Preppy Kitchen Recipes Breakfast Chocolate Donut

Chocolate Donut

Name: Chocolate Donut
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour ((270g)); ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder ((50g)); ⅔ cups granulated sugar ((133g)); 1 teaspoon baking powder; ¼ teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 ¼ cups whole milk (room temperature (300ml)); 1 large egg (room temperature); 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted (57g)); 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips ((90g)); 2 tablespoons heavy cream; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (cubed (28g))

By John Kanell Updated Aug 7, 2022
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Moist and fluffy, this homemade Chocolate Donut recipe is a sweet treat that your whole family will love. Baked, not fried, these donuts are perfectly tender, chocolaty, and rich. Topped with a chocolate glaze, these donuts are perfect for breakfast or a sweet afternoon snack.

A plate with a chocolate donut by a glass of milk and additional donuts in the back.

Quick and easy to make, this baked chocolate donut recipe is perfect for any occasion. Topped with a luscious chocolate glaze and sprinkles if you desire, these donuts are chocolatey, soft, and cakey. The moist crumb is absolutely drool-worthy. They are such a sweet, delightful treat that you can’t eat just one.

Super soft and fluffy, you can’t beat donuts baked in 10 minutes! Trust me, you’ll want to make these donuts again and again. Just like my baked donuts recipe, old fashioned donuts recipe, or glazed donuts recipe, these crowd-pleasing donuts will disappear quickly.

What You Need to Make This Recipe

Ingredients needed to make chocolate donuts.

Flour — this chocolate donut recipe uses all-purpose flour as the recipe’s base. Make sure to properly measure the flour for light and fluffy donuts.

Cocoa powder — use good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder for these donuts for the best flavor and texture.

Leavening agents — always double-check that your baking powder and baking soda have not expired. These will help the donuts rise and prevent them from being dense.

Milk — use whole milk for the best flavor and texture.

Egg — you only need one egg to help bind the batter together and provide moisture.

Butter — make sure the melt your butter ahead of time so it’s not piping hot. You do not want it to cook the egg.

Chocolate chips — if you do not have high-quality chocolate chips, I recommend chopping high-quality pure chocolate baking bars to melt for the chocolate glaze. Low-quality chocolate chips have stabilizers that help them keep their shape as the chips bake, so they do not melt as smoothly.

Heavy cream — you must use heavy cream to make the chocolate glaze. Using low-fat dairy will cause the glaze to not be set once cooled.

How to Make Chocolate Donuts

Set of two photos showing dry ingredients whisked and wet ingredients combined.

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

2. Add the milk, egg, butter, and vanilla extract to a medium mixing bowl.

Set of two photos showing wet ingredients whisked in a bowl and poured into the dry ingredients.

3. Whisk until well combined.

4. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture.

Set of two photos showing donut batter whisked and donut pan sprayed.

5. Whisk until fully combined.

6. Lightly spray 2 (6-well) donut trays with baking spray with flour.

Set of two photos showing batter piped into the greased pan then baked donuts dipped in chocolate.

7. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag and snip off the tip. Pipe about ¼ cup of donut batter into each well. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until donuts are puffed before allowing it to cool for 5 minutes. Invert onto the cooling rack.

8. In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate by placing a medium heat-proof bowl with chocolate chips, cream, and butter over 2 inches of simmering water. Stir the chocolate mixture until smooth and well combined. Dip the cooled chocolate donut into chocolate glaze one at a time and place them back on the wire rack. Immediately top with sprinkles, if desired. Let them set before serving.

A plate with two chocolate donuts with rainbow sprinkles on the glaze.

Pro Tips for Making This Recipe

If the donuts puff up and fill the hole during baking, you can trim with a small pairing knife or push the base of a piping tip through each chocolate donut to cut out the center after cooling.
Be sure to measure the flour correctly, or once baked, you might end up with dense donuts. Measuring flour with a scale is ideal as it is the most accurate method. If you don’t have a scale, fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
Be careful not to overmix the batter, as overmixing can cause the donuts to become tough.
Bring the milk and eggs out to room temperature before combining. This prevents you from overmixing the batter and promotes even baking.
Be very careful not to get any moisture into the bowl of chocolate chips, cream, and butter. If water gets in, the chocolate will seize, and you’ll have to restart making the chocolate glaze.
Make sure the donuts are as cool as possible before dipping them in the chocolate glaze. The glaze will melt off if the donuts are still hot instead of setting up nicely.
For even more chocolatey flavor to the donuts, you can add mini chocolate chips to the donut batter.

A platter of chocolate donuts with a glass of milk and additional plated donuts in the back.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are my donuts dry?

If your chocolate donut comes out dry, the most comment reason is over-baking. Over-baking will always lead to a dry dessert. Another reason may be due to incorrect measuring of the ingredients or over-mixing the batter. I suggest investing in a kitchen scale and always stop mixing the batter once the ingredients have combined.

How do I store these donuts?

Once cooled, store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in a cool, dry area in your kitchen.

Can I freeze baked donuts?

These donuts are freezer-friendly, but I suggest skipping the chocolate glaze. Freeze the cooled chocolate donuts without the glaze in a single layer on a lined sheet pan before transferring them to a freezer-safe bag for 2 to 3 months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge and warm them up in the microwave before topping them with the glaze when ready to serve.

If you’ve tried this Chocolate Donuts recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!