Gluten Free Pumpkin Donut Holes (Baked, 25 Minutes)

Gluten free pumpkin donut holes baked in a mini muffin pan and rolled in butter and cinnamon sugar. Thirty of them, 25 minutes, no fryer and no donut pan.

Gluten free pumpkin donut holes are baked in a mini muffin pan, then rolled in melted butter and cinnamon sugar so they taste fried without ever touching oil. One batch makes 30 and takes 25 minutes start to finish.

There is no donut pan and no cake pop maker involved. A mini muffin tin does the shaping, and the butter-and-sugar roll at the end is what turns a mini muffin into something that reads as a donut hole.

Gluten free flour is a straight one-to-one swap here, which is not true of every baked good. Donut holes are forgiving because the crumb is supposed to be soft and cakey rather than chewy, so the gum in a 1:1 blend works with you instead of against you the way it would in bread.

If you want more pumpkin baking, my Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and my Pumpkin Spice Energy Balls run on the same fall flavor.

Ingredients in Gluten-Free Pumpkin Donut Holes

Full measurements are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

For the donut holes

• Gluten-free all-purpose flour — use a 1:1 blend that already has xanthan gum in it. Regular all-purpose swaps in at the same amount if you don’t need them gluten free.
• Monkfruit brown sugar — light or dark brown sugar works at the same amount, and coconut sugar gives similar depth. Plain white sugar works too, the flavor just comes out flatter without the molasses.
• Baking powder — the only lift in the recipe. Check that yours hasn’t expired, because there’s nothing else holding these up.
• Pumpkin pie spice — cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves if you’re mixing your own.
• Egg and whole milk — bind the batter and soften the crumb. Any dairy-free milk swaps in at the same amount.
• Pumpkin puree — 100% pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. Filling comes pre-sweetened and pre-spiced and throws the batter off.
• Vanilla extract and kosher salt — the salt is what keeps 30 sugar-rolled donut holes from tasting one-note.
• Unsalted butter, melted — folded in at the end for richness.

For the cinnamon sugar coating

• Melted butter — the glue. The sugar has nothing to grip without it. Vegan butter or melted coconut oil works for a dairy-free batch.
• Granulated sugar and ground cinnamon — stirred together in a bowl wide enough to actually roll in.

Equipment You Need

• Mini muffin pan, 24 cups. No donut pan and no cake pop maker.
• Small cookie scoop, about a tablespoon, which is what keeps them round
• Two mixing bowls plus two shallow bowls for the butter and the cinnamon sugar
• Wire rack

How To Make Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes

1. Heat the oven to 375°F and grease a mini muffin pan with cooking spray, getting into the corners of every cup.
2. Whisk the gluten free flour, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt together in a medium bowl.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the egg, then add the pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
4. Stir the dry mixture into the wet just until no dry flour is left, then fold in the melted butter.
5. Scoop about a tablespoon of batter into each cup with a small cookie scoop.
6. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs on it.
7. Let them rest in the pan a few minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack.
8. Melt the coating butter in one shallow bowl and stir the sugar and cinnamon together in another.
9. Roll each donut hole in the butter, let the excess drip off, then roll it through the cinnamon sugar until it’s covered.

How To Store Pumpkin Donut Holes

Store them uncoated. Cinnamon sugar pulls moisture out of the surface and goes tacky within a few hours, so keep the plain donut holes in an airtight container and do the butter-and-sugar roll right before you serve them.

Plain, they hold 2 to 3 days on the counter and up to 5 days in the fridge. They freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature, warm them for about 10 seconds, then coat.

Tips for Soft Pumpkin Donut Holes

• Stop mixing the second the flour disappears. Gluten free blends turn gummy when they get worked, and overmixed batter bakes up dense instead of cakey.
• Fill each cup about three quarters full. Any fuller and they dome over the rim and lose the round shape that makes them read as donut holes.
• Roll them while they’re still warm. A warm surface holds the butter, and the sugar grips the butter. Cold donut holes shed the coating straight back into the bowl.

Pumpkin Donut Hole FAQs

Are these donut holes or mini muffins?

They’re baked in a mini muffin pan, so the shape and the crumb start out as a mini muffin. The butter and cinnamon sugar roll is what makes them taste and look like a donut hole. A true donut hole is fried in oil, and these skip that entirely.

Can I use a regular muffin tin instead of a mini muffin pan?

Yes, though you’ll get about 10 to 12 regular muffins instead of 30 donut holes, and they need closer to 18 to 20 minutes. Start checking with a toothpick at 16. Rolling a full-size muffin in butter and sugar gets messy, so dipping just the top works better at that size.

Can I use fresh pumpkin puree instead of canned?

Yes, but homemade puree carries more water than canned does. Strain it in a sieve or blot it on paper towel first, or cut the milk back by about a tablespoon so the batter doesn’t go loose.

Can I make the batter ahead of time?

Measure the dry mix and the cinnamon sugar a day early if you want. Don’t mix the full batter ahead, though. Baking powder starts working the moment it hits liquid, and by morning you’ve lost the rise.

More Pumpkin Recipes To Make Next

• Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins
• Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Mug Cake
• Pumpkin Chia Seed Pudding
• Blended Pumpkin Baked Oats
• Pumpkin Sheet Pan Pancakes
• Copycat Pumpkin Perfect Bars

If you make these gluten free pumpkin donut holes, leave a star rating and a comment below and tell me whether you got through the first batch before they cooled. You can pin them on Pinterest or tag @basicswithbails and #basicswithbails on Instagram, I love seeing them.