These chocolate donuts are moist and fluffy baked donuts covered in a thick and glossy chocolate glaze. They’re easy to make and taste just like the most delicious chocolate cake in donut form. Skip the donut shop and make these chocolate cake donuts the next time you need to satisfy your chocolate craving!
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
I absolutely love baked donuts. My Maple Donuts, Cinnamon Sugar Donuts and Banana Donuts are the perfect donuts for easy and cozy breakfasts. This chocolate donut recipe is another wonderful addition to my growing collection of baked donut recipes. I know you’ll love this chocolate filled chocolate donut because:
- It has the perfect moist, fully and tender texture. These chocolate donuts have the perfect balance of fluffy and tender texture. They stay moist for days even when stored in the fridge.
- Tons of chocolate flavor. This chocolate cake donut has chocolate baked into the donut and is topped with a thick chocolate icing. Basically, these chocolate donuts are made for chocolate lovers!
- Easy to make with simple ingredients. These chocolate glazed donuts are made using simple pantry staples like flour, sugar, butter and cocoa powder. This chocolate baked donut recipe comes together with two bowls, a whisk and a donut pan.
Ingredients
This recipe for homemade chocolate donuts requires a handful of ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your house! Make sure you have these ingredients ready to go.
For the Chocolate Donuts
Dry Ingredients: Gather all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Wet Ingredients: Gather melted butter, granulated sugar, egg, yogurt, milk and vanilla extract.
For the Chocolate Glaze
Gather semi sweet chocolate chips, heavy cream and butter. Colorful sprinkles are optional, but highly recommended.
Substitutions
These chocolate cake donuts are made to be quick and easy. So quick and easy, you can make it as a special breakfast to enjoy any day of the week.. Here are my recommended substitutions to make these homemade baked chocolate donuts if you need them.
- All purpose flour: To make these Oreo brownies gluten free, use a good 1-1 gluten free flour. I recommend using the one from Bob’s Red Mill. Measure the flour based on weight (180 g) rather than cup for cup.
- Cocoa Powder: Any type of unsweetened cocoa powder will work well in this chocolate donut recipe. However, I love using dutch process cocoa powder for its mellow, but intensely chocolate-y flavor.
- Unsalted Butter: Use salted butter if needed. Just make sure to omit the added teaspoon of salt listed in the recipe. Vegan or dairy free butter can also be used if needed.
- Yogurt: Feel free to use an equivalent amount of sour cream.
- Milk: Any type of milk will work well in these donuts.
- Granulated Sugar: Make these baked chocolate donuts refined sugar free by swapping the brown sugar with maple sugar.
- Egg: This recipe hasn’t been tested without eggs.
- Vanilla Extract: This provides a lovely background flavor, but can be omitted if needed.
- Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips: Milk chocolate chips would also work well.
- Heavy Cream: Use an equivalent amount of milk or half and half.
How To Make
This chocolate donut recipe is as easy to make as whipping up a batch of chocolate cake. So grab your ingredients and let me show you how to make chocolate donuts.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Grease a 6 ct. donut pan. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In another large bowl, pour the melted butter, granulated sugar, egg, yogurt, milk and vanilla extract. Whisk well to fully combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Whisk well until smooth and fully combined with no lumps.
- Pipe the chocolate donut batter into each of the prepared donut cavities in the donut pan. The easiest way it to use a piping bag or gallon zip lock bag with the tip cut off.
- Bake the donuts for about 8-10 minutes. The donuts are done when the tops bounce back quickly when lightly pressed. Cool the donuts in the pan for 5 minutes before gently taking them out to cool on a cooling rack.
- While the doughnuts cool, make the chocolate glaze. In a microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate chips, heavy cream and evenly cubed butter. Heat the mixture for 30 seconds. Stir until mostly combined. Return the bowl to the microwave, heat for another 15-20 seconds. Stir until well combined and glossy. Don’t worry if the mixture seems a little grainy or curdled, just keep stirring in the same direction until the glaze becomes smooth.
- Dip each fully cooled chocolate cake donut into the chocolate glaze. Top with sprinkles now if you like. Allow the chocolate donuts with chocolate glaze to set for about 30 minutes.
How To Store, Freeze and Thaw
Like chocolate doughnuts you get from a donut shop, these baked chocolate cake donuts taste best the day they are made. However, if needed they can be stored and enjoyed later.
- Store leftover chocolate donuts without glaze: Place the unglazed donuts in an airtight container at room temperature or a day or in the fridge for 2 days. Place a piece of wax or parchment paper between the layers of donuts if stacking them in the container.
- Store chocolate glazed donuts: These are truly best when enjoyed the same day they are made. If needed, place them in a single layer in an airtight container in the fridge for a day, maybe two. After that the donuts begin to dry out.
- Freeze and thaw unglazed baked chocolate donuts: Place the unglazed chocolate cake donuts in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours. Glaze, set and enjoy!
M's Expert Tips
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature: This allows the ingredients to mix together more evenly.
- Measure the flour properly: I highly recommend using a food scale to get perfectly measured dry ingredients every time.
- Don’t overmix the chocolate donut batter: Make sure to mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
- Cool the donuts in the pan for no longer than 5-10 minutes.
- Fully cool the baked chocolate donuts before dipping in the chocolate glaze. This usually takes about 30 minutes.
- Variation: Roll the chocolate donuts in granulated sugar for a fun alternative to the chcolate glaze.
- Top the chocolate glazed donut with sprinkles or mini chocolate chips for even more chocolate flavor.
FAQs
After much trial and error, I came up with this recipe specifically to avoid a dry chocolate donut. However, it could be possible for the baked chocolate donuts to become drier. A few reasons could be too much flour. Make sure to use a food scale to measure the dry ingredients accurately. The donuts may be overbaked. Start checking the donuts at 8 minutes. If the tops of the donuts bounce back when gently pressed, they're baked. The chocolate donut batter may be overmixed. Mix just until all the ingredients are combined and the batter is mostly smooth
Yes! If you don’t have a donut pan and still want to make this recipe, use a muffin pan instead! Fill each cavity of a 12 ct. muffin pan ¾ full. Bake at 350 F (177 C) for 18 - 20 minutes or until the tops of the muffins bounce back when gently pressed. Glaze the muffins once they have cooled to room temperature.
Other Breakfast Recipes to Try
If you try this Chocolate Donut recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! Happy Baking! - M
Chocolate Donut Recipe
Equipment
- 1 6 ct. donut pan
- 1 whisk
- 1 pastry bag or ziplock bag
Ingredients
Chocolate Donuts
- 1½ cups (180 g) all purpose flour
- ¼ cup (22 g) dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (237 ml) milk, room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (US), room temperature
- ¼ cup (57 g) greek yogurt
- 4 tbsp (57 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract
Chocolate Glaze
- ¾ cups (128 g) semi sweet chocolate chips
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) heavy cream
- 1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp sprinkles or mini chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Grease a 6 ct. donut pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In another large bowl, pour the melted butter, granulated sugar, egg, yogurt, milk and vanilla extract. Whisk well to fully combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Whisk well until smooth and just combined.
- Pipe the chocolate donut batter into each of the prepared donut cavities in the donut pan. The easiest way it to use a piping bag or gallon zip lock bag with the tip cut off.
- Bake the donuts for about 8-10 minutes. The donuts are done when the tops bounce back quickly when lightly pressed. Cool the donuts in the pan for 5 minutes before gently taking them out to cool on a cooling rack. While the doughnuts cool, make the chocolate glaze.
- In a microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate chips, heavy cream and evenly cubed butter. Heat the mixture for 30 seconds. Stir until mostly combined. Return the bowl to the microwave, heat for another 15-20 seconds. Stir until well combined and glossy. Don’t worry if the mixture seems a little grainy or curdled, just keep stirring in the same direction until the glaze becomes smooth.
- Dip each fully cooled chocolate cake donut into the chocolate glaze. Top with sprinkles or mini chocolate chips now if you like. Allow the chocolate donuts with chocolate glaze to set for about 30 minutes.
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