These chocolate cake donuts are simultaneously rich and light. Skip the plant-based baking substitutes — all you need is club soda and a bit of applesauce to create a baked treat that everyone will crave.
Baked Fudgy Chocolate Donuts
Ingredients
Donut Ingredients
- 1 cup Betty Crocker brownie mix check ingredients list to make sure its vegan
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 cup club soda
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- cooking oil spray
Toppings Options
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup pretzels
- 20 chocolate sandwich cookies We used Oreos
- 1/2 cup vegan marshmallows
- graham cracker crust
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp almond milk plus an additional tbsp if needed
Instructions
Donuts
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add all dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until well combined. Add vanilla, applesauce, and soda water and mix thoroughly. Spray donut pan with a layer of cooking spray. Add about ⅓ cup of batter to each cavity.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until donuts are solid to the touch.
- Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before removing from pan and placing on a cooling rack for at least another 15 minutes.
Peanut Butter Pretzel Topping
- Heat peanut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir until smooth.
- To make the chocolate glaze, combine 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon of almond milk in a mixing bowl. Stir until a smooth, slightly stiff paste forms. Add additional almond milk if needed, ½ teaspoon at a time.
- Crush 1 cup of pretzels into small chunks.
- Spread an even layer of chocolate glaze onto the base of the donut. Dip a spoon or fork into the melted peanut butter and drizzle over the donuts to create stripes. Finish by topping with crushed pretzels.
Cookies & Creme Topping
- Make chocolate glaze according to instructions above.
- Separate 20 sandwich cookies. Scrape the icing from the center into a small microwave-safe mixing bowl. Place plain cookies into a freezer bag and crush with your hands or gently break apart with a rolling pin.
- Microwave the the icing for about 30 seconds and stir until smooth.
- Spread an even layer of chocolate glaze onto the base of the donut. Dip a spoon or fork into the melted cookie icing and drizzle over the donuts to create stripes. Finish by topping with crushed cookies.
S’mores Topping
- Make chocolate glaze according to instructions above.
- Remove graham cracker crust from pan and crumble.
- Spread an even layer of chocolate glaze onto the base of the donut. While the glaze is still wet top with marshmallows and sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs.
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