They're easily made at home from scratch and they taste just like your favorite donut hole from your favorite donut shop! These Copycat Glazed Chocolate Munchkins are the perfect snackable little donut hole!
Oh, hey! You guys still with me here? If it feels like it's been forever, it has. Like 4 colds, 2 visits from out of town family, one beach trip, and a birthday party with a Pony dressed up like a unicorn, forever! So I had to come back with something good. Like Glazed Chocolate Munchkins, good!
Glazed Chocolate Munchkins have a very special place in my heart because they were my after Church treat every Sunday growing up and they were a staple of my childhood. But since moving to the West Coast, and especially Portland where people take their donuts as serious as their coffee and their craft beer, donut holes kind of fell off the radar for me. In the land of Voodoo Donuts and Blue Star Donuts, and since the Pacific NW definitely doesn't run on Dunkin', these iconic little bites of deliciousness have been absent from my girls' childhood - which is why I had to recreate them at home!
What is a Donut Hole?
So for those who may not know, a donut hole traditionally was the hole of a classic donut. Waste not want not, obviously. But when 4 donut holes are the equivalent to one full donut, in my brain (especially my kid brain) 4 is better than 1! 😉
Ingredients Needed
- Flour - We use All Purpose Flour but you could also use a gluten free flour, too!
- Cocoa Powder - We use a Dutch-process cocoa powder because it's less acidic and bitter than natural cocoa powder. Dutch-processed is also neutral which affects how it reacts to baking soda (hint, it doesn't so you would need to use baking powder), while natural cocoa powder his a higher acidity (pH) level, which means it will react to the baking soda. You can use either in this recipe though, because the recipe has both baking soda and baking powder, again, we just prefer the taste of Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
- Baker's Chocolate - Because we're using a more neutral cocoa powder, we use an unsweetened Baker's chocolate, although you could use a semi-sweet, too.
- Sugar - White granulated is best for this recipe, but a granulated cane sugar would also work fine, too.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder - Both are used in this recipe to help create the right cakey texture.
- Buttermilk - No buttermilk? No problem, we've also made this with whole and 2% milk, or you can make your own buttermilk in a pinch, too!
- Salt - Just a touch
- Butter - We've used salted and unsalted for this recipe. If using unsalted, we just add a pinch more salt.
- Vanilla Extract - Have you made your own, yet?
- Egg - To bind the batter.
- For the Glaze: Confectioner's Sugar, Milk, Vanilla and just a little water.
How to Make Chocolate Munchkins
Making these little guys is easier than you might think!
- Melt of some butter and bakers chocolate, then a mix together to make a dough.
- Mix of the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add egg and vanilla extract to butter and baker's chocolate, mix well, and then add to the dry ingredients to create a dough.
- Roll out your little "holes" and then fry in oil.
- Coat in a super simple but delicious glaze
(Plus a little extra glaze drizzle for good measure)
And done!
They're cakey. They're moist. They a have a slight crunch on the outside from being fried. And that glaze. That undeniable sweet glaze. These Copycat Glazed Chocolate Donut Holes brought me back to Sunday mornings with my dad and special trips to Dunkin' Donuts.
They are a favorite sweet breakfast treat in our house! Between these Chocolate Munchkins and our Banana Maple Munchkins, donut holes have become our girls' favorite kind of donut!
My husband tasted one of these and his immediate response was "Oh my god these are good." His second response was "These need to leave the house." Which is my test of how good a recipe really is. If it's my husband can't be left alone with them without the risk of eating them all, then I know these Glazed Chocolate Munchkins are pretty darn good copycat of the OG!
Other Sweet Brunch Treats
- Banana Maple Munchkins
- Easy Homemade Apple Fritters
- Butterscotch Snickerdoodle Bread
- Strawberries and Cream Scones
- Ricotta Pancakes
- Sourdough Walnut Cinnamon Rolls
- Banana Waffles
- Classic Banana Walnut Bread
- Maple Apple Nut Bread
Enjoy, friends! As always, if you make this or any of my other recipes? Be sure to let me know on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Glazed Chocolate Munchkins (Donut Holes)
Ingredients
- I cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons dutch-process cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 1/2 oz baker's chocolate, unsweetened
- 1/4 cup buttermilk https://www.servedfromscratch.com/5-minute-homemade-buttermilk/
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg whisked
Glaze
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Water if needed
Instructions
- In a double boiler, melt butter and baker's chocolate. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add buttermilk and vanilla to melted chocolate. Add whisked egg.
- Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until combined. With your hands, mix until dough is all well combined and form into a ball. Wrap in plastic and cool in fridge for 30 minutes.
- Once cooled, roll dough into 1 -2 tablespoon balls.
- Heat a deep skillet or sauce pan with 3 inches of vegetable oil until oil reaches 350 degrees (candy thermometers or digital infrared thermometer). Add 4 - 5 balls into the oil and fry until cooked (they'll looked a little puffed), approximately 2-4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove from oil and place on paper towel lined plate. Finish with all balls.
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper and rack.
Prepare the Glaze
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk confectioner's sugar, milk and vanilla until the consistency of heavy cream. If needed, add a little water and mix to reach that consistency.
- Dip each donut hole in the glaze. With a fork, remove and shake off excess glaze. Transfer donuts to rack until all donut holes are glazed. Let rest until glaze is set.
- Enjoy!
- Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
They were really good, but a bit heavier then I am used to for mini doughnuts. Overall totally worth making and great flavour.
Can I use shortening instead of butter?
Hope you could answer..thanks😊
Hi Theresa! I haven't done this yet, but yes, you should be able to sub it 1:1. It may affect the texture of your donuts and make them less cakey like, but it should still work! Let me know how they turn out.
How would you make these into full donuts? Trying to make some for my little brother's bday!
Hi Hannah! I haven't tried to make this recipe into full donuts yet, so I'm sorry I don't know! But this is a great yeast free chocolate glazed donut recipe! https://www.bunsinmyoven.com/glazed-chocolate-donuts/
Hey if I don’t have unsweetened chocolate can I use regular milk chocolate also I have a party today and I really hope u can respond quick.
Yup! They will be a little sweeter but still yummy!
Hi! Can I use regular chocolate instead of baker’s chocolate?
Hi Christine! You can! It'll add extra sweetness to it though and I haven't done it yet so I don't know how it'll affect it the taste, but let me know how it turns out!
Hello, I tried the recipe and my husband loved it.
May I know if the donuts you made came out crispy on the outside.
Hope you can also come up with the butternut coating!
Thanks again!
Hi Christine! Yes! The nice little crisp on the outside and the soft center is my favorite part - well done! I definitely will - thank you so much for letting me know!!
i was wondering how close the taste came to dunkin’ donuts. is it close?
Ooh Dunkin'... as a former New Englander I miss them so much! And you know, it's been WAY too long since I've had them so honestly, I can't be totally sure! They're really good, but I'm not sure how they compare. If you make them, and do a taste test, please let me know!!
I also wondered if I could bake these. I hate frying, and using all that oil! But I'm sure they are delicious!
Hey Janet! I'm sorry I've never baked these before and so I don't know if this recipe would translate well - but please let me know if you try it!
can the baker's chocolate be substituted by 3 level tablespoons unsweetened cocoa and 1 tablespoon butter for every 1-ounce unsweetened baking chocolate.? thanks in advance.
Hi! I haven't tried that substitution yet, but it should work!
thank you
Hi these looks delicious! Can these be baked in an oven or in a donut hole machine? Thank you!
Is the baker’s chocolate sweetened or unsweetened ?
Hi Tammy! Thanks so much for pointing that out - unsweetened! 😀
I am completely weak around chocolate munchkins! They're always the one I go for first in the box. These look perfect and I'm sure they're even better than store bought. I have some buttermilk in the fridge from some biscuits I made earlier in the week, so I think these donut holes are going to be the perfect weekend treat!
I had no idea it was so easy to make donut holes! Way easier than making donuts and reserving the "hole." LOL! I could eat the whole batch of these with my coffee if I'm not careful. A must try!
Those munchkins are so cute. Just pop one or two in your mouth and it makes a fantastic snack. Your recipe is easy to make and they'd be great to have on hand when the kiddos come home from school or even when our grandsons come over to visit.
Absolutely love these! I haven't had donut holes since moving to the US, but these remind me of "Timbits" from Tim Hortons back in Canada. So they're super nostalgic. So so great with your morning cup of joe, or for an afternoon pick me up. Never did I think to make them from scratch.
Oh do these look good! I love the idea of having them warm and fresh from the oven when the kids wake up. I never imagined they'd be so easy to make.
Lovvvve me some donut holes! This gorgeous recipe is so easy and the results are finger licking good! Thanks for always bringing the AWESOME into my kitchen, Tracy!
I agree that we totally run off of donuts here in Portland! These chocolate munchkins looks absolutely delicious and definitely worth making it through a long church service for! Awesome recipe!
Oh my gosh, that little hand grabbing the donut just melted my heart. I used to pretend I was sleeping on Sunday morning hoping my parents would let me sleep so I didn't have to go to church. Even though I'd watched about two hours of cartoons already that day. Didn't work. It would have been easier to go if I would have gotten these donuts afterward. I'm pinning this one so I can make them when I have little hands to help!
these munchkins donut holes look scrumptious! Crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside, just like I like them. And I'm with your husband, I could not have these in the house or I would eat all of them! 🙂
These donut holes look so delicious! Can't wait to try this recipe soon!
Who needs Timbits when you can make these at home. My grandkids would go wild for these. I think I need to make them next sleepover weekend. I will have to make a double batch...they will want to take some home.
I remember having to endure those Catholic services with the promises of doughnuts afterwards. For us it was always Krispy Kreme, we didn't have Dunkin' but just looking at these chocolatey little bites, I know its gonna be a problem for me and my skinny jeans. They look pretty straightforward to make, too, which is a good thing on a Saturday morning! Great recipe, as always, Tracy!
These are my absolute favorites!
I cannot be trusted to be around this since I won't have the self control to devour the whole batch on my own. Definitely making this, but only when I have company, haha, too dangerous otherwise. 😉
Oh my! They look super decadent and moist inside. I need to try them soon, as donut holes are my favorite.
Wow really these are perfect! I never knew they were this easy to make! I love donut holes! Making these tonight!
These must be pretty addictive! Love the photos 🙂