You won’t regret making these Homemade Baked Chocolate Donuts. They bake up soft and moist and are finished with a silky chocolate ganache—perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a sweet snack to share (or not!).
This post has been updated from its original date of February 27, 2019.
Table of Contents
- Grab Your Ingredients
- How to Make the Recipe
- Additional Ways to Decorate Your Baked Chocolate Donuts
- Recommended Donut Baking Tools
- Recipe FAQs
- More Chocolate Treats to Enjoy!
- Homemade Baked Chocolate Donuts Recipe
Grab Your Ingredients
Most of these items are pantry staples. Gather the following before you begin:
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Salt
- Granulated Sugar
- An Egg
- Vegetable Oil
- Boiling Water
- Milk (any type)
- Vanilla Extract
How to Make the Recipe
This is a straightforward baked chocolate donut recipe that requires minimal mixing and delivers tender results. Overview:
Whisk the dry ingredients. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, salt, and sugar in a bowl.
Add the wet ingredients. Stir in the egg, vegetable oil, boiling water, milk, and vanilla until just combined. The batter will be thin—do not overmix.
Fill the donut pans. Use a glass measuring cup or a large piping bag (snip the tip off) to fill each cavity about 3/4 full. Tap the pans 3–4 times on the counter to release air bubbles and wipe any drips.
Bake, cool, and dip. Bake at 350ºF for 8–10 minutes. Let the donuts cool in the pans for about 5 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely before dipping in ganache.
Additional Ways to Decorate Your Baked Chocolate Donuts
Beyond the chocolate ganache, try topping the donuts with:
- Chocolate sprinkles
- Rainbow sprinkles
- Chopped pistachios
- Crispearls
- Crushed cookies (e.g., Oreos)
Recommended Donut Baking Tools
Mixing bowls, whisk, and spatula. One bowl for the batter and one for the ganache make the process tidy.
Donut pans (2). Two pans let you bake a full batch at once—choose pans that release easily.
Flour-based baking spray. A spray with flour helps the donuts release cleanly from the pan.
Glass measuring cup or piping bag. For filling donut cavities without mess.
Cooling rack and baking sheet. A rack set over a sheet pan catches any drips after glazing.
Recipe FAQs
Each baked donut measures about 3.5 inches in diameter.
Fill each cavity roughly 3/4 full (about three swirls from a piping bag). You can reduce the amount for smaller donuts, but avoid filling to the top.
Yes. If your oven is full-size, place the two pans side-by-side and bake together.
More Chocolate Treats to Enjoy!
Salted Brownie Cookies
The Best Salted Pecan Pie Brownies
Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
Triple Chocolate Mocha Cheesecake
For all Beyond the Butter desserts, check out the recipe box on the original site.
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
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and position the rack just above center. Generously coat two donut pans with a flour-based baking spray.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, salt, and sugar. Add the egg, vegetable oil, boiling water, milk, and vanilla. Mix until just combined. The batter will be thin.
- Fill each donut cavity about 3/4 full (three swirls from a piping bag). Tap the pans gently to remove air bubbles and wipe any spills.
- Bake both pans together for 8–10 minutes. The donuts are done when they spring back to the touch. Let them cool in the pans for about 5 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely before glazing.
Chocolate ganache topping
- Place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl.
- Heat the heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl or glass measuring cup for about 45 seconds. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips, cover loosely, and let sit 1–2 minutes.
- Remove the cover, add the vanilla, and stir until fully melted and smooth. If needed, press any unmelted chips against the bowl to help them melt. Adjust consistency with extra chocolate (to thicken) or a splash of heated cream (to thin).
- Dip each cooled donut into the ganache, swirl, then lift and place on a cooling rack set over paper towels to catch drips. Allow the ganache to set before serving.
- Store donuts at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Recipe adapted from a chocolate cake recipe with Oreo buttercream—adjusted here for baked donuts.
- Any standard nonstick donut pans will work; two pans let you bake a full batch at once.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 23 g |
Protein: 3 g |
Fat: 13 g |
Saturated Fat: 5 g
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary based on specific ingredients used.