These Baked Chocolate Donuts are rich and decadent heaven in every bite! They’re loaded with chocolate chips, topped with a silky chocolate icing and sprinkled with mini chocolate chips. They're so simple to make, no mixer is used at all! The batter comes together with just a whisk in less than one hour! Did I mention they’re also gluten free, nut free, egg free and easily dairy free (vegan)? If you're a chocolate lover, these baked donuts are a must try!
These Baked Chocolate Donuts are so so addicting while still being super simple to make! The luscious ganache combined with the devil's food like donut that's loaded with chocolate chips, create a tripe chocolate treat that's sure to please any chocolate lover! Love chocolate but not something so rich? Try my Chocolate Sugared Donuts!
For more triple chocolate recipes, try my Triple Chocolate Cookies, my Triple Chocolate Muffins, my Triple Chocolate Layer Cake and Triple Chocolate Scones.
Reasons to Love these Baked Chocolate Donuts
- Allergy Friendly- These donuts are gluten free, nut free, egg free and can easily be dairy free (vegan)!
- Soft & Fluffy- The donuts are super soft, decadent and delicious.
- Triple Chocolate- The donuts have a chocolate base loaded with chocolate chips and a chocolate ganache!
- Chocolate Icing- Gives the donuts a lovely silkiness.
- Easy to Make- The batter mixes up with a whisk; no mixer is used at all!
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten Free Flour- If you have nut allergies, use a brand that’s made in a nut free facility. I really love to use this gluten free flour because it’s free of the top 9 allergens. It also contains xanthan gum which really helps give baked goods their bounce and prevents them from falling apart.
- Cocoa Powders- I love using two types to give the donuts a dark color and stronger flavor, but if you only want to use one, use Dutch or Natural Unsweetened. Do not only use Dark alone as the donuts will be too dry and bitter.
- Cornstarch and Water- These are eggless donuts so this mixture helps bind everything together.
- Light Brown Sugar- Using light brown sugar gives the donuts the softness we need to offset the dryness from the cocoa powders and lack of eggs.
- Milk- If there are no dairy allergies or if you’re not vegan, you can use regular whole milk. For non-dairy, use a dairy-free milk of your choosing.
- White Vinegar- Used with the baking soda to help the donuts rise.
- Vegetable Oil- These donuts use oil, so they stay moist longer.
- Vanilla- Make sure to only use pure vanilla extract otherwise the donuts can have a chemical flavor.
- Chocolate Chips- To make vegan, make sure to use gluten free/vegan chocolate chips. I love these allergy friendly chocolate chips.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
How to Make these into Vegan Donuts
- Use a gluten free flour that’s free from dairy.
- Make sure brand of the sugar you use is vegan.
- Get a non-dairy milk of your choosing.
- Make sure the chocolate chips you use are allergy safe and vegan.
For Regular All Purpose Flour
- Use 1 ¾ cups of packed AP Flour (294 grams).
- Use ⅔ cup packed cocoa powder (77.3 grams).
- Only use ¾ cup of milk (177.4ml).
This recipe has not been tested with some of these substitutions and/or variations due to celiac disease and food allergies. If you change any of the ingredients, please let us know how the recipe turned out in the comments below!
How to Make Baked Chocolate Donuts
Here are the step by step instructions to make this baked donuts recipe!
Step 1: Mix The Dry Ingredients
Firstly, in a large bowl, sift together the gluten free flour, light brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder.
Once sifted, whisk in the kosher salt until everything is combined. Set aside.
Sifting is important otherwise you will have clumps of light brown sugar.
Step 2: Make The Cornstarch Water
In a medium bowl, using a spoon, mix together your cornstarch and water until there are no lumps and it is smooth. It will be thick and tacky at first.
Step 3: Add in the Milk, Vanilla & Vinegar
Once the cornstarch water is combined, whisk in the milk, vanilla and vinegar.
Step 4: Add the Wet Ingredients into the Dry and Add in the Chocolate Chips
Slowly pour the wet ingredients and the vegetable oil into the dry and use a whisk to combine. If it gets too thick, switch to using a spatula.
Using the spatula, fold in the chocolate chips.
Step 5: Fill the Donut Pans
Then, put the batter into a piping bag or a zip top bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe the batter into the greased donut pans and fill about ¾ of the way full.
Smooth the batter with a tiny knife or the back of a small spoon.
You can also spoon the batter into the donut pans.
Step 6: Bake and Cool
Bake the donuts in the center rack of the 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. The donuts should be risen and spring back when gently touched.
Note: They're not done baking if you gently poke the donuts and a dent forms. You can also insert a toothpick and make sure it comes out clean.
Let the donuts cool in the pans for at least 5 minutes before taking them out.
Place the donuts on a cooling rack with a baking sheet or parchment paper underneath.
Step 7: Make the Chocolate Icing
Heat the chocolate chips and milk in 15 second ingredients, stirring after each time, until the chips have fully melted and the milk is incorporated.
The icing should be very smooth.
Step 8: Dip The Donuts and Add Mini Chips
Dip the tops of the donuts into the icing and then immediately sprinkle on the mini chocolate chips to make sure they stick.
Place them on the cooling rack to dry.
Expert Baking Tips
- Use Packed Cups of Flour- Normally in baking we do not use packed cups o flour, however when working with gluten free, I've found using packed cups works best to help the baked goods keep their shape. For this recipe use packed cups or please read the gram amount.
- Use 2 Types of Cocoa Powder- The 2 types of cocoa powders give the donuts their dark hue. Although, if you only have one type on hand, use natural unsweetened or dutch...just know their color will not be as dark as mine. Please do not use dark alone; it will make your donuts too chalky, dry and bitter. And like the flour, use packed cups of cocoa powder or read the gram amount.
- Smoothing The Batter- Many gluten free flour batters have a way of staying exactly as they are placed, when baked. If you leave it misshapen after put it into the donut pans, that’s how they will remain when baked. When the batter is in the donut pans, gently smooth the top with a butter knife or the back or a small spoon.
- Pipe The Batter- You could use a spoon to put the batter in the greased donut pans but it is much easier to pipe the batter in. No piping bag? No worries! Simply put all the batter in a gallon size zip top bag and snip off a corner. Pipe the batter into the donut wells and fill almost to the top of each well.
Recipe FAQs
You can make these donuts the night before without the chocolate icing, but they truly are best the same day.
If making the night before, keep the donuts in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to add the ganache.
I would make it the same day. If made the day before, the icing will solidify in the fridge and you will have to reheat anyway.
Storing: Once the icing has solidified, individually wrap each donut in aluminum foil. Try to create a teepee with the top of the foil so it isn't touching the ganache as much.
Store them wrapped in foil in the fridge for up to two days.
Freezing: Once the icing has hardened, wrap them each donut in aluminum foil as instructed above. Pop them in a zip top bag and freeze the donuts for up to 30 days. To defrost, take them out of the freezer and leave at room temperature until soft; about 2 hours.
More Donut Recipes You'll Love
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📖 Recipe
Baked Chocolate Donuts
Ingredients
For the Donuts
- 1 ¾ cups multipurpose gluten free flour (I use a gluten free multipurpose flour with xanthan gum already in it)
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder (I did ⅓ cup of Dutch and ⅓ cup of Dark)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ¼ cups light brown sugar , packed
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 4 rounded tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 6 tablespoons of water
- 1 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup chocolate chips
For the Ganache Icing
- 2 cups chocolate chips
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips , for sprinkling
Instructions
For The Chocolate Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the wells of two donut pans with vegetable oil. If you don’t have two pans you’ll have to cook the donuts in multiple batches.
- In a large bowl, sift together the 1 ¾ cups gluten free flour, ⅔ cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder and the 1 ¼ cups light brown sugar. Sifting is important otherwise you will have clumps of brown sugar.Once sifted, whisk in the ¾ teaspoon kosher salt and combine. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, using a spoon, mix together the 4 heaping tablespoons cornstarch and 6 tablespoons water until until thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first.Once that’s combined, whisk in the 1 cup milk, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract and 2 teaspoons white vinegar.
- Add the wet ingredients and the ½ cup vegetable oil into the dry ingredients and use a whisk to combine. If it gets too thick, switch to using a spatula.
- Put all the batter into a piping bag or a zip top bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe the batter into the greased donut pans and fill to ¾ way full. You can also spoon the batter into the donut pans.
- Smooth the batter with a tiny knife or the back of a small spoon.
- Bake for about 15 mins or until the donuts kind of spring back at you when gently touched.
- Bake the donuts in the center rack of the 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. The donuts should be risen and spring back at you when gently touched.Note: If you gently poke the donuts and a dent forms, they're not done baking. You can also insert a toothpick and make sure it comes out clean.
For The Chocolate Ganache Icing
- Combine the 2 cups of chocolate chips and the ½ cup milk in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in 15 second increments, stirring each time until the milk is bubbling and the chips are fully melted. Keep whisking to combine until the icing is smooth.
- Dip the cool donuts top side down into the bowl of the icing. Immediately sprinkle the tops with the mini chocolate chips.If the donuts are not cool, you'll end up with a runny mess.
- Let dry on a cooling rack with wax paper underneath the rack so your counter stays clean. If you don't let them dry in a cooling rack, the bottoms will be soggy.
michelle says
these donuts are delicious and smell divine. the recipe is pretty easy as well! it pairs so nicely with basically anything - i used this as a base to make s’mores donuts and was so impressed at the bounce but softness of these donuts. will definitely be making again!
Lee says
Thank you!!!!
Ginny says
So chocolatey and SO good! Such a special treat!
Lee says
Thanks so much!
Breidi says
Never can get enough chocolate lol! Going to try these with cassava flour too.
Lee says
Thanks so much!
john says
These donuts are perfect for my chocolate addiction!