Sourdough Chocolate Donuts

These sourdough chocolate donuts are a family favorite. They are made with not only cocoa powder, but also chocolate chips! And if you really want to elevate the flavor, you could add a pinch of ground espresso. Additionally, you will be able to use up your sourdough discard with this recipe because that’s what it calls for!

You can have lovely, chocolate donuts in less then an hour with this recipe! They are a “go-to” treat I make when I want something delicious, but don’t have all the time in the world to be in the kitchen. I just had my third baby and so time seems to be very, very limited nowadays!

Looking for another sourdough discard donut recipe? Try out my strawberry lemonade sourdough donuts!

Why I love this sourdough chocolate donut recipe

Easy: Like I mentioned above, this recipe is very easy. I would even go as far as to say that it’s beginner friendly.

Fast: These donuts don’t require any wait time. Just take the sourdough discard from your starter and use it up in this recipe.

Flavorful: These sourdough chocolate donuts are essentially double chocolate with the cocoa powder and the chocolate chips. Making these donuts super decadent and fudgy!

Unique: Yes, you can easily pick up donuts from a store or gas station, but unlike cookies or muffins, I feel like donuts aren’t made as frequently. Or at least that’s how it is with the people that I know! So why not make something different and try out this donut recipe!

Why bake instead of fry the donuts?

While deep-frying is traditional, baking these sourdough donuts is a game-changer for cooking at home. Not only does it significantly cut down on fats and calories, but it also removes the stress of working with hot, messy oil. Because these are double-chocolate donuts, baking allows the chocolate chips to melt gently into the crumb, resulting in a fudgy, cake-like texture that frying just can’t replicate!

Half Batch Baking provides a great article on why baking is better then frying.

What is sourdough discard?

Sourdough discard is the portion of the sourdough stater that is usually thrown out or set aside before “feeding” the rest of the stater with flour and water.

While discard might not be active enough to make a loaf of bread rise by itself, it still has that fermented flavor that people love!

What do sourdough chocolate donuts taste like?

These aren’t your average store-bought donuts. Imagine the fudgy, dense texture of a gourmet brownie combined with the subtle, sophisticated tang of sourdough. The cocoa powder provides a dark, earthy base, while the chocolate chips create melted pockets of sweetness throughout.

If you add that pinch of espresso, the flavor becomes even more intense, mimicking the taste of high-end artisanal chocolate. They are rich, balanced, and perfectly ‘cakey’—making them delicious morning cup of coffee.

How to serve sourdough chocolate donuts

These donuts are great with coffee of course! However, you could dress them up a little with some chocolate sauce, powdered sugar, or frosting and add sprinkles for even more fun!

Perhaps you are tried of filling the cavities in a donut mold? Add the batter to a muffin tin instead and make muffins! They may have to bake a little bit longer. You will know that the muffins are done with a knife inserted in the middle comes out of the muffin clean!

Lastly, these donuts would be a fun addition wherever you brought them! Birthday party, baby shower, bridal shower, coffee hour after church, girl’s night.. You name it!

The Science of a Perfect Donut Crumb

If you’ve ever wondered why some baked donuts turn out light and fluffy while others feel a bit like dense bread, it all comes down to two things: sourdough acidity and moisture control.

Because we are using sourdough discard, we have a secret weapon on our side. The natural acidity in the discard works to break down the gluten proteins in the all-purpose flour. This is a huge win for a donut! It ensures that every bite is tender and “cakey” rather than chewy.

However, even with the magic of sourdough, overmixing is the one mistake that can ruin a good batch. When you stir the batter, you’re “waking up” the gluten. If you stir too much, those gluten strands become tight and elastic. In a loaf of sourdough bread, that’s exactly what you want! But in a chocolate donut, it leads to a rubbery texture and those annoying “tunnels” inside the donut.

To get that professional, gourmet bakery finish, treat your batter with a light touch. Mix your wet and dry ingredients until you just stop seeing white streaks of flour. A few tiny lumps are actually your friend here—they’ll smooth out in the oven, leaving you with a fudgy, melt-in-your-mouth treat that your family will swear came from a high-end donut shop!

Ingredient variations

Here are some simple base swap ideas that won’t have too much of an effect on the overall turnout of the sourdough donuts.

Sour cream- Greek yogurt

Use equal amount (1:1)

Best if it’s full-fat or 2%

Results: Tangier, but still soft and moist.

Butter- Oil

Replace 1/2 cup of butter with 1/3-1/2 cup neutral oil.

Results: More moist, but less rich. Softer crumb.

Milk- Any milk alternative

Use equal amount (1:1)

Results: Nothing major. You can use what you have on hand! When my family isn’t using regular milk, we like to use oat milk!

White sugar- brown sugar

Use equal amount (1:1)

Results: More moist and a slight caramel flavor.

Add espresso powder:

1/2- 1 teaspoon

Results: Doesn’t taste like coffee, just makes the chocolate flavor deeper.

Equipment needed

Mixing bowls

Whisk

Donut pan

Measuring cups and spoons

Pipping bag (optional)

Fine mesh strainer (optional)

Rubber spatula (optional)

Ingredients for chocolate sourdough donuts

1 cup white sugar (200 g)

1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour (210 g)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (45 g)

1 teaspoon salt (6 g)

1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder (6 g)

1/2 cup sourdough discard (125 g)

1/2 cup sour cream (120 g)

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract (8 g)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (113 g)

3/4 cup milk + 1 tbsp (195 g)

1/2 cup of chocolate chips (optional)

Pinch of ground espresso (optional- enhances chocolate flavor)

How to make chocolate sourdough donuts

Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Next, mix the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and pinch of ground espresso (if using) together thoroughly. Set aside.

In a different mixing bowl, mix the white sugar, sourdough discard, sour cream, egg, vanilla extract, melted butter, and milk. Mix just until a uniform mixture. Be careful not to overdo it!

Then combine the wet and dry ingredients together until the donut batter is smooth and slightly glossy. You can always add an extra tablespoon of milk to get the right consistency!

Add in the chocolate chips if using and spoon or pipe the batter into the donut mold.

Bake your chocolate sourdough donuts for about 10-14 minutes until set and springy to the touch. Let the donuts cool slightly before removing and enjoy! 🙂

How to store

Room temp: Store the donuts at room temperature in an air-tight container or zip-top bag for up to 2 days.

Fridge: If you live somewhere that’s humid or you have a dairy-based frosting on the donuts, store them in the fridge. They will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Freezer: Wrap each donut individually in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm them directly from frozen.

Tips for the best baked sourdough donuts

Overmixing: Be careful not to overmix! Overmixing can cause the gluten to overdevelop. This will create donuts that are more on the tough or “rubbery” side.

Pipping bag: You can use a pipping bag to easily get the donut batter into the donut pan cavities.

Espresso: Espresso is a secret ingredient that can enhance the flavor of the chocolate donuts!

Room temp ingredients: If you remember to, you can remove the sour cream, egg, and milk from the fridge and let them sit so that they get up to room temperature. By allowing these ingredients to warm up slightly, you will get a slightly better texture of the baked sourdough donuts. But don’t worry, this isn’t a must! Just an optional step for a slight tweak. 🙂

Sift: Use a fine mesh strainer to sift the cocoa powder so that there aren’t any clumps of powdered cocoa in the batter.

Muffins: Not a fan of donuts? Or maybe you don’t feel like pipping or spooning any more batter into a donut pan? You could make muffins instead! Just grease or use muffin liners and fill each muffin cavity a little over halfway from the top! Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.

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Silicone donut pan

Did you make this donut recipe? If so, let me know how it turned out! 🙂