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Chocolate Frosted Donuts are homemade with lots of love and even more chocolate! Fluffy chocolate donuts are baked to perfection in just about 15 minutes, then they’re topped with the best sweet chocolate frosting. You’ll love how EASY this homemade donut recipe is!
I’m such a sucker for a good chocolate frosted donut. Maybe it’s the chocolate lover within me, but I just can’t say no to a chocolate donut topped with chocolate frosting – it’s the best bite of double chocolatey goodness every time! Whether it’s for breakfast or a late night treat, these chocolate donuts always hit the spot.
And as much as I do enjoy a classic fried donut, I don’t always feel like measuring the temperature of oil and dealing with all that jazz. Baked donuts are so much easier to make and just as tasty! The batter takes just a few minutes to whip up, then it’s as simple as piping it into a donut tin and baking for 15 minutes. The frosting is even easier to make and is so good you’ll definitely be licking the bowl when it’s all said and done!
Why You’ll Love This
- So much better than the boxed stuff. You know those boxes of baked donut mix right next to the cake mix boxes? We can do so much better than that. Those donuts never taste half as rich, moist, or fluffy as these homemade baked donuts!
- The frosting! I mean, it’s kind of a given that chocolate frosting is going to be the best part, right? This silky smooth frosting is made with just 4 simple ingredients in no time at all and always satisfies my sweet tooth.
- Great for parties. If you’re hosting a brunch or need something sweet and special for a holiday morning, this is the recipe for you! Chocolate frosted donuts are always a hit and this recipe is incredibly easy to double as needed.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here is a list of ingredients you will need to make this chocolate frosted donut recipe. Make sure to scroll down to view the full recipe for exact measurements!
- Flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Brown sugar
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Eggs
- Buttermilk
- Salted butter
- Vanilla
For the frosting, you’ll need:
- Powdered sugar
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Milk
- Vanilla
How To Make Chocolate Frosted Donuts
Here is a general overview of the steps involved to make chocolate donuts with frosting. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
Prepare. Preheat the oven to 350 °F and spray your donut tins with non-stick spray.
Whisk the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, cocoa, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Finish making the batter. Whisk the 2 eggs together, then whisk in the buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla. When this is smooth, stir together the wet and dry ingredients until just combined.
Bake the donuts. Pipe the batter into the prepared donut tins. Each one should be filled about 2/3 of the way with batter. Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Cool and make the frosting. Let the donuts cool on a wire rack. While they’re cooling, make the glaze. Simply stir together the powdered sugar and cocoa until combined, then whisk in the milk and vanilla until smooth.
Frost the donuts. Dip each donut into the frosting, then place back onto the cooling rack so the frosting can settle.
Recipe Tips, Substitutions, and Variations
Get the best frosted donuts every time with these easy tips and tricks!
- Don’t over-mix the batter. Mix together the wet and dry ingredients until just combined. If you over-mix the batter, your donuts won’t rise to the right height and won’t be as fluffy as they should be.
- Spray the pan. This is the kiss of death for so many baked donuts! You MUST spray your donut tins, otherwise the donuts will more than likely stick to the pan and break apart when you try to get them out. Even if you have a nonstick pan, it’s worth the extra insurance.
- Don’t fill the tins all the way. The batter should only fill the tins about 2/3 of the way. If you fill the tins to the top, the donuts will bake way over the sides and won’t end up being the right shape.
- Let the donuts cool. If you try to frost the donuts while they’re still warm from the oven, the frosting will melt into the donuts instead of sitting on top.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
You can store your chocolate frosted baked donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3-4 days. Make sure the donuts are fully cooled to room temperature prior to storing! If they’re even a little bit warm, condensation will build up in the container and the donuts will get soggy.
More Sweet Breakfast Recipes We Love
Start your day off sweetly with more easy breakfast recipes:
Chocolate Frosted Donuts
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup (125 g) flour
- ½ cup (43 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup (110 g) brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup (177 ml) buttermilk
- ¼ cup (57 g) salted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Chocolate Glaze:
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- 4 Tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (177 °C). Prepare your donut pans by spraying generously with non-stick spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set this aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the 2 eggs. Whisk in the buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla. When this is fully combined, add these wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients (flour mixture).
- Stir just enough to combine.
- Place the batter into a piping bag. Pipe it into the prepared donut pans, filling each one ⅔ of the way full.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes. (They should spring back when pressed gently.)
- Remove them from the pan and place them on a cooling rack.
- While they are cooling you could make the glaze. Just whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa. Then whisk in the milk and vanilla until smooth.
- Dip the top of each donut into the glaze and place back onto the cooling rack.
