Easy Baked Chocolate Donuts – Real Food with Sarah

These Baked Chocolate Donuts are fluffy, cakey and covered in a rich chocolate glaze. Add sprinkles on top for a fun twist and enjoy for breakfast or dessert!

Jump to Recipe

Chocolate donut with a bite taken out stacked on top of a whole one.

🌟Why You'll Love this Recipe

Quick and easy recipe. These fluffy donuts are done in about 20 minutes and use simple baking ingredients. Serve them with your favorite coffee or a glass of milk.
Baked, not fried. This chocolate donut recipe skips the hot oil and instead just uses a donut pan and your oven. It's the perfect treat to satisfy your chocolate craving.
Perfect for the chocolate lover. Skip the donut shop and make these easy homemade donuts instead. Dip them in the delicious chocolate glaze or use your favorite topping.

🥘Ingredients and Substitutions

Flour- this recipe uses all-purpose flour and hasn't been tested with alternative flours. If you want gluten-free donuts, a 1:1 flour should probably work.
Unsweetened cocoa powder- any cocoa or cacao powder will work.
Baking powder and baking soda- ensure your leavening ingredients aren't expired or they won't work correctly.
Maple syrup- I love baking with maple syrup. Honey is a good substitute.
Coconut oil- make sure the coconut oil is melted and cooled. Vegetable oil, avocado oil or melted butter will all work as substitutes.

See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.

🔪Instructions

A hand dipping a chocolate donut into a glaze.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease the donut pans with cooking spray.
Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder & salt to a large bowl. Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Combine the batter until smooth.
Transfer batter into the greased donut pan, filling ¾ way full.
Bake the donuts for 10-15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes.
While the donuts are baking, make the glaze by adding chocolate chips to a small bowl. Melt them in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the maple syrup.
Once slightly cooled, dip the donuts into the glaze and top with your favorite sprinkles.

Chocolate donut with chocolate sprinkles.

💭Recipe FAQs

Why are my donuts dry?

Overbaking can cause your donuts to become dry. Be sure to remove them from the oven as soon as they are finished baking.

Do baked donuts taste the same as fried?

Fried donuts are typically sweeter and have a richer texture. These baked donuts are essentially chocolate cake donuts and could also be made in a cupcake tin.

Which chocolate is best for donuts?

For the batter, you will want unsweetened cocoa powder and for the glaze, you should use semi-sweet chocolate chips or a chocolate bar.

A bitten chocolate donut with sprinkles stacked on top of a whole one.

👩🏻‍🍳Chef Tips

Use a fine mesh strainer to sift the cocoa powder after using your measuring cup to get rid of the clumps.
To ensure you get easily get the donut batter into the pan, use a piping bag or plastic bag.
Store the baked donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Tip the pan upside down to easily remove the donuts after baking.
For best results when freezing, do not frost. Let the donuts cool and store them in a freezer-safe container for about 3 months.
Use room-temperature eggs.