The Ultimate Recipe for Easy Homemade Baked Chocolate Donuts with Decadent Glaze
Craving a delightful chocolate treat that’s perfect for breakfast or a sweet indulgence any time of day? Look no further than these incredibly easy homemade baked chocolate donuts! Each fluffy, cake-like donut is generously topped with a rich, glossy chocolate glaze and a playful scattering of sprinkles, making them not just a treat for your taste buds but also a feast for your eyes.
Forget the hassle and greasiness of fried donuts. Our baked version offers a lighter, yet equally satisfying, experience with a wonderfully tender, cakey texture that melts in your mouth. This recipe is designed to be straightforward and accessible, ensuring even novice bakers can achieve bakery-quality results right in their own kitchen. Get ready to impress your family and friends with a batch of these irresistible chocolate delights!
There’s something uniquely satisfying about creating treats from scratch, and homemade donuts are no exception. I’ve always been a huge fan of baked donuts ever since discovering how simple and delicious they can be. You might recall the popular baked pumpkin donuts recipe on the blog, which remains a firm favorite among many readers and myself. Its cozy flavors and tender crumb made it an instant hit, proving that baked donuts can easily rival their fried counterparts.
My journey to perfect this chocolate donut recipe involved a fair bit of experimentation. Over several weekends, I baked numerous batches, meticulously adjusting ingredients and techniques. Each trial brought me closer to that ideal balance of deep chocolate flavor, moist texture, and perfect rise. It was a delicious pursuit, to say the least! Finally, after dedicated effort, I landed on a winning formula that consistently produces these wonderfully soft, rich, and utterly delightful chocolate cake donuts. And, of course, no chocolate donut feels truly complete without a generous topping of chocolate glaze and a vibrant scattering of sprinkles. It’s a classic combination that always brings a smile.
As a devoted chocolate lover, it was only a matter of time before a chocolate version of my beloved baked donuts made its way to the forefront. If I ever treat myself to a donut from a bakery, it’s invariably a chocolate donut adorned with sprinkles. This recipe captures that classic indulgence, allowing you to enjoy that same comforting flavor profile in a homemade, baked form. While they offer a distinct cakey texture, different from a dense, fried yeast donut, they are incredibly satisfying and a significantly lighter option, making them perfect for any time you desire a sweet pick-me-up without feeling too heavy.
Essential Ingredients for These Delicious Baked Chocolate Donuts
This incredibly easy baked donut recipe stands out for its minimal prep work and straightforward ingredients, most of which you likely already have in your pantry. Gathering your ingredients before you begin ensures a smooth baking process. Here’s a detailed look at what you’ll need to create these moist chocolate frosted donuts and what each component brings to the table:
- All-purpose flour: The foundation of our donut batter. Proper measurement is key here; make sure to spoon and level the flour rather than scooping it directly from the bag. This prevents compacting the flour, which can lead to dense, dry baked donuts.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: This is what gives our donuts their rich, deep chocolate flavor and beautiful dark color. Using unsweetened cocoa powder allows us to control the sweetness of the overall donut, ensuring it’s perfectly balanced.
- Baking soda: A crucial leavening agent that reacts with the buttermilk to help the donuts rise beautifully in the oven. This reaction creates a light and airy crumb, preventing them from becoming heavy or dense.
- Salt: A small but mighty ingredient! Salt enhances the natural chocolate flavor, bringing out its nuances, and simultaneously balances out the sweetness from the sugar, ensuring a well-rounded taste.
- Buttermilk: The secret to ultra-moist and tender donuts. The acidity in buttermilk reacts with the baking soda, contributing to the donuts’ rise and tender texture. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, don’t fret! You can easily make your own homemade buttermilk in about 5 minutes using regular milk and lemon juice or white vinegar.
- Granulated sugar: Provides sweetness to the donuts without adding any additional flavors, allowing the rich chocolate to shine through. It also contributes to the tender texture of the baked goods.
- Large egg: Acts as a binder, helping to hold the donut batter together. It also adds richness, moisture, and structure, contributing to a stable and delicious donut. Ensure it’s at room temperature for better emulsification with other ingredients.
- Unsalted butter: Needs to be melted and then given time to cool slightly before being mixed into the batter. Butter adds incredible flavor and moisture, making the donuts wonderfully rich and tender.
- Pure vanilla extract: A flavor enhancer that complements and deepens the chocolate notes. Using pure vanilla extract delivers the best, most authentic flavor profile compared to artificial alternatives.
- Powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar): The base for our smooth and sweet chocolate glaze. Its fine texture dissolves easily, creating a silky glaze.
- Milk (for glaze): Used to achieve the perfect consistency for your chocolate glaze. You can add more milk gradually, a tablespoon at a time, until the glaze reaches your desired thickness – whether you prefer a thick, opaque coating or a thinner, more delicate drizzle.
Step-by-Step: How to Make Irresistible Baked Chocolate Donuts
Making these baked chocolate donuts is surprisingly quick and simple, taking only about 10 minutes to prepare the batter and another 10 minutes to bake. This makes them an ideal choice for a spontaneous baking project or a quick breakfast treat.
- Prepare your dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisking ensures all the dry ingredients are evenly distributed, which is crucial for a consistent rise and flavor in your donuts.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, granulated sugar, large egg, melted and cooled butter, and vanilla extract until they are thoroughly combined and smooth. This creates a cohesive liquid base for your batter.
- Combine wet and dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix gently until *just* combined. It’s essential not to overmix the batter, as overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour too much, resulting in tough, dry donuts. A few small lumps are perfectly fine!
- Fill the donut pan: Spoon the batter evenly into the greased donut pan cavities. For best results and neatest donuts, consider using a piping bag (with or without a tip) to pipe the batter into the wells. This ensures a clean fill and prevents overflow. Make sure to only fill each cavity about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full to allow room for rising.
- Bake to perfection: Bake the donuts in your preheated oven for approximately 8-10 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when they spring back lightly to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake, as this can dry them out.
- Cool and glaze: Once baked, remove the donut pan from the oven and let the donuts cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. This allows them to firm up slightly, making them easier to handle. While they are cooling, prepare your delicious chocolate glaze. Then, carefully remove the still slightly warm donuts from the pan and dip their tops into the prepared glaze. Place them on a wire rack to allow any excess glaze to drip off and to set completely. The warmth of the donuts helps the glaze adhere beautifully.
Do I Absolutely Need a Donut Pan for This Recipe?
If you’re aiming for the classic ring shape of chocolate frosted donuts, then yes, a donut pan is highly recommended. It’s specifically designed to give these baked treats their characteristic form and ensures even baking.
However, if you don’t own a donut pan, you can absolutely still make this recipe! Simply use a standard muffin tin instead. Fill the muffin cavities about two-thirds full, just as you would for muffins. The baking time will be slightly longer, typically around 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. While they won’t have the traditional donut shape, you’ll still get wonderfully moist and delicious chocolate cake muffins that are perfect for glazing and enjoying. These can be playfully called “donut muffins” or “donut holes” if you use mini muffin tins, offering a delightful twist on the original concept.
Expert Baking Tips for Perfect Donuts
Achieving bakery-quality baked donuts at home is easier than you think with a few helpful tips:
- Don’t overfill the donut cavities: This is a common mistake! Only fill each cavity about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full. Overfilling will cause the batter to overflow and obscure the donut hole, resulting in messy, oddly shaped donuts.
- Yield: This chocolate cake donut recipe typically makes about 8 donuts. However, depending on how full you fill each cavity, you may be able to get up to 10 delicious donuts from a single batch.
- Invest in a good donut pan: A reliable donut pan makes all the difference. Here’s a donut pan that’s very similar to the one I use and absolutely love. It’s a fantastic tool to have in your baking arsenal if you plan on making baked donuts frequently.
- Serve fresh: These baked chocolate donuts are truly at their absolute best when served the same day they are made. The moist, tender crumb and fresh glaze are simply irresistible. Trust me, they usually don’t last beyond one day anyway!
- Room temperature ingredients: Ensure your egg and buttermilk are at room temperature. This helps them incorporate more smoothly into the batter, leading to a more consistent and emulsified mixture, which contributes to a finer crumb.
- Use a piping bag for neatness: For a super clean and easy way to fill your donut pan, transfer the batter to a large piping bag (or a ziptop bag with the corner snipped off). This allows for precise filling of each cavity without making a mess.
- Cool properly: After baking, allowing the donuts to cool for a few minutes in the pan before transferring them to a wire rack is essential. This prevents them from sticking and helps them maintain their shape. Cooling on a wire rack ensures air circulates around them, preventing sogginess.
- Customize your toppings: While sprinkles are a classic choice, don’t hesitate to get creative! Try topping your glazed donuts with toasted shredded coconut, chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips, or even a drizzle of caramel sauce for an extra layer of indulgence.
More Delicious Baked Donut Recipes to Try!
If you’ve fallen in love with these baked chocolate donuts, you’ll be thrilled to discover a world of other fantastic baked donut recipes. They offer the same light, cakey texture and endless flavor possibilities, all without the need for deep frying. Expand your baking repertoire with these delightful options:
- Baked Lemon Blueberry Donuts: A bright and zesty treat, perfect for spring and summer mornings.
- Baked Pumpkin Donuts: A cozy, spiced favorite, ideal for autumn, often paired with a rich maple cinnamon glaze.
- Baked Key Lime Donuts: Tangy and refreshing, these donuts bring the vibrant flavors of Key Lime pie into a delightful donut form.
- Baked Apple Cider Donuts: Evoking the taste of apple orchards and crisp fall days, these are a seasonal must-make.
- Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts: A simple yet utterly classic and comforting donut, coated in a delightful cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Baked Chocolate Donuts
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Ingredients
Chocolate Donuts:
- 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/4 cup (22 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) butter (melted)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Glaze:
- 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons (17 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3-4 tablespoons (45 to 60 ml) milk (or as needed)
Instructions
To make the donuts
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Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly spray a donut pan thoroughly with non-stick cooking spray, ensuring all cavities are well-greased. Set the prepared pan aside.
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In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. This step helps to evenly distribute the leavening agents and ensures a consistent flavor throughout the donuts.
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In a separate medium bowl, combine the buttermilk, granulated sugar, large egg, melted and cooled butter, and vanilla extract. Whisk these wet ingredients together until they are smooth and well combined.
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Pour the wet ingredient mixture into the bowl containing the dry ingredients. Mix with a spoon or spatula until the ingredients are just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few small lumps are acceptable and will result in a more tender donut.
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Carefully spoon the batter into the prepared donut cavities. For best results and cleaner edges, you can pipe the batter using a piping bag or a ziptop bag with a corner snipped off. Only fill each cavity about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full to prevent overflow during baking.
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Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the donuts spring back when gently touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Avoid overbaking to maintain their moist texture.
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Remove the donut pan from the oven and allow the donuts to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. This helps them firm up and makes them easier to remove without breaking. After 5 minutes, carefully transfer the donuts from the pan to a wire rack to cool further.
To make the glaze
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In a separate bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and 3 tablespoons of milk until smooth. If the glaze appears too thick for dipping, slowly add the remaining tablespoon of milk (or a tiny bit more if needed), one teaspoon at a time, until it has reached your desired pourable or dippable consistency.
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Once the donuts have cooled slightly (they can still be a little warm), dip the tops of each donut into the prepared chocolate glaze. Gently twist and lift to allow excess glaze to drip off. Transfer the glazed donuts back to the wire rack to allow the glaze to set and harden. If desired, immediately top with colorful sprinkles before the glaze fully sets.
Notes
Freezing instructions: For longer storage, baked chocolate donuts can be frozen. First, ensure the donuts have cooled completely after baking. It’s best to freeze them *unglazed*. Seal them tightly in an airtight freezer-safe bag or container to prevent freezer burn. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, thaw the donuts at room temperature, and then prepare and apply the fresh glaze just before serving for the best taste and appearance.