Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Donut Holes
Fall baking season is officially here, and these cottage cheese pumpkin donut holes might be one of our new favourite ways to celebrate. 🎃
They’re soft, fluffy, packed with pumpkin flavour, and finished with a buttery pumpkin pie spice sugar coating that makes them seriously hard to stop eating.
The best part? They’re incredibly simple to make.
The dough comes together with just cottage cheese, pumpkin purée, flour, and baking powder. After a quick 9 minutes in the air fryer, the donut holes are tossed in melted butter and coated in pumpkin spice sugar.
No deep frying. No complicated dough. Just an easy little fall treat.
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Donut Holes
Easy ingredients: You only need four ingredients for the donut holes themselves.
Air fried: These are cooked in the air fryer instead of being deep fried, making cleanup quick and easy.
Perfectly pumpkin spiced: The pumpkin purée adds subtle pumpkin flavour, while the pumpkin pie spice sugar coating gives you that classic fall flavour in every bite.
Cottage cheese adds texture: Blending the cottage cheese into the dough creates a soft, tender texture while adding some protein to the recipe.
How To Make Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Donut Holes
Start by blending the cottage cheese and pumpkin purée until completely smooth. This helps incorporate the cottage cheese into the dough without leaving noticeable curds.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the flour and baking powder. Mix until a soft dough forms.
Roll the dough into small balls and arrange them in your air fryer basket. Give them a little room to breathe so the hot air can circulate around each one.
Air fry at 350°F for 9 minutes, or until they’re lightly golden and cooked through.
While they’re cooking, combine your sugar and pumpkin pie spice.
Once the donut holes come out of the air fryer, toss them with melted butter and immediately roll them in the pumpkin spice sugar.
That’s it!
The Pumpkin Spice Coating
Don’t skip the coating. It’s what takes these from simple pumpkin bites to donut holes.
The melted butter helps the pumpkin spice sugar stick to the outside while adding a little richness. As you bite into the soft pumpkin donut hole, you get that sweet, buttery coating with warm cinnamon-forward pumpkin spice flavour.
For an extra-indulgent finish, you could even serve these alongside a hot coffee or chai latte.
Tips For The Best Donut Holes
Blend the cottage cheese: For the smoothest dough, blend the cottage cheese with the pumpkin purée before adding the dry ingredients.
Don’t make them too large: Smaller donut holes cook more evenly and give you a better ratio of soft centre to buttery sugar coating.
Coat while warm: Toss the donut holes in the butter and pumpkin spice sugar as soon as they’re finished cooking so the coating sticks properly.
Check your air fryer: Air fryers vary in how quickly they cook, so start checking around 8 minutes.
An Easy Fall Treat
These pumpkin donut holes are perfect when you’re craving something sweet but don’t want to spend an afternoon baking.
They’re warm, fluffy, buttery, and loaded with pumpkin spice flavour. Make a batch for a weekend breakfast, afternoon snack, or easy fall dessert.
Pumpkin spice season just got a whole lot better. 🎃
Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Donut Holes
Ingredients
Donut Holes
- 3/4 cup cottage cheese
- 1/4 cup pumpkin purée
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
Pumpkin Spice Coating
- 2 tbsp butter melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Make the dough: Add the cottage cheese and pumpkin purée to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and add the flour and baking powder. Mix until a soft dough forms.
- Shape the donut holes: Divide the dough into small, evenly sized pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Avoid making them too large so they cook evenly in the air fryer.
- Air fry: Preheat the air fryer to 350°F. Place the donut holes in the air fryer basket, leaving a little space between each one. Air fry for 9 minutes, or until lightly golden and cooked through.
- Prepare the coating: While the donut holes are cooking, melt the butter. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar and pumpkin pie spice.
- Coat the donut holes: Once the donut holes are finished, brush or toss them with the melted butter. Immediately toss them in the pumpkin pie spice sugar mixture until evenly coated.
- Serve: Enjoy warm for the best texture and flavour.
