Bready or Not: Pumpkin Poppers

I first featured these Pumpkin Poppers on my LiveJournal four years ago. It’s time to revisit them, because these things are SO GOOD.

My husband’s co-workers like to snicker and call them “pumpkin balls.”

You could also call them “pumpkin donut holes.” That’s what they are, really. You can make them in a donut hole or a mini muffin pan–I use the latter.

This makes 24 of these tender balls of joy. Once they are baked, set up an assembly line with bowls of melted butter, and cinnamon and sugar. Slather those balls with butter, and roll’em in the sweet stuff!

Hey, I never claimed this was health food.

The end result is an orange puff that is light and fluffy, and pretty much melts in your mouth.

Make these to share, or they might prove dangerous.

Print Recipe

Bready or Not: Pumpkin Poppers

These Pumpkin Poppers are like light, fluffy donuts holes, bathed in butter and coated in cinnamon and sugar. The recipe makes 24 in a mini muffin pan or donut hole pan.

Course: Appetizer, Dessert, Snack

Keyword: mini muffin, pumpkin

Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
• 1 egg room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup milk almond milk works

Coating

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick or more as needed, melted
• 2/3 cup white sugar more as needed
• 2 Tablespoons cinnamon more as needed

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Use nonstick spray on a mini muffin or donut hole pan.
• Combine the dry ingredients. In another bowl, mix together the oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin, and milk.
• Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until just combined. Fill the pan cavities about 2/3 full; the dough will poof up a lot in the oven.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. In the meantime, melt the butter in a bowl. In a separate small bowl, combine the topping sugar and cinnamon.
• Remove poppers from oven. Give them a few minutes to cool, then start the assembly line. Use a spoon to roll them in the melted butter, then roll them in the cinnamon sugar. (Note: topping bowls may run low near the end, but it's easy to melt an extra tablespoon of butter or mix up some more sugar and cinnamon.)
• Store in a sealed container at room temperature. The cinnamon-sugar mix will absorb into the balls over time and make them darker, but they taste great for several days.
• OM NOM NOM!