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These baked pumpkin donut holes are the best healthy fall treat! They are light and fluffy bursting with pumpkin spice flavors. Gluten-free and ready in 30 minutes with just a handful of simple ingredients.
We love donuts and these NEW pumpkin donut holes are our new favorite fall treat! They are baked in the oven, making them healthier than traditional pumpkin donuts, and the kids loved them!
These donut holes come out perfectly light and fluffy, loaded with yummy pumpkin spice flavors and they are bite-sized (which means you can have more). Plus they are gluten-free!
We also love the mini pumpkin bundt cakes that are also easy to make and gluten-free.
Baking these pumpkin donuts holes instead of frying them makes this recipe healthier with less oil and fat but still super delicious! The addition of the pumpkin and warm fall spices takes them to a whole new level! Plus the fact that these are gluten-free donut holes means everyone can enjoy them!
Why you’ll love these baked donut holes with pumpkin
- Perfect for fall – bursting with warm pumpkin spice flavors
- Easy to make – only a few ingredients and ready in about 30 minutes.
- Healthy – lighter than traditional donut holes since this version is baked and not fried. Plus GLUTEN FREE!
- Kid-friendly – bite-sized treats the kids will love!
Jump to:
Ingredients and Substitutions
You only need a few simple ingredients to make these delicious pumpkin donut holes. Here is what you’ll need:
- Pumpkin puree – canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Gluten-free all-purpose flour – I used King Arthur’s. You can also use regular all-purpose flour if you do not need to keep this recipe gluten-free.
- Eggs – large fresh eggs
- Sugar-granulated sugar for that decadent sweet flavor, monkfruit, or stevia can be substituted for a sugar-free version.
- Baking powder– to help the donuts puff up as they bake.
- Coconut oil – I used virgin coconut oil. You can also use melted butter.
- Spices – pumpkin spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt
- Cornstarch – helps hold the donuts together as they bake and not become crumbly. You could also use arrowroot starch.
- Butter – is used for coating the donuts after they bake.
Recommended Kitchen Tools
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups + Measuring spoons
- Wooden spoon
- Mini donut pans or mini muffin pan
How to make baked pumpkin donut holes
Here is a summary with step-by-step photos of how to make these gluten-free pumpkin donut holes. Get the complete list of recipe ingredients, instructions, and nutrition in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: Mix the wet and dry ingredients in separate mixing bowls.
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until a thick donut batter forms.
Step 3: divide the batter between the cavities of a 2 (12-cup) or 1 (24-cup) donut hole or mini muffin pan. Filling each cavity about halfway full.
Step 4: bake the donut holes in a preheated oven at 350°F for 15-17 minutes.
Step 5: melt the butter, mix up the cinnamon sugar, dip each donut hole in the melted butter then roll them in the cinnamon sugar.
Step 6: Serve and enjoy!
Pro tip: I find that using an ice cream scoop makes filling the donut hole pan or mini muffin pan so much easier, ensuring even portions with less mess.
Recipe Tips For The Best Results
- Don’t overmix the batter: Gently fold the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. Overmixing can lead to dense, chewy donut holes.
- Grease your pan well: Even if you’re using a non-stick pan, lightly grease the donut hole or mini muffin pan to ensure easy removal and a smooth surface.
- Scoop batter evenly: Using an ice cream scoop or small cookie scoop ensures that each donut hole is the same size, leading to even baking.
- Don’t overfill the pan: Only fill the cavities about ⅔ full to allow room for the donut holes to rise and become perfectly round.
- Rotate the pan: Halfway through baking, rotate the pan for even browning and rise.
Pumpkin donut hole recipe variations
- Make your pumpkin spice mix – combine 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon allspice, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, and ½ teaspoon ground cloves. Keep in an airtight container or spice jar.
- Pumpkin chocolate chip donuts – add mini chocolate chips to the batter
- Make larger donuts – use this version of the recipe.
- Sugar-free pumpkin donut holes – swap the sugar with a sugar-free substitute like stevia or monkfruit.
Storage
Leftover donut holes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Note: these donut holes will become soggy if you store them after you have dipped them in butter and cinnamon sugar. If you are storing them for later use then I recommend coating them right before serving.
Freezing: I do not recommend freezing these baked donut holes since they will likely get dry since they are gluten-free.
FAQs
Yes, this recipe as written is gluten-free.
Each donut hole is about 75 calories.
Yes, you can fill a silicone egg bite mold or mini muffin pan with the batter and air fryer them at 350°F for 6-8 minutes or until set and golden. Then dip them in butter and roll in cinnamon sugar.
Did you try this baked pumpkin donut holes recipe? If you did, then please leave a rating and comment below, I would love to hear how yours turned out!
Check out all of my healthy desserts on PMG!
More Healthy Pumpkin Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes – Gluten Free
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 25–30 donut holes 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These baked pumpkin donut holes are the best healthy fall treat! They are light and fluffy, bursting with pumpkin spice flavors. You can make them in about 30 minutes with just a few simple ingredients! Plus, they are gluten-free!
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 1.5 cups pumpkin puree – not pumpkin pie filling
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 1.5 cups granulated sugar – or sugar substitute
Dry ingredients
- 1+¾ cups gluten free all purpose flour
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1.5 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
For coating the donut holes
- ½ cup melted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray 1 (12-cup) or 2 (24-cup) donut hole pans or mini muffin pans with cooking spray.
- Mix the wet ingredients in a medium bowl.
- In a separate larger mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well to combine into a thick, wet donut batter.
- Use a medium-sized ice cream scoop to scoop and portion the batter into the donut hole or mini muffin cavities of your pans, filling them about halfway full. This recipe makes about 25-30 donut holes so you will likely need to do this in batches.
- Bake the donut holes in the preheated oven on the middle rack for 15-17 minutes until set and golden.
- While the donuts are cooking, melt the butter and mix up the cinnamon sugar.
- Once the donuts are done, carefully remove them from the pans, dip each one in the melted butter then roll them in the cinnamon sugar.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- You can use regular white flour if you do not need to keep this recipe gluten-free.
- If you are storing these donut holes for later use then don’t coat them until you are ready to serve them since they tend to get soggy if they sit for too long.
- I used two 12-cup donut hole pans but you can also use mini muffin pans.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 17 minutes
- Category: Healthy Desserts
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
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