Chocolate Cinnamon and Pistachio Glazed Doughnuts

Written by
Anita Schecter
Professional recipe developer, food photographer, and blogger with more than a decade of experience creating Middle Eastern recipes.
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Anita Schecter
Updated 04/04/19
Chocolate cinnamon and pistachio glazed doughnuts recipe

The Spruce / Cara Cormack
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
187 Calories
9g Fat
24g Carbs
3g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 187
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 11%
Saturated Fat 4g 21%
Cholesterol 24mg 8%
Sodium 299mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 9%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Protein 3g
Calcium 72mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Few things are as wonderful as a hot, fresh-made doughnut. The aroma fills the kitchen and you can't wait to bite into the warm dough and drippy glaze. Well, except maybe for the frying part. It's can be quite a pain to set up a doughnut frying station. Fortunately, baked doughnuts taste great, especially warm from the oven with drippy glaze. Yes, of course, there's a drippy glaze. That's a doughnut requirement.

I've made baked doughnuts in both mini and standard size doughnut pans but I also love making the "holes" in a mini muffin tin. As long as you don't overfill it, you get round little cakes that pop right out, ready for their glaze. Plus, making them mini just means I can have more and that's always my favorite part!

Ingredients

  • For the Doughnuts:
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • For the Glaze:
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons cream or half and half
  • 1/4 cup pistachios, shelled and finely chopped

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for chocolate, cinnamon, and pistachio glazed doughnuts
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

  3. Add the egg and sugar to a large bowl and mix, using a stand or hand mixer, until lightened in color.

    Hand blend
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  4. Mix in the melted butter, vanilla, and buttermilk.

    Batter
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  5. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

    Dry ingredients
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  6. Add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix just until combined.

    Add mix
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  7. Spray a 24-piece mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

    Spray tin
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  8. Divide the batter evenly into each cup. Do not fill to the top or the doughnuts will develop a "muffin top." Use a one-ounce scoop but only fill it three-quarters of the way for approximately 3/4-ounce in each muffin cup.

    Batter in tin
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  9. Bake for 14 to 15 minutes.

    Bake
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  10. Cool for at least 15 minutes before turning the doughnuts out of the pan.

    Cool muffin
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  11. Make the glaze by adding the chocolate chips to a microwave-safe bowl and heating for 30 seconds.

    Melting chocolate
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  12. Stir and heat for another 30 seconds.

    Chocolate
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  13. Continue until the chips are melted and add the cream or half and half.

    Melted chocolate
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  14. The chocolate will seize for a moment but continue whisking and it will loosen again.

    Stir chocolate
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  15. If you find it's still too thick, add another tablespoon of the cream.

    White chocolate
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  16. Pour the glaze evenly over the doughnuts.

    Pour glaze evenly over doughnuts
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  17. Sprinkle on the finely chopped pistachios.

    Add pistachios
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack