Soft, fluffy, and full of chocolatey flavor, these muffins will have you reaching for seconds (and thirds!). Pumpkin puree adds a bit of health and helps keep these moist for several days, making these a perfect start to your day.

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It’s a little crazy (and bittersweet) to think that I made these donuts a month before Brooklyn was born. She was as long as five of of these lined up. I miss those days when I had her all to myself (and she couldn’t cry all night long…man that was nice).

Real talk: some newborns are rough. It’s not nearly as hard as it was early on, when she would scream for an hour before bed then scream for an hour each time she woke up at night. She’s a very routine-oriented, “wake window” specific kid who also majorly struggles to fall asleep. So if we miss her window, she’s a wreck. She also has reflux, which makes her poor tummy uncomfortable a lot. It’s improved greatly, but still makes her grumpy sometimes.

And she hates the car. That one makes me really sad. We have places to go and things to do. And getting out is so important to feeling human and feeling yourself again. Getting out of the house is my top tip to new moms, and here I am, scared to leave because I don’t want to listen to her cry in the car.

I go back to work soon (probably by the time I get around to posting this). And as sad as that is and as much as I want to stay home and wear sweats all day, it’ll be nice to get a break and find some autonomy and not spend half my day getting someone who’s clearly tired to actually sleep.

So, that’s my real talk for today. Now, onto donuts.

Why this recipe works

I based these off of my favorite pumpkin donuts, because I happened to have some pumpkin open and those donuts have the perfect texture. I left out the spices and sugar coating and substituted some of the flour for cocoa powder. I then added in some chocolate chips and voila! Perfect double chocolate donuts.

The pumpkin helps the donuts retain their moisture, but you can’t taste it with the cocoa powder! Luckily, pumpkin provides moisture yet also a bit of lift, which is aided by the melted butter and the use of baking powder. So, while the donuts are very moist, they’re also still super fluffy and tender. They’re right there in that sweet spot of dense enough to be a donut without tasting dry.

Key ingredients

Flour. Always spoon then level the flour so you don’t pack it in.

Sugar. One hard concession I made was using only granulated sugar. It’s necessary to get the right “donut” texture.

Butter. Unsalted is preferable, but if you only have salted, omit the salt from the recipe.

Baking powder. This helps create a lovely rise that’s not too airy but also not dense.

Salt. I prefer sea salt in my baking, but table salt works, too.

Plain pumpkin. Use plain pumpkin puree, not pie filling. If it’s a little on the loose, applesauce-y side, see the note below about blotting it to dry it out before measuring it. You can also substitute this for Greek yogurt (if so, reduce flour by 2 tablespoons) or applesauce (if so, increase flour by 2 tablespoons).

Eggs. Use fresh, room temperature eggs.

Vanilla. Use pure vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste).

How to make baked double chocolate donuts

1. Sift and whisk dry ingredients. Sifting helps create that super tender texture.

2. Whisk pumpkin, egg(s), and vanilla. Whisk until well combined, about a minute.

3. Slowly whisk in melted butter. Whisk quickly while slowly streaming in the butter to avoid scrambling the eggs.

4. Whisk in sugar. Whisk about a minute, to partially dissolve the sugar.

5. Fold in dry ingredients. It should still be lumpy but have no visibly dry streaks of flour.

6. Pour into a greased donut pan(s).

7. Bake. Bake until a toothpick comes out with just some moist crumbs. This happens quickly, so watch them carefully.

Enjoy!

Tips and FAQ’s for this recipe

What if my pumpkin is thin?

I used Libby’s for this recipe (thank you, Costco, for the superfluous amount of pumpkin!), but I usually use Trader Joe’s pumpkin, which is on the watery side. Think of the difference between applesauce and mashed potatoes (the kind you can scoop that will somewhat hold their shape—not potato puree). If your pumpkin is more like applesauce, you’ll want to blot it with a paper towel to remove some of the moisture OR add two more tablespoons of flour to the recipe (3 if using the 9x5 recipe option). Otherwise, you may have a slightly denser cake that will take longer to bake.

Do I have to sift the flour?

Yes! Sifting is key in baking, particularly in anything cake-y. It helps it mix into the wet ingredients more easily, preventing clumps as well as circumventing the urge to over-stir and create a tough, rubbery texture.

Spoon then level your flour

Don’t scoop your flour! I never knew this until I started blogging, but it seriously makes a big difference. You will end up with roughly 25% more flour than the recipe called for if you just doonk (official baking term right there) your measuring spoon into the flour container and scoop. Gently spoon your flour into your measuring cup then level it off with the back of a knife. Trust me! It makes a difference.

Double the recipe as needed

This recipe makes about 10-12 donuts, depending on your pan and how full you fill it. If you need a larger batch, you can double or even triple it. A double recipe would literally just be double, but since math loves to trick even the best of us, here’s a double recipe:

• 2 cups (172g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

• 1/2 cup (50g) unsweetened cocoa powder

• 2 teaspoons (10g) baking powder

• 1 teaspoon (6g) salt

• 1 cup (244g) pumpkin puree

• 2 large eggs, room temperature

• 2 tablespoons (26g) pure vanilla extract

• 6 tablespoons (84g) melted unsalted butter

• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar

• 1 cup (170g) chocolate chips

My tools

Here are my must-have tools I use for making these donuts. Affiliate links provided.

Donut pan

Pastry brush

Mesh sieve

You might also like:

Blueberry Applesauce Donuts

Pumpkin Donuts

Chocolate Pumpkin Bread

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Double Chocolate Greek Yogurt Muffins