1. Mix the wet ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla. You want everything fully blended before moving on to the next step. Then comes the pumpkin puree—blot it with paper towels first to remove any extra moisture, which helps keep the donut holes from getting too dense. Stir in the buttermilk, and whisk until smooth.

Pro tip: I once skipped blotting the pumpkin, and the result was a batch of overly moist, slightly mushy donuts. Don’t make the same mistake!

2. Add the dry ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Once combined, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined. Over-mixing can lead to dense donut holes, so keep it gentle.

3. Scoop the batter

Use a small cookie scoop or spoon to fill your silicone donut hole pan (or mini muffin tin). Each hole should be about three-quarters full. Wipe off any spills to keep the shapes neat—although I’ll admit, I rarely get through a batch without a few misshapen ones. It’s all part of the homemade charm!

4. Air fry to golden perfection

Preheat your air fryer to 350°F on the air fry setting. Pop in the pan and air fry for 6-8 minutes, or until the donut holes are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool slightly.

If you’re baking instead, preheat your oven to 350°F and bake for about 10-12 minutes.

Lesson learned: Don’t overfill the molds! I got greedy once, and my donut holes looked more like odd-shaped muffins. Still tasted good, though!

5. Coat in cinnamon sugar

Now for the fun part! Once the donut holes are cool enough to handle, dip them in melted butter, then roll them in a cinnamon-sugar mix. Make sure each one is fully coated—this is where all the flavor magic happens.

6. Optional: whip up the cream cheese frosting dip

If you want to take these pumpkin donut holes to the next level (and trust me, you do), make the cream cheese frosting dip. Beat the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth, then add the vanilla and milk until you reach a dipping consistency. The tanginess of the cream cheese is the perfect complement to the sweet, spiced donut holes.