4 Ingredient Pumpkin Donut Holes
on Sep 10, 2024, Updated Jan 04, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Feel that crisp breeze? 🍂 It’s pumpkin spice season 🎃, and I’m ready to sprinkle it on everything! These 4 Ingredient pumpkin donut holes 🍩 are the ultimate autumnal treat: so easy to prepare, much lighter and nutritious than your average donut, and they’re made with minimal sugar. If you loved my Banana Donut Holes, you will love this pumpkin version.
Why You’ll Love 4 Ingredient Pumpkin Donut Holes
If you’re anything like me, you want easy desserts made with minimal processed sugar, but which taste like the real deal 🍩. I’m making our dreams a reality 🪄 with these fluffy, just-sweet-enough pumpkin donut holes dusted in pumpkin pie spice. With just 4 ingredients and 16 minutes, you can have the donut holes of your dreams! 😍
How to Prepare
🎃 In a bowl, add the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon of the pumpkin pie spice and stir.
🖐️ Add in the flour and stir. Once the dough becomes crumbly, begin using your hands to create a smooth (but sticky on the inside) dough. Mix just until a sticky ball forms. (Do not overmix.)
👩🍳 Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. Lightly oil your hands and roll each piece of dough into a ball.
♨️ Next, spray the basket of an air fryer with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange the donut holes in the basket, making sure they are not touching each other. Then, cook in a 350F (177C) air fryer for 6 minutes.
🥣 Meanwhile, make the pumpkin spice sugar: combine the sugar and the remaining 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.
🖌️ Then, carefully remove the donuts from the air fryer. Next, lightly brush with the remaining oil and then roll in pumpkin spice sugar.
🍩 Finally, enjoy warm!
Nonna’s Tip
You can make your own pumpkin pie spice by blending pre-ground spices: mix 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves.
Variations and Substitutions for 4 Ingredient Pumpkin Donut Holes
- Add a teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract to the batter for a hint of flavor.
- Instead of cinnamon sugar, try drizzling the cooked donuts in melted chocolate. 🍫
- Feel free to add a pinch of salt and/or sugar directly to the batter for a dash of salty or sweet flavor.
- In place of avocado oil, you can use coconut oil 🥥 or even maple syrup. After the donuts are done cooking, then dip them in your oil or syrup of choice.
Similar Recipes
Best Served With
- Enjoy these as a snack or breakfast, alongside a steaming cup of coffee or tea.
- If you love pumpkin pie spice, check out my other pumpkin recipes: Pumpkin Spice Latte ☕️, Pumpkin Spice Overnight Oats ☀️, Pumpkin Pie 🥧, and Pumpkin Bread 🍞.
- My Yogurt Dip is a healthy side to enjoy along with these donuts.
- Homemade Nutella 🍫 is next-level delicious and pairs perfectly with this recipe.
Common Questions
Self-rising flour is all-purpose flour that contains baking powder and salt. If you can’t find it, you can use 3/4 cup all-purpose flour instead and add 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
You can also deep- or shallow-fry these in a neutral oil with a high smoke point. My preference is avocado oil. Fry until golden brown and crispy all over, about 2 minutes per side. Baking won’t yield the same crispiness, but you can place the dough in the individual wells of a greased muffin tin and bake at 350F for 15 minutes.
These are best enjoyed warm, straight from the air fryer. They are not as tasty when reheated.
Certainly: just combine 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves.
Canned pumpkin puree should only include one ingredient: pumpkin. Pumpkin pie puree contains sugar and spices.
While 1 cup of flour weighs 160g in my kitchen, it might weigh anywhere from 120 to 180g in your kitchen and there’s a few reasons for that. The weight of ingredients may vary due to the brand of ingredients, the brand and style (wet vs dry) of measuring cups and spoons, and the technique for measuring into cups: scooping and leveling versus spooning the ingredients into the cup measure. For best results, go by the weight listed in the recipe.
Pumpkin Donut Holes
Ingredients
- ½ cup pumpkin puree, canned (not pumpkin pie puree)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, divided
- ¾ cup self rising flour
- ½ tablespoon avocado oil, or coconut oil
- ¼ cup sugar
Instructions
- In a bowl, add the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon of the pumpkin pie spice and stir.
- Add in the flour and stir. Once the dough becomes crumbly, begin using your hands to create a smooth (but sticky on the inside) dough. Mix just until a ball forms. (Do not overmix.)
- Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. Lightly oil your hands and roll each piece of dough into a ball.
- Spray the basket of an air fryer with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange the donut holes in the basket, making sure they are not touching each other.
- Cook in a 350F (177C) air fryer for 6 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the sugar and the remaining 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.
- Carefully remove the donuts from the air fryer. Lightly brush with the remaining oil and then roll in pumpkin sugar.
- Enjoy warm!
My Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The perfect bite of fall! Love these so much!
Love all your recipes. You are amazing. Thanks for sharing and make our life easy.
So kind of you to say, this truly made my day ❤️
These were super easy and so good.
I’m so happy to see this comment. Thanks Katie!
I don’t have an air fryer, do you recommend that I bake or fry the donut holes?
I think shallow-frying them in about 1 inch of oil is the way to go.
Can these be cooked in an oven? I don’t have an air fryer
Hi Nancy, baking won’t yield the same crispiness, but you can place the dough in the individual wells of a greased muffin tin and bake at 350F for 15 minutes.