Chocolate Christmas donuts are cake donuts baked to perfection, and that peppermint topping is so festive. We made these donuts originally to share at a holiday party and served them with hot chocolate. Delicious!
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✨ Here is why this recipe is amazing:
- Cake Donuts At Home- Donuts don't have to be hard or complicated, if you can make a cupcake you can make donuts!
- Perfect For The Holidays- I love treating my family to special treats at the holidays, and the chocolate peppermint with these donuts is perfect.
🥫 Ingredients needed:
For The Donuts
- 2 cups flour
- ½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder optional
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
For The Glaze
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ¼ cup red melting chocolate also known as candy melts
- ¼ cup white melting chocolate also known as candy melts
- 6 peppermint candies crushed, or candy canes
🔄 Substitutions
- Heavy Cream- Half and half can be substituted cup for cup. Milk can also be substituted but the donuts will not have quite as rich of a flavor. If using milk, use at least 2%. If looking for a dairy-free milk option, I recommend coconut milk.
- Melting Chocolates- The red and white melting chocolates, (also called candy melts) can be found in most craft stores and some grocery store baking aisles. White chocolate chips can be swapped for the white chocolate, or you can simply just add sprinkles without a drizzle. Do not try to add food coloring to make white chocolate red, as the liquid in food coloring will cause the white chocolate to seize and become grainy.
- Peppermint Candies- These round peppermint candies are crushed and used as decorations. Candy cane can also be used or any colorful holiday sprinkles. Mini chocolate chips or chopped Andes chocolate mints can also be used to decorate. The donuts can be enjoyed glazed with no decorations.
- Expresso Powder- Expresso powder is completely optional. It will give these Christmas donuts more of a deep, rich mocha flavor. Instant coffee can also be used but will have less of a coffee flavor. Expresso powder can also be left out completely.
🔪 How to make Christmas Donuts
Make The Christmas Donuts
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease two donut pans with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder salt and optional expresso powder. in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Mix together until well blended.
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, mix together melted butter and sugar until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well in between each egg. Pour in the cream and the peppermint extract, mixing again until fully blended.
- Place the dry ingredients in the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix to combine, first on low and then up to medium. The donut batter will be a little on the thick side.
- Add the batter to a piping bag or a zip top bag. Snip the corner of the bag with scissors and use it to pipe the batter into the donut pans. Wipe any dribbles of batter spill on the edges of the pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Check with a toothpick to make sure they are cooked through.
- Allow donuts to cool in the pan for at least five minutes, then transfer donuts to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Make The Glaze For The Christmas Donuts
- Heat the heavy cream in a heatproof bowl in the microwave until just warm to the touch, but not boiling. In a medium-sized bowl add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, peppermint extract, and heavy cream. Mix well with a wire whisk or a fork until smooth.
- When the donuts are cool to the touch, dip the top of each donut in the glaze. Place the donuts back in the wire rack to allow the glaze to set and harden.
- Place the red and white chocolate candy melts in small heatproof bowls. Melt in the microwave according to the instructions on the bag. With a spoon, add the red and white chocolate each into their own piping bag or strong zip top bag.
- Snip a small corner of each bag with scissors. Pipe thin stripes over the top of each donut. Sprinkle crushed peppermint quickly over the top of each donut before the red and white chocolate sets.
❄️ Storage Tips
Store these Christmas donuts in an airtight container. Donuts will taste best within the first 24 hours.
📝 Frequently asked questions, answers and tips:
How Do I Know When The Donuts Have Finished Cooking?
Donuts can be checked using the toothpick method. Insert a toothpick into the cake to see if it comes out clean, without batter clinging to the toothpick.
Another way to test to see if the donuts are finished cooking by gently tapping the donut with your finger. If the dough springs back to your touch they are done baking. Be careful not to burn your fingers on the hot pan using this method.
Can I Use A Silicone Donut Pan?
Yes, you can use a silicone donut pan with this recipe. Silicone pans don't need to be sprayed with oil or greased before baking. Once baked the donuts will pop easily out of a silicone pan.
I recommend placing the silicone pan on a metal baking sheet before placing in the oven. This will help the silicone pan be sturdier as you pull it in and out of the oven and can keep you from accidentally spilling hot batter in the oven or on yourself.
Baked treats cooked in silicone tend not to brown as well, but as these donuts are chocolate and are frosted you won't see that in the finished donut.
Other Recipes You Will Love
Red Velvet Rice Krispie Treats- Perfect for the holidays, these red velvet Rice Krispe treats are so festive!
Baked Christmas Donuts
These sweet chocolate baked Christmas donuts are a delicious chocolate mint treat. These cake donuts make a special holiday breakfast, and family and friends will love these sweet gooey donuts topped with peppermint that are Santa approved.
Equipment
- 3 pastry bags or strong zip-top bag
- 1 Donut pan Metal or silicone
- 1 Electric Mixer
- 1 Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
For The Donuts
- 2 cups flour
- ½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder optional
- ¼ cup Butter melted
- 1 cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
For The Glaze
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ¼ cup red melting chocolate also known as candy melts
- ¼ cup white melting chocolate also known as candy melts
- 6 peppermint candies crushed, or candy cane
Instructions
For the Donuts
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease two donut pans with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder salt and optional expresso powder. in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Mix together until well blended.
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, mix together melted butter and sugar until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well in between each egg. Pour in the cream and the peppermint extract, mixing again until fully blended.
- Place the dry ingredients in the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix to combine, first on low and then up to medium. The donut batter will be a little on the thick side.
- Add the batter to a piping bag or a zip top bag. Snip the corner of the bag with scissors and use it to pipe the batter into the donut pans. Wipe any dribbles of batter spill on the edges of the pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Check with a toothpick to make sure they are cooked through.
- Allow donuts to cool in the pan for at least five minutes, then transfer donuts to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
For The Glaze
- Heat the heavy cream in a heatproof bowl in the microwave until just warm to the touch, but not boiling. In a medium-sized bowl add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, peppermint extract, and heavy cream, Mix well with a wire whisk or a fork until smooth.
- When the donuts are cool to the touch, dip the top of each donut in the glaze. Place the donuts back in the wire rack to allow the glaze to set and harden.
- Place the red and white chocolate candy melts in small heatproof bowls. Melt in the microwave according to the instructions on the bag. With a spoon, add the red and white chocolate each into their own piping bag or strong zip top bag.
- Snip a small corner of each bag with scissors. Pipe thin stripes over the top of each donut. Sprinkle crushed peppermint quickly over the top of each donut before the red and white chocolate sets.
Notes
Another way to test to see if the donuts are finished cooking by gently tapping the donut with your finger. If the dough springs back to your touch they are done baking. Be careful not to burn your fingers on the hot pan using this method.
If baking donuts in a silicone pan I highly recommend placing the pan on a metal baking sheet before placing in the oven. This will keep the pan sturdier which will keep you from accidentally spilling hot batter in the oven. Silicone pans don't need to be sprayed with oil or greased before baking.
Nutrition
Calories: 473kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 6gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 89mgSodium: 162mgPotassium: 209mgFiber: 3gSugar: 43gVitamin A: 815IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 84mgIron: 2mg
Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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