Chocolate Glazed Donuts
intro
Fluffy, tender yeast-raised donuts coated in glossy, rich chocolate glaze—a nostalgic, indulgent sweet treat perfect with coffee or cold milk.
Ingredients
Steps
Prepare the donut dough
In a large stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine warmed 100°F/38°C whole milk, instant yeast, and 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar; let rest 5 minutes until the surface is foamy to confirm yeast is active. Add remaining granulated sugar, cooled melted butter, room-temperature egg, vanilla extract, salt, and 360g all-purpose flour. Mix on low speed (speed 2 on most stand mixers) for 2 minutes to combine, then increase to medium-low speed (speed 4) and knead for 6 minutes until a smooth, soft, slightly tacky dough forms that pulls cleanly away from the bowl sides.
Let dough rise fully
Coat the inside of a large clean glass bowl with 1 tsp neutral canola oil. Form kneaded dough into a tight, smooth ball, place it in the oiled bowl, and turn once to coat the dough surface lightly in oil. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set in a warm, draft-free spot (75°F/24°C) for 60 minutes, until the dough doubles in volume and leaves a 1-inch deep indent when poked with a floured finger.
Cut and shape donuts
Punch fully risen dough down firmly in the center to release all trapped air, then turn it out onto a work surface lightly dusted with extra all-purpose flour. Roll dough to an even 1/2-inch (1.25cm) thickness with a rolling pin. Use a 3.5-inch (9cm) round donut cutter to cut donut rings, and a 1-inch (2.5cm) round cutter to punch out center holes. Gather dough scraps, press into a ball, re-roll once, and cut remaining donuts to yield 8 total donuts; reserve holes to bake as a bonus treat if desired.
Bake donuts until golden
Arrange cut donut rings 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets, cover loosely with a clean lint-free kitchen towel, and let rise a second time for 20 minutes until visibly puffy and soft to the touch. While donuts rise, preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake risen donuts for 9-10 minutes, until tops are pale golden and donuts spring back immediately when lightly pressed with a finger; do not overbake, as this will make donuts dry. Transfer baked donuts to a wire cooling rack to cool completely for 20 minutes before glazing.
Make chocolate glaze
While donuts cool, prepare the chocolate glaze: place chopped semi-sweet chocolate in a shallow heatproof bowl. Heat heavy whipping cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes, until small bubbles form around pan edges and cream just starts to simmer (do not bring to a rolling boil, as this will scorch the chocolate). Pour hot cream over chopped chocolate, let sit undisturbed for 5 minutes to melt, then add light corn syrup and sifted powdered sugar. Stir slowly with a spatula until the mixture is completely smooth, glossy, and free of lumps.
Glaze and set donuts
Once donuts are fully cooled to room temperature, hold each donut by its sides and dip the top half fully into the warm chocolate glaze, tilting the bowl as needed to get an even coating. Lift the donut out of the glaze and hold it above the bowl for 10 seconds to let excess glaze drip off, then place it back on the wire rack, glazed side up. Let glazed donuts sit at room temperature for 15 minutes to allow the glaze to set firmly before serving.
Tips
2.Wait until donuts are completely room temperature before glazing: warm donuts will cause the chocolate glaze to melt, slide off, and set into a streaky, uneven coating.
3.Add any desired toppings (rainbow sprinkles, chopped toasted nuts, flaky sea salt) immediately after dipping donuts, as the glaze sets quickly and toppings will not stick once it hardens.
OMG these homemade chocolate glazed donuts are a GAME CHANGER! I made them for my kids’ Saturday morning breakfast and they begged for seconds before they even finished their first one. The glaze is so rich and fudgy, not that weird waxy stuff you get at the grocery store bakery. 10/10 will be making these every weekend from now on!
Took these to my office potluck last week and people were literally asking me for the recipe before I even set the platter down! I was worried the medium difficulty would be too much for my casual baking skills, but the steps were super straightforward. Only note: I let the glaze set for 10 extra minutes and it had that perfect crackle when you bite into it, chef’s kiss.
Okay so I messed up the first batch because I rushed the rise time (oops) but the second batch came out SO good! My roommate said they taste exactly like the fancy donuts we pay $5 each for at the boutique shop downtown. Definitely don’t skip the vanilla in the glaze, it makes such a difference. Will be perfecting these for my boyfriend’s birthday brunch next month!
I’ve been making donuts for my grandkids for over 40 years, and this recipe is hands down the best chocolate glazed version I’ve ever tried. The dough is light and fluffy, not heavy and greasy like so many other recipes I’ve tested over the years. My oldest grandson is coming home from college next week and these are the first thing he asked me to make.
Made these for my Sunday football watch party and they were gone by halftime. I added a little sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top of the chocolate glaze and it elevated the whole thing, highly recommend that little tweak if you love that sweet-salty vibe.
Wait has anyone tried making these with a 1:1 gluten free flour blend? I have celiac and I’m dying to make these for my donut-obsessed kiddo — this recipe looks so good, I’m knocking a star off just because I haven’t been able to test it yet, but I don’t want to waste ingredients if the gluten free swap doesn’t turn out right!
I used to work at a big chain donut shop in high school, and let me tell you — these are way better than what we used to serve. The chocolate glaze actually tastes like real chocolate, not that artificially flavored coating we had to melt out of a giant bucket. 10/10, will never buy store bought glazed donuts again.
Wait, can these be prepped ahead of time? I do all my Sunday meal prep for the week and I’d love to make a batch to grab for quick breakfasts before school drop off. They look amazing, just holding back a perfect score until I know they hold up for a few days in a storage container!
These are SO rich and decadent, I could only eat one at a time which is saying something because I usually demolish desserts. I did half the batch with the chocolate glaze and half with a simple vanilla glaze for my partner who doesn’t love super chocolatey stuff, and both versions were incredible.
I was so intimidated by the medium difficulty rating but I pulled these off on my first try!!! I even made little donut holes with the leftover dough and tossed them in cinnamon sugar for a little bonus snack. My whole family was impressed, I felt like a real pastry chef lol.
Made these for my neighborhood block party last weekend and everyone was raving! A couple people asked if I bought them from the fancy new donut shop that just opened up on Main Street, I was so flattered. The recipe makes a perfectly sized batch for a crowd too, no skimpy portions here.
These pair so perfectly with my morning iced latte, I’m not even kidding. I’ve made them three times in the last two weeks and I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon. The only small tweak I made was adding a tiny bit of espresso powder to the chocolate glaze to make the deep chocolate flavor pop even more — chef’s kiss.
Me and my friends made these for our after-school bake sale and we sold out in 20 minutes!!! We charged $2 each and made enough money to buy new supplies for our art class. 10/10 best bake sale item ever, we’re definitely making these again for our next fundraiser next month.
I don’t even usually like donuts because they’re too greasy and heavy for me, but these are perfectly light and fluffy and the chocolate glaze is not cloyingly sweet at all. I was skeptical about the 2.5 hour total time, and while it was 100% worth the wait, I’m knocking one star off because I wish there was a quicker shortcut version for busy weeknights! Zero regrets splurging on these, though.