Description
Delight in these festive Chocolate Frosted Reindeer Donuts that bring holiday cheer to your breakfast or snack time. Soft, fluffy baked donuts are topped with a rich, glossy chocolate frosting and decorated creatively with white and mini chocolate chips, red M&Ms, and pretzel antlers to resemble adorable reindeer faces. Perfect for Christmas parties or a fun family treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Donut Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 1/2 Tablespoon light corn syrup
- 2 oz chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Decorating Ingredients
- 18 white chocolate chips
- 18 mini chocolate chips
- 9 to 18 regular chocolate chips
- 9 red M&Ms
- Pretzels, broken into antler-shaped pieces
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease two six-cavity donut pans thoroughly with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg until evenly combined. This ensures the leavening agents and spices are distributed well.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar, melted butter, and egg together until the mixture is shiny and well combined. Then add the milk, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract, mixing until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently stir just until incorporated. Avoid overmixing to keep donuts tender.
- Fill Donut Pans: Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared donut pan cavities, filling each about three-quarters full to allow room for rising.
- Bake Donuts: Bake in the preheated oven for 7 to 9 minutes or until the donuts are a light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the donut comes out clean. Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the Chocolate Icing: In a small saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, milk, and light corn syrup together. Stir in the chopped chocolate and whisk constantly until fully melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and a pinch of salt to enhance flavor.
- Ice the Donuts: Dip each cooled donut into the chocolate icing, coating evenly, then place back on the wire rack to allow the icing to set slightly.
- Decorate Reindeer Faces: For eyes, place two white chocolate chips, pointy side down, on each donut where the eyes should be. Use a toothpick to dab chocolate icing onto the bottom of a mini chocolate chip and place it in the center of each white chocolate chip to form pupils. For the nose, if the donut hole is too large, plug it with one or two regular chocolate chips, then place a red M&M on top, securing with a dab of chocolate icing as needed. Finally, insert broken pretzel pieces on each side of the donut to resemble antlers.
Notes
- Ensure the melted butter for the donut batter is cooled slightly before mixing with eggs to prevent cooking them.
- Donuts are best enjoyed the same day for optimal freshness but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Use a toothpick to help with precise placement of small decorations like the mini chocolate pupils.
- You can swap the red M&Ms for any other similarly sized red candy for the nose if preferred.
- If you don’t have donut pans, use a muffin pan, but the shape and baking time may vary.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 donut
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 130mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
