Pumpkin Donut Holes

Pumpkin Puree – you can use your favorite store-bought pumpkin puree or homemade pumpkin puree. Just note that homemade pumpkin puree can sometimes be thinner so you really need to pay attention to that! When getting store-bought, make sure to get pumpkin puree NOT pumpkin pie mix!

Spices – to make it easier, use pumpkin pie spice mix. Pumpkin pie spice usually contains a combination of like ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground allspice, and ground nutmeg.

Flour – use all purpose flour and make sure to measure properly. Make sure you spoon the flour into the measuring cup instead of dunking the cup into the bag! Then, cut the excess at the top with the back of the knife to level. When you dunk the cup, you really pack the flour into the cup.

Baking Soda and Baking Powder – Make sure that both of these are not expired! In order for your baking soda and powder to be potent, you need to use them within 6 months of opening the containers.

Brown Sugar – you can use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar. The difference between the two is in the amount of molasses added, dark brown sugar containing more, of course.

Low Fat Buttermilk – low fat buttermilk is the best option to create soft and moist texture (full fat buttermilk never works as well!). Note, non-buttermilk substitutes also never work as well!

See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

Start off by heating your oil in Dutch oven or fryer until it reaches 350°F. While that’s heating up, line a large baking sheet fitted with a cooling wire rack with paper towels.

Whisk together the buttermilk, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, and egg until smooth. Then, whisk in the melted butter. Add all of the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, whisking until everything is fully incorporated (1).

Use a cookie scoop to scoop out the dough, dropping each scoop of batter carefully into the heated oil (2). Work in batches of 5-6. Fry the donut holes until they’re golden (4), about 3-4 minutes. Turn them every so often with metal tongs if they’re not turning on their own.

Place the cooked donut holes on the prepared wire rack to drain any excess oil.

How To Ice Donut Holes:

While the donuts are frying, quickly prepare the icing. Whisk the powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice and warmed water together until smooth. Set it next to the wire rack so you can ice the donuts while hot.

After taking the donuts out of the fryer (5), let them sit on the paper towel for about a minute to soak up excess oil. Then, dip each donut hole into the icing to coat it in a thin layer. Place iced donuts back into the wire rack to set and cool (7).

Tips for the Best Pumpkin Donut Holes

• Don’t overmix the dough, mix it just until the ingredients are incorporated.
• Preheat the oil to 350°F exactly! Any higher and the donuts will cook too fast and be dark when done. Any lower, and the dough will soak up too much oil while cooking, resulting in greasy donuts.
• Make sure to use fresh oil so no other flavor interference. Old oil can also cause an undesirable bitter taste.
• Fry in batches! The dough will double in size while cooking, so don’t overcrowd the pot.
• Dip the scoop in the oil in between each donut hole to keep the perfect round shape.

Recipe FAQs

Can I add a filling?

You sure can! If you decide to add a filling, I recommend a cream cheese one. Here’s how to easily do it –

Once the donut holes are cooled enough to handle, gently inert the pastry filling tip into the donut hole and squeeze some cream cheese filling inside. Repeat with all of the donut holes.

It doesn’t have to be cream cheese filling, you can also make or use leftover custard or even jam. If using jam, make sure it is not too cold or too stiff/thick.

Storing and Reheating

At room temperature, these donut holes should be good for up to 2 days. To store them any longer or if you live in a humid climate, make sure to refrigerate them.

Store donut holes in an air-tight food storage container whether you are storing on the counter or in the refrigerator. I always recommend storing them in the refrigerator, where they’ll stay fresh for about 3-4 days.

To reheat, you can always simply pop one or two in the microwave for a few seconds when you’re craving a warm donut.

More Donut Recipes To Try

• Cranberry Sauce Donut Holes
• Bacon Brown Sugar Cream Donut Holes
• Easy Ricotta Donuts
• Lemon Curd Filled Donut Holes
• Maple Bacon Donut Recipe

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.