All the good taste of a classic chocolate donut made in the oven. With this baked Chocolate Donut recipe, you can have fresh homemade donuts on your breakfast table within the hour!
Love easy baked donuts? Be sure to try these fun holiday flavors. Pumpkin Streusel Donuts and Apple Cider Donuts. Or give these easy Cherry Frosted Donuts a try for an easy weekday breakfast.
Why this Recipe Works
Traditionally, donuts are fried in oil (or even lard if you’re old school). I love a yeast donut or cake donut made in the fryer but frying is messy, not to mention time consuming.
Unless we’re talking about these apple fritters or Boston Cream Donuts!
Biting into a good chocolate doughnut is a thing of beauty. These donuts were moist and sweet with a fluffy crumb; then the rich chocolate glaze took them over the top into the territory of “sublime.”
Since they were such a success, I figured I needed to share the love with my fellow impatient donut lovers!
- One bowl donut recipe
- Rich chocolate glaze
- Soft, tender crumb
- Fun colorful sprinkles
Change things up and make some chocolate donut holes instead! We also love these chocolate powdered sugar donuts!
Ingredient Notes
- Basics. From all-purpose flour, to baking powder, baking soda, eggs, kosher salt, and vanilla extract.
- Butter. Use our guide on how to soften butter quickly.
- Sugar and milk (any kind is fine)!
- And for the glaze, you’ll need heavy whipping cream, milk, butter, vanilla, and corn syrup. And don’t even ask me if you can swap out the corn syrup. It’s what gives this glaze it’s unique shine!
- Chocolate- you’ll want cocoa powder for the donut, and chocolate chips for the glaze. I use Ghiradelli brand because I find it to have the best flavor for the price.
Chocolate Donut Recipe
- Make the chocolate donuts. Mix dry ingredients in bowl. Add wet ingredients. Fill donut pan.
PRO TIP: Spoon the batter into a ziploc bag, snip off the tip and pipe it into donut pan. Makes it easy to keep it from spilling over the edges.
- Bake donuts.
- Make the chocolate donut glaze.
- In small saucepan on medium low heat, mix together the cream, milk, butter, vanilla and corn syrup.
- When butter is completely melted, turn heat to low and add in the chocolate.Remove from heat and whisk in the powdered sugar, adding it slowly until desired consistency.
- Dip each doughnut into the glaze and allow to cool.
- Allow chocolate to set (this takes about 15 minutes). Enjoy!
This recipe makes about 8 – 10 donuts.
Tips and Tricks
- To fill the doughnut cups, I use a ziploc bag with the corner cut out. This keeps the process a little more neat and ensures stray batter doesn’t coat the outsides of the cups.
- If you don’t yet have a donut pan, this is the one I love: Norpro Donut Pan– you can find it on Amazon in 6ct or 12ct!
- We added sprinkles on top of the donut just after glazing. These donuts would also taste delicious topped with chopped nuts or anything you usually enjoy on your donuts.
- Be sure to use real heavy cream and corn syrup in the glaze. Substitutes just won’t thicken or set as well.
- Christmas- use today’s chocolate donuts to make our easy grinch donut recipe for the holidays!
Recipe FAQs
Be sure to let the chocolate donuts cool completely, first. Then place in the freezer on a cookie sheet for 30 minutes. Transfer the donuts to an airtight container or freezer safe bags, separating each layer of donuts with parchment paper.
Store these baked chocolate donuts at room temperature for up to 4 days. Keep in airtight container or cake saver.
Absolutely! This recipe doubles easily to make about 16-20 donuts.
More Easy Breakfast Recipes:
- Nutella Donut Holes
- Jelly Filled Donut Holes
- Churros
- Cinnamon Coffee Cake Donuts
- Crumb Cake
- Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Breakfast Recipes
See all Breakfast and Brunch recipes
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Baked Chocolate Donuts
Ingredients
FOR THE DONUTS:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup plus 2 Tablespoons milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
FOR THE FROSTING:
- 1 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- 1 Tablespoon whole milk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon corn syrup
- 2 oz semi sweet chocolate morsels
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- For the donuts, mix dry ingredients in bowl. Beat in the eggs, milk, vanilla and butter. Beat until well blended.
- Spray donut pan with cooking spray. Fill each donut cup about 3/4 full (I use a ziploc with the corner snipped to do this neatly). Fills about 8-10 donuts.
- Bake donuts in 325 degree oven for about 11-14 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, remove from pan.
- While cooling, make chocolate glaze. In small saucepan on medium low heat, mix together the cream, milk, butter, vanilla and corn syrup. When butter is completely melted, turn heat to low and add in the chocolate.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the powdered sugar, adding it slowly until desired consistency.
- Dip each donut into the glaze, allow to cool. (optional- sprinkle with toppings). Allow chocolate to set (about 15 minutes). Enjoy!
Notes
- To fill the doughnut cups, I use a ziploc bag with the corner cut out. This keeps the process a little more neat and ensures stray batter doesn’t coat the outsides of the cups.
- If you don’t yet have a donut pan, this is the one I love: Norpro Donut Pan– you can find it on Amazon in 6ct or 12ct!
- We added sprinkles on top of the donut just after glazing. These donuts would also taste delicious topped with chopped nuts or anything you usually enjoy on your donuts.
- Be sure to use real heavy cream and corn syrup in the glaze. Substitutes just won’t thicken or set as well.
Nutrition
This donut recipe is easy, fast and guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth!
Served with a cup of coffee in the morning or with a glass of milk for an after school snack, a chocolate donut makes everyone happy. Next time you have a breakfast meeting to go to, surprise everyone by walking in the door with a batch of delicious homemade donuts.
WOOOOooOo
I spent the whole day looking for a baked Doughnut recipe to use in my new doughnut pan
and now I find this while I was looking totally for something else
am trying this tomorrow for sure
thanks a lot
ayasgoodies.blogspot.com
Love your blog!
This will be the first recipe I’ll try and I am excited to do so.
What type or flour should I use for this? Cake Flour or All-Purpose Flour?
Thanks!
-Trish
Hi Trish,
Use all purpose flour! ENJOY!
Thanks so much, Aimee.
I will try your recipe tomorrow and will let you know how it turns out. Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes and ideas to so many.
I tried your recipe today and it did not disappoint. Its really a good base recipe. Cakey but moist. Thank you!!!
– Trish
How could I replace the eggs to make them vegan? Any suggestions would be great:)
I’ve heard that you can replace eggs with bananas or applesauce in a pinch. You could try that?!
Just made these this morning in a mini version for my son and my niece! They were in HEAVEN! I didn’t have heavy cream so I used Vanilla Caramel Coffee Creamer and I used Milk Chocolate Chips. They are amazing! Thank you so much for the inspiration! =0)
Nikki,
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! I love that you used coffee creamer, I’ve done that too! YUM.
I’m making these for a party this weekend, they look great! Can they be made a day ahead?!
Great blog.
I have been making doughnuts with my doughnut pan for awhile and I have tried several recipes. All have tasted pretty good, but they all just seem to be cupcakes in the shape of doughnuts. So obivioiulsy, they taste good, but not really like a doughnut.
Anyone else agree?
I will try this recipe to see
So what was your consensus on these? Were they a cupcake texture or a dense real chocolate cake donut texture? I’m trying to find a chocolate recipe that is a true cake donut recipe not the light fluffy kind.
The donuts are the best! I shared them with the boys, and with people at work, and they all were blown away. Thanks for sharing such an awesome recipe with us!
Glad you enjoyed them!
@ Scsanders82- So glad you enjoyed them!
Well… I bought myself a donut pan and made these great doughnuts…They were great, notice I said “were” because they are all gone! Thank you for the recipe.
These look amazing! I’m picky with donuts – chocolate cake and blueberry cake donuts are the only kind I really like. I bet these would be amazing with a pumpkiny glaze on top!
Stopping by from This Chick Cooks (a little late!)
I baked these the other night with my kids and they were a HIT!! 🙂 Two thumbs up all around.
I hope you don’t mind but I’ve posted the recipe on my blog and also added a link back to your original recipe. Thanks again for a great recipe. 🙂
I need a donut pan – I really want to make these!
Yummmy..This is so awesome..love it..I found you over at Wow me Wed and had to stop in..Officially following ya with smiles..Great blog you have here with tons of creativity..Hope u can visit me sometime via http://theartsygirlconnection.blogspot.com TY.
PS: Project Pink Blog Link Party is this weekend the 30th, would love for you to join over 50+ bloggers go PINK for breast cancer..You can find out more here..Wishing u a great week..
http://theartsygirlconnection.blogspot.com/2011/10/paint-your-blog-pink-awareness-faith.html
These look seriously good! 🙂 Yum!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE doughnuts too. These look AH-mazing!!!! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! I LOVE chocolate donuts! Now I need to buy a donut pan.
I’ve been looking for a good chocolate dounut recipe for my pan. I’m pinning this!
Those look delicious. Now I need a doughnut pan!
These look like the perfect recipe for my doughnut pan! My kids will love them!
Pinned these. They look SO yummy! And I love baked donuts!
Hopping over from Something Swanky pinterest blog hop! I love finding new blogs. I’m your newest follower on here – I can’t resist a good food, (especially treats!) blog and I’m following your boards on pinterest. I even saw you have repinned one my my recipes! 🙂 Hope you’ll stop by and follow me too at purplestpecalin.blogspot.com!