Chocolate Glaze for Donuts

Name: Chocolate Icing for Donuts
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup powdered sugar (100 grams); 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (25 grams); pinch of kosher salt; 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (45 grams); 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (2 grams); 2 Tablespoons very hot water (30 grams - you may not need it all)

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This easy chocolate icing for donuts is ready in just a few minutes. It's the perfect topping for homemade treats! This frosting sets as it cools for a glossy finish that's dry to the touch. Made with melted butter (no corn syrup!)

Use this icing on your favorite donut recipes, from homemade yeast donuts to baked varieties (we love these confetti baked donuts!) This is a fairly thin glaze, which makes it easy to dip your cooled donuts straight into the icing.

Add any toppings - like sprinkles or nuts - while the glaze is still wet. As it sets, it will seize up a bit, leaving you with a smooth, shiny icing that "grabs" your toppings and holds them in place. (The finish here is very similar to our chocolate fudge frosting!)

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Ingredients
Substitutions
Step by step instructions
3 tips for the best chocolate glaze
FAQs
🎥 Step by step video
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments & Reviews

Ingredients

Scroll to the recipe card below for a full ingredients list with exact quantities.

This is a very simple recipe, but we want to highlight a few quick things:

Unsweetened cocoa powder will determine the overall flavor of your icing. A high-quality cocoa powder (we love this double dark cocoa) will give you a richer glaze with more bitter notes.
Vanilla extract adds some dimension and depth, but you can skip it if you need to!
Hot water is our secret weapon here. Use near-boiling water (we heat ours in an electric tea kettle; you could also use the microwave) and add it to the frosting slowly - it doesn't take much water to bring this glaze together!
A tiny pinch of kosher salt helps these flavors "pop"!

Substitutions

If you would prefer a soft icing that doesn't set into a firm, dry finish, use milk or heavy cream instead of hot water.
For a dairy-free version, use melted coconut oil instead of butter. The coconut oil will behave similarly, and seize up as it cools to create a firm, glossy texture.

Step by step instructions

Mixing dry ingredients with melted butter.

Add powdered sugar and cocoa powder to a medium bowl with a pinch of kosher salt (Image 1, above). Whisk the dry ingredients together (2), then add melted butter (3).

Mix the butter into the dry ingredients as best you can. The mixture will be clumpy (4) - that's ok!

Slowly add hot water to the chocolate mixture, a teaspoon or two at a time (5). As you add more water, the icing will start to smooth out (6).

When it's ready, you'll have a smooth icing with a pourable, drizzle-able consistency (similar to chocolate syrup).

Dipping a baked donut into a bowl of chocolate glaze.

Carefully dip your donuts into the glaze, letting any excess run off (Images 7-8, above). Add sprinkles or other toppings while the glaze is still soft, then transfer donuts to a wire cooling rack or serving platter. Let the glaze set for an hour or so, until it's dry to the touch.

Pro Tip: If you'd like a thicker layer of glaze, dip the donuts once, then let the glaze set for 10-15 minutes and dip again! We find one layer of glaze is usually sufficient if the icing is at the right consistency.

3 tips for the best chocolate glaze

It can take some practice to get the right glaze consistency (and to get the dipping motion down). If the icing is too thin, let it sit for five minutes, then give it a stir and try again. If the icing is too thick, stir in another teaspoon of hot water or microwave it for 3-5 seconds to loosen it back up.
Work quickly once the glaze is at the right consistency! It will continue to set and harden as it cools.
Let your donuts cool completely on a wire rack before dipping. If donuts are hot, the glaze will melt and run down the sides (or soak into the donut itself). Fully cooled donuts let the glaze adhere in a smooth, thick layer.

Donuts with chocolate frosting and sprinkles.

FAQs

Should I glaze donuts hot or cold?

For best results, dip only fully cooled donuts into the glaze. If donuts are still hot, the glaze will melt and run down the sides or soak into the donut itself. Letting donuts cool completely before frosting gives you a smooth, thick layer of icing.

(Note: This is a different technique than you'd use when dusting donuts with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar, which works best when donuts are still hot!)

How do I get toppings to stick to the donut icing?

Add sprinkles or nuts to the top of the donuts immediately after dipping each donut in the glaze. If you add toppings while the icing is still wet, it will "grab" the toppings and hold them in place as it sets. For extra security, lightly press your toppings down into the icing while it's still soft.

Sprinkles, chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips, cereal flakes, and small candies are all fun additions to a glazed donut!

How long do glazed donuts last on the counter?

Once it's set, this frosting will last up to 4 days in an airtight container on the counter. The longer it sits, the more it will dry out: after 3 or 4 days, you'll notice this icing starts to crack and flake apart more easily than it does in the first few days of storage.

For other questions about donut storage, it's best to consult the recipe you're using for the dough or batter! Our confetti baked donuts or Chocolate Baked Donuts, which we bake in a donut pan, will last 2-3 days in an airtight container on the counter once they're frosted (past that, the donuts themselves start to dry out and get a bit dense).

For best results, let this easy chocolate icing set completely (until it is dry to the touch) before putting donuts in an airtight container. Once set, this icing shouldn't sweat or get soggy during storage (but if it's hot or humid and you notice the glaze seems wet, you can crack the lid on your airtight container to let a tiny bit of airflow through, which helps keeps donuts fresh).

What else can I make with this icing?

This is a thinner version of the classic fudgey chocolate frosting we use on some of our favorite cakes (like our chocolate sheet cake or coconut oil cupcakes!)

This drizzle-able version is perfect for all kinds of donuts (chocolate donuts! your favorite sour cream cake donut! yeast donuts or donut holes!) But we also love to drizzle it on chocolate chip brownies or pour it over a bundt cake.

How much glaze does this recipe make?

As written, this recipe makes enough glaze for 12-16 baked donuts (about 3.25" in diameter) or 8-10 classic yeast donuts (about 4.5" in diameter).

Keep in mind the amount of icing you'll need will vary based on the size of your donuts, the consistency of your glaze, and how thick your icing layers are. Double or triple this recipe if you'd like more icing! If you run out mid-way through icing your donuts, it's thankfully very quick and easy to mix up another batch!

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📖 Recipe

Chocolate Icing for Donuts

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 6 reviews

Author: Jessie
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 ½ cups 1x
Category: Frosting
Cuisine: American

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Description

This easy chocolate glaze is perfect for homemade donuts!

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup powdered sugar (100 grams)
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (25 grams)
pinch of kosher salt
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (45 grams)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract (2 grams)
2 Tablespoons very hot water (30 grams - you may not need it all)

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Instructions

Whisk powdered sugar and cocoa powder together with a pinch of kosher salt in a medium mixing bowl.
Whisk melted butter and vanilla extract into powdered sugar mixture. The mixture will be clumpy - that's ok!
Add hot water a little bit at a time, whisking well between each addition, until you have a smooth, shiny glaze. You may not need all the hot water!
Dip the top of your prepared, cooled donuts into the glaze and let any excess drain off. Transfer to a wire cooling rack (you may want to put a towel or plate under the wire rack to catch any drips of frosting). Top donuts with sprinkles while glaze is still wet. Let the glaze set for at least half an hour to achieve a shiny finish!

Notes

Additions and Substitutions. Omit the vanilla extract if you don't have any (it adds a bit of depth, but this recipe still works fine without it!) Use melted coconut oil instead of butter for a dairy-free/vegan version (the coconut oil will act similarly to butter and help the glaze firm up as it dries). Use milk or cream instead of hot water if you want the frosting to stay soft instead of firming up.

How hot should my water be? We use an electric kettle to heat water to near-boiling (just like making tea!) You can also heat water in the microwave or use tap water on its hottest setting. Hot water is important because it keeps the butter warm while you frost the donuts (as the butter starts to cool, the frosting sets and gets harder to work with). The heat also helps "bloom" the cocoa, which brings out more chocolate flavor.

If the icing is too thin, let it cool on the counter for a few minutes, then stir and try dipping the donuts again. If frosting gets too thick, add an extra splash of hot water or microwave it for a few seconds to loosen it up. This glaze is fairly forgiving: If you accidentally add too much water, add a few extra spoonfuls of powdered sugar and/or cocoa powder to get it back to the right consistency.

This glaze can take some practice. For best results, the glaze should be a pourable - but not watery - consistency when you dip the donuts. You want it to resemble a thick syrup. If the glaze soaks into the donut or runs right off and leaves a too-thin layer, let it sit for 5-10 minutes, then stir and dip again (as it sits, the glaze will thicken a bit). If the glaze thickens too quickly, add a splash of hot water or microwave it for a few seconds to loosen it back up.

Quantities. This recipe makes enough glaze for 12-16 baked donuts (about 3.25" in diameter) or 8-10 classic yeast donuts (about 4.5" in diameter). Double or triple this recipe if you'd like more icing.