Chocolate Covered Donuts made quick & easy with crescent dough & delicious buttery chocolate glaze. Better than store-bought; you’ll make them again & again!
Our family has always enjoyed eating donuts but buying them isn’t always an option. Thankfully these homemade donuts are so much cheaper and faster than loading everyone up in a car and driving to the local bakery for a few dozen. This donut recipe has been in my hands for a few years now and I have come up with several fun variations, but what can beat a classic like chocolate glazed?
Fast and Delicious Chocolate Covered Donuts
These Chocolate Glazed Donuts are much easier to make than you might think! I start with store-bought dough and fry them up, then dip them in a decadent chocolate glaze that’s smooth & buttery. One bite and you’ll be sold! It only takes about 6 or 7 ingredients (if you include the oil) and because we use canned biscuit dough we don’t need to wait hours for yeasts to rise, making these a perfect breakfast treat with very little prep.
Glazed Chocolate Donut Ingredients
- Butter: Using 2 tablespoons of butter in the glaze will give us a richer taste and help to give it a nice shine as well.
- Milk: You will need 2-3 tablespoons of milk to thin down the glaze to the perfect consistency. The amount needed will vary.
- Corn syrup: Adding 1 tablespoon of corn syrup into the glaze will help it to stay soft while still setting and it gives a nice shine making the donuts look more appetizing.
- Melted chocolate chips: We need to use 1/4 cup of melted chocolate chips to give our glaze that incredible chocolate flavor and brown color that we’re looking for.
- Powdered sugar: To make our glaze sweet and smooth, we will use 1 cup of powdered sugar for the base.
- Oil: We will need 2 cups worth of oil for frying these donuts in. Using canola oil is preferred.
- Canned biscuits: Grab an 8 count, 16.3 oz package of your favorite canned biscuits. You can use the small cheap store bought ones or go for the Pillsbury flaky ones, either one will work for this recipe but you may find that you prefer the results of one over another.
What is chocolate donut glaze made of?
Our chocolate glaze is made with sugar, milk, butter, chocolate chips and corn syrup. It produces a rich, chocolaty glaze that coats donuts perfectly and dries with a lovely shine.
How to Make a Chocolate Glazed Donut
- Pour your canola oil into a medium-sized saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until it’s warmed and bubbly.
- Open your biscuit dough and separate the biscuits inside. To make your donuts into bars, simply stretch the biscuits into oblong shapes. To make a circle donut, cut out a small center in each round biscuit using a bottle cap or small round cutter.
- In a small bowl, combine the butter, milk, and corn syrup. Whisk in the melted chocolate chips and powdered sugar until smooth. The glaze will set up so if needed, place in microwave for a few seconds to soften and whisk smooth again.
- Check the temperature of the oil with a cooking thermometer. It should read 350 degrees F, adjust heat as needed.
- Once the oil is ready, carefully drop the donut into the oil and cook for 2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side for 2 minutes as well. This process goes by quickly So I recommend having a paper towel-lined plate on standby to soak the grease as you move on to the next donut. The donuts should appear nicely golden brown when finished.
- Let the donuts cool for a few minutes before whisking the glaze and then dip each donut in it to coat one side (the top side). Immediately place the donuts top side up on a wire cooling rack.
- Repeat this process until all donuts have been cooked and glazed. Enjoy!
What is the best cooking thermometer to use?
It’s important to have a reliable, durable cooking thermometer on hand! My all-time favorite thermometer is the Thermapen. It’s super fast and incredibly durable. Another great cooking thermometer is the ThermoPop which is a more basic version that works just as well! I use a cooking thermometer to test a variety of foods for doneness- meats, breads, and even oil for frying. They’re a staple in my kitchen!
Chocolate Glazed Donut
Ingredients
- 2 TBSP melted butter
- 2-3 TBSP milk
- 1 TBSP corn syrup
- ¼ cup melted chocolate chips
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 cups canola oil for frying
- 8 ct package refrigerated biscuit dough
Instructions
- Pour 2 cups of canola oil into a medium sized saucepan and begin heating on medium-low heat (I set mine at 4.)
- Open the biscuit dough and separate. To make bars, gently stretch the biscuits into an oblong shape, as opposed to the round shape they come in. To make regular circle donuts, separate each biscuit and cut out a small circle in the center of each biscuit using a biscuit cutter, or a soda bottle cap.
- Combine butter, milk and corn syrup in a small bowl. Whisk in melted chocolate chips and powdered sugar until smooth. (I melted my chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds, then 10 second intervals until completely smooth. Remember to not over cook chocolate or it will seize!) Glaze will set up, so return it to the microwave if needed to soften and whisk smooth again.
- Check the temperature of the oil using a meat thermometer– it needs to read 350 degrees F. Increase heat gradually if necessary.
- Once oil is ready, drop donuts in and let cook for about 2 minutes, then turn and cook an additional 2 minutes on the other side. This process of cooking the doughnuts goes very fast, so have a paper towel covered plate ready to set the bars on when cooked. Bars should be a nice golden brown.
- Let donuts cool for a few minutes, then whisk the glaze to make sure it’s smooth enough to dip each bar. Dip the bar, then immediately turn glaze side up on a cooling rack.
- Repeat this process until all bars are fried and glazed. They’re best eaten within an hour, but even the next morning they’re amazing!
Video
Nutrition
How long is a chocolate frosted donut good for?
The best donuts are always better when fresh, but you can store these donuts in an airtight container at room temperature and eat them up to 2-3 days later.
Chocolate Glaze for Donuts – What type of chocolate chip is best to use?
You can use semi-sweet chocolate chips like I did or you can use milk chocolate and they’ll turn out tasting incredible. Semi-sweet tastes more like what you’d expect from a store-bought donut though.
If you like Chocolate Glazed Donuts, check out a few of our other donut recipes:
- BAKED BANANA DONUTS
- OLD FASHIONED SOUR CREAM DONUTS
- 3-INGREDIENT BAKED PUMPKIN DONUTS
- RASPBERRY PUFF PASTRY DONUTS
- HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY GLAZED DONUTS
- EASY VALENTINES DONUTS
- EASY 15-MINUTE DONUTS, 3 RECIPES
- 15-MINUTE PUMPKIN SPICE DONUTS
- DONUT KRISPIE TREATS
- EASY CHOCOLATE GLAZED DONUTS
- PILLSBURY GRANDS DONUTS
These Chocolate Glazed Donuts are made quick & easy with canned dough & a delicious buttery chocolate glaze. You’re going to love waking up to this easy recipe!
Missy Ingalls says
Going to take it to work on Wednesday for my coworkers.
Nicole says
Aw that’s so sweet (just like these donuts)
Darlene says
Love chocolate donuts and can’t wait to try this recipe!
Nicole says
We hope you enjoy!
Cindy says
I love glazed donuts any kind
Nicole says
Same
Charla says
Bavarians are my favorite donut but I can’t wait to make these.
Jerry says
I made these in college and just shook them in a paper bag with sugar and cinnamon. Any donut with cinnamon is my favorite.
Nicole says
Probably because cinnamon is soooo tasty
Kathi says
Just a quick question. . . .can I substitute something else for the corn syrup? I have a friend that I can’t share these with as she is highly allergic to anything corn. I can’t wait to make them for me tho’ since my allergy is MSG. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Karen Anderson says
These are my favorite donuts!
Christy says
Mmmmm… these look delicious! My favorite is a beautiful glazed apple or cherry fritter! A little crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. I’ll definitely be giving these a try at home though. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Nicole says
Ohh that sounds really great!
Lori J Reed says
They were easy to make and delicious
Nicole says
Thank you!
Bettye Jo Rockweiler says
These donuts are excellent,. we made these many times when we were camping and used different toppings, but this chocolate frosting is the best !
Susan M Olson says
I like Bavarian Cream filled with Chocolate glaze.
Nicole says
that’s what I order from Dunkin about once a week haha
Bertha Genaille says
I really love your recipes. They always give me new dishes to try….I especially love your deserts, cookies, treats, and anything lemon or strawberry. Thank you for always making my day easierr.
Nicole says
We have plenty of all of those types of recipes. Thanks so much for trying our recipes 🙂
Kham says
My wife sapw this post and just summoned me to go to the grocery store to get the ingredients .Thx 🙂
Nicole says
Haha, sorry. At least you’ll be eating well 😉
Marcia says
I love freshly made donuts! The smell is Heavenly!! Favorite donut for me is a Bavarian Cream or a Warm Fluffy Cinnamon-y glazed Coffee Roll, Yuuummm.
Nicole says
Oh my gosh yes!
patty says
my favorite is blueberry filled.
Julie Pawlacyk says
My favorite is sugar dusted jelly filled donuts. This recipe looks like they could be my number two fave, lol
Gigi Wakem says
My favorite recipe is my mother in laws old fashioned donuts. The recipe is over 70 years old, and they are fried in lard. They are the best though!
Nicole says
Sounds delicious
Dianna Alfarano says
When I was younger my mother would make these same donuts. Sometimes she would dip them in chocolate, or she would bake a vanilla icing or sometimes she would simply roll them in sugar and cinnamon. I am 59 and for me, these have always been the best donuts. A timeless recipe
Nicole says
Aww thats so sweet, thanks for sharing 🙂
Maryann Almeida says
Yes and it was fantastic and very yummy!❤️
Nicole says
Glad you liked it
Maryann Almeida says
Yes and it was very easy and very yummy. Chocolate glazed is my favorite 😍 ❤️
Nicole says
Chocolate anything is our favorite 😉