Frugal Foodie Mama: Easy Chocolate Buttermilk Donuts

These moist & fluffy Easy Chocolate Buttermilk Donuts start with a "secret" ingredient- your favorite chocolate cake mix!

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Anyone else experiencing a case of the winter blahs? The cold, wintry weather has set back in here this week, and I am just so ready for spring already.

I mean, I do like spending an afternoon cuddled up on the couch under a cozy blanket with a warm cup of tea while I binge watch old episodes of Grey's Anatomy on Netflix. But I am starting to get a serious case of cabin fever, and I am itching for warmer weather & to get outside again.

While I certainly can't make spring arrive any quicker, I can try to brighten up these remaining days of winter with sprinkles.... lots & lots of rainbow sprinkles. And chocolate!

I mean, who can be all blue & down when you have a moist chocolate glazed cake donut topped with rainbow sprinkles staring you in the face? ;)

These Chocolate Buttermilk Donuts are actually super easy to make. They start with a box of your favorite chocolate cake mix. There are literally only 4 ingredients in the batter for these donuts!

I have used cake mixes to make lots of things besides cake before- sweet rolls, muffins, pancakes, cookies- but this was my first time baking up a batch of cake mix donuts. These cake batter donuts turned out perfectly fluffy & moist. And the simple chocolate glaze that these donuts are dipped in is the perfect finishing touch.

A few tips & suggestions for making these chocolate baked donuts:

I like using buttermilk in these donuts because they make them even more moist & rich, but you could certainly substitute regular whole or 2% milk in this recipe instead.
I suggest using a cooking spray made specifically for baking (like Baker's Joy) rather than a regular cooking spray when preparing the donut pans before baking. Non-stick baking sprays usually contain flour in them.
If you don't already own a donut pan, I recommend these ones from Wilton. I own these myself, & they work perfectly! :)
For a richer chocolate glaze, use a higher quality cocoa powder. I am big fan of any cocoa powder from Ghirardelli.
The rainbow sprinkles are colorful & fun (perfect for brightening up a dreary winter day!), but you can certainly use other toppings for these donuts. Try toasted coconut, mini chocolate chips, crushed Oreos, chopped peanuts, chocolate sprinkles, the sky's the limit!

Yield: 16-18 donutsAuthor: Carrie Robinson

Easy Chocolate Buttermilk Donuts

prep time: 15 mins cook time: 12 min stotal time: 27 mins

ingredients:

For the donuts

1 (15.25 oz) box of chocolate cake mix
1 egg
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup buttermilk

For the chocolate glaze

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
3-4 tbsp milk
Rainbow sprinkles for topping (optional)

instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray the inside of a donut pan with baking spray.
In large bowl, combine the cake mix, egg, oil, & buttermilk. Whisk until smooth.
Transfer the donut batter to a pastry bag or a plastic sandwich baggie with one of the bottom corners cut off. Then pipe the batter evenly into each cavity of the donut pan. Fill each cavity no more than two-thirds full. Be careful not to overfill it!
Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Cool in the donut pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
While the donuts are cooling, make the chocolate glaze. Add the powdered sugar & cocoa powder to a medium mixing bowl. Whisk until well combined. Add in the vanilla & milk. Whisk until smooth. You can add a little more milk to the glaze if it appears to be too thick.
Place pieces of parchment paper under the wire racks that the donuts are cooling on. Once the donuts are cooled completely, dip the tops of each one into the glaze & then set them back onto the wire racks glazed side up. You can drizzle on more glaze with a spoon if you notice any bare spots. While the glaze is still wet, top each donut with the sprinkles. Allow the glaze to set completely (about 15-20 minutes) before transferring to an airtight container.
Donuts can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Enjoy!