These Chocolate Baked Donuts are soft and fudgy, perfect for when you want a sweet treat that's quick, easy, and doesn't require frying. Make them mini-sized too for added cuteness and kids' parties!
Jump to:
Our Chocolate Baked Donuts make a delicious treat for parties, brunch and holidays as much as they make a sweet breakfast addition for the kids (like our easy rainbow danishes). They're baked and not fried so there's less mess, and can we say no deep frying means we're making healthy donuts? Sure, why not!
Not only are we making our chocolate donuts a little better for us, but we're making them with Greek yogurt and that means extra moisture so the donut turns out soft and springy. They're dipped in a silky chocolate ganache frosting and decorated with sprinkles (if so desired) to complete this yummy treat.
Love chocolate? Use this recipe to make spider donuts for Halloween or try our chocolate pancakes this weekend. You can also make our baked vanilla donuts if you're a vanilla lover.
Why You'll Love Baking Chocolate Donuts
- They're a healthier alternative to deep fried donuts, making them a treat you don't need to feel guilty about enjoying.
- You can easily turn them into holiday donuts by using festive sprinkles, like red and green for Christmas or pastel colors for Easter.
Ingredients
For the donuts:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1-2 tablespoon milk (only if needed to loosen the batter)
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the chocolate ganache frosting:
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup chopped dark or semi-sweet chocolate (or chocolate chips)
- Sprinkles (optional)
Yield: about 8 regular size donuts or 16 mini donuts.
Tips from the Chef
- Make chocolate baked mini donuts for birthday parties and classroom celebrations or for small children. This recipe will yield about 16 mini donuts using a mini donut pan.
- Use festive sprinkles to make a Halloween treat, like we do with out unicorn cupcakes. Or for summer desserts, use mermaid sprinkles like in our mermaid cupcakes for a fun variation.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a mini donut pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a small mixing bowl, mix Greek yogurt, egg, melted butter, and vanilla.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Be careful not to over mix, as the donuts will become tough. If the batter feels too thick, stir in 1-2 tablespoon milk until smooth.
- Pipe or spoon the batter into the donut pan, filling each cavity about ¾ full.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the donuts spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick comes out clean. If making mini donuts, bake for 6-8 minutes. Let the donuts cool in the pan for 2 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Heat the cream in a small saucepan until steaming (don't boil).
- Pour the hot cream into a bowl over the chopped chocolate pieces. Let sit for 1 minute, then stir until smooth and glossy.
- Dip the tops of the cooled donuts into the chocolate ganache, then flip them upright. Add the sprinkles if using. Let set for 15-20 minutes at room temp or chill in the fridge for quicker results.
Enjoy!
How To Store Baked Donuts
To store: keep in an airtight container at room temp for up to 2 days or refrigerate for 4-5 days.
To freeze: freeze plain (unfrosted) donuts for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temp and dip in ganache immediately before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely. This recipe doubles well; just bake in batches.
Make sure your pan is well-greased, especially if it's not nonstick. Let the donuts cool for 1-2 minutes before removing.
You can use sour cream or buttermilk instead if you don't have Greek yogurt.
You can use a chopped dark chocolate bar or semi-sweet chocolate bar for the best results. Melted chocolate chips are great alternatives.
Recipe
Chocolate Baked Donuts
Ingredients
Donuts
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 1-2 tablespoon milk, if needed
Chocolate Ganache
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
- ½ cup rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a donut pan with nonstick spray or butter.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a small mixing bowl, mix Greek yogurt, egg, melted butter, and vanilla. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Be careful not to over mix, as the donuts will become tough. If the batter feels too thick, stir in 1-2 tablespoon milk until smooth.
- Pipe or spoon the batter into the donut pan, filling each cavity about ¾ full.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the donuts spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick comes out clean. If making mini donuts, bake for 6-8 minutes. Let the donuts cool in the pan for 2 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Heat the cream in a small saucepan until steaming (don't boil).Pour the hot cream into a bowl over the chopped chocolate pieces. Let sit for 1 minute, then stir until smooth and glossy.
- Dip the tops of the cooled donuts into the chocolate ganache, then flip them upright. Add the sprinkles if using. Let set for 15-20 minutes at room temp or chill in the fridge for quicker results.
Notes
Nutrition
Maddy says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!