Mini Pumpkin Spice Donuts

The perfect mini pumpkin spice donuts, no yeast needed and they come together in under an hour for a fun fall treat!

How long do Pumpkin Donuts last?

Because these pumpkin donut holes are fried, they are best eaten the day they are made but they will keep in an airtight container and then reheat in the oven at 350 F for 5 minutes on a baking tray!

What can I use instead of Quark

Quark works best in this recipe and if you can’t find any at the store – you can make it at home with this Quark Recipe. However, if you can’t find quark or don’t want to make it, you can use farmers cheese which you can find at some grocery stores. If you use farmers cheese be sure to blend the wet ingredients together rather than just whisk them because farmers cheese is not as smooth as quark.

What is pumpkin spice mix made of?

I prefer to buy pumpkin spice already mixed because it’s easier but it is usually made from a combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice or cloves.

Additional Recipes to try:

• Classic Krapfen – German Fried Donuts
• Baked Chocolate Donuts
• Quarkbällchen – German Plain Donut holes

Tips for making Pumpkin Donut Holes

• Use a thick bottomed, large pot, for frying. This will make it easier to keep the oil at a stable temperature.
• If the batter does not easily come out of the scoop, use a secondary spoon to help it out so that it doesn’t splash into the oil.
• When dropping the donut holes into the hot oil, do so close to the surface so the oil doesn’t splash back up.
• Do not try to fry too many at one time, this will cause the temperature of the oil to drop and the donut holes will get oily. On the other hand if it is too hot, they will burn but still be a little raw inside.
• Immediately after frying, roll the donut holes in pumpkin spice sugar. If you wait too long, the sugar may not stick well to the fried dough.
• If you decide to fill them, I highly recommend the filling from my Vanille Krapfen recipe, just make sure to 1/2 the recipe!

Ingredients

• Quark: a type of German cheese, quark is a common addition to baked goods in Germany. If you can’t find any you can make your own quark or substitute blended farmers cheese. I haven’t yet tested strained greek yogurt or cream cheese but I think they could both work.
• Pumpkin Puree: This is canned pumpkin puree, be sure not to buy pumpkin pie filling!
• Egg: This recipe uses a standard large egg. It doesn’t need to be room temperature but it’s best if it is the same temperature as the quark.
• Granulated Sugar: A small addition of sugar gives the donut holes a little sweetness plus there is sugar mixed with cinnamon for the cinnamon sugar coating.
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla adds a touch of flavor and enhances the sweetness.
• All Purpose Flour: Any all purpose flour should work for this! I have not yet tried any other flour with this recipe.
• Baking Powder: Baking powder is what leads to the puff and rise of these quarkbällchen so it’s important that it is not expired.
• Neutral Frying Oil: Canola or vegetable oil will work for frying these.
• Pumpkin Spice Mix: Pumpkin Spice Mix is mixed with granulated sugar to make the cinnamon sugar coating as well as in the dough to really give the classic baked pumpkin dessert flavor.

How to make Pumpkin Donut Holes?

Make the batter

• Heat 1″-2″ of oil over medium heat to 350 F in a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot.
• Line a plate with two layers of paper towel.
• In a small bowl, stir the 100 grams of the sugar and 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice together.
• In a large bowl, whisk the quark, pumpkin, egg, sugar, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice together until combined.
• Then, add in the flour and baking powder and whisk to combine.

Fry the Donut Holes

• Once the oil is has reached 350 F, use a 1/4 cup scoop to scoop 3-4 portions of dough into the oil. Drop them in close to the surface and set a timer for 2 minutes.
• Use a slotted spoon or metal spider to gently swirl them around if they are close together or seem to be stuck on the bottom.
• After two minutes, use the metal spoon/spider to gently flip the dough balls over. Set a timer for another 2 minutes. If they already have don’t worry, just try to get both sides to be a golden brown color.
• Once fried, use the slotted spoon to remove the donut holes from the oil and place on the paper towel lined plate. Allow the oil to reheat if necessary before adding in the next batch.
• Carefully but quickly roll the donut holes in the pumpkin spice sugar, one at a time.

Optional Filling

• If you want to fill the donut holes, wait until they have cooled.
• Then use a piping bag fitted with a metal circular tip to press halfway into the side of each donut hole. Squeeze the bag to fill the donut holes until it starts to come out.
• You can use anything from jam to chocolate ganache to the vanilla cream filling listed in the tips section!

This page may contain affiliate links. This means that if you click on one of the product links above and complete a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I will never place a link nor make a recommendation on a product or service that I don’t love or use personally. Read our privacy policy here. Thank you for supporting Red Currant Bakery.