These Chocolate Cinnamon Doughnuts are soft, cakey, and full of rich cocoa flavor, topped with a sweet and tempting cinnamon glaze. Perfect for a cozy breakfast treat!
Homemade Donuts Recipe
These Chocolate Cinnamon Doughnuts are everything you want in a sweet breakfast treat. Fried until golden and dipped in a warm cinnamon glaze, they’re soft, rich, and full of cozy flavor. Whether you call them doughnuts or donuts, this is a homemade donuts recipe you’ll want to make again and again. It’s one of the best donuts you can make from scratch.
⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Classic fried donuts with a twist of cinnamon and chocolate
- Cozy flavor combo that’s perfect for mornings
- Easy to make ahead and glaze before serving
- Soft, cakey texture with just the right amount of sweetness
🛒 Ingredients & Substitutions
For the doughnuts
- all-purpose flour – Use cake flour for a softer crumb or a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for a gluten-free version
- unsweetened cocoa powder – Swap with Dutch-processed cocoa for a deeper, smoother chocolate flavor
- baking powder
- ground cinnamon
- salt
- baking soda
- large eggs – Use flax eggs (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water per egg) for an egg-free version
- granulated sugar – Use coconut sugar or light brown sugar for a slight caramel note
- vegetable oil – Substitute with canola oil, grapeseed oil, or even melted butter for added richness
- vanilla extract – Swap vanilla for almond extract for a flavor twist
- buttermilk – Use sour cream or yogurt in place of buttermilk. Alternatively, mix ¾ cup milk with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar as a quick homemade substitute
- oil for frying
For the glaze
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
- ground cinnamon
- milk – Swap with heavy cream or non-dairy milk like almond, oat, or coconut milk for a dairy-free option
✨ Variations
- Add mini chocolate chips to the dough
- Drizzle with melted chocolate instead of glaze
- Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar after glazing
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🔥 Tips
- Keep your oil at 375°F for best results
- Chill the dough fully to make it easier to roll and cut
- Glaze while the donuts are still slightly warm
❓ FAQs
Frying gives the best texture, but you can bake them at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until cooked through.
Yes, try a chocolate glaze or maple glaze for something different.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Yes, freeze unglazed donuts and add the glaze after thawing.
Yes, you can prepare the dough and chill it overnight. Just be sure to cover it tightly with plastic wrap.
A doughnut cutter makes it easier, but you can use a round biscuit cutter and a small bottle cap for the center.
Make sure your donuts recipe is well chilled, and don’t be afraid to dust your surface and rolling pin with flour.
They should be golden brown on both sides and puffed up. It usually takes 1 to 2 minutes per side.
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Chocolate Cinnamon Doughnuts
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- medium mixing bowl
- plastic wrap
- Rolling Pin
- doughnut cutter
- fryer or Dutch oven/skillet for frying
- tongs
- wire cooling rack
- paper towels
- medium shallow bowl or pie plate
Ingredients
For the doughnuts:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- 2 large eggs slightly beaten
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- Oil for frying
For the glaze:
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 5 – 6 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.
- In a separate bowl, combine the eggs and sugar until thick and lemon-colored. Stir in the oil and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately to the egg mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat just until blended after each addition.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill dough for two hours.
- Roll dough onto a lightly floured surface to ½-in. thickness. Cut with a floured doughnut cutter.
- Fry the doughnuts in batches in 375°F oil, 1-2 minutes per side, turning once. Drain on a rack over paper towels.
- In a medium shallow bowl, mix the glaze ingredients until well combined. Dip the tops of the doughnuts into the glaze and place the glazed side up onto cooling racks to allow the glaze to set.
Notes
- You can fry these a little ahead of time, but glaze right before serving.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
Please note that the nutritional information listed on this page is an estimation based on the products I used. Ingredients and nutritional information can vary significantly between brands. Always be sure to read labels. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Likewise, recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them.
Originally published on May 6, 2014. Updated on April 21, 2025.
I’m Jamie, a self-taught home cook passionate about sharing easy, delicious, and family-friendly recipes. From comforting classics to irresistible desserts, I believe homemade food brings people together. Join me on my journey of creating and sharing meals that bring joy to every table!
These doughnuts look fantastic!
I loooooooove cinnamon and I can almost smell the wonderful aroma via the screen
Oh my! These sound yummmmy! =)
Pinned!
I love chocolate and cinnamon together…In a donut? I'm all for that! Thanks for sharing at my Creative Ways Link Party!
Blessings,
Nici
Whoa baby! These look delish! Thanks so much for sharing on Cook it! Craft it! Share It! this week- I pinned it to the party board.
I'm featuring this on my Facebook page today, too 🙂
Ang
Thanks, Ang!