Make your Halloween morning, party or office potluck spooky AND sweet with these easy monster doughnuts!
Halloween is just around the corner! And you know what that means: Halloween treats! To celebrate, I'm doing a reboot of some of my favorite recipes and tutorials. First up: doughnuts that are every bit as easy and they are spooky (and delicious).
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Ingredients
Below are a few recommendations for key ingredients. A full list with measurements is available in the recipe card.
- Unsalted butter: Melting the butter makes it easier to mix in, reducing the chances you'll overmix the batter.
- Egg:Β Provides stability and richness. Start with a room-temperature egg to keep the batter from seizing.
- Milk:Β I use whole milk as it's what we tend to have on hand, butΒ 2% or even 1% would work well for both the doughnuts and glaze. I would avoid skim milk.
- Black sanding sugar: I like to use the sanding sugar because it means I don't have to add as much black food coloring to the glaze and I like the texture it creates. You can omit it if you'd prefer.
How to make monster doughnuts
First, whip up some royal icing eyes or buy some at the store.
I made mine so that I could have a variety of sizes.
Second, whip up some doughnuts. Either follow the chocolate doughnut recipe below or whip up another doughnut flavor.
Third, combine the ingredients for the glaze in a small saucepan. Heat until warm and a crust forms.
Dip the doughnuts and dust with sanding sugar.
Fourth, melt 3-4 squares of chocolate and pour into a piping bag.
Pipe onto the backs of your icing eyes and press them onto the tops of the doughnuts.
Expert tips
New to baking and decorating doughnuts? No worries! Here are some tricks and tips to help you make the perfect batch the first time around.
- Use a piping bag to pipe your doughnut batter into your doughnut pan. This is a lot easier and less messy than trying to pour from the bowl.
- Doughnuts are easiest to remove from the pan while theyβre still warm. The sweet spot seems to be about 2 minutes after they come out of the oven. Simply turn the pan over and gently shake it until the doughnuts come out (hot-pads are a good idea).
- Did you know you can make your own sanding sugar? If you can't buy black sanding sugar at the store, here's how to make it.
- Avoid overcooking the glaze, which results in excessive thickening. Cook over low heat, removing once a crust forms. To fix overcooked glaze, add water Β½ teaspoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Why we cook the glaze:Β Cooking it triggers a reaction that results in a fast-hardening glaze. It's perfect for locking in moisture and easy packing.
Storage
Baked doughnuts donβt keep well and tend to dry out faster than the fried variety. If you end up with leftovers, the best way to store them is in a paper bag. Whatever you do, donβt refrigerate them or put them in plastic.
To revive stale doughnuts, microwave them in 5-10 second increments until soft. Just watch out for melting icing.
More Halloween and fall breakfasts
Did you make this recipe?Β Please leave a β star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below! I regularly update these posts and feedback from wonderful readers like you helps me improve them.
Recipe
Monster Doughnuts
Make your Halloween morning, party or office potluck spooky AND sweet with these easy monsterΒ doughnuts!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 doughnuts 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the chocolate doughnuts:
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 egg
- β cup milk
- β cup granulated sugar
- 4 tbsp baking cocoa
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ΒΌ tsp baking soda
- 1 cup all purpose flour
For the glaze:
- 2 Β½ cups powdered sugar
- ΒΌ cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For garnishing:
- Black sanding sugar
- Royal icing eyes of various sizes (homemade or store bought)
- 3-4 squares of chocolate
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients for the doughnuts (flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder).
- In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (melted butter, egg, vanilla extract and pumpkin puree) until just combined. Whisk in dry ingredients.
- Use vegetable shortening and a paper towel to grease your doughnut pan. Fill a piping bag with the doughnut batter and pipe it into the doughnut pan until each cavity is about β full.
- Bake the doughnuts at 350F for 8-10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the doughnuts comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 1-2 minutes before turning them out onto a baking rack.
- In a small saucepan, combine the powdered sugar, water and vanilla extract for the glaze.
- Cook over low-medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the glaze is warm and starts to form a crust on top. Remove from heat.
- Dip each doughnut into the glaze, gently shaking it to allow any excess glaze to drip off. Immediately dip your doughnut into the sanding sugar (it will crust quickly).
- Be sure to stir the glaze between each doughnut so it doesnβt form a crust.
- Melt 3-4 squares of chocolate (any kind of chocolate will work), and spoon it into a piping bag, or into the corner of a ziploc bag.
- Pipe a little chocolate onto the back of your royal icing eyes, and gently press them onto the tops of the doughnuts.
- Allow the chocolate to harden completely before packaging the doughnuts.
Notes
- Use a piping bag to pipe your doughnut batter into your doughnut pan. This is a lot easier and less messy than trying to pour from the bowl.
- Doughnuts are easiest to remove from the pan while theyβre still warm. The sweet spot seems to be about 2 minutes after they come out of the oven. Simply turn the pan over and gently shake it until the doughnuts come out (hot-pads are a good idea).
- Did you know you can make your own sanding sugar? If you can't buy black sanding sugar at the store, here's how to make it.
- Be sure not to over-cook the glaze. Over-cooked glaze loses too much liquid and becomes too hard and thick to work with. The best way to make sure your glaze doesnβt get over-cooked is to cook it over low heat and remove it immediately once a crust starts to form. If your glaze becomes over-cooked, simply add more water in Β½ teaspoon increments until the glaze breaks up enough to use.
- Why we cook the glaze:Β You may be wondering why weβre cooking the glaze. After all, there are lots of doughnut recipes on the web that donβt require this step. Hereβs why: cooking the glaze causes a chemical reaction that results in a glaze that hardens quickly and becomes a shell (rather than a soft glaze). Itβs perfect for locking in moisture and making life easier if you need to pack these doughnuts.
- Leftovers:Β Baked doughnuts donβt keep well and tend to dry out faster than the fried variety. If you end up with leftovers, the best way to store them is in a paper bag. Whatever you do, donβt refrigerate them or put them in plastic.
- Reviving stale doughnuts:Β If you wound up with leftovers and theyβve gotten stale, no worries! You can soften them back up by microwaving them in 5-10 second increments until soft. Just watch out for melting icing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 doughnut
- Calories: 388
- Sugar: 62.2g
- Sodium: 111mg
- Fat: 6.1g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Carbohydrates: 81.3g
- Fiber: 1.8g
- Protein: 5.2g
- Cholesterol: 41mg
Keywords: monster doughnuts, monster donuts
Update Notes: This post was originally published in October of 2015 but was republished with step-by-step photos and tips in September of 2018.
Maryanne @ the little epicurean says
Love it! These are so cute! π
The Simple, Sweet Life says
Thank you Maryanne! π
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says
Gosh, too cute! Pinning!
The Simple, Sweet Life says
I'm so glad you like them Pamela! π
Didi Paterno-Magpali (@didipaterno) says
So cute!
The Simple, Sweet Life says
Thank you Didi! π
Annie @ Annie's Noms says
These are absolutely awesome!!!! Love them so much, such a fun bake!
The Simple, Sweet Life says
You're so sweet Annie! π
Natalie says
What an awesome idea! Definitely filing away for a special Halloween treat this year.
The Simple, Sweet Life says
I'm so glad you think so Natalie! π
Matt Kearns says
Ahhh they are staring at me! Cool doughnuts Claire, well done!
The Simple, Sweet Life says
Awww thank you Matt! I do apologize, they're kind of a rude bunch that haven't seemed to master the art of not staring at strangers. π
Natasha says
These are super cute and creative! I have to say that some Halloween treats I've seen on Pinterest/internet so far have been questionable, but I like these haha. Pinning!
The Simple, Sweet Life says
I hear ya! Kitty litter cake and zit popping cupcakes?! There are lines people, LINES! <-- And this said by someone who tends to enjoy mildly gross Halloween fair.
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says
These doughnuts are so cute! I had no idea you could make your own sanding sugar, but I am definitely going to check it out
★★★★★
Gloria says
OMG these are soooo cute. My grandkids would LOVE these. I think I just might have some of those "eyeballs" leftover from another decorating project. I need to get in the kitchen and surprise those kiddos!
★★★★★
Dawn says
These are so freakin' cute! I love fun festive treats like this because they're fun to make too. I bet my niece would love these!
★★★★★
Mimi says
OMG These are so cute!! I love them perfect for halloween
Paula @ I'm Busy Being Awesome says
Super spooky, definitely a must try for a halloween party
Marta Rivera Diaz says
This first image made me go, "OOOOH!!!" out loud! Great idea and a unique recipe! I love it!
★★★★★
Leigh Suznovich says
Oh these are so cute and perfect for Halloween!
Christa says
These are so adorable and prefect for Halloween! I love decorating and baking fun Halloween stuff. Itβs my favorite holiday!
Bernice Hill says
The doughnuts are simply adorable! I love the eyes...very spooky indeed.
Also, this post is chalk full of some really great doughnut related tips and was very informative!
Amanda Mason says
Such helpful tips to make these!! I love it! They look so much more complicated than you described! I think I can actually pull these off!! I'm going to give them a go!!
★★★★★
Kristen Roberts says
These look INCREDIBLE! You never cease to amaze me with your creativity and gorgeous photography.
Eileen Kelly says
I love how creative you are and love these fun Halloween donuts. These look great and I love baked donuts! The decorations on the donuts are fantastic and simple enough that I can have my niece help me too.
★★★★★
Lorie says
I literally just bought eyeball candies for another project and have a bunch leftover. These are happening tomorrow!!!
★★★★★
Sharon says
These are the perfect Halloween treats! Great for upcoming school or office parties for the holiday.
★★★★★
Emily Leary says
These are so cute! And so fun for halloween. I think we will give them a go!
★★★★★
Anne Murphy says
Oh, I love all the eyes! The different sizes are so much fun. A wonderful - and slightly different - Halloween treat!
★★★★★
Veronika's Kitchen says
OMG! These donuts are the cutest and spooky donuts ever! Love the design and the recipe! Making them next week!
★★★★★
Julie says
These are so adorable! (Or am I supposed to say that they're so scary?) My son's preschool class is going to love them for his Halloween party!
Jacque Hastert says
These are great for kiddos! I will have to make these for Halloween morning!