Go Back
–+ servings
Multiple chocolate donuts on a wire cooling rack.
Print

Chocolate Donut

You will love this Chocolate Donut recipe! It comes out perfectly chocolatey, fluffy, and moist every single time.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Rest Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 12 donuts
Calories 262kcal
Author John Kanell

Equipment

  • Donut baking pans
  • Mixing Bowls
  • Piping bag
  • Saucepan
  • Wire cooling rack

Ingredients

For the Donuts:

  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (270g)
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (50g)
  • ⅔ cups granulated sugar (133g)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ¼ cups whole milk room temperature (300ml)
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (57g)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Glaze:

  • ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (90g)
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed (28g)

Instructions

For the Donuts:

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray 2 (6-well) donut trays with baking spray with flour.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together milk, egg, butter, and vanilla extract until well combined. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture, whisking fully to combine. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag. Snip off the tip.
  • Pipe about ¼ cup of donut batter into each well. (The batter should fill each well to the top edge of the center pop out.)
  • Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until donuts are puffed and a wooden pick inserted into the center of the donut comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes, then invert onto a wire cooling rack.

For the Chocolate Glaze:

  • In a small saucepan, bring 2 inches of water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to simmer.
  • In a medium heat-proof bowl, combine the chocolate chips, cream, and butter. Place on top of the saucepan, making sure it doesn’t touch the water. Stir the mixture until the chocolate and butter are melted and the mixture is smooth and combined. Remove the bowl from the saucepan.
  • Dip a cooled donut in chocolate glaze and place it back on the wire rack. Immediately top with sprinkles, if desired. Continue dipping and sprinkling. Let the donuts stand until the glaze is set, about 20 minutes. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Video

Notes

  • If the donuts puff up and fill the hole during baking, you can trim with a small pairing knife or push the base of a piping tip through each donut to cut out the center after cooling.
  • Be sure to measure the flour correctly, or once baked, you might end up with dense donuts. Measuring flour with a scale is ideal as it is the most accurate method. If you don’t have a scale, fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
  • Be careful not to overmix the batter, as overmixing can cause the donuts to become tough.
  • Bring the milk and eggs out to room temperature before combining. This prevents you from overmixing the batter and promotes even baking.
  • Be very careful not to get any moisture into the bowl of chocolate chips, cream, and butter. If water gets in, the chocolate will seize, and you’ll have to restart making the chocolate glaze.
  • Make sure the donuts are as cool as possible before dipping them in the chocolate glaze. The glaze will melt off if the donuts are still hot instead of setting up nicely.
  • For even more chocolatey flavor to the donuts, you can add mini chocolate chips to the donut batter.

Nutrition

Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 174mg | Potassium: 171mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 279IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 2mg