Baked chocolate Christmas donuts topped with crushed candy cane. A festive and easy holiday donut recipe perfect for Christmas breakfast or dessert.
Baked Chocolate Christmas Donuts with Candy Cane
These Chocolate Christmas Donuts are rich, soft, and perfectly festive for the holiday season. Each donut is baked—not fried—and finished with a smooth chocolate glaze and crushed candy cane on top for that classic Christmas sparkle. The combination of deep chocolate flavor and cool peppermint makes these donuts a joyful treat for Christmas morning or any holiday gathering. If you love holiday chocolate treats, you should also try my Chocolate Pretzel Cookies and Triple Chocolate Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies—they’re always hits on our Christmas dessert table.
Best of all, these donuts are quick to make with simple ingredients, so you can whip up a batch in under 20 minutes. Whether you’re adding them to your Christmas dessert lineup or enjoying them with a mug of hot cocoa by the tree, these candy cane chocolate donuts bring all the Christmas magic in every bite.
Tips For Making These Christmas Donuts
1. Don’t overfill the donut pan. Fill each cavity no more than ¾ full. If the batter is too high, the donuts will rise over the edges, lose their ring shape, and bake unevenly. Using a piping bag or zip-top bag helps with cleaner, more even filling.
2. Let the donuts cool completely before glazing. If you add the chocolate glaze while they’re warm, it will melt and slide off instead of giving you that smooth, pretty Christmas finish.
3. Crush the candy cane very finely. For the best texture, crush the candy cane into tiny pieces so it sticks well to the glaze. Use a mortar and pestle or place the candy canes in a zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin (holiday stress relief!).
4. Swap the topping if peppermint isn’t your thing. You can use holiday sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, or colored sugar instead. These donuts also make adorable birthday donuts when decorated with rainbow sprinkles.
5. Make the batter ahead of time. You can prepare the donut batter the night before. Store it covered in the refrigerator and bake fresh in the morning—perfect for Christmas breakfast!
6. Use nonstick spray generously. To prevent sticking and make donut removal easier, coat the pan well with baking spray, especially around the center posts.
7. Don’t overmix the batter. Stir just until combined. Overmixing can make baked donuts tough instead of soft and cakey.
Storing Chocolate Donuts
Store the donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days. If they’re glazed, place parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking. For longer storage, freeze unglazed donuts for up to 2 months and glaze them after thawing.
Pin for later:
Baked Chocolate Christmas Donuts with Candy Cane
PrintIngredients
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup water
For the chocolate frosting:
- 1 cup confectioners powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- crushed up candy cane
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray your donut pans with nonstick spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt with a hand mixer or spoon.
- Make a well in the middle and add in vegetable oil, vanilla and water. Continue mixing until donut batter is smooth.
- Pour the batter into donut pans, about 2/3 of the way up. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until they come out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before frosting.
- Now it's time to make the chocolate frosting. In a bowl combine powdered sugar and butter and mix with hand mixer until creamed well. Add milk and cocoa powder and continue to mix until glossy.
- Once the donuts have cooled down, remove from pan and gently dip them into the frosting or use a knife to spread on top of each donut. Sprinkle crushed up candy cane on top of each.
Cheryl Strike says
Hi. I don’t have vegetable oil. Do you think I can use olive oil or butter? Thank you!
Pamela says
Hey Cheryl, try using butter instead. Hope this helps, enjoy the donuts!