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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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Yvonne says
That’s great…coz I only have 1 measuring cup now 😉
Yvonne says
Hi, I stumble upon your blog while searching for the perfect baked choc donuts recipe. I can’t wait to try it! I’m new to using the measuring cup for baking. Do you use the same cup for both wet (ie. milk) and dry ingredients? Thanks!
Karly says
HI @Yvonne,
Technically, you’re supposed to use different measures for wet and dry ingredients. The wet measuring cup looks like a big cup, the dry measure is more of a scoop. I tend to use both interchangably though and never have a problem with it. If you only have one available, just use it. I think you’ll be fine! 🙂
Abby says
So I made this with coconut oil, and just wanted to warn the friends at home that due to its “tempature issues” they weren’t as pretty as I expected, but still edible. Next time, I will use dark chocolate cocoa. That would make this awesome.
Colleen says
Yum! Just made these but realized i was out of eggs after i told the kids we’d make donuts. I subbed yogurt for the sour cream and an applesauce cup for the eggs, plus added 1 tsp. of baking powder. I cooked them for 10 to 12 minutes. They’re amazing and we haven’t even glazed them yet.
Christina says
I was looking at this recipe and it looks great. Except for the fact that I don’t have a donut maker. Do you think I can use a Waffle maker instead? Or even a cupcake tin?
Karly says
@Christina,
I would use a muffin tin and just adjust the bake time as needed. 🙂
Chris says
This recipe is for normal sized doughnuts not mini right?
Mary says
These were such a hit during the holidays! My best friend is coming over tomorrow and we will make a few more batches. We’ve been looking for a recipe for plain/old fashioned donuts and haven’t been able to find one that seems like it would match this one. I was thinking of using this one, skip the cocoa powder, add nutmeg and cinnamon. I’m a little on the fence tabour one thing though: should I add 1/8-1/4 cup of flour? I feel like since I’m omitting 1/4 of dry ingredients I need to substitute it for something else, or the dough will be too liquid. Do you have any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks again for the lovely recipe!
Karly says
@Mary,
I’m afraid I’m a bit too late to this one! Sorry, Mary! I would have added a bit more flour to make up for the cooca powder. What did you do and did they turn out? 🙂
Rebecca says
How long do they cool in the pan before glazing? Thanks!
Karly says
Hi @Rebecca,
I let them cool completely. 🙂
Jamie g says
I am the head baker at a doughnut shop and we always glaze doughnuts hot. It helps the glaze melt into all the crask and makes for a nice glossy finish
Karly says
@Jamie g,
Oh, that’s good to know! I’ll definitely give that a try next time!
Becky says
I know I’m late to the party, but I just made these today after craving doughnuts for a week. My changes: skim milk instead of whole, plain Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream & oil (1/2 cup + 1 tbsp – I use the Chobani conversion chart to healthy up all of my baked goods), and did not use the glaze. Hubby, 2 year old, & I all agreed they are delicious, and the chocolate chips added enough sweetness that the glaze wasn’t necessary. I used a quart size zipper bag with the corner cut off to pipe them into the pan. It made a dozen for me at 107 calories each with my changes.
Karly says
@Becky,
Excellent changes! 🙂
zach says
i am a vegetarian and i was wondering if you could substitute the whole milk for almond milk, and the egg for an egg substite???
Karly says
@zach,
I don’t bake with those products myself, so I have no idea how it would work. Sorry I’m not more help!
Liz says
@zach, I made them with egg replacer and soy milk and they were delicious. I did them in mini-muffin pans so they were like DD’s munchkins. My family can’t get enough of them.
K_Lo says
OMG! These SO exceeded my expectations!! They were quick and easy, using ingredients I keep in the house and the glaze was amazing! I’m in love and my diet is in trouble! Lol!
Laurie says
I was wondering if I could substitute the oil for applesauce? 1/4 cup is alot of oil.
Karly says
@Laurie,
I don’t bake with applesauce, so I honestly don’t know. If you try it, please report back! 🙂
Jessica says
I used the same amount of coconut oil and it was great! Just FYI
Karly says
Glad to hear it! Thanks for coming back to update.
Diz says
Thanks for the recipe….but I don’t have a doughnut pan!!! What can use or can I baked them in a cookie sheet???
Karly says
@Diz,
Just bake them in a muffin tin and dip the tops in glaze. You’ll need to adjust your baking time, but otherwise follow the recipe. 🙂
Susannah says
Thanks a million for this recipe! I’m making it tomorrow morning for our anniversary breakfast. Do you use sweetened or unsweetened cocoa powder? Thanks in advance!
kez says
hi! i was wondering if i could just pipe the donuts out because i dont have a donut maker! thanks 🙂
Karly says
@kez,
The dough won’t hold it’s shape if you pipe it. I would recommend just baking them in a muffin tin. Baked donuts are more or less just muffins anyway. 😉
Just watch your bake times as they’ll need adjusted.