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
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.
Great recipe. It’s a keeper for sure. So, so, easy and delicious!
These donuts were amazing! They were easy enough for a weekday breakfast surprise for my daughter and they were a huge hit!
These donuts were amazing! They were easy enough for a weekday breakfast surprise for my daughter and they were a huge hit!
I love that these are baked! The chocolate flavor is still so rich and delicious.
My only decision now is whether to have these for breakfast or dessert! lol They were perfectly delicious. Sorry for the reviewer above who didn’t like them – maybe they did something wrong or missed a step? These are so easy to make and a great way to get my chocolate fix!
My daughter wanted donuts, so I told her she can make them!! 9 years old and did a fantastic job! All I did was get the pan into the oven and out of the pan, she did everything else! Very easy and super delicious!! Will definitely make again!
My kids prefer glaze that is not chocolate. Would your glaze recipe work if I just left the chocolate pieces out?
I’ve had my donut pie pans for at least 1 year, maybe 2 and I haven’t gotten around to using them yet. I just made your recipe and it was so good! I am excited to bring these to a family gathering for a dessert! I need more excuses to make these. 😀
Well….breakfast is an every day event that must happen…so I suggest making daily 🙂
I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for awhile, but just got around to trying them today. OH MY! They are so delicious! I don’t normally have cream on hand so I used a little more milk in the icing instead & it came out perfect. I think they’d be great with a simple milk/powdered sugar glaze too. Thank you for the new addition to my recipe binder!
Thanks for letting me know Teresa!! So glad you enjoyed the recipe (and yes, I’ve used milk instead of cream too!!)
sweet mother of god these are good! I just made them, (somewhat to the recipe) and they are AMAZING. All I did different was leave out the baking powder ( I didn’t have any) and substituted the milk with chocolate soy milk ( I’m not lactose intolerant I just like it better) and I’m in love!
P.S. I used a Wilton doughnut pan and it made exactly 12 doughnuts.
Haha, so glad you enjoyed the recipe! I enjoyed your comment 🙂
These donuts looked perfect, i was so inspired, obsessed to be exact, to make even when i don’t have donut pan myself. Took a little imagination and was finally able to try this recipe.
I just want to say that this morning I had a donut craving so I made the vanilla bean donuts with this chocolate glaze. Every time I make one of your donut recipes they come out perfect. The glaze was amazing and set on the donuts perfectly.
My kids loved these! We were able to get about 18 donuts out of your recipe. So good! We love the Vanilla Bean donuts as well.
So glad to hear! Thanks for stopping by and letting me know!
Would this recipe work in a donut maker? I have one that I lost the instructions for. I would love to try this recipe out in it!! Looks amazing!!!
3/4 cup plus 2tbsp milk? Please elaborate
These donuts was delish.Only change I made was used a mini muffin pan.I don’t have a donut pan(on the shopping list). But tasted amazing.Mini donut muffins.I still put them in the glaze and sprinkles.Kids loved them.
Have you ever used the mini-donut pan for any of your donuts? I can’t wait to try some of you recipes!
I finally made these, Aimee, and I can’t believe how easy AND tasty they are! Great recipe. I posted them tonight!
I made these today and they were absolutely disgusting. It was a waste of ingredients and after taking one bite of the hard little rocks I threw the rest out. Stick with dunkin donuts and don’t waste your time!
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy the chocolate donuts. I wonder if maybe there was a mistake in reading the ingredients? I’ve been making these for a couple years (as have many others) with no problems!
I just made these and they are FABULOUS!! Thanks for sharing, Ill definitely be following you now since we share a love of donuts 🙂