Easy Cinnamon Sugar Donut Holes

In my opinion cinnamon sugar donuts are a treat no one can pass up. Pair them with a delicious caramel dipping sauce and you have a dessert everyone loves. These donut holes are made using pizza dough! They are ready in less than 15 minutes. A perfect little treat to pop in your mouth after a long Thanksgiving dinner.

In my family we often eat so much food during the meal we tend not to care about dessert. We end up left with too many pies and cookies that no one cares about. The beauty of these is that they are little, fluffy and light. Using pizza dough makes everything so much easier. Grab the kids at the table and let them help you. THESE ARE EASY TO MAKE BUT be sure to read instructions once through if it is your first time deep frying.

Using pizza dough makes this so much easier. You can also use biscuit dough. I find it best to let the pizza dough sit on the counter for 2-3 hours in advance. It gets softer, fluffier and is easier to work with. You can get pizza dough at most food stores and some pizzerias will sell it to you as well.

INGREDIENTS

Donut Holes
16 oz pizza dough
¾ cup granulated sugar
*you can also do ½ cup granulated sugar and ¼ cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups oil (vegetable, canola)
Flour for surface if needed

Caramel Sauce
15 medjool dates (no pits)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Hot water to cover the dates (about 2 cups)
¼ tsp salt (optional)

METHOD

1. Begin by taking the medjool dates pits out. Place them in a bowl. Cover with hot water and set aside for 15-20 minutes. You can set it aside for up to 3 hours. This helps to soften the dates.
2. Make cinnamon sugar by mixing the granulated sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon together.
3. Take the pizza dough and cut it into 24-36 even pieces. You can make the donut holes as big or as small as you like.
4. Roll the dough into a ball. If the pizza dough is sticking to the surface or your hands feel free to throw a little flour on it.
5. I find it easiest to deep fry in small batches in a small but deep pot. The bigger the pot the more oil you have to use. Place 2 cups of oil into a pot and heat up the oil on a medium heat. To test if the oil is hot enough you can throw a little piece of dough in, it should bubble and float to the top.If the oil is too hot it will splatter everywhere, if it is too cold the dough will stay at the bottom. You can also put a wooden spoon in the oil and little bubbles will form around the spoon.
6. Carefully drop in 3-5 donut holes a time. Use a spoon to rotate them as they cook. They should be golden brown. They need around 3-4 minutes of cooking time. Don’t be afraid to let them get nice and golden to ensure they are cooked through. IMPORTANT the oil will get hotter the longer it is on the stove be sure to carefully watch the donuts so they do not burn.
7. Once they are done cooking take them out carefully using a slotted spoon and allow excess oil to drip off. Place them onto a dish lined with paper towels. Please be careful when cooking these as the oil is very hot.
8. Let them cool for 30 seconds and then while they are still hot toss them into the cinnamon sugar to coat them.
9. Repeat until all donut holes are cooked.
10. To make the caramel begin by straining the dates. DO NOT THROW THE WATER OUT set it aside in a separate bowl.
11. Add the dates to a high speed blender or food processor, along with the vanilla extract and salt. Using the water from the dates add in about ½ cup to start.
12. Blend until smooth adding more of the date water in ¼ cup at a time until you have reached your desired consistency.
13. The donut holes are best served hot and right after cooking. They are just as delicious after sitting out for a little while too though.
14. To dispose of the oil allow it to cool first at least 1 hour then place it into a glass bottle or can and dispose of it that way.

Will make 24-36 donut holes.