A great alternative to fried doughnuts. These baked chocolate hazelnut crunch donuts are dipped in chocolate glaze and topped with cinnamon spiced candied hazelnuts.

Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Donuts
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Chocolate and hazelnuts are a winning combination. Think about the success of Nutella, Ferror Rocher, and Perugina Baci. They’re all such delicious treats.

Here’s another one to add to that list. Combine chocolate and hazelnuts into a donut and you get these chocolate hazelnut crunch donuts!

Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Donuts

Have a fear of frying foods? No worries, this is the baked donut recipe for you! You’ll also love these cinnamon sugar mini donuts and baked pumpkin donuts.

Mini Donut Bakeware Pan

Special Equipment Needed

There’s no way around it. You need special bakeware to make these baked donuts.

Luckily, you have plenty of options to choose from. I recommend using these non-stick mini donut pans photographed above or these standard sized non-stick donut pans.

They are easy to clean and easy to use. Even though they are labeled as “nonstick,” I still suggest generously brushing them with butter or coating them with baking spray before use.

An optional, but highly recommended tool, is a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Alternatively, you may use a plastic zip-top bag with a corner snipped off.

Piping baked mini donuts

How to Fill Donut Pan

  • Grease non-stick donut pan with melted butter or coat with baking spray (or cooking spray)
  • Transfer donut batter to piping bag fitted with small round piping tip. Alternatively, use a large plastic zip-top bag and snip off a corner. 
  • Fill donut pan 2/3 full of batter. DO NOT OVERFILL! The batter will rise during baking.
Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Donuts

Serving Suggestions

These are best enjoyed the same day they are baked and assembled. Store leftovers in a covered container at room temperature for up to three days.

You may also choose to switch up the glaze and toppings. Serve this with vanilla glaze or a simple dusting of powdered sugar. Rainbow sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, or other chopped nuts are great topping alternatives, as well.

5 from 1 vote

Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Donuts

A great alternative to traditional fried doughnuts. These baked chocolate hazelnut crunch donuts are dipped in chocolate glaze and topped with cinnamon spiced candied hazelnuts.
Yield: 6 standard sized donuts
Servings: 6
Baked Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Donuts
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
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Equipment

  • nonstick donut pan

Ingredients

Baked Donuts:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3 Tablespoons dried buttermilk powder
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 Tablespoons water

Hazelnut Crunch:

  • 1 large egg white
  • 1 cup hazelnuts,, blanched, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Chocolate Glaze:

  • ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 Tablespoon light corn syrup

Instructions 

Baked Donuts:

  • Preheat oven to 375°F.  Lightly grease donut pans.
  • Whisk together flours, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and dried buttermilk powder. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, and water.
  • Pour all of the mixed wet ingredients into the large bowl with the dry ingredients. Fold together until batter is smooth and there are no more traces of the dry mixture.
  • Transfer batter into a large piping bag fitted with a large piping tip. (I used an 18 mm tip) Pipe batter into the donut pans, filling each cavity until half full.
  •  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Remove from the pan and let cool on rack.

Hazelnut Crunch:

  • Preheat oven to 325°F.
  • If you have raw hazelnuts with skins on, toast them lightly in a preheated 325 degree F oven for 7-10 minutes. Rub the toasted nuts together using a kitchen towel to remove the skins. Once cooled, roughly chop the nuts. Set aside.
  • Hand whisk the egg whites until foamy. Pour in the chopped hazelnuts and stir to coat evenly with the whites.
  • Sprinkle sugar, salt, and cinnamon over the nuts. Spread the nuts onto a parchment lined sheet tray. Bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring the nuts halfway thru, until almonds look golden. Remove the nuts from the parchment before allowing to cool. If chunks have formed, break into smaller pieces. Set aside until ready to chocolate dip donuts.

Chocolate Glaze:

  • Over a bain-marie, melt together chocolate, butter, and corn syrup.  Stir until chocolate mixture is silky and smooth.  To make sure the chocolate does not overheat, keep the bain-marie at low heat (keep the water from boiling).
  • Let the chocolate cool slightly and thicken a little bit before dipping cooled donuts in and sprinkling with hazelnuts.

Notes

BAKED DOUGHNUTS ADAPTED FROM KING ARTHUR FLOUR

Nutrition

Calories: 587kcal, Carbohydrates: 61g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 35g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 15g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 80mg, Sodium: 366mg, Potassium: 375mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 38g, Vitamin A: 287IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 135mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Donuts

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21 Comments

  1. Miss Liz says:

    5 stars
    A sweet coworker and I were talking about the idea of Maple Hazelnut Donuts. This recipe is a perfect guide to make him a big ‘Thank You!’

  2. Lori says:

    Do you need the buttermilk powder? Never used it!!

  3. Sam says:

    Hi,
    Umm… I might be having a bad day, but: where does it say how many doughnuts this makes? I only see you referring to “the pans” — please help! Thx!!

    1. Maryanne Cabrera says:

      The recipe makes about a dozen standard size doughnuts.

  4. Bec says:

    Definitely remind me of Ferrero Rocher – but add donuts – even better!!!

  5. Chic & Gorgeous Treats says:

    I could just devour all of these scrumptious choco hazelnut crunch donuts, and have it with a nice warm cup of latte. This is amazing and your donut photos are seriously inviting. Not to mention, pretty photos too.. Cheers, Jo

  6. Hester @ Alchemy in the Kitchen says:

    Tina, I’ve never successfully managed a baked donut but these look perfect. I love all the textures – the soft donut, the crackle of chocolate and the crunchy nut topping. Sigh!

  7. Torviewtoronto says:

    deliciously done baked donuts lovely pictures

    1. the little epicurean says:

      Thank you!