[Thanks to McCormick for sponsoring this post! This holiday season, Iā€™ll be sharing a few more delicious recipes with their wonderful spices!]

Ā You GUYS! We must must, must, must discuss these pumpkin cider doughnut holes immediately.

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Homemade amazing spiced pumpkin doughnut holes that can come out of your kitchen in a few minutes?! YES. I said it.

And they are totally NOT that difficult.

pumpkin doughnut holes with hot fudge I howsweeteats.com

Okay, sure, they do require some frying. Thatā€™s one thing I didnā€™t want to go around because the flavor and texture needed to be spot on for me to be happy with these. Baking the doughnut holes just wasnā€™t working out.

But the excellent news is that all you need to do is whip up the dough and heat the oil in a small pot! There is no yeast here. Nothing needs to rise.

Meaning we donā€™t have to be impatient! We donā€™t have to wait for the dough to get all fluffy and wonderful because itā€™s already fluffy and wonderful! Seriously just wait until you take a bite.

pumpkin doughnut holes with hot fudge I howsweeteats.com

Two things!

First, Iā€™m partnering with McCormick for this post to bring you a delicious treat using their Pumpkin Pie Spice. This spice is the best. Itā€™s so versatile and EASY. While you can easily use their other amazing spices to create your own pumpkin spice base (which I did here with this tiramisu trifle!), using it straight from the jar is absolutely perfect. And easy!

I love the flavor. Itā€™s not too SPICY spiced and seems to have just the right amount of ginger and clove, which is where I always get a bit hung up on my pumpkin spice.

pumpkin doughnut holes with hot fudge I howsweeteats.com

Now second, the other ingredient in these delicious doughnut holes? Oooooh just wait.

PUMPKIN CIDER! Like, hard pumpkin cider. Pumpkin cider beer. The carbonation gives a lightness to the dough and the flavor is perfect when combined with the Pumpkin Pie Spice. I am so, so, so in love.

If you want to make these for kiddos, you can totally sub a non-boozy apple cider or pumpkin cider.

The fact that these can come out of my own kitchen and taste so freaking good is a miracle! They took less work than I thought and you could easy whip them up for a morning brunch as long as you donā€™t mind heating some oil.

pumpkin doughnut holes with hot fudge I howsweeteats.com

These flavors are so nostalgic for me around the Thanksgiving season. While we never made any sort of doughnuts at home, a lot of times weā€™d have special pumpkin ones the morning of Thanksgiving and eat them while watching the Macyā€™s day parade. Tastes like home!

And! You can get involved with McCormickā€™s virtual Friendsgiving this year by sharing photos of your table with the hashtag #noflavorlike home!

pumpkin doughnut holes with hot fudge I howsweeteats.com

And now for what is REALLY the best part. I mean, for real. I think Iā€™ve told you everything is the best part about these doughnuts and hello, look at them ā€“ everything is! ā€“ but the REAL best part is dipping them into a homemade hot fudge sauce that will also only take you a few minutes to make. Itā€™s a silky chocolate ganache that is just dreamy for dipping.

Itā€™s a rich treat so you donā€™t need a lot of the ganache. One of my favorite desserts that I see on a menu are hot doughnuts with dipping sauce after the meal. There is something just so exciting about eating that when youā€™re using to doughnuts for breakfast, you know? So while yes, I love the idea of these for breakfast and well, any other time of day, they are perfect for dessert too! The fudge sauce may be a little over the top for breakfast, but since when am I not over the top? They are an amazing way to celebrate the holiday season with your family and friends, because who DOESNā€™T want to share warm pumpkin doughnuts with rich chocolate fudge?

I know, right?

For some more nostalgic flavors on Thanksgiving Iā€™m thinking of making a version of this smoked turkey (or even something with leftovers!) and then later than weekend, adding in a cheesy potato casserole like this because thatā€™s one of my momā€™s signature dishes!

pumpkin doughnut holes with hot fudge I howsweeteats.com

Pumpkin Cider Doughnut Holes with Hot Fudge

5 from 1 vote
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Ingredients

hot fudge

  • 6 ounces quality semi-sweet chocolate chopped
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions 

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, pumpkin cider, pumpkin puree and butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir together until just combined.
  • Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and fill it with about 3 inches of oil. Fit the pot with a candy thermometer - you want the oil to be about 375 degrees F to fry.
  • You can either take the dough and scoop it into the oil once hot, or you can lightly flour you hands and roll the dough into 1-inch balls so the holes are smoother. I did the latter.
  • Once the oil has reached 375 degrees F, add the dough balls 2 or 3 pieces at a time and fry until golden brown (keep an eye on the oil temp!), turning over a few times, for 2 to 3 minutes total. Remove the doughnut holes and place them on a paper towel to drain any excess grease.
  • Once the doughnuts are finished, roll them in the mixture of the sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Serve with the hot fudge!

hot fudge

  • Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan over low heat just until the cream bubbles around the edges. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir it thoroughly until smooth and a chocolate fudge ganache forms. Use immediately for dipping.

Notes

lightly adapted fromĀ taste of home
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pumpkin doughnut holes with hot fudge I howsweeteats.com

Now I just canā€™t wait to eat!