These do-it-yourself chocolate frosted baked donuts come collectively rapidly with easy substances, full with a wealthy, shiny chocolate glaze that units on high. They’re comfortable, cakey, and the perfect excuse for indulging in sprinkles for breakfast! This straightforward recipe for baked donuts will rapidly grow to be a favourite breakfast deal with.

I initially revealed this recipe in 2014, and I’ve since up to date it with new images and further success ideas for constantly glorious outcomes.
Do you will have a donut pan? Add this enjoyable baking device to your assortment, as a result of at the moment we’re making chocolate frosted baked donuts. And when you begin, you’ll wish to use it once more for recipes like baked apple cider donuts and extra.
Right now’s baked donuts are comfortable, cakey, and dipped in a thick, shiny chocolate glaze, then completed with rainbow sprinkles. They arrive collectively rapidly with easy substances and no mixer, making them good for breakfast, brunch, or a enjoyable, kid-friendly baking undertaking. The batter is much like muffins, so even for those who’ve by no means made donuts earlier than, you possibly can really feel assured right here! 😉
This recipe is constructed on my go-to baked donut base for constant, dependable outcomes. Bitter cream (or Greek yogurt) provides moisture with out weighing the crumb down, brown sugar brings softness and taste, and a contact of nutmeg offers that basic donut store style. The butter-based chocolate glaze units right into a easy, shiny end.

Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Frosted Baked Donuts:
- No mixer required—simply whisk and bake
- Prepared in beneath 1 hour
- Baked, not fried—simpler, much less mess, and lighter
- Delicate & cakey with a good crumb
- Wealthy chocolate glaze units superbly
- Sprinkles! I repeat: sprinkles
- Excellent for youths, birthday breakfasts, or weekend baking
- Take pleasure in that nostalgic donut store taste with out leaving dwelling
One reader, Lucia, commented: “This recipe is past unbelievable. The sunshine fluffy doughnut, the graceful frosting, to not point out it isn’t overpoweringly candy… I extremely advocate this recipe to everybody! It’s enjoyable and straightforward, and also you don’t must take care of any grease! ★★★★★“
One other reader, Jenny, commented: “This recipe has grow to be a part of a practice in my home occurring 8 years now. I make them for my three youngsters’ birthday breakfasts. I want I may publish photos right here of them ‘rising’ with these donuts! ★★★★★“
One other reader, Gemma, commented: “Made this for a latest birthday breakfast in our home… slightly woman who’s often VERY PICKY about her donuts completely cherished these!!! They style like ‘actual donuts’ (as one eater mentioned, shocked) and had been gone inside minutes. ★★★★★“

Why Bake Donuts?
Baked donuts are simpler to make at dwelling as a result of there’s no scorching oil or particular gear required. As a substitute of frying, the batter bakes in a donut pan for a comfortable, cake-like texture, making them faster and fewer fussy (particularly with youngsters serving to!).
Should you’d favor conventional fried donuts, attempt my do-it-yourself glazed doughnuts recipe. No donut pan? A muffin pan works as an alternative—see recipe Notes for particulars.
Substances You Want & Why
We’re utilizing my commonplace baked donut recipe as the bottom. It’s what I take advantage of for my cinnamon sugar donuts, chai spice donuts, crumb cake donuts (doubled for that recipe), and lemon poppy seed donuts. It’s a really thick batter that produces tight-crumbed, cakey donuts.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is greatest for baked donuts.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda: Lifts up the donuts as they bake.
- Salt: Key for taste steadiness.
- Nutmeg: Really offers these donuts that particular bakery style and aroma. Don’t skip!
- Egg: Binds the substances collectively.
- Brown Sugar: Sweetens and provides moisture.
- Milk: Provides moisture and thins the batter.
- Bitter Cream or Plain Greek Yogurt: Provides flavorless moisture that received’t weigh the crumb down.
- Butter: For texture in addition to that impossible to resist buttery taste.
- Vanilla: One other key taste for this donut base.

The Course of Is Tremendous Easy
If you may make muffins, you may make donuts. These come collectively rapidly and simply, no mixer required!
Make the donut batter: Whisk collectively the dry substances in a single bowl and the moist substances in one other, then mix the 2.
Fill the donut cavities: As a result of the batter is thick, it’s best to switch it to the pan utilizing a piping bag or a big zip-top bag with the nook snipped. Simply spoon the batter into the bag, trim off a backside nook, and squeeze the batter into the donut cavities. Identical to this:

Chocolate Glaze Donut Topping
We’re utilizing the identical chocolate glaze as we do for these banana donuts. Mix chocolate chips (or you would use chopped baking chocolate), butter, corn syrup, and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after every, till fully melted and easy.
The chocolate glaze behaves like a comfortable chocolate ganache, however the addition of butter (which is strong at room temperature) helps it set on high of the donuts because the glaze cools.
Water thins out the glaze so it’s the right consistency for dipping the donuts, and the corn syrup is what offers it that shiny sheen… however for those who don’t have any, you possibly can merely go away it out.
Dip the tops of the marginally cooled donuts into the chocolate glaze, and embellish with sprinkles. Children particularly love to assist with this half! They instinctively know that the correct technique to measure sprinkles is along with your coronary heart.

Taste Variations & Concepts
Need to change issues up?
- Swap chocolate glaze for vanilla or strawberry donut frosting
- As a substitute of sprinkles, high with crushed cookies, nuts, or shredded coconut
- Add mini chocolate chips to the batter
P.S. In search of a baked chocolate cake-style donut recipe? You’ll find one on web page 205 of my NYT best-selling cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101!
Baked Donuts Success Ideas
- Don’t overmix the batter. For comfortable and springy donuts, combine simply till the substances are mixed.
- Pipe the batter into the pan. For the best donut form, pipe the batter into the donut pan utilizing a zip-top bag with the nook snipped (or use a piping bag). As a result of the batter is thick, spooning it into the pan could be messy.
- Take pleasure in them contemporary. These donuts are greatest loved the identical day, however leftovers preserve properly for about 2 days, or you possibly can freeze them.

Print
Description
This recipe makes use of a dependable baked donut base with just a few key substances. Bitter cream (or yogurt) provides moisture with out weighing down the crumb, whereas brown sugar brings softness and taste. A contact of nutmeg offers that basic donut store style, and the butter-based chocolate glaze units right into a easy, shiny end. The recipe yields simply 8 donuts, so be sure you double it for those who’re feeding a crowd.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a donut pan with nonstick spray. This recipe makes 8 donuts, so grease 2 cavities of a second donut pan or bake in batches. Put aside.
- Make the donuts: In a big bowl, whisk collectively the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Put aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk collectively the egg, brown sugar, milk, and bitter cream/yogurt till easy. Add the melted butter and vanilla, whisking till totally mixed. Pour the moist substances into the dry substances and stir till simply mixed. Don’t overmix. The batter might be thick.
- Switch the donut batter to a gallon-size zip-top plastic bag and use scissors to snip off the tip of 1 backside nook (or use a piping bag). Pipe the batter into the donut pan cavities, filling every about 1/2–2/3 full.
- Bake for 9–10 minutes or till the donuts spring again when frivolously pressed. Cool the donuts within the pan set on a cooling rack for two minutes, then take away them from the pan and place on the rack to barely cool earlier than glazing. Re-grease the pan and bake the remaining donut batter.
- Make the chocolate glaze: Place the chocolate chips, butter, corn syrup, and water in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 20-second increments, stirring after every, till fully melted and easy. Dip the tops of the marginally cooled donuts into the glaze and add sprinkles, if utilizing. Take pleasure in instantly or look forward to the glaze to set.
- Donuts style greatest the day they’re made. Cowl leftover donuts tightly and retailer at room temperature for 1–2 days or within the fridge for as much as 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Directions: You’ll be able to freeze the baked donuts for as much as 2–3 months. For greatest outcomes, freeze them earlier than including the chocolate glaze. Let the donuts cool fully, then place them in a freezer-friendly container or zip-top bag with parchment between layers to stop sticking. Thaw within the fridge in a single day or at room temperature for a pair hours. Heat within the microwave for about 10–15 seconds, if desired. As soon as thawed, dip in freshly made chocolate glaze and add sprinkles earlier than serving. You can freeze glazed donuts, however the chocolate topping might lose a few of its easy, shiny end after thawing. For greatest look and texture, it’s really helpful to glaze after thawing.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): Donut Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Muffins: You’ll be able to bake this batter in a normal 12-count muffin pan as an alternative of a donut pan. The recipe yields round 8 muffins. Fill every muffin cup about 2/3 full and bake on the identical temperature for about 18–20 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted within the heart comes out clear. Let the muffins cool for a couple of minutes, then add the chocolate glaze and sprinkles.
- Milk: For the donut batter, any milk works, dairy or nondairy. We’ve examined with entire milk, skim milk, and unsweetened vanilla almond milk.
- Can I Double This Recipe? Sure, completely. The recipe yields simply 8 donuts. To double for 16 donuts, merely double the entire substances.

