This post contains affiliate links. Read the full disclosure here.

These soft and fluffy baked chocolate mini donuts are dipped in a delicious chocolate glaze. All you need is one bowl and a few simple ingredients. They’re so easy to make and come together in under 20 minutes, no mixer required.

chocolate donuts arranged on a silver metal cooling rack.

I used to be intimidated by making donuts, until I realized that I didn’t have to fry them, I could bake them and it would be so much easier! Ever since then I’ve been on a total donut kick with my baked Oreo donuts and vanilla glazed chocolate donuts (to name just a few!).

These miniature chocolate cake donuts are such a fun treat and are perfect for birthday parties, Valentine’s Day, baby showers, bridal showers, weddings, or just for every day snacking. Plus – is there anything cuter than a mini dessert?

Featured Reader Review

“I made these on a whim, first time making donuts, and they were incredible!! So easy and they came out perfect!” 

Kami
Read more reviews
three miniature chocolate donuts stacked on top of each other on a metal cooling rack with more donuts around them.

When testing the donuts, I decided to go with the version that is made with oil instead of butter. Donuts are notorious for tasting best served fresh on the day you make them, and using oil keeps them soft and fluffier for the maximum amount of time possible.

I personally know how intimidating donuts can be – but I promise these baked mini donuts are easier than you think, and even beginners can make them successfully! And as always, I have tested them both with and without dairy to make sure that they work both ways (spoiler alert – they do!).

three donuts stacked on top of each other with a bite taken out of the top donut.

Ingredient Notes

  • Oil: You can use sunflower oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, or any other neutral oil.
  • Milk: You can use regular milk or dairy free milk of your choice.
  • Butter: To make the chocolate icing, you can use regular butter or dairy free butter.
ingredients to make chocolate mini donutsin bowls with text labels

How To Make Baked Mini Donuts

oil and sugar mixed in a glass bowl on a tile countertop.

Whisk oil and sugars!

wet donut ingredients in a glass mixing bowl on a tile countertop.

Add remaining wet ingredients.

chocolate donut batter in a glass bowl on a white tile backdrop.

Mix in the dry ingredients.

chocolate donut batter in a ziploc bag placed in a white mug.

Add donut batter into a ziploc or piping bag!

chocolate donut batter in a mini donut pan before being baked.

Pipe it into the pan.

six chocolate donuts in a donut pan after being baked.

Bake!

butter, chocolate chips, and milk in a small black frying pan.

Combine glaze ingredients.

donut glaze melted in a black frying pan.

Heat and stir it up!

a hand holding a chocolate donut and dipping it into a chocolate glaze.

Dip the donuts and voilá!

chocolate donuts arranged on a white background.

Recipe Developer Expert Tips

  • Don’t over fill the donut cavities! Filling them only halfway may not seem like enough, but trust me, it is!
  • Make sure to grease the whole donut cavity, or it will be really hard to remove the donuts from the pan! But you don’t want to over grease the pan either – if there are any large puddles of oil, lightly blog them with a paper toil (but don’t wipe the oil off completely)
  • I recommend putting parchment paper or a baking sheet under the rack to catch the icing drips after you glaze the donuts.
  • Add festive sprinkles to celebrate just about any holiday with these mini chocolate donuts!

More Donut Recipes You’ll Love

banana donuts with cinnamon glaze on a wire baking rack with slices of banana scattered about

Banana Donuts with Cinnamon Glaze
strawberry frosted donuts on a tray with one strawberry

Strawberry Frosted Donuts
chocolate glazed donuts on parchment paper with the one in the middle missing a bite

Chocolate Glazed Donuts
oreo donuts with oreo cookies scattered between

Oreo Donuts

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!

Baking FAQ

These are the topics I’m asked about most frequently:

You can get these answers and more in my frequently asked questions post!

chocolate mini donuts shot from above
5 from 18 reviews

Chocolate Mini Donuts (Baked, Not Fried!)

Gabby Kislanko
These chocolate mini donuts are deliciously soft and fluffy. These donuts are easy to make with no mixer required and ready in 20 minutes!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake: 7 minutes
Total Time: 17 minutes
Servings: 16 mini donuts
Print Pin Rate Remove Ads

Ingredients
 

Chocolate Mini Donuts

  • ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup (67 g) white sugar
  • 4 tbsp (54 ml) sunflower oil (or other neutral oil) , (can sub melted butter) SEE NOTES
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup (125 ml) milk (regular or dairy free)
  • 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup (29 g) cocoa powder
  • ⅛ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp baking powder

Chocolate Donut Glaze

  • 6 tbsp chocolate chips, (regular or dairy free)
  • 1½ tbsp butter, melted, (regular or dairy free)
  • 3 tbsp milk, (regular or dairy free)
  • ¾ cup (90 g) icing sugar

Instructions
 

Chocolate Donuts

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease donut pans with cooking spray. This recipe makes roughly 16 mini donuts.
  • Add oil, white sugar, and brown sugar to a mixing bowl and whisk together until combined. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract, then whisk in the milk.
  • Add flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda to the bowl and mix until combined. Do not over mix.
  • Fill the donut cavities ½ way full with batter. I recommend squeezing the batter out of a ziploc bag to make it easier. To do this, add the batter into the ziploc bag, then cut the corner off of the bag and pipe the batter into it.
  • Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until the donuts spring back when you gently press your finger into them. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Place a large baking sheet under the wire rack (or a piece of parchment paper), to avoid making a mess once the donuts are glazed.

Chocolate Glaze

  • Add butter, chocolate chips, and milk to a small pan over low-medium heat, stirring until melted and combined. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar.
  • Transfer the icing to a medium bowl, then dip the donuts upside down in the icing, covering the top. Transfer the donuts back to the wire rack to let the glaze set.

Equipment

Mini Donut Pan
Mixing Bowl

Notes

PAN SIZES: If you don’t have a mini donut pan, you can use a mini muffin pan. These can also be made as regular sized donuts!
Storage Instructions: If you’ve ever bought a box of donuts and tried to eat them the next day, you’ll know they, by nature, don’t last very long. They are best enjoyed the day they’re baked but you can store them for up to 2 days in an airtight container at room temperature if needed. Note that the glaze may start to melt depending on the climate where you live.
You can freeze the unglazed donuts in an airtight freezer bag for up to 1-2 months. Thaw at room temperature.
 
 
Calories: 130kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 91mg, Potassium: 49mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 70IU, Calcium: 28mg, Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Please let us know by leaving a star rating and review!

The calorie information provided for this recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.