Fun, super chocolaty mini chocolate donuts are a cinch to make. They're ready in under 30 minutes, and easily customizable!
Why they work
Nothing satisfies a chocolate craving quite like a light, fluffy, and moist chocolate donut with a creamy chocolate glaze. Especially when they're cute and mini-sized - with the option to make regular-sized also, of course.
The ingredients are simple and you probably already have all or at least most of them already in your kitchen.
Also, these doughnuts are baked, not fried. That means you don't have to worry about the correct temperature of the oil and your clothes smelling like a donut factory hours later (if you are into that sort of thing though, you need to try these jelly donuts).
My favorite part is these donuts are done in way under 30 minutes, and that includes a generous cooling time. In all honesty, you can probably start eating in 20 minutes.
Ingredient breakdown
So, as mentioned, we use some pretty basic ingredients to make anything-but-basic mini chocolate donuts. Let's go over some key ingredients (and any potential substitutions) here. The complete ingredient list along with amounts will be in the recipe card below.
- Flour - This recipe works best with all-purpose flour, but you can get especially tender donuts with cake flour. If you are gluten-free, you can use a 1:1 baking mix. I especially love Bob's Red Mill.
- Oil - You should use a neutral-flavored oil here. Any kind you like will work.
- Cocoa powder - These donuts work best using Dutch-processed cocoa powder, but you can use natural. I use and recommend Rodelle Dutch-processed cocoa powder in particular for its robust chocolate flavors.
- Dairy - You need heavy cream to make the icing. I don't recommend substituting it, but a light cream might work. For the donuts, you can use any dairy you have on-hand, but I highly recommend whole milk or especially heavy cream.
How to make
I love a recipe that is super easy to make, but tastes like they're super fancy. These donuts are exactly that. Here is a brief overview of how to make them - the full instructions are in the printable recipe card below!
- Whisk together the wet ingredients and the sugars until well-combined.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Mix the dry and wet ingredients together until there are no streaks of flour - don't overmix, some lumps are fine.
- Fill your greased mini doughnut pans with the batter until they are roughly ⅔ full and bake in a 350F preheated oven.
- Cool and dip the donuts in your glaze.
Expert Tips
Use a piping bag or sandwich bag with the corner cut out to fill the donut pan. It makes the job easy and less messy.
Be sure not to overfill the pan. When in doubt, less is more. These chocolate doughnuts are super fluffy and rise a lot in the oven!
Use the highest quality of cocoa powder you can get. It really makes a difference in the end result.
Don't open the oven door in the first 5 - 6 minutes. Use a toothpick to check doneness. They're done when the toothpick comes out clean or with a few crumbs sticking to it.
Variations
There are so many things you can do with these mini chocolate donuts to make them your own! Here are a few fun ideas to start you off!
- Add more chocolate! Add chocolate chips into the batter and finish the glaze with shaved chocolate for the ultimate chocolate treat.
- Add coffee! Not only will coffee amplify the chocolate flavor, but you can also give it a mocha twist if you add instant coffee to both the batter and glaze - about 1 tablespoon in each.
- Add a couple of drops of mint extract into the glaze for a chocolate mint treat.
- Add a few pinches of cayenne and cinnamon for a delicious kick.
- Use a sprinkling of chai spice or pumpkin spice for some cozy vibes.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Use a regular-sized donut pan that is lightly greased. It will make roughly 10 - 12 donuts.
Yes! Use a gluten-free baking mix from quality brands like King Arthur Flour and Bob's Red Mill.
This is a quick cake doughnut recipe, so it does not work as a fried donut.
Related recipes
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Recipe Card
Mini Chocolate Donuts
Ingredients
Donuts
- ¼ cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup whole milk room temperature
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Glaze
- 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease your donut pans.
- Mix together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla together in a bowl.
- Mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients together using a whisk until there are no streaks of flour. Do not over mix - some lumps are fine.
- Fill a piping bag with the batter, then pipe the batter into the donut pans until they are about ⅔ full.
- Bake for about 7 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached.
- Remove from the oven and carefully remove the donuts from the pans. Place them on a wire rack to cool.
- Make the glaze by heating the chocolate and heavy cream together for at least 30 seconds. Stir well until the chocolate is melted. Heat for another 15 seconds if the chocolate does not fully melt. Slowly drizzle the chocolate onto your powdered sugar, stirring well to avoid lumps. Stir in salt.
- Dip the donuts in the chocolate and place back on the wire rack. Top with sprinkles or shaved chocolate.
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