Get your chocolate frosted donuts here! This chocolate glazed yeast donut recipe is easy to make, with step-by-step pictures and instructions. Don’t forget the sprinkles!

My family LOVES donuts. If I’m being honest, they are not my favorite. Unless they are homemade donuts, and super fresh, like my Pumpkin Donuts with Maple Glaze, and these Chocolate Glazed Donuts. Yum!

Lots of people are intimidated by making fried donuts at home. But you don’t have to be! Having the proper tools helps. And by the proper tools, this is what I mean:

What special tools do I need to make fried donuts?

Special tool number one: A large cup

Special tool number two: A very small cup, like those little medicine cups that come with Children’s Tylenol or other medicines.

Special tool number three: A digital kitchen thermometer. This Taylor Waterproof Digital Thermometer is my favorite. If you have special tool number four, you actually don’t need one of these thermometers, although I highly suggest getting one for other purposes, like checking to see if your chicken is done. (Just to clarify, no chickens were harmed in the making of these donuts).

Special tool number four: An electric skillet, like this Presto 16-inch Electric Foldaway Skillet. You can set the temperature in an electric skillet, and it will help keep your oil temperature constant so you don’t always have to be fiddling with turning the burner up and down on the stove.

Special tool number five: If you don’t have an electric skillet and are going to fry your donuts on the stove, then you will need a large, deep skillet.

Note: This is a recipe for fried donuts, not baked donuts, so you will not need a doughnut pan. Baked doughnuts are typically referred to as “cake doughnuts.”

Also, just to clarify, there are two correct spellings for “donuts/doughnuts” and you will see me using them interchangeably in this post so that no matter which way people spell it when they’re searching on Google, hopefully they’ll be able to find this recipe!

Now let’s check to see if you have all the ingredients you need.

Today’s Freebie!

Ingredients for Chocolate Glazed Donuts and Holes

• yeast
• water
• butter
• milk
• sugar
• egg
• salt
• all-purpose flour
• the secret ingredient–mashed potatoes! (You can use leftover mashed potatoes, or instant mashed potatoes)

How do you make chocolate glazed donuts and holes? (Step-by-step instructions)

I’m so glad you asked! I took step-by-step pictures for you so you can see how it’s done.

First, you’re going to proof your yeast. Just add 1/2 cup of warm water to a large mixing bowl (I use my Kitchen Aid mixer) and sprinkle 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast over it. Let it sit for about ten minutes. It should get frothy.

While your yeast is proofing, put some milk and butter in a medium or small saucepan on the stove. Heat the milk over medium heat until the butter has completely melted and the milk is slightly scalded. (If you carefully tip the pan, you will see a bunch a little bubbles stuck to the bottom of the pan).

Then you’ll remove that from the heat and add some sugar and your mashed potatoes. Mix that together until smooth and then set aside to cool for a bit.

While that is cooling, add one egg, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and one cup of flour to your yeast and water. Mix well by hand, or if using a stand mixer, mix with the beater attachment.

Then add the milk/butter/sugar/mashed potatoes mixture and blend well.

Now switch to a dough hook (if using a stand mixer) and add another 2 1/2 to 3 cups of flour. Start with the smaller amount and see if you need to add more. Knead the dough by hand or with the dough hook until a slightly sticky dough is formed. It should barely stick to your fingers.

Time to let the dough rise! Cover the bowl with a towel or cover loosely with plastic wrap and set in a warm place or at room temperature until doubled in size.

Once the dough has risen, it’s time to punch it down, roll it out, and make some donuts!

Liberally flour a large surface, like your clean countertop or a large cutting board. Roll the dough out 1/2-inch thick. Get your large cup and start pressing it down in the dough to cut out the donuts. Try to cut them out as closely together as possible.

Go back to each donut with your small medicine cup and cut out the hole in the middle.

Gently lift up your donuts and holes and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet to rest for thirty minutes.

With the extra dough, I suggest cutting out as many donut holes as you can before squishing the dough together and rolling it out again. Each time you roll the dough, it will become tougher, so you want to roll it out and handle it as little as possible.

While the donuts and holes are resting, heat up your oil (I just use vegetable oil) to a temperature of 375 degrees F. If you’re using an electric skillet, just fill it with oil (about two inches deep) and set the temperature to 375 degrees.

If you are using a large skillet on the stove, you’ll need to monitor the temperature of the oil with a thermometer. Add one to two inches of oil to the pan and turn the heat to medium-high. Check the temperature occasionally with your thermometer until it reaches 375 degrees F. If the temperature starts getting too high, adjust the heat until it reaches 375 degrees F.

Now it’s time to fry! Gently and carefully add 3-4 donuts to the oil. Don’t add more, because it will lower the temperature of your oil too much. 

Watch the donuts carefully (don’t leave!). Use tongs to flip them over when one side browns. It will only take a minute or two.

When both sides have been cooked and are golden brown, gently remove the donuts from the oil and place on a paper towel-lined baking sheet or plate or wire rack and allow them to cool.

How to make the donut holes

Donut holes take a special technique. Here’s how you do it:

1. Save the donut holes for last. Don’t try to fry them at the same time that you fry the donuts.
2. Once the donut holes hit the oil, you can’t let them sit still. You have to stir them with your tongs, making sure that they are always rolling and flipping in the oil. If you try to do the same technique that you used with the donuts (browning one side and then flipping to the other) you will become very frustrated. This is because once one side of the hole gets cooked, it is heavier than the other side. When you try to flip the hole so that the unbaked side will get cooked, it will just roll itself back over to the heavier, browned side.
3. When all sides of the hole have browned, use your tongs to remove them from the oil and set them on the paper towel-lined baking sheet or plate to cool.

That is it! Once your donuts and holes have cooled, just dip them in some chocolate glaze and sprinkle with your toppings of choice while the glaze is still wet.

How to make chocolate glaze for donuts

The easiest way to make a chocolate glaze is to melt some chocolate candy melts. This will harden and give you a really smooth surface. You can order these on Amazon, or you can get them at any craft store like JoAnn or Hobby Lobby. You also can find them at Walmart. They’re generally in the party or cake decorating section.

For my donuts, I made a simple chocolate glaze using butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and water. (Recipe included below). Then I just dipped the top of each donut in the glaze and set them on a sheet to let the glaze dry. If you want to add sprinkles, or shredded coconut, or any other toppings, be sure you do it before the glaze sets.

And then I took a bite 🙂

Today’s Freebie!

Continue to Content

Chocolate Glazed Donuts Recipe

Yield: 12-18 donuts, plus holes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Active Time: 30 minutes

Rising Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

Get your chocolate frosted donuts here! This chocolate glazed yeast donut recipe is easy to make, with step-by-step pictures and instructions. Don't forget the sprinkles!

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Ingredients

For the Donuts

• 1 package (2 1/4 tsp). yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup mashed potatoes
• 1 beaten egg
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 1/2 to 4 cups flour

For the Chocolate Glaze

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp. butter, softened
• 2 Tbsp. chocolate powder
• 3 Tbsp. milk
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, proof yeast in warm water for about ten minutes until frothy.
2. While yeast is proofing, add milk and butter to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until milk is slightly scalded (will look bubbly) on the bottom.
3. Remove from heat and add sugar and mashed potatoes. Mix and set aside to cool to lukewarm.
4. Add egg, salt, and 1 cup of flour to the yeast mixture and beat well.
5. Add the potato/milk mixture and beat well.
6. If using an electric mixer, switch to a dough hook for this step. Add 2 1/2 to 3 cups of flour and mix until a slightly sticky dough is formed.The dough should barely stick to your fingers.
7. Cover and let rise until doubled in size.
8. Punch down and roll out 1/2" thick onto a heavily floured surface.
9. Use a large cup to cut into doughnuts and a small medicine cup to cut out the holes.
10. Rest doughnuts and holes for 30 minutes.
11. Heat oil (at least 2 inches) to 375 degrees.
12. Carefully place doughnuts and holes into oil in batches, frying and flipping so that both sides brown evenly.
13. Remove from oil and set on paper towel to cool.
14. For the glaze, mix all the ingredients together until well blended. Add more milk if necessary to thin.
15. Dip cooled donuts into the glaze and then set aside to let the glaze set.

Notes

Be sure to scroll up in the post to see the special instructions and pictures!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 18 Serving Size: 1 donut
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 231Total Fat: 5.9gSaturated Fat: 3.5gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 116mgCarbohydrates: 40.8gFiber: 1gSugar: 19gProtein: 4.3g

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