Chocolate Baked Donuts

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This easy baked chocolate donut recipe is made from scratch with a metal donut pan - no deep frying necessary! Topped with a rich, fudgy chocolate icing.

Baked chocolate donuts with chocolate icing.

Jessie's Note

We wanted these baked donuts to mimic a classic deep fried chocolate cake donut, and our team tested nearly a dozen variations to get the texture *just right*. A bit of Greek yogurt adds moisture (and extra protein!) to this batter for a soft crumb that still feels hearty.

A nonstick metal donut pan gives these oven baked donuts their classic shape, and our favorite chocolate donut icing lends a smooth, glossy finish that looks like it's straight from a bakery.

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Ingredients overview
Step by step instructions
Storage
FAQs
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments & Reviews

Ingredients overview

Find a full ingredients list with exact quantities in the recipe card below.

Before you jump in, there are a few things we want to highlight:

Greek yogurt adds a bit of protein and moisture to these donuts. We prefer plain (unflavored) Greek yogurt here, although vanilla also works.
Unsweetened cocoa powder. We used Ghirardelli cocoa powder in these photos; we also love this Double Dark Cocoa powder.
Hot water is our secret weapon for a smooth chocolate glaze. Heat the water in a tea kettle until it's near-boiling; you can also use straight-from-the-tap water on its hottest setting.
Let cold ingredients come to room temperature for half an hour on the counter before you start baking: They'll incorporate more smoothly into the batter.

Please use a kitchen scale!

Measuring ingredients like flour by volume (with cups) is notoriously unreliable. Because each person fills a cup of flour a little bit differently, it's easy to accidentally use too much in a recipe and end up with dry, dense donuts.

But when you use a kitchen scale to measure by weight (in grams), you get a perfect measurement every time. So if you have a kitchen scale, please use it! (No kitchen scale? Use the scoop and level method for best results!)

Step by step instructions

Make the batter

Add wet ingredients to a large measuring cup and whisk them together until smooth. In a separate large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.

Whisking wet ingredients into dry ingredients.

Slowly stream the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk until everything is incorporated.

Pro Tip: This is a thick batter! Don't worry if it feels a little bit shaggy. Just work out as many lumps as you can!

Bake in a donut pan

Grease a metal donut pan with cooking spray (or brush it with a bit of neutral oil to prevent sticking).

Transfer the donut batter to a piping bag (this makes it easier to fill the donut pan!) and pipe the batter into the greased donut pan.

Pro Tip: Fill each donut cavity a little less than halfway full - these donuts will rise quite a bit in the oven! If you over-fill the pan, the donuts will rise too much and you won't have a neat hole in the middle.

Bake the donuts until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove them from the oven, let them cool for a minute or two right in the pan, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.

Let the donuts cool completely before you make the frosting.

Equipment note: We tested this recipe in both silicone and metal donut pans. Our testers preferred the texture of the metal pan, and felt it most closely mimicked a deep fried donut. If you use a silicone pan, you will likely need to extend the bake time.

Make the chocolate icing

Whisk powdered sugar and cocoa powder together in a small bowl with a pinch of kosher salt. Add melted butter and vanilla extract, then stir everything together. It will be clumpy at this stage - that's okay!

Slowly stream hot water into the icing, whisking constantly, until you have a smooth, shiny glaze. You may not need all of the hot water!

This chocolate glaze can take some practice! Add the hot water slowly, and mix well between each addition.

When it's ready, the glaze should resemble a thin chocolate syrup. If the glaze is too runny, let it sit for a few minutes: It will thicken as it cools. (Too thick? Add another splash of hot water, or microwave it for 5 seconds to loosen it back up).

Learn More: This is a very quick overview of our go-to chocolate glaze for donuts - check out that post for more guidance and troubleshooting tips. (We also use a similar technique in our cinnamon glaze!)

Carefully dip cooled donuts into the glaze, letting any extra icing run off.

Return glazed donuts to the cooling rack, then add sprinkles or other toppings while the icing is still wet. (As the icing sets, it will "grab" the sprinkles and help them stay in place!)

Once frosted, let the donuts sit on the counter uncovered for an hour or so to allow the icing to set.

Storage

Store donuts in an airtight container on the counter. We recommend eating them within 2-3 days for the best texture!

Chocolate donuts, cut in half to show texture.

FAQs

Can I fill the donut pan without a piping bag?

If you don't have a piping bag, use a spoon to fill the donut cavities in the pan, one small scoop at a time. It helps to use a second spoon (or butter knife) to gently push each scoop of batter off the first spoon, so that you have more control over where the batter lands.

To ensure uniform baking, use a butter knife to smooth the tops of the donuts before placing them in the oven. (The photo below features our confetti baked donut batter!)

Filling donut pan with a spoon.

How full should my donut pan be?

These donuts rise quite a bit in the oven - you probably need less batter than you think! For best results, fill each cavity a little less than halfway.

How should I grease the donut pan?

The easiest way is to use a bit of cooking spray (we love our refillable Misto sprayer!)

If you don't have cooking spray, use a pastry brush to lightly brush each donut cavity with a neutral oil (like canola, vegetable, avocado, or grapeseed oil):

Brushing oil into the cavities of a donut pan.

Why are my donuts sticking to the pan?

The shape of the molds in a donut pan can make it a little tricky to get donuts out of the pan once they're baked. A nonstick pan that's in good condition and properly greased tends to pop the donuts out no problem - but when we tested this recipe with older or scratched pans, or when we skipped the cooking spray, the donuts could definitely stick a little more.

We've found the easiest way to coax donuts out of the pan is to let them cool right in the pan for a few minutes (just until they're cool enough to handle). Then, use a butter knife or a small spatula to gently press each side of the donut away from the side of the cavity, and slowly lift each donut out of the pan (pictured below).

This can take a bit of practice, but it gets easier the more you do it! It also helps to use a nonstick metal donut pan and grease it with a bit of oil or cooking spray before each use. The donuts will likely leave a thin layer of crumbs in the pan once they're removed, but they'll still hold their shape quite well.

We did test this recipe with a greased and floured pan (as opposed to just a greased pan), but didn't find the flour made much of a difference in getting the donuts out of the pan.

Using a spatula to gently lift donuts out of the pan.