Turn your kitchen into a donut shop with these homemade Chocolate-Glazed Donuts.
Everyone has a favorite donut, don’t they? Some people are partial to filled ones (jelly, Boston cream), while others prefer their donuts rolled in granulated or powdered sugar. I get it: there are many different kinds of donuts to satisfy many different kinds of cravings. But for me, there is only one perfect variety. Whether I’m at the donut shop or making them at home, I am in love with chocolate-glazed donuts.
It might be the combination of my two favorite dessert flavors (vanilla and chocolate) or the way that beautiful, glossy glaze coats the light and airy fried dough. Or maybe it’s the combination of textures that I find so irresistibly appealing, or the rich sweetness. I don’t know, and it doesn’t matter. All I know is that I crave them, and you will, too.
One of the reasons I love this recipe so much is that it requires some skill and yet is not at all daunting for novices. In fact, I think it’s perfect for people who don’t have a lot of experience making and working with yeast dough because it entails all the necessary processes in a simple way. You’ll incorporate warm liquid into a dry mix that contains the yeast, do a little kneading, then find something amusing to occupy the time it takes for the long rise. After that, roll and cut your dough into the desired shapes (in this case, donuts!), and make your glaze during the short rise. Perfecting these techniques is key to making delicious yeast-based treats at home, and this recipe is an easy and straightforward way to practice. And after the frying and dipping, you have chocolate-glazed donuts as a reward!!
Perfect Chocolate-Glazed Donuts
In order for the donut dough to rise properly, the yeast needs to be activated. To do that, we need warm liquid. So when you heat the milk, butter, and vanilla to add into the dry ingredients, make sure it reaches a temperature of between 100 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Then work quickly but gently to mix and then knead your dough. Let it rise until it doubles, even if that takes more than two hours. Toward the end of the second (shorter!) rise, which happens after you’ve rolled and cut the dough into donut shapes, begin to heat your oil. When it reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit, it is ready to fry these beauties until they turn golden brown (don’t overcrowd the pan!). Once you’ve drained them on the paper towels, dip them into the chocolate glaze while they’re still warm so that the glaze will set properly. Then all you have to do is enjoy!
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Cooled chocolate-glazed donuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. Refrigerating the donuts can make them stale, but if you want to store them for longer than a couple of days, flash freeze them on a baking sheet for 2 hours and then wrap each donut individually and freeze them in a large Ziploc bag. They will keep this way for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
Chocolate-glazed donuts make a delicious breakfast, especially if you serve them with some salty, savory bacon and a side of bright and fresh Citrus-Mint Fruit Salad. I also like to whip up some Mixed Berry Smoothies to round out this favorite morning meal.
But you can also serve chocolate-glazed donuts for dessert! They’re a great after-dinner treat on their own with a side of Vanilla Ice Cream (topped with Chocolate Sauce to keep the theme going!). Here’s another really fun idea: Cut the donuts into pieces and serve a variety of sauces, like caramel, blueberry, and white hot fudge, for dipping. Fun and fantastic!
Chocolate-Glazed Donuts
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk plus more for glaze
- 3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. In a small pot, heat milk and butter until the butter melts. Stir in vanilla extract.
- Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until a dough forms. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
- Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.
- Roll out the dough to 3/4-inch thickness, cut it into donut shapes, and let rise again for 30 minutes. Heat oil to 350°F and fry each donut until golden. Drain on paper towels.
- Mix powdered sugar and cocoa powder with 2 tablespoons of milk. Add more milk as needed to achieve a smooth, dipping consistency. Dip each donut into the glaze and set aside to dry.
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