Moist and fluffy chocolate glazed donuts that are baked, not fried. They’re glazed with a thick chocolate glaze and are perfect for any chocoholic craving something extra indulgent!
Donuts are one of my favorite desserts. Baked apple cider donuts in the fall and jelly donuts during Hanukkah time are always a treat! I love the shape and the colorful sprinkles or creamy glaze that covers the top. These chocolate glazed donuts are baked instead of fried, giving them a moist, cake-like texture.


Types of chocolate in the donuts
As a chocolate lover, anything that has chocolate two different ways is guaranteed to cure my chocolate cravings. There are two kinds of chocolate in this chocolate donut recipe: cocoa powder for the batter, and bittersweet chocolate for the glaze. Combined, these chocolate glazed donuts have a light yet moist crumb and a rich, smooth chocolate glazed top. Paired with a glass of milk, these can be a sweet breakfast treat or a nice afternoon snack. Both kids and adults love them!


What do I do if I don’t have a donut pan?
I love using a donut pan for this recipe because it just makes life easier. Donut pans are similar to muffin pans but have a hole in the middle to give you that fun donut shape. Most pans only have 6 molds in them so I recommend buying two pans. Be sure to grease the pan well as the batter can easily stick to the pan.
However, if you don’t have a donut pan you can make your own. Here’s what you’ll need:
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Muffin pan
- Tin foil
- Cooking spray
Here’s how to make your own DIY donut pan:
- Spray your muffin tin with cooking spray.
- Take a square of tin foil, about 5x5in works well, and roll it into a thick cylinder the size you want the hole of your donut to be.
- Next, stand the tin cylinder upright in the middle of each muffin tin, pressing it down flat so it stands up straight.
- This will allow you to pipe the donut batter around the tin cylinder in the muffin pan so each donut bakes with a hole in the middle.
How to make chocolate donuts
- Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Mix together the wet ingredients, including the sugar. In a medium bowl whisk the egg and sugar until well combined. Add milk, yogurt, melted butter and vanilla extract, and whisk together well.
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients together. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and mix just until just combined. Note that the batter will be thick.
- Fill your pan. Fill donut cavities with batter ¾ way full using a spoon or a piping bag (it’s much easier with a piping bag).
- Bake. Bake for 9–10 minutes at 350°F/180° or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the donuts comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in pan, then remove donuts from pan and transfer to a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before glazing.
Tip: If you don’t have a piping bag, you can place the batter in a large Ziploc bag and snip the corner. Then, squeeze the batter slowly into your donut pan.


The final step: chocolate glaze
No donut is complete without a frosted top! These chocolate frosted donuts get covered in a rich chocolate glaze made with bittersweet chocolate and butter. You can simply melt the ingredients, in intervals, in a microwave or use a double boiler. Be careful not to heat the chocolate too much.
To glaze the donuts:
- Dip the top of each donut into the chocolate glaze and place on a cooling rack to set.
- Shake some sprinkles on top for a colorful finish, if you like.
Since these donuts are baked, they’re best enjoyed the same day or can be kept for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Any longer and the donuts lose their moist texture, but trust me, they won’t last longer than a day on your kitchen counter.
Tips for making chocolate glazed donuts
- Don’t over mix the batter. This can cause the donuts to be tough and dense. To avoid this, simply mix together all the ingredients until they are combined.
- You can make a makeshift piping bag if you don’t one. If you don’t have a piping bag for depositing the batter into your donut pan, you can place the batter in a large Ziploc bag and snip the corner. Then, squeeze the batter slowly into your donut pan.
- Use a good quality chocolate for the glaze. While any chocolate will work, I prefer using a better quality chocolate because the better the quality, the better it tastes! 🙂


More donut recipes:
- Banana Donuts with Maple Glaze: Full of rich flavors an perfect for fall and wintertime.
- Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donut Holes: Perfect for all occasions!
- Old-Fashioned Fried Sugar Doughnuts: Classic fluffy and tender fried donuts coated in sugar and a touch of cinnamon.

These soft and tender chocolate donuts have the texture of soft cake and are topped with a rich chocolate glaze.
- 1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (25g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) milk
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) yogurt
- 2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (85g) semi-sweet chocolate or chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter
-
Preheat oven to 350°F/180°. Grease a donut pan* with oil or butter. Set aside.
-
Make the donuts: Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
-
In a medium bowl whisk egg with sugar until well combined. Add milk, yogurt, melted butter and vanilla extract, and whisk until combined. Pour into the flour mixture and mix until just combined. The batter will be thick.
-
Fill donut cavities with batter ¾ way full using a spoon or a piping bag (it's much easier with a piping bag)**. Cut a corner off the bottom of the bag and pipe the batter into each donut cup.
-
Bake for 9–10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the donuts comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in pan, then remove donuts from pan and transfer to a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before glazing.
-
Make the chocolate glaze: Melt the chocolate, heavy cream, and butter gently in the microwave (in 30-second intervals, stirring in between) or a double boiler until smooth. Dip the tops of the donuts into the chocolate glaze, and place on a cooling rack to set.
-
Donuts are best eaten the same day or keep them for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
*No donut pan? No problem! You can make a DIY one at home.
Here’s what you’ll need:
-
- Muffin pan
-
- Tin foil
-
- Cooking spray
How to make a DIY donut pan:
-
- Spray your muffin tin with cooking spray.
- Take a square of tin foil, about 5x5in works well, and roll it into a thick cylinder the size you want the hole of your donut to be.
- Next, stand the tin cylinder upright in the middle of each muffin tin, pressing it down flat so it stands up straight.
- This will allow you to pipe the donut batter around the tin cylinder in the muffin pan so each donut bakes with a hole in the middle.
** If you don’t have a piping bag for depositing the batter into your donut pan, you can place the batter in a large Ziploc bag and snip the corner. Then, squeeze the batter slowly into your donut pan.
81 Comments
Lana Green
August 1, 2019 at 4:17 pmWill the glaze turn out ok if I use milk chocolate instead of bittersweet?
Shiran
August 4, 2019 at 4:44 amYes!
Sanah
August 7, 2019 at 12:44 pmCan’t wait to try these! What kind of yogurt do you use for this recipe? Is it okay to use Greek yogurt?
Shiran
August 13, 2019 at 4:14 amI use plain yogurt.
Madeeha
October 11, 2021 at 12:41 pmIs it American cups cause i want to convert it to grams
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet.
October 12, 2021 at 5:55 amHi Madeeha, yes it is.
Mo
September 23, 2019 at 9:41 amHi, do you think, I could substitute the flour for,almond flour
Sara
November 9, 2019 at 10:14 amHi. Do we have to heat the chocolate, heavy cream and butter after combining them ? Thanks
Ella baby
July 16, 2020 at 5:42 pmWow it’s beautiful and delicious.
Eunice
July 13, 2021 at 12:33 amYes! Recipe says, put in microwave or melt in double boiler.
Heather
April 19, 2020 at 1:29 pmTurned out great and very yummy. Easy to make too.
Mary
September 27, 2021 at 12:52 amWhat can I use instead of yogurt?
Thanks
Patrick
January 30, 2022 at 11:09 amThis is a great recipe. I added 1/4 cup of chocolate chips to the dry ingredients and 1 tbsp of powdered sugar to the glaze
Ann
April 26, 2020 at 10:51 amThese were just right! I substituted a glaze I use for chocolate Bundt cake, made with butter, cocoa , powdered sugar and vanilla. It worked fine , and they are delicious.
Tes
May 8, 2020 at 8:31 pmCan I cut out the cut out the donut shapes and bake? Do t have a donut pan handy!
Shiran
May 11, 2020 at 4:32 amThe batter is more like a cake batter so it won’t be possible to cut out shapes.
janice
May 17, 2020 at 3:43 amcan i use curd/dahi instead of yogurt?
Shiran
May 17, 2020 at 4:17 amYes it should work, or you can use sour cream.
Sally
April 27, 2021 at 5:59 pmIs it the same measurement if we use sour cream? 🙂
Shiran
May 2, 2021 at 1:46 pmHi Sally, yes it is 🙂
Karen
June 2, 2020 at 6:46 pmThese were delicious and easy. The hard part was waiting for them to cool to add the glaze and eat. A definite “make again” recipe. I ended up with 10 donuts from my batch and had to cook for about 12 minutes. Totally worth the wait!!!
Heidi Barton
June 12, 2020 at 7:41 pmThese are SOOOOOO delicious! I’m not a baker at all but these are incredibly easy to make and glaze! I did use a different glaze recipe to make it easy on me and it worked perfect! The donuts were fluffy & light, more like a cupcake than a cake. I doubled the recipe and ended up with 24 donuts, i guess i have a smaller donut pan,
Hubby said i need now to learn how to make jelly filled donuts but to keep making these too!!!
Wenliang Chen
June 16, 2020 at 10:00 pmwow
Chandni
June 25, 2020 at 10:27 amI just made this & they turned out AMAZINGGGG!!!
Can this recipe also be made eggless ? Any substitute for egg???
Shiran
June 29, 2020 at 2:08 amSorry Chandni, but I have no experience baking with egg substitutes.
Pernille
January 29, 2021 at 4:43 amJust use chick pea water and you’ll get same result in all baking – 3 tablespoons equals 1 egg.
Kt
December 31, 2021 at 9:27 pmYou also can use applesauce. 🙂
Jenny
May 16, 2022 at 4:07 pmI haven’t tried it with this recipe but I found that you can use tofu in place of eggs. Just make sure it’s soft enough to whisk with the rest of the ingredients.
Ella baby
July 16, 2020 at 5:43 pmWow it’s beautiful and delicious. Can I have a taste of it.
Linda
July 26, 2020 at 1:24 pmCan these be fried??
Shiran
July 27, 2020 at 4:28 amThe recipe makes a thick cake-like batter, and not dough. So it won’t be good for frying.
Ayda
August 23, 2020 at 5:01 pmHi. I don’t have the pan for this, can I use a donut maker and get the same results?
Shiran
August 24, 2020 at 2:17 amIt might not be the exact same result, but yes, it would work with a donut maker.
Gigi
October 20, 2020 at 10:30 pmWhat is the purpose of yogurt/sour cream here?
Lynn
October 8, 2021 at 1:15 pmThe yogurt is used to activate the raising agents. It also helps with texture & taste.
Laura Croker
October 25, 2020 at 1:09 amHi I was just wondering do I need to use the yogurt?
Kt
December 31, 2021 at 9:34 pmI have a question, are these a dry? Every recipe I have tried ended up being dry, I haven’t tried this one yet but I would like to know before making them!🙂 I’ll give it a 5 star so I don’t mess up your ratings! Cause by the reviews they sound great!
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet.
January 3, 2022 at 5:40 amHi Kt! These donuts are not meant to be dry, they have a tender, cake-like consistency.
KT
October 26, 2022 at 10:27 pmIs there something that I possibly could add to make them less dry, yours weren’t , but I have A LOT of recipes that are chocolate doughnuts and are dry. I’ve been trying to ask around to see what I can add to make it less dry 🙂
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet.
October 27, 2022 at 2:55 amHi KT, you can try adding a bit more liquid to the recipes that you find are dry! Try a few tablespoons and see if it makes a difference 🙂
Rachel
October 27, 2020 at 9:52 amHow long does it take to cool completely before glazing?
Md
February 1, 2021 at 9:07 amI put them on the rack for quick cool-down. We are impatient 🍩
MD
February 2, 2021 at 8:38 amOne NB, although the donuts turned out perfectly the glaze made with bitter sweet chocolate does not render a sweet enough icing. I would use milk chocolate chips or maybe a combination of semi sweet chocolate chips next time. This is a great recipe for any level Baker!
Thalia
October 28, 2020 at 11:35 amyum i made 8 of these and i ate them all so good
Stella
November 24, 2020 at 9:02 pmDelicious! I used a few substitutes and it still turned out great! Great recipe!
Jan
December 8, 2020 at 9:26 amCan these be frozen?
Shiran
December 16, 2020 at 3:58 amYes 🙂
Andrea
December 11, 2020 at 3:21 pmThese donuts are ridiculous…ridiculously amazing! They puffed up so nicely in the oven, they have a perfect chocolate taste without being too sweet, and they just look perfect, which isn’t necessary but a nice bonus.
Kelly Jo
January 2, 2021 at 10:35 amDelicious and so easy to make! I will definitely be making these again.
Monique
January 25, 2021 at 7:07 pmJust made these today – WOW!!!! The doughnut batter was jut as you described and the taste was very chocolatey. Super simple to make – I used a silicone pan and swapped high cocoa chocolate for the icing. These will definitely be served at our next brunch!!! YUMMY! Thanks so much!
Michelle
January 29, 2021 at 4:13 pmI used light sour cream as I was out of yogurt and they came out delicious!
Jlbvk
February 23, 2021 at 9:46 pmThese are DELICIOUS!! If anyone has any question about making these, do it! They could not be better!!!
Cupid’s arrow
April 16, 2021 at 9:06 pmWow!! Donuts came out fabulous!
Amazing recipe!!!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!!
Biljana
May 17, 2021 at 6:57 amDonuts were wonderful, soft, amazing taste, easy to make! Thank you for your recipes!
Jenna
May 28, 2021 at 3:00 pmIf I don’t have yogurt or sour cream can I omit? Or use mayonnaise?
Shiran
June 11, 2021 at 4:49 amHi Jenna, I wouldn’t recommend substituting mayonnaise for the yogurt. You can try using buttermilk or milk instead of yogurt, but milk will result in a slightly dryer texture.
smriti
July 1, 2021 at 11:30 amplz can u tell the substitute of egg in this recipe.
Adriana Nunez
July 1, 2021 at 4:09 pmCan you make these in mini donuts? What will be the baking time?
Shiran
August 12, 2021 at 5:17 amYes, you can. I don’t know the exact baking time as I haven’t tried it.
Michelesgifts4u
August 20, 2021 at 5:21 pmDonuts turned out just like your photo. Thank You
Lilly
September 3, 2021 at 2:17 pmMy daughter made these and they were amazing!!!
Tammy S
September 24, 2021 at 7:52 amThese are so easy and delicious! I love that they are healthier than regular donuts!
Millie
December 20, 2021 at 12:29 pmThese are so good! Made them with my granddaughters and even easy to do with these 2 littles😊. I was out of yogurt, so I used sour cream as a substitute, and I was out of chocolate chips, so I melted 1/2 of Hershy’s chocolate ice-cream topping…. turned out delicious.
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet.
December 22, 2021 at 4:17 amSo glad you enjoyed!
Amelia
December 20, 2021 at 12:47 pmI did these donuts with Bulgarian yogurt and OH MY they are the best. I’ve been wanting to do a Strawberry glazed donut any recipe suggestions?
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet.
December 23, 2021 at 7:39 amHi Amelia, you can make an easy strawberry glaze with sifted powdered sugar and some strawberry jam! Try combining 1.5-2 cups of powdered sugar with about a tablespoon of jam (maybe start with a tad less and gauge the consistency) for a nice glaze that you can top your donuts with! I also recommend sifting your powdered sugar first before mixing in the jam to make it easier to combine.
Billy
March 8, 2022 at 12:15 pmHi! Can we make these in a mini donut maker? Thanks! 😃
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet.
March 11, 2022 at 1:19 pmHi Billy, I think it should be fine! However, I haven’t tried this recipe in a donut maker myself so I can’t say for sure.
Jenn
August 31, 2022 at 4:25 pmJust made these chocolate donuts and they are delicious!!! Thank you so much for the recipe. They are just the right size for little grandkids. They will be excited to have them for dessert!!! (I might have had to eat one first just to make sure they were ok!)
Emmanuel
September 9, 2022 at 6:25 amWooow 🤩 God bless you 🙏🙌❤️❤️❤️
Susan
September 24, 2022 at 9:45 pmI LOVED these!!! Although I think that they were just the saddest bit on the dry side, do you think that there is anything that I can add or add more of in this recipe?
Susan
September 24, 2022 at 9:45 pmI LOVED these!!! Although I think that they were just the saddest bit on the dry side, do you think that there is anything that I can add or add more of in this recipe? Thanks!!!
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet.
September 25, 2022 at 1:55 amHi Susan, the donuts may have overbaked a bit resulting in them being dry. I would try reducing the baking time next time you make them 🙂
roblox guy
October 11, 2022 at 8:23 pmDONUTS!
I love this recipe of chocolate doughnuts! I will try to make them tomorrow!!
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet.
October 20, 2022 at 2:46 amLet us know what you think!:)
roblox guy
October 11, 2022 at 8:24 pmI love this recipe of chocolate doughnuts! I will try to make them tomorrow!!
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet.
October 20, 2022 at 2:57 amLet us know what you think!:)
Nina
October 17, 2022 at 3:18 pmThe raw batter is almost like a mousse!
I made these donuts in not exactly full sized silicone pans. The cooking time was drastically different for me because of that so I think adding some info on various sized pans and pan materials in your post may be helpful to those that are not so comfortable with just winging it. Providing links to the cookware you use so that we have size and material comparison could be helpful as well.
The donuts are more like a cake consistency than a donut consistency. Even if you dont have donut molds, this recipe could make nice cup cakes or sheet cakes if you adjust the cooking time.
Recipe is easy and straight forward so I do recommend giving it a try for a light airy cake like donut.
Monica
November 18, 2022 at 12:12 pmMade it twice- my taste testers could not get enough! Used Greek yogurt both times (that’s what we always have in the house). Used 1/4 cup 70% chocolate chips the first batch, and 1/4 cup semisweet chips the second batch. The second batch won 😋. 9 minutes to cook no testing…. Amazing!
Susan
June 4, 2023 at 1:39 pmHi Shiraz, I want to make these but my donut pan is a silicone one. Are there any baking changes when using silicone one?
Thank you.
Susan
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet.
June 5, 2023 at 10:54 amHi Susan, I have not used a silicone pan for this recipe. I would first try baking them as the recipe directs. Watch as the baking time nears the end and add or subtract time depending on how your donuts are looking.