These chocolate mini donuts are perfectly bite-sized, super easy to make, and are ready to eat in under 30 minutes! You will love how soft and rich the donut is and it even has cinnamon toast crunch cereal incorporated into the batter for a fun twist!
This baked chocolate mini donut recipe could not be easier to make. With just one bowl and a few ingredients, you will have fresh homemade donuts in less than 30 minutes!
I love making donuts but actually have always preferred baked ones instead of fried ones. There's a lot less time and effort involved and no hot oil is required.
These chocolate mini donuts are the best and will make any breakfast, brunch, or snack occasion extra special.
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chocolate mini donut hightlights
- Soft and fluffy with a rich chocolate taste
- Cinnamon toast crunch pieces give a fun cinnamon flavor
- Baked, not fried!
- Ready to eat in less than 30 minutes
- Only a few simple ingredients are needed
ingredient notes
- Flour: you need all-purpose flour for this recipe and should not substitute it.
- Cocoa powder: to get a donut that is super dark in color and rich in flavor, use a dutch processed cocoa powder.
- Milk: you need regular 2% milk but you can substitute it for an alternative milk instead.
- Cinnamon toast crunch: I used General Mills Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal.
A complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below!
instructions
overview
- Soak the cereal in the milk.
- Make the donut batter.
- Fill the batter into donut pan.
- Bake the donuts.
- Glaze the donuts.
step by step
Step 1: In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon toast crunch pieces and the milk. Set aside for 5 minutes to soak while you prepare the batter.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, and brown sugar.
TIP- The cinnamon toast crunch cereal should be measured out first, then crushed into smaller pieces otherwise the batter will be too dense and dry.
Step 3: Add the egg to the bowl and whisk until smooth and fully combined.
Step 4: Add the bowl of milk and cereal to the batter and whisk to combine.
TIP- Make sure the egg is room temperature otherwise it will re-solidify the melted butter.
Step 5: Add the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and whisk to combine.
Step 6: Use a spoon to fill the batter halfway in the mini donut pan. Place the donut pan on the middle rack in the oven and bake at 350 F/177 C for 7-8 minutes or until the top of the donut springs back when touched. Then let the pan cool on a wire rack before gently removing each one. Dip the top of the donut in the glaze and finish with more pieces of crushed cinnamon toast crunch.
TIP- Don't overfill the donut pan! They will not only take longer to bake but will spill out of the pan.
storage & freezing
- Room temperature: Keep any leftovers on a tray wrapped in plastic or in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days.
- Freezer: Place the un-glazed donuts in an airtight container and freeze for 1-2 weeks.
NOTE- Fresh, homemade donuts are naturally short-lived, unfortunately, so it's best to enjoy them the day they are made.
expert baking tips
- Always spoon measure your flour when baking-This means using a spoon to fluff the flour first, then spoon it into your measuring cup. This will give the most accurate results when baking without a kitchen scale.
- Measure the cereal before crushing- don't crush the cereal before measuring it or you will have too much of it and will end up with dense and dry texture.
- Don't over mix the batter- over mixing will make them tough and dense.
- Don't over bake them- over baking them will make them dry and crumbly.
- Only fill the pan half way- if you over fill the pan, the batter might spill over the top and you will loose the hole in the middle of the donut.
- Check the freshness of your ingredients- you should check the freshness of your baking powder and soda regularly to ensure baking success.
recipe notes
- Don't refrigerate the batter- The batter has baking soda in it which will cause the batter to build air bubbles while in the fridge, giving them an airy texture once baked.
- Yield- This recipe makes 24 mini donuts.
- Halve the recipe- Cut the recipe in half to make just 12 mini donuts!
variations
- Glaze
- Vanilla glaze
- Cinnamon glaze
faq's
Once the pan is completely cool, gently tilt the pan at an angle and use an offset spatula, your finger, or a knife to gently pull each one out of the pan.
Yes! They will have a longer baking time, I would check them after 10-12 minutes of baking.
If your pan is new and nonstick you shouldn't need to spray or grease the pan. However, if you are using an older pan, I definitely recommend spraying it before adding the batter.
more breakfast recipes you'll love
If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I'd love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Baked Chocolate Donuts
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- whisk
- Mini Donut Pan
Ingredients
- ½ cup cinnamon toast crunch cereal 14 grams
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoon 2% milk 150 grams
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted 30 grams
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 50 grams
- ¼ cup brown sugar 50 grams
- 1 large egg, room temperature 55 grams
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour 40 grams
- ¼ cup dutch process cocoa powder 20 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar 200 grams
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 3-4 tablespoon 2% milk 30 grams
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- cinnamon toast crunch pieces, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F/177 C.
- Crush the cinnamon toast crunch cereal into a small bowl and add the milk. Stir to combine, then set aside while you prep the batter.½ cup cinnamon toast crunch cereal, ½ cup + 2 tablespoon 2% milk
- In a medium bowl, add the melted butter, sugar, and brown sugar and whisk to combine.2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar
- Add in the egg and whisk until smooth and combined.1 large egg, room temperature
- Add the milk and soaked cereal to the bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda to the bowl and whisk until JUST combined. Do not over mix!⅔ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup dutch process cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- Spoon the batter into the donut pan until each spot is half full.
- Bake the donuts on the middle rack for 7-8 minutes, or until the tops spring back when touched. Then let the pan cool on a wire rack for a few minutes.
- Meanwhile make the glaze. Combine the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and cocoa powder in a bowl and whisk until smooth.2 cups powdered sugar, ¼ cup cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 3-4 tablespoon 2% milk
- When the donuts are cool, gently remove them from the pan. Dip them in the bowl of the glaze then sprinkle them with extra cinnamon toast crunch pieces.cinnamon toast crunch pieces, for topping
Notes
- Always spoon measure your flour when baking-This means using a spoon to fluff the flour first, then spoon it into your measuring cup. This will give the most accurate results when baking without a kitchen scale.
- Don't over mix the batter- over mixing will make your donuts tough and dense.
- Don't over bake them- over baking the donuts will make them dry and crumbly.
- Only fill the pan half way- if you over fill the pan, the donuts might spill over the top and you will loose the hole in the middle of the donut.
- Check the freshness of your ingredients- you should check the freshness of your baking powder and soda regularly to ensure baking success.
- Do I need to spray my donut pan?- You shouldn't need to if it's non stick and a newer pan. If your pan is older you can lightly spray it with non stick spray.
- Can I bake them in a regular donut pan? Yes! They will need a longer baking time. I would start checking them after 10-12 minutes.
- How do I remove the donuts once baked? Once the pan is cool, gently tip the pan up and use your finger, knife or offset spatula to gently pull them out of the pan.
The calorie information provided for the recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.
Michelle says
Everyone loved these mini donuts. I was most curious about the cinnamon toast crunch addition and it ended up being so good! You could really taste the cereal, and the donut was really soft and moist. We made a half batch and I really wish we would have made the full one because they're almost gone!