Pumpkin Baked Donut Holes Recipe

Dear friends,

It’s cool and rainy this morning in Colorado, and I’m dreaming of these cinnamon sugar-y pumpkin maple donut holes I made a few weeks ago. The recipe is from my cookbook, Pumpkin It Up!

I used a cake pop pan to make these donut holes, but if you don’t have a special pan you can make them in a mini muffin pan and they’ll puff up and turn out great.

You can use canned pumpkin to make these sweet treats, or you can make your own easy homemade pumpkin puree.

Best Pumpkins for Baking

Many of the pumpkin patches and stands have good baking pumpkins now.

Some of my favorites are:

• Little Giant
• Cinnamon Girl
• Baby Pam
• Amish Pie
• Winter Luxury.

To me, pumpkin maple donut holes taste like autumn and spice and comfort and home cooking and love.

Let’s make some; shall we?

Pumpkin Baked Donut Holes

• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup canned or cooked pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease two 12-cup donut hole or mini muffin pans.

Combine 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and reserve.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt until blended. Add the pumpkin, maple syrup, eggs, oil, and vanilla and stir until just combined; do not overmix.

Spoon 1 rounded tablespoon of batter in each opening of prepared pans. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until donut holes spring back lightly when touched.

Cool in the pan for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack. Brush the donut holes with melted butter and dredge in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place on the wire rack to dry for 5 minutes. Makes 24 donut holes.

Enjoy!

P.S. You might also enjoy this recipe for Pumpkin Caramel Cinnamon Rolls.

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