Ready for some Christmas holiday baking? Add these Chocolate Gingerbread Baked Doughnuts to your list, complete with gingerbread men sprinkles.

It finally feels like Christmas in my apartment. The tree is up (full of cupcake ornaments – see pictures from last year), Christmas mugs are filled with hot chocolate, and my Pandora Christmas channel is playing in the background. Outside, neighbors decorated their balconies with lights galore while storefronts are filled with red and green. This is also the time of year where my gingerbread craving kicks in, which started with gingerbread s’mores cookie bars. Now I bring you Chocolate Gingerbread Doughnuts. Baked doughnuts are the easiest to make, yet I don’t make them often enough. After a few tries, I finally developed a recipe that tastes like Christmas. Plus they are the perfect excuse to break out the gingerbread men sprinkles after you frost them with a chocolate ganache glaze.

Why don’t I use sprinkles more often when I’m baking? That was the first thought I had once I finished frosting the doughnuts. I should really be more spontaneous with sprinkles. Also, is it doughnuts or donuts? I spell it doughnuts for the blog but spell it donuts in conversation. Does that make me a doughnut/donut hypocrite? Why can’t we all get along with the spelling? I’m going to eat another doughnut while I figure that one out.

If you don’t have a doughnut pan yet, then you need to ask Santa for one! I got mine last year for Christmas and have been using it more than frying doughnuts. If you don’t have a pan and still want to make these chocolate gingerbread doughnuts, bake the batter in a muffin pan. Now you have doughnut muffins (Duffins? Muffnuts?)

Baked gingerbread doughnuts are best eaten the day they are made (almost all doughnuts are that way), which is no problem because they take only 10 minutes to bake, another 15 minutes to cool, then they are ready to frost. You can easily have them ready to go in an hour. However, if you do want them for the next day, make sure you store them in airtight container as soon as they are completely cooled so they don’t dry out from sitting on the counter for several hours (oops). The chocolate frosting does help keep them moist as well.
Equipment You May Need:
I like to use dark brown sugar as it contains more molasses than light brown sugar. However, you can equally substitute light brown sugar. *If you only have one doughnut pan, bake the first six doughnuts, remove them from the pan as directed, then cool the pan in the refrigerator for 5 minutes before reusing. If you don't have a doughnut pan, you can bake them in a muffin pan. ***The piping bag makes it much easier to fill the pan. However, you can either use a freezer bag with a corner cut off or very carefully spoon the batter into the pan.Chocolate Gingerbread Baked Doughnuts
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Source: Adapted from my vanilla bean doughnuts
More Christmas Recipes To Make

Baked Vanilla Bean Doughnuts

Carrot Cake Baked Doughnuts
Gingerbread S’mores Cookie Bars
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Elaina says
I loooove gingerbread spiced and any baked goods made with them. I also appreciate that your recipe doesn’t seem super sweet either. I’m seriously drooling over here!
Carol at Wild Goose Tea says
Gingerbread doughnuts & chocolate——wow. Be still my heart. Sounds decadently wonderful even if they are baked.
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
These gingerbread donuts have definitely been added to my Christmas baking list.. they look festive, delicious and surprisingly healthy (in comparison to a usual deep fried donut) too!
Linda | Brunch with Joy says
Carla, this is super creative! Now I can picture myself having these for breakfast. Yum!
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says
ahhhhhh Christmas time!!! These are the most festive doughnuts I’ve ever seen!
Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie says
Mmmm chocolate+gingerbread is the choc+pb for the winter. Love it!
yuen pek kuen says
any substitute for sour cream? yoghurt?
Carla says
Yes, you can use Greek yogurt. Make sure it’s plain and not vanilla by accident.