Chocolate Glazed Donuts

These bakery-style chocolate glazed donuts are moist and scrumptiously chocolatey. And the best part? They're baked rather than fried! Made with double the chocolate flavor from cocoa powder and the rich chocolate glaze, this recipe is a donut lover's dream!

Bakery-style chocolate donuts

Friends, I have a new obsession, and it's these chocolate glazed donuts.

I am a donut lover through and through, but because fried donuts can be a bit high in calories, they're only a very occasional treat.

So when I recently had a major craving for chocolate cake donuts, I decided to venture into my kitchen to come up with a recipe that would be utterly cozy, yet lightened up a bit. The plan was to indulge in chocolate donuts whenever the craving strikes, but with a bit less guilt!

Enter these moist, rich, bakery-style chocolate glazed donuts, which are baked, rather than fried. And let me tell you, they're absolutely divine!

Funny enough, you'd never really notice the difference, because these donuts have a moist-yet-dense texture—they even have that pinch of nutmeg to make them taste just like classic donuts.

Another thing I love is that they're extra chocolatey from a generous dip in thick chocolate glaze. It's super quick and easy to whip up in no time flat, since there's no frying in batches. Chocolate sprinkles are invited to this donut party too, of course!

So if you're a fiend for chocolate glazed donuts like I am, then this recipe is the perfect sweet treat for you. They also make a splendidly delicious partner to a hot cup of coffee!

My recipe for chocolate glazed donuts

While making classic fried donuts like my apple cider donuts or my vanilla chai latte donuts is a scrumptious undertaking for me, when I'm craving a donut that's a little on the lighter side, I like to let my oven do the work rather than a pot of hot oil.

A lot of times a baked donut can lack substance and a classic donut texture and flavor, but these chocolate glazed donuts have both of those in abundance.

This recipe calls for a cake donut batter using flour, Dutch process cocoa, baking powder, salt, and a tiny pinch of nutmeg for the dry ingredients. There's no yeast, and no need to wait for the batter to rise or proof.

I add a few wet ingredients such as milk, eggs, vanilla, butter, and oil to round out the batter, and then add the batter to a large, freezer ziplock bag for easy piping. Simply cut the corner off the bottom of the bag when you're ready to pipe the batter into your donut pans for baking.

This batter produces very thick, moist, and rich chocolate donuts, and when they're dipped in a shiny chocolate glaze, they taste just like a treat you'd buy at your local donut shop or bakery!

Here's a sneak peek at my chocolate glazed donuts recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I prep my chocolate donut batter, and spoon it into a large, freezer-style ziplock bag.
2. Then, I lightly spritz two donut pans (for a total of 12 donuts) with cooking spray, and snip the corner off the ziplock bag. I then pipe the batter into the donut pan fairly full.
3. Next, I bake the chocolate donuts for roughly 10 to 11 minutes.
4. When done, I allow the donuts cool, and prep the rich chocolate glaze.
5. Once the donuts have cooled, I dip each into the chocolate glaze to generously coat the donuts, then place each one onto a wire rack.
6. I finish with chocolate sprinkles on top, and allow the glaze to completely set before enjoying the donuts.

Recipe

Chocolate Glazed Donuts

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

These bakery-style chocolate glazed donuts are deliciously moist, and absolutely loaded with double chocolate flavor!

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Yield: 12 donuts

Nutrition Info: 302 calories (per donut)

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes

Chocolate Donut Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup Dutch process, unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted of lumps
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• Pinch nutmeg (between ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons neutral oil (I use avocado oil)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted, melted butter
• 1 cup whole milk, room temp
• Chocolate sprinkles or other topping, as optional flourish

Chocolate Glaze Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted of lumps
• 3 ½ tablespoons Dutch process, unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted of lumps
• 4 to 5 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 teaspoon corn syrup (optional)
• ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your donut ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Preheat your oven to 350°, and lightly mist a couple of 6-count donut pans (or one, 12-count pan) with cooking spray.
3. To prepare your donut batter, add the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg to a medium bowl, and whisk to blend. Set these dry ingredients aside for a moment.
4. Next, to a larger bowl, add the sugar, eggs, and vanilla, and whisk those together until smooth. Then, add in the oil and melted butter, and whisk once again to combine.
5. Add in the milk, and whisk to incorporate.
6. Then, add the dry ingredients into the wet, and whisk the batter just until well combined and smooth, taking care not to over mix (the batter will be slightly thin, and this is normal).
7. Spoon the chocolate donut batter into a large, freezer ziplock bag to create a piping bag (alternately, you can use a spoon to spoon the batter into the donut pans).
8. When ready to fill your donut pans, snip the corner off of the freezer bag, and carefully pipe the batter into the donut pan, filling each well close to full.
9. Place the donuts into the oven to bake for about 10 to 10 ½ minutes, or just until baked through (take care not to over bake).
10. Allow the chocolate donuts to cool in their pans for about 3 to 5 minutes, then carefully remove and allow to completely cool on a wire rack.
11. While the chocolate donuts cool, gather and prep your chocolate glaze ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
12. To prepare the chocolate glaze, add the powdered sugar and cocoa to a large bowl, then add in the milk, vanilla, and corn syrup (if using), and whisk to blend until thick, smooth, and glossy. Set aside.
13. Once the chocolate donuts have cooled, dip each donut fairly deeply into the chocolate glaze, allowing excess to slightly drip off, leaving a generous amount of glaze on the donuts. Place onto a wire rack to hold, and repeat with all chocolate donuts.
14. Then, sprinkle over your chocolate sprinkles or other topping (if using), and allow the chocolate glaze to set up completely before enjoying the chocolate glazed donuts.

Tips & Tidbits for my chocolate glazed donuts recipe:

• Dutch process cocoa, for smooth, dark, chocolatey notes: I really like to use Dutch process cocoa when I want my chocolate treats to have deep, dark chocolatey flavor and color. And because it's less acidic than regular cocoa powder, there's no need to add baking soda to the dry ingredients.
• A pinch of nutmeg for that classic donut flavor: Using just a pinch of nutmeg in this recipe helps create that classic bake shop donut flavor in these donuts. There's not enough to make the recipe taste "spiced," but just enough to make them taste more like traditional fried donuts, with that depth of flavor.
• Corn syrup in the chocolate glaze: While I typically don't like to use much corn syrup, I add just a teaspoon to my chocolate glaze to give it a bit of added shine and glossiness. You can leave it out, if you prefer. But if you like a bit of added glossiness to your glazed donuts, add in that small amount.
• How to store your chocolate glazed donuts: I typically stack the donuts on a cake plate and cover with a glass dome to keep them fresh. They look like they're in a donut shop! But if you'd like to freeze part of the batch to enjoy at a later time, they freeze wonderfully in a freezer ziplock bag. Allow the chocolate glaze to fully set, then place the donuts into the freezer bag in a single layer and into the freezer. When ready to enjoy, defrost at room temp on a platter or plate for about an hour. They'll taste super moist and fresh!

Craving more deliciously chocolatey treats? Check out my recipe for Brownie Cookies, Double Chocolate Chip Muffins, Chocolate Banana Bread, Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies, these Chocolate Truffles, or even my Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups!