This is the recipe to win you over on the cake donuts team. Inspired by Tim Hortons, these are cakey, chocolatey and take less than 20 minutes.
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Why This Recipe Works
If you needed a reason to love this recipe more than how delicious it is, these chocolate glazed donuts are also:
- Quick. They take less than 20 minutes from start to finish.
- Light. These donuts are rich and delicious without being as heavy or calorie dense as traditional fried donuts.
- Easy clean up. With only 2 bowls needed (1 if you rinse the dough bowl while the donuts bake) you aren't tearing up your whole kitchen with dishes.
- Chocolatey. If all that isn't enough, it's the perfect chocolate punch to go with your coffee - we won't tell anyone if you enjoy these for breakfast! 😉
Ingredients
With only 11 different ingredients and most of them being pantry staples, this is the most dangerous recipe to have on hand when a sweet craving strikes.
Flour. Stick to All Purpose Flour - if you're gluten-free, I only recommend substituting the flour with 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour from Bob's Red Mill. Use other brands at own risk!
Sour Cream. If you don't have sour cream, you can use plain greek yogurt in the same quantities. I used full fat sour cream. If you use sour cream or greek yogurt - avoid low-fat or fat-free varieties.
Cocoa Powder. Use the basic cocoa powder found at your grocery store. Avoid dutch process cocoa powder or black cocoa powder as they both contain different acid quantities and may affect the rise. Here's an article explaining the difference between cocoa powders.
Milk. I use 2% milk for both the donuts and the glaze. In a pinch you can use skim in the glaze but I recommend using 2% milk in the batter.
Oil. You can use any neutral oil - I use Canola Oil but you can use Vegetable Oil or even Coconut Oil though Coconut Oil will change the taste slightly.
Sugar. Use white granulated sugar. This recipe hasn't been tested with sugar substitutes of any kind. Substitute at your own risk.
Vanilla. I always use real vanilla. It gives the best flavour and allows you use less than imitation vanilla extract. I get mine fairly cheaply at Costco.
How to Make This Recipe
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Grease two half dozen donut pans with cooking spray or a neutral oil. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine All Purpose Flour, Cocoa Powder, White Sugar, Baking Powder and Table Salt.
4. Stir to combine.
5. In a different medium bowl, combine the Egg, Sour Cream, Milk, Canola Oil and Vanilla Extract. Whisk until combined.
6. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
7. Mix until just combined. Don't over mix.
8. Spoon the donut batter equally between the 12 greased donut pans. Each donut should be about 1 ½ tablespoons.
9. Bake at 400°F for 8-10 minutes, until the tops of the donuts spring back when touched and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the donuts cool completely in the pan.
10. While the donuts are cooling, combine the ingredients for the glaze (Icing Sugar, Milk and Vanilla Extract).
11. Make sure the glaze has no lumps.
12. Take the donuts, 1 at a time, and dunk them in the glaze. Flip the donuts to make sure both sides are covered. Let them sit on a cooling rack until set (about 5 minutes).
Expert Tips and FAQ to Make This Perfectly
For the perfect glaze, glaze the donuts when they're mostly cool but still a bit warm. If they're fully cooled, the donut will absorb the glaze - if they're too warm, the glaze will melt off.
This is a cake donut and will have a stickier batter than a fried donut. See the process images for the ideal consistency for the batter.
The perfect compliment to this treat is easy cold brew. Making cold brew at home saves you another trip to the drive-thru. Like warm coffee? This recipe is still the best way to brew - cold brewing methods make coffee more smooth.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe calls for pure vanilla extract - not imitation vanilla. If you use imitation vanilla your donuts may taste bland.
To avoid ruining the recipe, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour like the one from Bob's Red Mill. Other flours may change the texture too drastically.
I'd recommend sticking to white sugar. Using substitutes (stevia, monk fruit, etc) will change the flavour and using alternatives (maple syrup or honey) will change the texture of the donuts.
In a pinch you can use muffin tins but know that you'll have to increase the cooking time and there will be more "donut" interior to exterior and you'll lose some of the crunch. Add an additional 5-8 minutes to the cook time and check frequently.
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Glazed Donut Tim Hortons Copycat
Equipment
- Two ½ Dozen Donut Pans
- Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 cup All Purpose Flour
- ⅓ cup Cocoa Powder
- ½ cup White Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Table Salt
- 1 Large Egg
- ⅓ cup Sour Cream
- 5 tablespoons Milk 2%
- ¼ cup Canola Oil
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract Pure Preferred
Vanilla Glaze
- 1 ½ cups Icing Sugar
- ¼ cup Milk 2%
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract Pure Preferred
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and grease two half dozen donut pans with cooking spray or a neutral oil. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine All Purpose Flour, Cocoa Powder, White Sugar, Baking Powder and Table Salt. Stir to combine.
- In a different medium bowl, combine the Egg, Sour Cream, Milk, Canola Oil and Vanilla Extract. Whisk until combined.
- Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Spoon the donut batter equally between the 12 greased donut pans. Each donut should be about 1 ½ tablespoons.
- Bake at 400°F for 8-10 minutes, until the tops of the donuts spring back when touched and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the donuts cool completely in the pan.
- While the donuts are cooling, combine the ingredients for the glaze (Icing Sugar, Milk and Vanilla Extract).
- Take the donuts, 1 at a time, and dunk them in the glaze. Flip the donuts to make sure both sides are covered. Let them sit on a cooling rack until set (about 5 minutes).
Katherine
Oh yes please! I don't have a Timmy's near me, so now I can make my own donuts at home. Yay!
Lauren
So glad to hear, Katherine! Hope they're a hit 🙂
Melina anderson
Really good recipe, second time making these, a little confusing on the temp though, first mentions 375° then after says 400° for 8-10 mins. So I just turn it to 400° when I put them in, even though the oven was only preset to 375°...
Turned out really good, it's even better then Tim hortons, especially when fresh
Lauren
Great catch! The donuts should be baked at 400 and the oven should also be preheated to 400. Adjusting now 🙂 I'm so glad you like them enough to remake, Melina!
Toni
This is totally irresistible! My kids couldn't stop eating this!
Lauren
So glad to hear, Toni!
Alice Scheling
I am wondering how it is best to store, because all the time I tried doing a glaze it always ends up getting absorbed. I hope by following the tip you have will help.
Lauren
I find they're best in the first 2 days in terms of texture - but they always taste great 🙂
Katia
Oh my chewy, yummy, donutty, goodness!! I could eat these all day long! So much better coming out fresh than buying at the donut shops.
Lauren
So glad you liked them Katia!
Erika
These donuts look amazing! I love all the chocolate flavor. I'm going to make these today, I have all the ingredients already!
Lauren
That's amazing Erika! I hope you love them 🙂
Heather Johnson
OMG - literally - putting the computer down and making this right now!!!!! THESE LOOK SO GOOD! And they're not too bad (200 calories per donut!)
Lauren
One of my favourite quick desserts 😉 Hope you like it heather!
Ella
Excellent recipe
Mackenzie Raon
1/3 cup of cocoa powder was too overpowering. I used the No Name brand. I think I’m going to use 1/4 cup instead. It was way too intense. I added a splash of oil. The mixture was too dry. So maybe 1/3 cup.
Lauren
Thanks for the feedback Mackenzie! Different brands of ingredients can all affect how a recipe turns out. Hope the substitute helped you 🙂
Sheryl
can these be cooked as donut sticks or is the batter too thin?
Lauren
I've never tried Sheryl, but please let me know if it turns out 🙂 The batter is fairly thick
Holly Cairns
Best recipe for gluten free donuts! Thank you- I miss the real thing with the gluten free donut recipes that I have tried previously. A gluten-free bakery in my city makes donuts occasionally and charges ( as of two years ago) $4.50 per donut and the donuts sold out quickly, so I started to make my own occasionally but they never tasted as good as that bakery. Now I have a wonderful recipe to make and it makes 7 donuts with my donut pans and they are incredibly flavourful and just like Tim Hortons! Again, thank you so much!
Lauren
I'm so glad you liked them Holly! Thank you for the kind feedback 🙂