Pumpkin Spice Steamed Buns

Pumpkin spice steamed buns are soft, pillowy yeast buns filled with a pocket of Biscoff spread, shaped into mini pumpkins with kitchen string, then cooked using your air fryer's steam function instead of the oven. At around 214 calories a bun, they're a lighter way to get your pumpkin spice fix without turning the oven on.

The first time I tied one of these into a pumpkin shape, I pulled the string so tight the dough looked more like a stress ball than a squash. It's a one-bowl dough, a 3-hour rise while you get on with your day, then ten minutes of fiddly, oddly satisfying shaping. My kitchen smelled like a candle shop for the rest of the afternoon, which is really the whole point of pumpkin spice season.

• No oven needed — just your air fryer's steam function, if it has one
• A hidden pocket of Biscoff spread in the centre of every bun
• The string does the pumpkin ridges for you — you just have to not overtighten it

Key ingredients

Self-rising flour gives the dough its structure without a separate raising agent — a plain flour plus baking powder blend works too. Active dry yeast makes these pillowy rather than dense; use warm, not hot, water or it'll die before it starts. Biscoff spread is the filling and does a lot of the flavour work, so you barely need extra sugar in the dough. Pumpkin spice blend goes into the coating rather than the dough, so you get a hit of it with every bite. Erythritol keeps the coating sweet without piling on sugar — swap in caster sugar if you'd rather.

Coaching note: tie the string loosely. It's tempting to cinch it tight to get sharper pumpkin ridges, but the dough still needs room to puff up as it steams — pull too hard and you'll get a pinched, dense little knot instead of a bun. A loose double-knot with a bit of give is all you need; the ridges show up on their own once it's cooked. And a plain note on the numbers: steaming instead of baking keeps the outside soft rather than crisp and skips any added oil, but the Biscoff filling still carries most of the fat here — these are a seasonal treat, not a health food, and that's fine.

Equipment

• Mixing bowl — large enough for the dough to double.
• Measuring spoons — for the yeast and spices.
• Air fryer with a steam function — replaces the traditional steamer basket; ours is a Tower Vortx.
• Small spatula — for spreading the Biscoff filling.
• Kitchen string — tied loosely (see the coaching note above).

If you're already deep into pumpkin spice season, my high protein pumpkin spice cheesecake bites are a good no-bake option for when you don't want to deal with yeast dough, and my pumpkin pop tarts use the same spice blend in a flakier format. My chocolate apple donuts are another one for the "steamed and air-fried, not baked" file.

Alex :)