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These Double Chocolate Donuts are for the people who always pick chocolate. And sometimes one layer of chocolate simply doesn’t cut it. If you walk into a restaurant always looking for the chocolate option, consider these double chocolate donuts your official breakfast love language. We took our popular classic glazed brioche donuts and gave them a chocolate makeover.
They start with rich dark chocolate brioche dough and finish with a dunk in a dark chocolate silky frosting before they’re decorated with chocolate sprinkles. They do take a little patience while the dough rises, but that first bite makes the extra effort feel entirely worth it. Each chocolate brioche donut is tender, fluffy, and perfectly fried. And the silky chocolate glaze adds a sweet, extra chocolate touch these donuts deserve. They are surprisingly not overly rich and have just the right amount of sweetness. Even if you aren’t a chocolate lover, we think you’ll still thoroughly enjoy these.
They’re definitely bakery-style but easy enough to make right in your own kitchen – and arguably better straight off the fryer. They’re perfect for slow weekend mornings, homemade brunch spread for friends, or those days when you’re craving something a little chocolatey.
Why You’ll Love These Double Chocolate Donuts
- They’re pillowy soft! This homemade brioche donut dough is worth the wait it takes to rise – trust us! It goes through two separate rises to develop into an airy, soft dough. And as it is fried in the hot oil, it puffs up to a pillowy-soft texture.
- Full of chocolate flavor but not too sweet! You would think that these double chocolate donuts would be super rich and sweet. But they are not. The dark cocoa adds the perfect amount of deep chocolate flavor without being too sweet.
- A delicious cure for your chocolate craving! If you’re looking for something that isn’t a chocolate cake or a brownie, we recommend trying these chocolate donuts. They’re not just for breakfast – you can snack on them any time of day.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- All-purpose flour
- Dutch cocoa powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
- Milk
- Instant yeast
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Pure vanilla extract
- Vegetable oil
- Powdered sugar
- Chocolate sprinkles
How to Make These Double Chocolate Donuts, Step by Step
Step 1. Make the brioche dough, knead the dough, and let it rise.
This donut dough is a chocolate brioche dough that puffs up and becomes deliciously pillowy as it fries in the oil. The dough is super easy to make in a stand mixer. The hardest part is being patient enough to let it rise.
The yeast needs something warm to activate. So, start by heating some milk in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat until lukewarm (105-115°F).
Use a digital cooking thermometer to check the temperature of your milk before adding the yeast. If the yeast is too hot, it could kill the yeast. If it’s too cold, it won’t activate.
Whisk in the yeast and sugar into the warm milk and let it sit to activate for about 10 minutes. You’ll know the yeast is active when it gets bubbly on the top.
Pour the bubbly yeast mixture into a stand mixer with a hook attachment and add the rest of the dough ingredients. Mix in eggs, softened butter, and the dry ingredients – salt, cocoa powder, and flour. Mix on medium for a couple of minutes until a smooth dough forms.
If the dough is too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour until it reaches a workable dough.
Increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high and knead the dough for 8-10 minutes.
Grease a separate bowl with olive oil or non-stick cooking spray. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for 1 hour, or until it’s doubled in size.
Step 2. Roll the chocolate dough out and cut into donut shapes.
Once your dough is doubled in size, peel back the plastic wrap from the top. Gently punch down the dough to release any extra gas that has built up.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll it out into a large rectangle that is about 1/2-inch thick. Use a donut cutter or round cookie cutter to cut the dough into donut shapes. Place each donut on a small square of parchment paper to rise for an additional 30 minutes.
This final rise will help the donuts develop and puff up some more.
Tip: Cut out squares of parchment, just larger than the donut rounds. This will keep the donuts from sticking to the countertop, and you can also transfer them more easily to the frying oil that way.
Step 3. Heat oil in a Dutch oven and fry donuts.
Heat oil in a Dutch oven until it reaches 350°F. Once it reaches this temperature, you’re ready to start cooking the donuts.
Place 2-3 donuts in the oil at a time. If you overcrowd the pan, the oil temperature will drop too low. Cook the donuts on each side for 3-4 minutes until they are golden brown. Use a fork to gently flip the donuts over in the oil.
Repeat these frying steps until all the donuts are cooked. You should have 4-5 sets of donuts to fry.
Step 4. Glaze the donuts while they’re warm and decorate with sprinkles.
While the donuts are still hot, dip the tops of the donuts in the chocolate glaze. Place each chocolate-glazed donut on a wire rack and sprinkle the tops with chocolate sprinkles while the icing is still wet.
Let the donuts cool for about 10 minutes before serving them. They will still be warm and soft and so yummy!!
Tips for Making Double Chocolate Donuts
- Make sure the milk is warm, not hot. Heat the milk to a temperature of 105-115°F so that you don’t kill the yeast. If it’s too hot or too cold, the yeast may not activate properly.
- Use room-temperature eggs. Room-temperature eggs will create a uniform dough texture. If you blend cold eggs with the warm milk and softened butter, it could cause the fats to clump and give the dough an uneven texture.
- Give the dough time to rise. You will have to pause twice to give the dough time to rise. The first rise takes about an hour, giving the dough a light, fluffy texture. Once the dough is cut, there is a second 30-minute rise that is just as important in helping develop the airy texture.
- Keep the frying oil at 350°F. Use a thermometer to temporarily check the temperature of the oil. If the oil is too hot, it can brown the outsides before the centers cook. If the oil cools down too much, they could cook in the oil for too long and become greasy. Don’t overcrowd the pan with donuts to keep the temperature up.
- Glaze the donuts while they’re warm! After you’ve fried the donuts, let them cool for a few minutes before dipping them in the glaze. It helps to have extra hands in the kitchen for this step. But if you don’t, we recommend glazing the cooked donuts after you flip them for the second 4-minute baking increment.
Recipe FAQ
How to store leftover glazed donuts
These are best enjoyed fresh and are at peak freshness for the first 24 hours. Store leftover donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Don’t store the cooked donuts in the fridge. They will develop a dry texture.
More fun breakfast or brunch recipes to try:
Double Chocolate Donuts
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Description
These homemade double chocolate donuts feature soft chocolate brioche dough, a rich chocolate glaze, and chocolate sprinkles for the ultimate chocolate lover’s treat. A delicious fried chocolate donut recipe for breakfast or dessert.
Ingredients
Double Chocolate Donuts
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Dutch cocoa powder (or unsweetened cocoa powder)
- 1 cup warm milk
- 1 packet or 21/4 tsp of instant yeast
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 48 oz vegetable oil
Chocolate Glaze
- 2 cups of powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup chocolate sprinkles (for topping)
Instructions
- Make dough. Heat milk in the microwave or over the stovetop on medium heat until lukewarm (about 105-115°F). Whisk in yeast and sugar into the warm milk and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Pour yeast mixture into a stand mixer with a hook attachment. Mix in eggs, butter, salt, flour, and Dutch cocoa powder.
- Beat on medium speed for a couple of minutes. If the dough is too sticky to work with, add 1 tbsp of flour until it reaches a workable dough. It will be stickier dough, but you should be able to work with it.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and knead the dough for 8-10 minutes. Or you can transfer to a floured surface and knead with your hands.
- Oil a medium bowl and place the dough ball in the bottom. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm, dry place to rise for 1 hour. It should double in size.
- Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a floured countertop or cutting board.
- Gently roll into a large rectangle until the dough is about 1/2-inch thick. Cut out rounds and cut out centers. Place each donut on a small parchment square to rise for 30 minutes.
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven or pot. Use a thermometer to track temperature. The temperature should be 350°F.
- While the oil is heating up, whisk together the chocolate glaze. In a medium mixing bowl, stir powdered sugar, heavy cream, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. If the glaze looks too thick, add 1 tbsp of milk at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
- Gently place 2-3 donuts with parchment paper in the oil. Carefully remove the parchment paper by grabbing it with a pair of tongs. (You don’t want to overcrowd the pan because it will reduce the temperature of the oil in the pot.)
- Fry on each side for 3-4 minutes until they start to turn a darker brown on the edges. Place cooked donuts on a baking tray lined with a wire rack. Dip the tops of the donuts in the powdered sugar glaze. (It helps to have extra hands in the kitchen for this step. But if you don’t, we recommend glazing the cooked donuts after you flip the donuts for the second 4-minute baking increment.)
- Place the glazed donuts back on the wire rack and let them cool for a couple of minutes until they are no longer hot.
- Prep Time: 30
- Rise Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
