You won’t regret making these Homemade Baked Chocolate Donuts! They are soft, moist, and topped with a silky chocolate ganache. Make them for an easy breakfast treat to enjoy with family and friends, or just keep them all to yourself!
This post has been updated from its original date of February 27, 2019.
Table of Contents
Grab Your Ingredients
I’m willing to bet you have most, if not all, of the ingredients needed to make these easy-baked glazed chocolate donuts! Here’s what you’ll need:
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Salt
- Granulated Sugar
- An Egg
- Vegetable Oil
- Boiling Water
- Milk
- Vanilla Extract
How to Make the Recipe
This is a really easy homemade chocolate donut recipe to whip up. Here’s a quick overview of how to make them!
Whisk the dry ingredients together. This includes all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, unsweetened cocoa powder, salt, and granulated sugar.
Add in the wet ingredients. Add in the egg, vegetable oil, boiling water, milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk the mixture together until just combined. Do not over-mix.
Fill the donut cavities. You can use either a glass measuring cup or a large piping bag. You don’t need a decorating tip; just snip the end of the bag off when you are ready to start.
With either method, I recommend having a paper towel nearby to clean up any drips. I also suggest giving each donut pan 3-4 gentle taps on the counter to release any air bubbles.
Bake, cool, then dip! You will bake the chocolate donuts for 8-10 minutes at 350ºF. Let them cool for about 5 minutes before turning them onto a wire cooling rack.
Once cooled, dip them into the chocolate ganache and enjoy!
Additional Ways to Decorate Your Baked Chocolate Donuts
In addition to the chocolate ganache (which I highly recommend), you can decorate your donuts with the following:
- Chocolate Jimmies (or Sprinkles)
- Rainbow Jimmies (or Sprinkles)
- Chopped Pistachios
- Crispearls
- Chopped Oreos
Recommended Donut Baking Tools
Mixing Bowls, Whisk, and Spatula. You will need two mixing bowls—one for the donuts and the other for the chocolate ganache. Having a whisk or two and a spatula on hand will be quite helpful.
2 Donut Pans. I recommend getting the ones from Wilton. I know there are other donut pans out there, but I find these work really well, and they make nice size baked donuts, and clean up nicely. You can usually find them in a set of 2.
Flour-Based Baking Spray. If you’ve seen my other recipes on here you’re already going to know what I’m going to say and that’s to get yourself some Baker’s Joy. I’m not at all sponsored by them, I just really believe in their product! The reason I love it so much is it makes for an easy release of your donuts from the pan (or bundt cakes, etc.). I usually get Baker’s Joy at my local Walmart.
Glass Measuring Cup or Large Piping Bag. This will come in very handy when it comes time to fill the donut cavities. Otherwise, you’ll more than likely end up with a ginormous mess on your hands. I do recommend keeping a paper towel on hand for any drips.
Cooling Rack and Baking Sheet. You’ll need the cooling rack for cooling the donuts and a place to set them after you’ve topped them with the chocolate ganache.
Recipe FAQs
The size of each donut measures 3.5 inches in diameter when baked.
Yes! Unless you have a countertop oven, you can bake the pans side-by-side.
More Chocolate Treats to Enjoy!
For all Beyond the Butter desserts, check out my recipe box!
Homemade Baked Chocolate Donuts
Ingredients
chocolate donuts
- 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
- 3 tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Large Egg, room temperature
- 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1/4 cup Boiling Water
- 1/4 cup Milk, any dairy type
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
chocolate ganache
- 1/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 2/3 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
baked chocolate donuts
- Adjust the oven rack to the 2nd level mark (just above center) and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Generously coat 2 donut pans with a flour-based baking spray. Set aside.
- Using a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, unsweetened cocoa powder, salt, and granulated sugar. Add in the egg, vegetable oil, boiling water, milk, vanilla extract, and mix together until just combined. The batter will be on the thin, runny side.1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour, 1/2 tsp Baking Soda, 1/4 tsp Baking Powder, 3 tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar, 1 Large Egg, 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil, 1/4 cup Boiling Water, 1/4 cup Milk, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract, 1/8 tsp Salt
- Fill eat donut cavity about 3/4 of the way full, or 3 times around. You can fill them using either a glass measuring cup or a large piping bag (no piping tip needed—just snip the tip of the bag off when ready to use).
- Place the 2 donut pans side-by-side in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes at 350ºF. When done, the donuts should spring back when you gently press on them. Allow them to slightly cool in the pans for about 5 minutes before removing them carefully inverting them onto a wire cooling rack. The donuts should be cooled completely before topping with the chocolate ganache.
chocolate ganache topping
- Place the semi-sweet chocolate chips into a medium size bowl. Set aside.2/3 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- Using a microwave-safe bowl or glass measuring cup, heat the heavy whipping cream for 45 seconds. Pour it over the chocolate chips, then cover loosely with aluminum foil for 1-2 minutes.1/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- Remove the cover, then add in the vanilla extract, and stir until completely melted and smooth. Use a small spatula to smoosh any stubborn chocolate chips that may not want to melt fully. If the ganache seems too thin for your liking, you can add in a few more chocolate chips. Likewise, if you find the ganache to be too thick, you can add a small amount of heated heavy cream to the mixture to get your desired consistency.1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Once smooth, dip each cooled baked chocolate donut into the ganache, gently swirl it around, then carefully lift up and place onto a cooling rack. I recommend placing the cooling rack over a few paper towels to catch any chocolate ganache that may drip off.
- Donuts will keep at room temp in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Recipe is adapted from my Chocolate Cake and Oreo Buttercream Frosting recipe.
- Donut pans are from Wilton.
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided above is an estimate only and will vary based on specific ingredients used. See Nutritional Disclaimer for more info.
These were such a fail! The only reason I used this recipe is because I couldn’t find the one I normally use for chocolate cake donuts. When I read that the batter will be running I was worried and I was thinking it sounds like a cupcake recipe. Well sure enough that whya this actually is. The donuts were sticking to the pan even though I greased the pan and they all fell apart like cake not like cake donuts. Basically this is a cupcake recipe!
I’m sorry they weren’t a hit, but thank you for trying the recipe!
Didn’t have cream so no ganache, but the donuts were delicious plain. Light and fluffy inside, but outside had a baked crunch. Definitely going to make these again.
Thank you for making them!
I have the mini donut baking pan.. how long would it take to bake?
Hmmm…I’m not sure because I’ve never tried that before. The recommended baking times for the standard size donut pan is 7-9 minutes, so maybe reduce that by a minute or two. Start by checking on them at maybe the 5 minute mark and go from there.
I need to try these! I’ve never came across a donut that I didn’t love!!
Hey Karly! Yes, you definitely need to! They’re really simple to make, but man do they taste good! And I’m like you, I’ve never met a donut I didn’t like. 🙂 Have a good weekend!
That glaze is goals. Basically I MUST make these soon.
Thanks Jo! I honestly could (and have) eaten that chocolate ganache on its own. It’s so good! I hope you get to try them soon!