!
If you love these pumpkin donut holes, you need to try my favorite pumpkin desserts: Old-Fashioned Pumpkin Crunch Cake Recipe and Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars.
If you are simply a doughnut lover, you can also try my Baked Apple Cider Donuts and my Homemade Baked Chocolate Cake Donut Recipe.
Ready to learn how to make these 30 minute baked pumpkin donut bites? Let's go!
I've added a helpful jump-to button (below) so you can skip right to the parts you need. Hope it helps!
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INGREDIENTS FOR CINNAMON AND SUGAR COATED PUMPKIN DONUT HOLES
INGREDIENTS FOR THE DONUT BATTER
- All-purpose flour | This recipe can be made with a gluten-free flour blend, too!
- Dark brown sugar | Substitute light brown sugar if it's all you have, no problem!
- Baking powder | This is a leavening agent and is necessary for the donuts.
- Pumpkin pie spice mix | If you do not have a pumpkin pie spice mix, you can make your own!
- Salt | I like to use sea salt, Himalayan salt, French salt or Redmond's Real Salt.
- Baking soda | It's another leavening agent, don't leave it out or your donut hole texture will be tough and dense.
- Pumpkin puree | The pumpkin puree can be store bought or homemade. See tip below for using homemade pumpkin puree.
- Eggs | Use large eggs that have set at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Whole milk | I haven't personally tried substituting a vegan milk alternative. If you do, I'd appreciate it if you'd leave a comment and let me know how it worked for you!
INGREDIENTS FOR THE COATING
- Granulated sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Unsalted butter | You can substitute salted butter for the coating and reduce the salt in the batter, but I recommend following the recipe as close as possible.
See recipe card for quantities.
HOW TO MAKE BAKED PUMPKIN DOUGHNUT HOLES
- Preheat the oven to 325 °F. Spray the mini muffin pans with nonstick spray. This recipe makes about 36 donut holes, so you may need more muffin tins or you can reuse the same pan for multiple batches.
- In a mixing large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking soda until well mixed.
3. In a medium bowl, combine wet ingredients together: pumpkin puree, eggs, milk, and butter.
4. Now we pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir to combine flour mixture until just incorporated.
5. Using a 1 inch cookie scoop, place a ball of batter into each spot of the mini muffin cups.
6. Bake the donuts for 10-12 minutes. They will have a soft and spongy feeling when done and should drop right out of the pan. Another sign that the donut holes are fully baked is if you gently push on the top and it indents but slowly springs back.
7. While the donuts bake and cool, mix the cinnamon and sugar in a separate bowl and melt butter in a glass dish.
8. Once the donut holes have cooled enough to handle by hand, brush them with melted butter and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
9. No doubt the best part is popping one of your delicious baked pumpkin donut holes right into your hungry mouth!
HINT: If you are using homemade pumpkin puree, you can thicken it by putting a colander in a bowl and then adding a few paper towels to the strainer. Pour the pumpkin puree in and let any extra water drip out the bottom!
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers. For more delicious recipes from scratch and homesteading tips, follow me on instagram @NinnescahHomestead
📖 Recipe
Baked Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes
Equipment
- mini muffin tin
- Mixing bowl
- measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
Pumpkin Spice Donut Batter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 eggs large
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup butter melted and cooled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 °F. Spray the mini muffin pans with nonstick spray.
- This recipe makes about 36 donut holes, so you may need more muffin tins or you can reuse the same pan for multiple batches.
- In a mixing large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking soda until well mixed.
- In a medium bowl, combine wet ingredients together: pumpkin puree, eggs, milk, and butter.
- Now we pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir to combine flour mixture until just incorporated.
- Using a 1 inch cookie scoop, place a ball of batter into each spot of the mini muffin cups.
- 6. Bake the donuts for 10-12 minutes. They will have a soft and spongy feeling when done and should drop right out of the pan. Another sign that the donut holes are fully baked is if you gently push on the top and it indents but slowly springs back.
- Once the donut holes have cooled enough to handle by hand, brush them with melted butter and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- No doubt the best part is popping one of your delicious baked pumpkin donut holes right into your hungry mouth!
Notes
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR BAKED DONUT HOLES
- Don't over mix the batter: When combining the wet and dry ingredients, be careful not to over mix the batter. When you over mix the donut batter, it will result in tough, chewy donut holes. You want to mix it until it becomes fluffy and just combined and then stop.
- Dry donut holes: When your donut holes are over baked, they will be dry. I would recommend decreasing your baking time by 2 minutes. If they are still dry, add an extra 1 or 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree to the batter next time you make them.
- Sticky dough: If the dough is too sticky when you are trying to scoop the donuts into the muffin tin, add a little more flour and mix until just combined
Nutrition
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
My favorite way to enjoy these Baked Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes is on cool fall mornings with a nice warm cup of coffee, hot chocolate or tea.
My kids actually like to take them as an after school snack before they jump onto the field for practice. I just make little baggies with 4-5 donut holes for grab-and-go treat.
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EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO MAKE BITE SIZE PUMPKIN DONUTS
The best part of this great recipe is that there is no fancy equipment needed to make it!
- You will need a mini muffin tin and 1 inch cookie scoop to make the baked pumpkin spice donut holes.
- For all of my baking recipes, I use a set of measuring cups, measuring spoons, sturdy whisk, and mixing bowls.
If you do not have a mini muffin tin, these can be made on a parchment lined baking sheet. Just know, the donut holes will look more like muffin top or rounded drop cookie (not a perfectly round donut hole).
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR BAKED DONUT HOLES
- Don't over mix the batter: When combining the wet and dry ingredients, be careful not to over mix the batter. When you over mix the donut batter, it will result in tough, chewy donut holes. You want to mix it until it becomes fluffy and just combined and then stop.
- Dry donut holes: When your donut holes are over baked, they will be dry. I would recommend decreasing your baking time by 2 minutes. If they are still dry, add an extra 1 or 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree to the batter next time you make them.
- Sticky dough: If the dough is too sticky when you are trying to scoop the donuts into the muffin tin, add a little more flour and mix until just combined
TOP TIP
Do not over mix the batter, or your donuts will be tough. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined so that your donuts are soft.
STORAGE SUGGESTIONS
It is recommended that you eat the donut holes the day you make them. Although the leftover donut holes will store in an airtight container or sealed plastic ziplock bag for 2-3 days on the counter, they just are better the day of.
If frozen immediately, the donut holes will store for up to 2 months. For best results then thawing, place the homemade donuts in the fridge until thawed then you can move them to the counter. Once they are at room temperature again, I would advise that you eat them the same day.
Please note, when stored on the counter or frozen the cinnamon-sugar coating will clump together or absorb into the donut as a result of the moisture within the donut.
FAQ
Absolutely! Baked pumpkin donut holes can be made in advance and reheated for a delicious treat later. To reheat, simply place them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or pop them in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 5 minutes. Remember to sprinkle the cinnamon sugar coating just before serving for the best taste and texture.
Yes, you can certainly use fresh pumpkin puree! Simply roast or steam a small sugar pumpkin, then mash or blend the flesh until smooth. You can use this fresh puree as a one-to-one substitute for canned pumpkin in the recipe.
While brown sugar can add a rich caramel flavor, it's best to stick with granulated sugar for the coating to achieve that classic cinnamon sugar texture for these donut holes. Brown sugar might make the coating more prone to clumping and may not adhere as evenly. However, you can experiment with a mixture of both sugars if you want to incorporate a subtle caramel note while retaining the desired texture.
If you make this recipe, leave me a comment and tell me how you liked it! It's early September as I'm writing this, and I'll just be over here dreaming of fall! Be sure to pin one of these pictures to your Pinterest so you can easily find this recipe later!
Happy baking!
-Meg
More breakfast recipes!
Looking for other breakfast recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
Here are a few brunchy foods that would go well with these donuts.
Liz
I'm obsessed with pumpkin and couldn't make these fast enough! They were soon good! Thank you for my making a recipe where I don't need donut molds ❤️