Glazed Chocolate Covered Espresso Bean Donuts

If you are a fan of coffee and treats for breakfast, you’re going to love my Glazed Chocolate Covered Espresso Bean Donuts. These delightfully caffeinated baked donuts are a sophisticatedly sweet way to greet the day!

Jump to:

• ⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe 
• 🍴Ingredients 
• 🛠️ Equipment
• 📖 Step by Step Instructions
• 👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips
• 💭 Recipe FAQs
• Other doughnut recipes to try
• Glazed Chocolate Covered Espresso Bean Donuts
• 💬 Comments

⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe 

When I need a little extra pep in my step, I’ve been known to reach for a handful of chocolate-covered espresso beans. Even though they are technically candy, they’re sweet and bitter, with a complex flavor profile that makes me feel totally adult. 

So when my Fiancé gave me a donut pan as a gift, it was clear that I had to make a breakfast pastry that was both sweet and caffeinated like my beloved candy. This handy pan can be used to make apple cider donuts, coconut donuts and pecan chocolate donuts as well - a total win!

Whether you spell them “donuts” or “doughnuts,” one thing remains the same - they’re delicious! These simple and delightfully moist chocolate cake donuts are enrobed in a beautiful mocha-inspired glaze for a breakfast goodie that is 100% worth getting out of bed for. 

Best of all, these baked donuts are SO EASY to make! With just 20 minutes of prep time, you can get these tasty treats on the table in under an hour. I don’t know about you, but that’s faster than I could drive to my favorite donut shop. Good morning, indeed!

🍴Ingredients 

Most of the ingredients for these baked espresso chocolate donuts are pretty self-explanatory. However, there are a few notes I’d like to share:

• Black Cocoa Powder - This heavily Dutched cocoa powder lends rich color and deep chocolatey flavor to these baked donuts. If you are unable to procure it, regular Dutch-process cocoa powder is an acceptable substitute.
• Unsalted Butter - When possible, reach for cultured, grass-fed, and organic butter. If you are dairy-free, you can swap in cultured vegan butter instead.
• Whole Milk - Whole milk has a higher milk fat than other types of dairy milk, and fat yields a more tender crumb. If you are dairy-free, opt for a rich plant-based alternative like full-fat coconut milk.
• Sour Cream - You can also use full-fat Greek yogurt if that’s all you have in the fridge. You can also sub in your favorite plant-based alternatives if you prefer.
• Corn Syrup - Corn syrup prevents sugar from crystallizing. You can also use honey in its place.
• Coffee Butter - Compound coffee butter is one of the most delectable spreads you’ll ever come across. While this is an optional ingredient, I suggest you give it a try - you’ll want to slather it on everything from pancakes to toast.
• Hot Coffee - Feel free to use some of your morning brew, or dissolve instant espresso or coffee powder in hot water instead.
• Dark Chocolate - When it comes to chocolate, quality varies widely. Be sure to choose the best possible chocolate that fits within your budget - I like Callebaut, Guittard, Ghiradelli, Scharffen Berger, and Valhrona.

🛠️ Equipment

Aside from a donut pan, you really don’t need much in terms of equipment. These are the items you’ll need to assemble:

• Doughnut Baking Pan - You can’t make baked donuts without a doughnut baking tray. If you aren’t convinced that you need yet another gadget to store, I can honestly say I'm a believer. They’re totally worth it! I've loved playing with all the different doughnuts, flavors, and glazes you can make using this tray as a mold.
• Pastry Bag or Ziplock Bag - The most difficult part about making baked donuts is getting the batter into the pan. A piping bag comes in handy here, but you can easily use a ziplock bag with the corner cut off in its place.
• Toothpicks - Checking cake donuts for doneness is the same as checking cakes; you’ll need a toothpick or skewer to poke them!

📖 Step by Step Instructions

Baked Doughnuts

First off, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and black cocoa powder then set aside.

Then in a larger bowl, whisk together the butter, egg, sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and sour cream, mixing together until fully combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.

Next, it’s time to pipe the doughnut batter into your doughnut baking pan. Spray the donut pan with a light layer of non-stick cooking spray.

Pipe the doughnut batter into your doughnut pan filling just over halfway, then place the tray in the oven to bake for 11-12 minutes. After the doughnuts pass the toothpick test, remove them from the oven and let cool on a baking tray. 

Do not glaze doughnuts until they have completely cooled. You can remove them to a wire cooling rack to speed up the process if you so desire.

Chocolate Icing Assembly 

Whisk together powdered sugar, corn syrup, salt, coffee butter, melted chocolate, and hot coffee in a medium bowl to make your glaze. Dip the tops of the doughnuts into the glaze, allowing the excess to drip off. 

NOTE: If your glaze starts to harden, pop it in the microwave for a few moments and you'll be good to go.

Espresso Chocolate Garnish

Sprinkling espresso powder and chopped coffee peans on top of the slightly dry glaze is a fun way to add a pop of color, texture, and aroma. It also adds to the appearance of the doughnut, though let's be real... there's absolutely NOTHING wrong with a purely chocolate doughnut!

👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips

• Eat soon after baking for the best results. Technically, you can store these chocolate cake doughnuts in an air-tight container in a dry, cool space for up to three days. This being said, I would highly recommend baking and enjoying these doughnuts rather promptly! Doughnuts are best straight from the oven or fryer as their cake-like consistency can dry out quite quickly.
• Remember that cake donuts are just tiny cakes! Before you go psyching yourself out over making homemade donuts, remember - baked donuts are basically mini versions of cake! If you have made a cake from scratch - from batter to bake - then you already know what you’re doing!
• Want these cake donuts to taste even more like coffee? Swap out half of the vanilla extract for coffee extract instead!

💭 Recipe FAQs

Other doughnut recipes to try

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