Chocolate baked donuts are a fast and easy way to start off the day with your favorite tasty breakfast treat! These cake doughnuts are baked in the oven so you can say goodbye to messy oil from the fryer! Top them off with a coating of vanilla icing and you have yourself a delicious family-friendly breakfast!
Chocolate Baked Donuts Recipe
These chocolate baked doughnuts with vanilla icing are a healthier alternative to fried donuts, plus you get to skip grease splatter and messy oil. They are incredibly easy to make and only bake in the oven for 10 minutes!
The vanilla icing is simple to prepare and contributes the perfect level of creamy sweetness. You will want to add this recipe to your go-to list of easy breakfast treats!
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🥘 Chocolate Baked Donuts Ingredients
The ingredient list may seem intimidating at first. However, all items are common pantry ingredients if you're a frequent baker!
Baked Chocolate Donuts
- Sugar - ¾ cup of granulated, white sugar.
- Cocoa Powder - ½ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted).
- Butter - ¼ cup of butter (salted, at room temperature). Increase your salt by a pinch if using unsalted butter.
- Oil - ¼ cup of cooking oil. Use unflavored, neutral cooking oil for best results. That said, my personal favorite is coconut oil (and yes, you can taste a hint of it).
- Eggs - 2 large eggs (beaten, at room temperature).
- Baking Powder - 2 teaspoons of baking powder.
- Vanilla Extract - 1 ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract to highlight the chocolate flavor.
- Salt - ¾ teaspoon of salt.
- All-Purpose Flour - 2 cups of all-purpose flour.
- Milk - 1 cup of milk (or buttermilk, at room temperature).
Vanilla Icing
- Confectioners Sugar - 1 cup of confectioners sugar.
- Milk - 1 tablespoon of milk (up to 2 tablespoons, as needed).
- Vanilla Extract - 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- Salt - 1 pinch of salt (optional, to taste).
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Chocolate Baked Donuts
With low prep and baking time, you will have these delicious doughnuts ready to serve in under 30 minutes! All you need is a donut pan, mixing bowl, spatula, and measuring cups to get started.
This recipe makes 18 servings of regular-sized donuts. You will have enough to share with the whole family and have some leftovers for the week!
Mix The Chocolate Donut Batter
- Preheat. Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C) and lightly grease your donut (or mini-donut) pan(s).
- Combine ingredients. Add the ¼ cup of softened butter, ¼ cup of cooking oil, ¾ cup of sugar, and ½ cup of cocoa powder to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Cream these ingredients together, then add the 2 beaten eggs, 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and ¾ teaspoon salt. Mix until well combined.
- Add milk and flour. Now, gradually add in the 2 cups of all-purpose flour and 1 cup of milk, alternating between each ingredient. You want all of the ingredients thoroughly combined, but do not over-mix the batter. Stop once everything is evenly distributed.
Transfer & Bake Your Chocolate Donuts
- Transfer to pan. Pour the batter into your prepared donut pans. Each donut mold should only be ⅔ full.
- Bake. Put your donut pan(s) on the center rack of your hot oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. The donuts should rise and be golden-brown on the bottom (you can tell by the lightly browned edges).
- Cool. Pull the pan of baked donuts from the oven and set aside. Let the donuts sit in the pan for 5 minutes before you flip them out onto a wire rack to cool completely before adding the icing.
Vanilla Icing For Donuts
- Mix ingredients. Mix icing ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Adjust the consistency to your desired thickness, the icing should cling to your spoon and drizzle freely without being too runny.
- Top with icing. Dip the donuts, with the top facing down, into your vanilla icing. Lift away and allow the excess to drip off, then return the iced donuts to your wire cooling rack. Allow the icing to set before serving.
You can serve these chocolate-baked donuts by themselves, or you can add some savory breakfast sides for a more balanced meal. Try them with some sour cream scrambled eggs and homemade hash browns! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
- Once the wet and dry ingredients have been combined, just mix until everything is evenly dispersed. Over-mixing the batter will lead to tough donuts!
- You can spoon the donut batter into your donut pans or mini-donut pans, or transfer the batter into a piping bag or plastic storage bag (and snip the corner).
- Baked donuts can dry out easily. If you stick a toothpick into the thickest part of the donut, you want to see a few moist crumbs stuck to the outside when you pull it out.
🥡 Storing
Keep baked donuts in an airtight container or Ziploc storage bag at room temperature for up to 48 hours. After that, your donuts will dry out and get crumbly.
Freezing Chocolate Baked Donuts
They can be frozen once cooled by placing them in a heavy-duty freezer bag and squeezing the air out (this is best before filling or icing them). I prefer to flash freeze the donuts in a single layer on a baking sheet, then wrap the frozen donuts in cling film.
Transfer the wrapped donuts into a freezer storage bag or airtight freezer container. Enjoy within 6 months and thaw either on the counter at room temperature overnight, or in the microwave at 50% power.
❓ Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! When adding espresso powder to the chocolate donut cake batter, it will greatly enhance the chocolate flavor! It is important to know that a little amount of espresso powder goes a long way.
Of course! If you are a chocolate lover you can try my delicious chocolate icing recipe! A cinnamon sugar topping would be tasty as well!
If your chocolate donuts come out dry, that means that you have overcooked them. To avoid this, make sure to check the thickest part of the donut with a toothpick and look for some moist crumbs when you pull it out.
🍩 Tasty Baked Donut Recipes
- Peanut Butter Baked Donuts- If you are a peanut butter lover, you have to make these baked donuts with peanut butter icing!
- Chocolate Chip Baked Donuts- Try these donuts if you have some coconut oil and chocolate chips in the pantry!
- Lemon Sugar Baked Donuts- These sweet and fruity lemon sugar donuts are perfect for your next on-the-go breakfast!
- Cinnamon Sugar Baked Donuts- Simple and tasty cinnamon donut recipe that the whole family will love!
- Blueberry Baked Donuts- A refreshing and fruity doughnut recipe with vanilla icing!
- Baked Donuts- Try these classic cake doughnuts for your next simple and healthy family breakfast!
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📖 Recipe Card
Chocolate Baked Donuts
Ingredients
Chocolate Baked Donuts
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted)
- ¼ cup butter (salted, at room temperature)
- ¼ cup cooking oil
- 2 large eggs (beaten, at room temperature)
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk (or buttermilk, at room temperature)
Vanilla Icing for Donuts
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk (up to 2 tablespoons, as needed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt (optional, to taste)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
Chocolate Baked Donuts
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C) and lightly grease your donut (or mini-donut) pan(s).
- Add the softened butter, cooking oil, sugar, and cocoa powder to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Cream these ingredients together, then add the beaten eggs, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Mix until well combined.
- Now, gradually add in the all-purpose flour and milk, alternating between each ingredient. You want all of the ingredients thoroughly combined, but do not over-mix the batter. Stop once everything is evenly destributed.
- Pour the batter into your prepared donut pans. Each donut mold should only be ⅔ full.
- Put your donut pan(s) on the center rack of your hot oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. The donuts should rise and be golden-brown on the bottom (you can tell by the lightly browned edges).
- Pull the pan of baked donuts from the oven and set aside. Let the donuts sit in the pan for 5 minutes before you flip them out onto a wire rack to cool completely before adding the icing.
Vanilla Icing for Donuts
- Mix icing ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Adjust the consistency to your desired thickness, the icing should cling to your spoon and drizzle freely without being too runny.
- Dip the donuts, with the top facing down, into your vanilla icing. Lift away and allow the excess to drip off, then return the iced donuts to your wire cooling rack. Allow the icing to set before serving.
Notes
- Once the wet and dry ingredients have been combined, just mix until everything is evenly dispersed. Overmixing the batter will lead to tough donuts!
- You can spoon the donut batter into your donut pans or mini-donut pans, or transfer the batter into a piping bag or plastic storage bag (and snip the corner).
- Baked donuts can dry out easily. If you stick a toothpick into the thickest part of the donut, you want to see a few moist crumbs stuck to the outside when you pull it out.
- To store: Keep baked donuts in an airtight container or Ziploc bag at room temperature for up to 48 hours.
- To freeze: They can be frozen once cooled by placing them in a heavy-duty freezer bag and squeezing the air out (this is best before filling or icing them). Enjoy within 6 months and thaw in the microwave on 50% power.
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