The Dunkin chocolate glazed donut copycats we read come in three styles: a baked chocolate cake donut, a fried chocolate cake donut, and a fried yeast donut with a chocolate glaze. They don’t even agree on what “chocolate glazed” means. Here’s how the three compare, so you can pick the one that matches what you remember.
Dunkin’ doesn’t publish its donut recipe, and we haven’t made any of these. Amounts belong to the recipe they’re credited to. Where the sources conflict, we say so!
How do the three copycats compare?
They split on the base, the cooking method and the glaze. Mashed (August 2021) bakes a chocolate cake donut in a donut pan. Copycat Kitchen fries a chocolate cake dough. Petite Gourmets fries a yeast dough.
| Mashed (baked) | Copycat Kitchen (fried cake) | Petite Gourmets (yeast) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dough | Chocolate cake batter with buttermilk | Chocolate cake dough with sour cream | Plain yeast dough |
| Cooking | 375°F oven, 8 to 10 minutes | Fried at 350°F, 60 to 90 seconds a side | Fried, 1 to 2 minutes a side |
| Glaze | Vanilla icing | Vanilla glaze | Chocolate glaze |
| Makes | 12 | 10 to 12, plus holes | Serves 8 |
| Hands-on | About 23 minutes total | Chill dough 20 to 30 minutes | Two rises, about 2 to 2½ hours |
Notice the glaze row. Two of the three put a vanilla glaze on a chocolate donut, and only Petite Gourmets uses a chocolate glaze, on a plain yeast donut. So if you picture a chocolate donut, pick Mashed or Copycat Kitchen. If you picture a chocolate-topped yeast ring, pick Petite Gourmets.
What’s in the baked version?
It’s the quickest route, and you don’t need a fryer. Here are Mashed’s amounts, which we haven’t tested.
- 1 cup all-purpose flour and ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp instant espresso powder and 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar and ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup buttermilk, 6 tbsp melted and cooled butter, 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla
- Icing: 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, 4 tbsp buttermilk and ½ tsp vanilla
- Heat the oven to 375°F and grease two donut pans.
- Whisk the dry ingredients, then stir in the wet until the batter is thick but not dry.
- Fill each cup ⅔ to ¾ full and bake 8 to 10 minutes, until the donuts spring back.
- Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then cool completely on a rack.
- Whisk the icing until it runs off the sides slightly, then dip each donut top-side down.
The icing should be semi-transparent, per Mashed. If it’s too thick it turns white and opaque, so thin it with more liquid.
How do the fried versions work?
They trade ease for a closer donut texture, at least according to the bloggers. Copycat Kitchen mixes a soft cake dough with sour cream, pats it out, chills it for 20 to 30 minutes, cuts rounds with a 3-inch and a 1-inch cutter, and fries them. Its glaze is a thin vanilla glaze, dipped on while warm, not hot.
Petite Gourmets starts with a yeast dough that rises for 1½ to 2 hours, then again for 30 to 45 minutes, and fries it. The glaze is 2 cups powdered sugar, ¼ cup cocoa, 4 tbsp milk and 1 tsp vanilla.
That page has a few inconsistencies. The glaze amounts differ between its list and its steps, and it gives the oil as both 375°F and 350°F. Check the page before you trust the numbers.
How do you store and reheat them?
The sources differ again. Mashed says cake donuts keep about five days at room temperature in an airtight container, and the author prefers them chilled. Copycat Kitchen says glazed donuts keep up to 24 hours, and unglazed ones freeze up to a month.
Petite Gourmets says up to 2 days at room temperature, freezes them for up to 3 months, and advises against the fridge. For day-old donuts, it says to warm them in a 300°F oven for 3 to 5 minutes, and Copycat Kitchen says 8 to 10 seconds in the microwave.
Want more Dunkin’ copycats?
We’ve written the Dunkin’ Donuts bran muffin recipe. For other sweet treats from fast-food menus, see our Pizza Hut Hershey’s chocolate dunkers recipe.
Dunkin chocolate glazed donut questions people ask
Can you bake them instead of frying?
Yes. Mashed bakes a chocolate cake donut in a donut pan at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes.
What kind of glaze goes on top?
It depends on the recipe. Mashed and Copycat Kitchen use vanilla, while Petite Gourmets uses a cocoa glaze.
Can you freeze them?
Copycat Kitchen freezes the unglazed donuts for up to a month, and Petite Gourmets freezes them for up to 3 months. Mashed doesn’t mention freezing.