Description
Soft, chocolate-espresso baked donuts dipped in a glossy chocolate glaze and topped with crushed peppermint — the perfect festive treat for holiday mornings or winter dessert trays!
Ingredients
Donuts:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp melted butter or oil
- 1 tsp instant espresso powder
- ½ tsp peppermint extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Peppermint Glaze:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1–2 tbsp milk
- ¼ tsp peppermint extract
- Crushed candy canes (for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease a donut pan to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Stir in milk, egg, melted butter (or oil), instant espresso powder, peppermint extract, and vanilla extract until the batter is smooth and well blended.
- Pipe Batter: Transfer the batter to a piping bag or a zip-top bag with a corner cut off, then pipe the batter into the donut wells filling each about ¾ full to allow for rise.
- Bake Donuts: Bake in the preheated oven for 8–10 minutes, or until the donuts spring back when lightly pressed, indicating they are cooked through.
- Cool Donuts: Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Glaze: In a bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, cocoa powder, milk (start with 1 tbsp and add more if needed), and peppermint extract until smooth.
- Glaze Donuts: Dip the tops of the cooled donuts into the chocolate peppermint glaze ensuring an even coat.
- Add Toppings: Immediately sprinkle crushed candy canes on top of the glazed donuts before the glaze sets for a festive crunch.
Notes
- Add more milk to the glaze if it is too thick, or add more powdered sugar if it is too thin to achieve your desired consistency.
- For a richer mocha flavor, increase the instant espresso powder in the batter to 1½ teaspoons.
- Make the recipe dairy-free by using non-dairy milk and vegan butter instead of traditional dairy ingredients.
- Store the donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze unglazed donuts for up to 2 months. Glaze them after thawing.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Dessert, Holiday Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
