I love donuts, but I don’t love the mess of deep frying. When the craving strikes, I turn to these chocolate chip baked donuts. I doctored up a box of vanilla cake mix with nutmeg, buttermilk, and chocolate chips to create moist and rich donuts made without yeast. Topped with a fluffy chocolate buttercream frosting, these are my favorite afternoon treat. My kids love them, too!
Frying donuts is such a long and messy process, so I developed this recipe for baked chocolate chip donuts to get my fix without all the hassle. With just 9 ingredients, these donuts are super simple to make and so much fun to eat! Plus, they’re quite a bit healthier than traditional fried donuts, too!
What’s in This Chocolate Chip Baked Donuts Recipe?
- Vanilla Cake Mix: Makes these donuts super simple to put together.
- Nutmeg: Adds a bit of warmth and spiciness. Feel free to leave it out if you’re not a fan!
- Egg: Give the donuts structure.
- Butter: Unsalted butter adds flavor to the donuts and forms the base of the frosting.
- Buttermilk: Adds moisture and tang to the donuts.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: The perfect size for these donuts so every bite is bursting!
- Powdered Sugar: Sweetens the frosting and gives it structure.
- Cocoa Powder: Unsweetened cocoa powder adds chocolate flavor to the frosting.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds warmth to the frosting.
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How to Store
Store leftover chocolate chip baked donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
If freezing these donuts, do not frost them. Freeze the donuts in a single layer on a lined baking sheet until solid, about 1-2 hours. Transfer to an airtight container to store for up to 3 months. Let come to room temperature on the countertop before frosting and serving.
Tips for Success
- Take care not to overmix the batter; otherwise, the donuts will come out tough.
- I recommend filling the wells of the donut tins only ¾ full to give them room to expand as they bake.
- If you don’t have a donut tin, use a muffin tin instead. Line a 12-count muffin tin with paper liners (or spray with nonstick spray) and fill with donut batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Take care not to overbake the donuts, or else they could turn out dry.
- Cool the donuts completely before frosting; otherwise, the frosting will melt off.
Chocolate Chip Baked Donuts Recipe
Ingredients
For the Donuts
- 15.25 ounces vanilla cake mix (1 box)
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter melted (⅔ stick)
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
For the Frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¾ cup unsalted butter partially melted (1½ sticks)
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Donut Tin
- Hand Mixer
- Piping Tip Set
Instructions
For the Donuts
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray donut tins well with nonstick spray. Set aside. For 18 donuts, I used donut tins that make 3-inch-sized donuts.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the cake mix, nutmeg, egg, and butter together.15.25 ounces vanilla cake mix, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 large egg, ⅓ cup unsalted butter
- Add in all of the buttermilk and beat on low until combined.¾ cup buttermilk
- Gently fold in the mini chocolate chips until mixed well.1 cup mini chocolate chips
- Place the donut batter into a large piping bag and pipe the batter into the wells of the donut tins. Fill each donut well up only ¾ of the way full so they have room to grow without overflowing.
- Bake in the oven for 15-16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in a donut comes out clean.
- Cool for 15 minutes in the tin before removing from the tin to cool completely. Let cool completely before frosting.
For the Frosting
- In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the powdered sugar, butter, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.2 cups powdered sugar, ¾ cup unsalted butter, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pipe the icing over the cooled donuts.
Notes
How to Make Chocolate Chip Baked Donuts Step-by-Step
Mix the Batter: Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray donut tins well with nonstick spray and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk 15.25 ounces (1 box) of vanilla cake mix, ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg, 1 large egg, and ⅓ cup of melted unsalted butter together. Add ¾ cup of buttermilk and beat on low until combined. Gently fold in 1 cup of mini chocolate chips until mixed well.
Pipe the Donuts: Place the donut batter into a large piping bag and pipe the batter into the wells of the donut tins. Fill each donut well up only ¾ of the way full so they have room to grow without overflowing.
Bake the Donuts: Bake in the oven for 15-16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in a donut comes out clean.
Cool the Donuts: Cool for 15 minutes in the tin before removing from the tin to cool completely. Let cool completely before frosting.
Beat the Frosting: In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat 2 cups of powdered sugar, ¾ cup of butter, 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder, and ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Frost the Donuts: Pipe the icing over the cooled donuts.
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