The easiest breakfast treat you ever did see, these glazed pumpkin donuts holes are better than a donut shop's, I swear, and they only require four ingredients.
I don't know what it is about Dunkin' Donuts (I think they just go by Dunkin' now that they're all grown up) -- but I can scarf down those munchkins like it's my full-time job. I don't even care for their regular donuts but it's something about their poppable size that's too good to resist. These pumpkin donut holes were made to compete with Dunkin' because sometimes you don't want to pay an arm and a leg for 24 of those pumpkin donut holes when you can make them in 15 minutes for less than $5.
These homemade pumpkin munchkins use boxed cake mix to speed up the process considerably. Just add a can of pumpkin puree and BOOM. You're ready to bake. From start to finish, they take less than 20 minutes.
Why These Pumpkin Donut Holes Hit
- Four ingredients is all you need. How easy is that?! You don't even need measuring cups, really.
- These pumpkin donut holes are a crowd pleaser. Put them on a tray and all 24 of them will be gone before you turn back around. The mini donuts are cakey soft, tender, and poppable. I strongly encourage you to double the recipe.
- Perfect to bake with kids. Because there's not a lot of fuss with these mini donuts, they're perfect to make with small hands.
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I'm no stranger to making semi-homemade sweets. They're just so convenient when you are low on time.
If you like this recipe, you should check out my Nothing Bundt Cake Copycat Recipe, Lemon Bundt Cake, and Rainbow Bundt Cake, all of which use boxed cake mix.
This gorgeous brownie cake with whipped cream and fresh berries, Kahlua brownies, and Thin Mint brownies also cheat by using boxed brownie mix. Love a good shortcut in the kitchen.
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Ingredients You'll Need
It's crazy but true. You only need four ingredients to make the best pumpkin donut holes around. Sorry, Dunkin'. You've got some competition. The boxed spice cake mix has all of the warming spices for fall. You're going to add the pumpkin.
- Box of spice cake Mix - I use Duncan Hines but any box of spice cake mix will do. This is not to be confused with carrot cake mix.
- 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree - This is one can of pure pumpkin. Make sure you also don't confuse this with pumpkin pie filling (which is chocked full of a lot of sweetener).
- Powdered sugar - This is for the simple glaze or to sprinkle on top once they come out of the oven.
- Milk - Just a touch of milk is needed to mix with the powdered sugar to make the glaze.
The recipe card below will show the exact quantities and step-by-step directions to make the pumpkin donut holes.
How to Make Pumpkin Donut Holes
These semi-homemade pumpkin donut holes are made in 15 minutes following these easy steps:
- Mix the cake mix and pumpkin puree in a medium-sized bowl until just combined.
- Scoop 24 balls of batter into a well-greased 24-count mini muffin pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Let rest in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting the pan onto a wire rack.
- While the donuts are cooling, make the glaze by combining powdered sugar and milk until it reaches a glaze-like consistency. Roll donut holes in the glaze and let sit on the wire rack for 10 minutes to set.
Mix It Up
These bad boys are pretty versatile. You can do a few different variations, depending on your preferences.
- Add nuts - Add chopped pecans or walnuts to the batter before you scoop into the mini muffin pan.
- Add more pumpkin spice - add another ½ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice if you want to kick up the pumpkin an extra notch.
- Vary the coating - Make a maple glaze instead of just a regular sugar glaze like what's on top of these baked pumpkin donuts.
- Make cinnamon sugar donut holes by rolling them in a 4:1 ratio of sugar to cinnamon.
You could make these pumpkin donuts gluten free by buying a gluten free spice cake mix. The donuts are naturally vegan, as they don't require an egg, but you'd need to substitute almond milk instead of regular milk in the glaze.
Worn Slap Out? Try These Time-Saving Tricks!
There's not a whole lot more time-saving tricks you can do for this one because you're only using 4 ingredients, including boxed cake mix. But here are two ideas:
- Dust the donut holes with powdered sugar instead of making the glaze when they come out of the oven.
- Eat them nekked. They don't need glaze or powdered sugar to be honest. They're just as delicious plain.
Storage
Store pumpkin donut holes in airtight container at room temperature. The donut holes will be delicious for 3-4 days.
To freeze: While I've never frozen these donut holes, I know they would be just fine to freeze before you glaze them. Once they're completed cooled, place them in a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
FAQ
Absolutely. They are delicious the next day...the next day...and the next day! Just store them in an airtight container and room temperature so they do not dry out.
Yep -- you'd just need the same amount of homemade pumpkin puree, 15 oz, to do the trick.
Make sure you don't over mix the batter. You'll want the batter to have no more cake mix visible, and that's when you know you're done mixing.
More Pumpkins, Please!
Try these other favorite pumpkin recipes I know you'll love.
More Breakfast Favorites
Breakfast is one of my favorite meals. These are some of my favorite breakfast recipes.
Four Ingredient Glazed Pumpkin Donut Holes
Ingredients
- 1 box spice cake mix
- 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Generously grease or spray on a mini muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix the dried cake mix with the pumpkin puree. Mix until combined. The batter will be thick. Use a cookie scoop to scoop batter into each of the 24 mini muffin tins.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for a few minutes before inverting onto a wire rack.
- Meanwhile, mix the powdered sugar and one Tablespoon of milk together with a fork. Slowly add more milk as needed until the consistency is not watery and not terribly thick (think slightly thicker than maple syrup).
- Dip the pumpkin holes in the glaze with a fork, rolling them around until coated. Return to a wire rack for a few more minutes to set before enjoying.
Mia says
I am not much of a baker but this recipe looked so easy…and it was! The donut holes were delicious and a hit with the pumpkin spice-loving teen in our house. Thank you for making me believe I can bake!
Kathryn says
This is amazing, Mia! You CAN bake! Glad they are teen-approved, too!
<3,
Kathryn
Mia says
I am not much of a baker but this looks recipe looked so easy - and it was! It was also delicious! The donut holes were a huge hit with the pumpkin spice-loving teen in our house. Thank you for making me believe that I can name!