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These glazed chocolate donuts are soft and moist and dipped in a sweet glaze!
I’ve been on a quest to create the perfect chocolate cake donut. I mean, first of all, goals like this are fun to achieve. Even the not-so-perfect chocolate donuts are still chocolate donuts.
Second, how fabulous would it be to have a perfect chocolate donut recipe? Pretty darn fabulous, you guys. Being known as the lady with the perfect chocolate donut recipe is kind of a big deal.
So, I set my mind to it and I measured and mixed and baked and tasted and then did it again and again quite a few times. Finally, I came up with this recipe. The perfect chocolate donut. It’s moist. It’s fluffy. It’s like a chocolate cake, but it’s shaped like a donut which means that it’s breakfast. Then I dunked the donuts in my favorite donut glaze. It gets all crisp and crackly and is pretty much just as perfect as the donut shop glaze.
These are definitely my favorite baked donuts! If you prefer fried donuts, be sure to check out my favorite recipe for those here!
If you’re looking for an easy recipe for your donut pan, this is the one. No mixer needed and it takes less than 20 minutes to get your donuts on the table. These make a great after school snack, too.
Glazed Chocolate Donuts
Ingredients
For the donuts
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup natural cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips optional
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 6 tablespoons sour cream
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
For the glaze
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
To make the donuts
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, baking soda, and salt.
- In a small bowl, beat together the vanilla, egg, sour cream, milk, and oil.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined.
- Spoon in a greased donut pan.
- Bake for 8 minutes or until the tops spring back when you touch them.
- Let the donuts cool in the pan before glazing.
To make the glaze
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
- Dunk the donuts in the glaze to fully coat and place on a wire rack to set, about 5 minutes.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
(I’ve changed this glaze recipe up a bit after receiving a few comments that it wasn’t setting properly. It works beautifully now!)
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Britnee says
my mom’s all time favorite donut is a chocolate glazed and I’ve looked for years for a great dunkin copycat. holy heavenly!
absolutely delicious!
Karly Campbell says
I’m so glad it was a hit! 🙂
Kathy D. says
So I thought these “donuts” were ok, but I felt they were more like cake than donuts. . I noticed one person asked if they could deep fry them you replied no, that the batter was too runny. I found that interesting because my batter was thick and not at all runny and I followed the recipe exactly I bake all the time, so I know my way around the kitchen, so now I’m confused.
Karly Campbell says
Hi Kathy! The batter is somewhat thick, but certainly not thick enough to shape into a donut and transfer it to a pot of oil. You spoon or pipe it into a donut pan so there’s no way that you’re going to be able to fry that and have it hold any sort of shape. They are cake donuts – so they’re meant to be cakey and, since they’re baked instead of fried, they won’t have the same texture as a fried donut.
Are says
i’ve made these. they are amazing! the neighbors also loved them right out of the oven.
Karly Campbell says
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Karly Campbell says
Also, the blog post literally says it’s like chocolate cake in donut form. 😉
Emily says
This is a new favorite that we’ll make again and again!
MrsSwerv says
These were yummy. I added a quarter teaspoon of expresso powder to the vanilla and substitute brown sugar for white. Family loved them. Not crazy about the glaze so did’t use it.
Karly Campbell says
Sounds delicious!
Joel Kunkel says
I don’t have any sour cream. What would you suggest that I would use instead?
Karly Campbell says
Greek yogurt or unsweetened plain yogurt should work as well.
Douglas Kelly says
Super simple. I yielded 9 donuts. They rose so nicely I was surprised. The glaze was…meh at best. I’ll try my glaze recipe.
Donna says
Could you dep fry them
Karly Campbell says
No, it’s too runny of a batter to hold it’s shape without the donut pan. It’d be like deep frying muffin batter.
Diane tracy says
I’m back! I’ve made 3 batches since Saturday and today is Wednesday!! The last time I subbed coconut flavor for Vanilla and after I glazed the donuts, I put them in shredded coconut!! SO SO GOOD.
Karly Campbell says
Oh, that sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing, Diane!
Diane says
Absolutely delicious!!!!
diane tracy says
These may be the best thing I’ve ever baked. TYSM for this recipe!!
Karly Campbell says
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Susan Jackson says
I just made these for the first time and they came out amazing! It was the best doughnut I ever had! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Karly Campbell says
Thank you, Susan! So glad you liked these!
Mike D. says
Good flavor, but they weren’t even close to done in 8 minutes. Is there an adjustment I should have made for a silicone donut pan ?
Karly Campbell says
Hi Mike! Silicone doesn’t conduct heat as well as metal pans, so it does often take a few minutes longer to bake.