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These glazed chocolate donuts are soft and moist and dipped in a sweet glaze!
I’ve been on a quest to create the perfect chocolate cake donut. I mean, first of all, goals like this are fun to achieve. Even the not-so-perfect chocolate donuts are still chocolate donuts.
Second, how fabulous would it be to have a perfect chocolate donut recipe? Pretty darn fabulous, you guys. Being known as the lady with the perfect chocolate donut recipe is kind of a big deal.
So, I set my mind to it and I measured and mixed and baked and tasted and then did it again and again quite a few times. Finally, I came up with this recipe. The perfect chocolate donut. It’s moist. It’s fluffy. It’s like a chocolate cake, but it’s shaped like a donut which means that it’s breakfast. Then I dunked the donuts in my favorite donut glaze. It gets all crisp and crackly and is pretty much just as perfect as the donut shop glaze.
These are definitely my favorite baked donuts! If you prefer fried donuts, be sure to check out my favorite recipe for those here!
If you’re looking for an easy recipe for your donut pan, this is the one. No mixer needed and it takes less than 20 minutes to get your donuts on the table. These make a great after school snack, too.
Glazed Chocolate Donuts
Ingredients
For the donuts
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup natural cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips optional
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 6 tablespoons sour cream
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
For the glaze
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
To make the donuts
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, baking soda, and salt.
- In a small bowl, beat together the vanilla, egg, sour cream, milk, and oil.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined.
- Spoon in a greased donut pan.
- Bake for 8 minutes or until the tops spring back when you touch them.
- Let the donuts cool in the pan before glazing.
To make the glaze
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
- Dunk the donuts in the glaze to fully coat and place on a wire rack to set, about 5 minutes.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
(I’ve changed this glaze recipe up a bit after receiving a few comments that it wasn’t setting properly. It works beautifully now!)
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Jane Henderson says
This was my first time trying this recipe and I love it! I had to dip some of my donuts twice and the icing did set good. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Tracy Waters says
These are my favorite cake donuts. They are not too sweet and so moist. The whole family eats them so fast that I had to start doubling the recipe. Yum!
Lisa Pohil says
I used coconut creme and almond milk instead of sour creme and milk. My nanny two year old gobbled it up. Heating milk for frosting works.
Marie Nixon says
Very good. Has all of the ingredients to ensure a delicious donut, mini chips, sour cream, and oil. Be sure to grease the donut pan very well and wait several minutes after taking the pan out of the oven before removing each donut from the pan.
Alix says
This recipe has been a huge hit for us! Can I leave out the cocoa powder to made a regular non chocolate donut? I’m trying to make a vanilla donut but I cant find the right texture. I love the texture of these donuts and would love to do a regular cake donut
Karly says
Hi Alix! I’m not sure that leaving out the cocoa would give you the right texture. You could maybe get away with it by adding an extra tablespoon or two of flour, but I haven’t tested it to say for sure.
Laura Rees says
Super soft & yummy. However 8 minutes was waaay to short. Was more like 14 for my oven.
Alicia says
Donuts
Julie says
Light and fluffy. I didn’t have sour cream, so I used plain greek yogurt. LOVED these donuts.
Karly says
Thanks, Julie!
Jeannie says
I cant believe folks are saying these have no taste! Wow! I guess because i used an organic cacao powder but they were soooooooo chocolatey that im calling them death by chocolate donuts! The glaze is perfect! Thanks 4 the recipe!
Karly says
Thanks, Jeannie!
Cat Reb says
This recipe was delicious! I read through all the comments and decided to try it anyway because I love all things chocolate. As others have commented previously, these are more cake-like. However, my kids and I devoured 3 dozen mini donuts in a few days. I used coconut oil and added 2 TBSP of sugar to give my donuts a little more sweetness. I also made the glaze Terri mentioned but with an adjustment another commenter posted: 3 tsp coffee granules and 2 tsp cocoa powder, no corn syrup. We will definitely return to this recipe again…and again.
Karly says
Hi Cat! So glad you gave these a try and enjoyed them! Baked cake donuts are definitely more cakey than the fried version, btu we love them too. 🙂 The glaze sounds fabulous!
Jen says
I see salt in the list of ingredients but not in the instructions. Is that why they didn’t come out right?
Karly says
Hi Jen! The salt just gets mixed in with the dry ingredients. I’m not sure why yours didn’t turn out…do you have more information about what went wrong?
Ella says
This recipe was okay. I made baked donuts for the first time and the actual donuts turned out fine but more cakey thank I liked. The glaze did not set up nicely and didn’t have the best taste. Overall it was okay
Mimi says
I wish I had read the comments. I’ve made many baked doughnuts. These were flavorless and not at all the right texture to be called a doughnut. 🙁
Amber Mikler says
I thought these were very good, but they are very cake like and do not have the donut texture I was looking for. These were light and fluffy like a cupcake. The glaze seemed very runny as well.
Smellmop Who says
How can I make this without a doughnut pan?
Karly says
You could just bake them as muffins instead.