Homemade chocolate frosted donuts are baked, not fried, and topped with a thick chocolate glaze. This easy recipe for moist and buttery donuts will quickly become a favorite breakfast treat. Cover them completely in sprinkles and you’ll find yourself eating more than just one!
Do you have a donut pan? Add this fun baking tool to your collection because today we’re making chocolate frosted donuts. Then use it to make banana donuts, baked sprinkle donuts, and any of my other baked donut recipes!
Why You’ll Love These Baked Donuts:
- Kid-friendly
- No electric mixer required
- Baked, not fried
- Taste just like donuts from your favorite bakery
- Soft, dense, and cakey
- Sweetened with brown sugar
- Generously frosted with chocolate glaze
- Overloaded with sprinkles
Two Parts to Chocolate Frosted Donuts
- Donuts: We’re using my standard baked donut recipe as the base. It’s what I use for my baked cinnamon sugar donuts, chai spice donuts, crumb cake donuts (doubled for that recipe), and lemon poppy seed donuts. It’s a very thick batter that produces tight-crumbed, cakey donuts. We use a handful of basic ingredients like flour, egg, leaveners, and milk. I like to add a little Greek yogurt to the donut batter for a moisture punch (sour cream works too) and prefer sweetening them with brown sugar. A little dash of nutmeg gives these donuts that classic donut shop taste we all know and love.
- Chocolate Glaze: We’re using the same chocolate glaze as we do for my banana donuts. It’s like chocolate ganache, but we use butter. Butter helps it solidify and “set” on top of each donut. Water thins the glaze out while corn syrup (optional) keeps it smooth and shiny.
Quick Overview: How to Make Chocolate Frosted Donuts
If you can make muffins, you can make donuts. These come together quickly and easily, no mixer required!
- Make the donut batter. Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another bowl. Whisk to combine both. It’s that easy.
- Fill the donut cavities. Transferring donut batter into the donut pan can be tricky, so I always suggest using a zipped-top bag to pipe the batter. (You can see me doing this below.) Just spoon the batter into a large zipped-top bag, trim off a bottom corner, and squeeze the batter into the pan. The donut batter is thicker than you’d expect, so it pipes pretty neatly.
- Bake. They bake up VERY quickly!
- Make the glaze. I usually do this as the donuts bake. Melt the chocolate chips, butter, corn syrup, and water together until completely smooth.
- Dip into glaze. Dip the warm donuts into the chocolate glaze and cover with sprinkles!
More Donut Recipes
- Pumpkin Donuts
- Berry Fritters (fried)
- Apple Cider Donuts
- Baked Maple Donuts
- Glazed Doughnuts (fried)
- Crumb Cake Donuts
Chocolate Frosted Donuts
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 donuts
- Category: Donuts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These chocolate frosted donuts are baked, not fried – and are so simple to make! Cover them completely in sprinkles and you’ll find yourself eating more than just one.
Ingredients
Donuts
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (gives them that “bakery donut” taste)
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup (65g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk*
- 1/4 cup (60g) Greek yogurt*
- 2 Tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Glaze
- 1/2 cup (90g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 Tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
- 2 teaspoons water
- rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a donut pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- Make the donuts: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and nutmeg together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk the egg, brown sugar, milk, and yogurt together until smooth. Add the melted butter and vanilla, whisking until fully combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix. The batter will be very thick.
- Spoon the batter into the donut cavities—I highly recommend using a large zipped-top bag for ease, as pictured and explained in detail above. Cut a corner off the bottom of the bag and pipe the batter into each donut cup, filling 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from the pan and bake the remaining donut batter. Allow the donuts to slightly cool before glazing.
- Make the chocolate glaze: Place the chocolate chips, butter, corn syrup, and water in a medium bowl. Melt in 20 second increments in the microwave, stirring after each time, until completely melted and smooth. Dip the tops of the donuts into the chocolate glaze and then cover with sprinkles. I simply poured the sprinkles into a deep bowl and dipped the tops of the donuts into it. You’ll likely have leftover glaze. It’s great on ice cream!
- Donuts taste best eaten the same day, though they may be covered tightly and stored at room temperature for 2 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: You can freeze the unfrosted donuts for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, warm up to your liking in the microwave, and top with glaze.
- Special Tool (affiliate link): Donut Pan
- As Muffins: You can make this recipe into 8-10 muffins using a muffin pan. Bake at the same temperature for 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Milk: Skim milk, 1%, 2%, whole, almond milk, soy milk, or coconut milk is OK.
- Yogurt: Nonfat, low fat, vanilla, plain, Greek or regular yogurt is OK. Sour cream works too!
Keywords: chocolate frosted donuts
AMAZING DONUTS! I made these for family that came from India (they’d never had cake donuts before) using 2% milk and nonfat yogurt, and they turned out so yummy! Even my parents, who are always on a diet, had these 🙂 Thanks!
I just got a mini-doughnut pan yesterday and can’t wait to make these with the kiddos! What time/temp would you recommend for the minis? Thank you!
Mini donuts are going to be so cute! I haven’t tested these in a mini pan so I do not know they exact bake time. Keep the oven the same temperature and watch them closely. Enjoy!
I made these this morning with my 3 year old. They are so easy to make and so good. Definitely will be making again! =)
Hi. Is there a substitute for the yogurt—a way to make it non-dairy? Thank you.
Hi CS! You can use nondairy yogurt such as soy or coconut– or another nondairy yogurt you enjoy. Mashed banana should work too!
Hi Sally! I use this recipe regularly with my kids–we LOVE them! This year my daughter is requesting a large baked doughnut in a ring pan in lieu of a birthday cake. (In other words–a cake sized baked donut!) Do you have any recommendations for baking time and temperature when using this recipe in a 10 inch ring pan?
Hi BethAnn! I’m unsure– there definitely won’t be enough batter for a cake though. I recommend AT LEAST doubling it.
It worked out! I made the batter (x4) and filled a 10″ ring pan until it was 2/3 full. 325° for about 45 minutes did the trick. Topped it with your ganache (doubled the recipe of course) and some jumbo rainbow candy sequins. Super cute! Tagged on Instagram:-)
Hi, these were the best I’ve ever eaten, and now it’s my permanent “Most Scrumpalicious Donut” recipe. Thank you so much, everyone loved it.
Angie.
Hi There,
I literally just made this for a birthday party and they look amazing. The party is not until tomorrow and I snuck one in and tried it and it was SO GOOD! Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe.
I have to say, this was my first time making the donuts and the recipe was just perfect. Thank you for the share!! Wishing you a wonderful day! *Can you tell how excited I am of the success of this recipe?!* 🙂
hi sally, i only have packed dark brown sugar. can i use that?
Dark brown would be fine!
Hi, Sally
I made these today for Mother’s Day and they were a huge hit! The kids loved the sprinkled ones too! I was just wondering how to make the ganache with milk chocolate for my husband who doesn’t love the semi sweet?? I want to wow him with your fabulous donuts!!
Thanks so much
Shannon
How about using milk chocolate chips instead? Have you ever seen those in stores? I know Nestle Tollhouse makes them.
Hi Sally,
Is there a replacement for ground nutmeg? and If I make these without nutmeg, will they still taste good?
Nutmeg gives them that social bakery donut taste, but they’re still great without it.
Made these last night and took them to a weekly church function this morning. They were a hit! So easy to make. I’ve been asked to make them again next week 🙂
I made them today and they are sooo good and easy ❤❤
This looks amazing. I’d love to try it but due to a food allergy, I can’t use egg or egg replacers. Can you tell me the purpose of the egg in the recipe (e.g. binding, leavening). Could I switch it out for banana, applesauce or thickened flax/chia?
Mashed banana or a flax egg could work in place of the egg. The texture may be a little different, but the donuts will still taste wonderful.
Couldyou by any chance fry the donuts?
No. This batter is for baked cake donuts– classic fried donuts have a different type of batter and taste.
Hi Sally,
I try not to use dairy, do you have something else to use besides the yogurt?
Thanks!!!
mashed banana or unsweetened applesauce would be great.
hI sally I only have a MINI doughnut pan – do you think these would work in it ? How should I change the baking time ? And also I will have to put one batch in and then do the left over batter after that batch is done – will this be ok ? Thanks for all your help sally
Absolutely! I am unsure of the bake time– it will be just a little shorter. You may bake one batch at a time with 1 pan, yes.
Can this batter made a day ahead, then baked the next morning? I have my niece and nephew this weekend and would love to make them these donuts.
thank you,
Unfortunately, no. Once the leaveners and liquid are combined, the batter must be baked. You may certainly mix the dry ingredients together and the wet ingredients together separately ahead of time. When ready to bake, mix them together and bake as instructed in the recipe.
These look so amazing! I can’t wait to try them. I love the easy ganache recipe. I have a mini donut pan with 12 donuts I think. Do you know how high I should fill them and how long to bake them?
I would fill 2/3 of the way full and I’m really unsure about the bake time. It will be short!
Hi Sally! I’m making these for Christmas morning and wondering how I would go about making powdered and cinnamon? I am soooo excited to make these!
When the donuts are warm after baking, simply dip into a little melted butter and then a mix of powdered sugar and ground cinnamon. Enjoy!
Hi, I was wondering if I could use sour cream instead of yogurt?
Hi Amber– yep, that would be just fine
Do you think the bake time for the doughnuts would change if I used a mini-doughnut pan instead?
Yes, it would be less. I’m unsure of the exact time.
For everyone asking for a corn syrup alternative: I made the glaze last night with 2 tsp honey and it turned out great. Not as thick as Sally’s looks, but still tasty. Try it on her baked funfetti donuts — that’s what we did, and we were very happy we did! Thanks for the great recipes, Sally!
I purchased a doughnut pan recently and your website was my first stop for a doughnut recipe. This recipe may also be the last that I try! It was perfect. The doughnut was light a fluffy and the frosting was super easy. I didn’t have corn syrup but did some brainstorming and added just 1 tsp. of molasses instead. My frosting was SUPER shiny (and no molasses taste).
Thanks for sharing!
Alison
Just wanted to say thank you for sharing this! All your recipes are AMAZING and you are my favorite baking blog!
I made these donuts for Father’s Day yesterday and they were a hit (I didn’t have any yogurt so I subbed in sour cream instead, and they were still so great)!
My children and I made these for Mother’s Day this morning and they are YUMMM-O!! I made a few substitutions and used 1/2 cup AP flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and also subbed 1T butter for 1T coconut oil in the donuts. In general, I find that when it comes to flour and fat (butter/oil) just halving the recommended amount and subbing an ingredient of choice (whole wheat flour, oat flour, etc…) really works well!!! May not work for everything, but it has worked for me so far!! 🙂 We LOVED these, they turned out great! We didnt have any corn syrup for the glaze, so we just used whipped cream and sprinkles some chocolate chips on top!
As soon as I read this post I knew I needed to order a doughnut pan. It just came in the mail and I made these this morning. They turned out amazing! The whole family loved them. Super easy to make. Will definitely keep making these and look forward to trying your other doughnut recipes. Thanks!
The combination of the creamy glaze and the sprinkles is awesome! I tried it with chocolate sprinkles and it tastes so good!
These are FANTASTIC!! I made half with sprinkles (like yours) and half with shredded coconut. They are super-easy to make too- the finished product looks very impressive without a whole lot of work. Thanks for sharing this one!!
Could you use this recipe to make one giant donut in a ring mold? Would the baking times and recipe have to be doubled or tripled?
Hi Caitlin, we haven’t tested that so can’t offer any advice. Baking time would be much longer.
I love donuts!! These look delicious! Do you think I could use sour cream instead of yogurt? I know it would up the fat content but I rarely have yogurt in my house. Do you think it would change the consistency too much? Thanks for all your wonderful recipes.
That should be fine.