These Oreo donuts are perfectly tender and moist! The donut is a black cocoa baked donut topped with a sweet frosting and sprinkled with Oreo crumbs. My family loved these Oreo cake donuts so much they were gone in 1 day!

Do you love Oreo as much as I do? There are so many fun ways to transform the delicious cookie into different dessert varieties! From Oreo ice cream to Oreo truffle brownies, and from Oreo pie crust, to Crumbl chocolate Oreo cookies, I’ve learned that Oreo can hold its own in every type of dessert!

A white plate with four Oreo donuts on it.

Why This Recipe Works

  • Super moist baked donut. This recipe is perfect because it yields the most delicately moist donuts! They are so soft and tender.
  • Tastes like a cookies and cream donut! This donut has all your favorite aspects of cookies and cream! The black cocoa-based cake donut and the creamy, sweet frosting are just like your favorite cookies and cream dessert combinations. It’s probably one of my favorite Black Cocoa Recipes!
  • Black cocoa brings out the Oreo flavor. Thanks to the black cocoa in the Oreo cake donut, not only do you get the color of Oreos but it really gives you that classic Oreo flavor, too.
  • Reminiscent of Oreos. These donuts remind you of Oreos due to the black cocoa powder cake base. Instead of a plain donut with an Oreo frosting, these donuts copy the black cookie base and cream filling with the donut base and frosting!

Ingredient Notes

Oreo Donut ingredients in glass bowls on a gray background.
  • Black Cocoa: I’ve linked to my favorite black cocoa powder. This is different than dark cocoa powder. Black cocoa powder is a cocoa powder that has been heavily dutched (which is the process of treating the cocoa powder with an alkalizing agent which adjusts the pH level in the powder, removing the acidity in the product). Learn more about the science behind black cocoa powder.
  • Brown Sugar: The molasses in the brown sugar gives added moisture to the cake donut batter, which makes the finished product really tender.
  • Sour Cream: Using sour cream in any form of cake (including cake donuts) is a great way to make the crumb extra moist. This is due to the high fat content in sour cream.
  • Egg Yolk: Using an additional egg yolk in the batter is important because egg yolk is an emulsifier, which means it holds water and fat together. So the egg yolk is helping the batter hold extra moisture. This is a big reason why the final product is so moist!

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a donut pan with nonstick cooking spray that contains flour. 
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, black cocoa powder, Oreo crumbs, baking soda, baking powder, salt. Set aside.  
Dry ingredients to make Oreo Donuts in a glass bowl.
  1. In a stand mixer fitted with paddle mix the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, brown sugar, sour cream, and melted butter until smooth and combined. 
  • A glass bowl with melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla in it.
  • Tan colored wet ingredient mixture in a glass bowl.
  1. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Batter will be very thick. 
Oreo Donut batter in a glass mixing bowl.
  1. Spoon batter into a Ziplock bag or piping bag that has the corner snipped off. 
  2. Pipe the batter into the donut pan, the cavities should be ½ full. (The donuts will rise a lot).
A piping bag piping Oreo Donut batter into a donut pan.
  1. Bake for 7-8 mins or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. 
  • Oreo Donut batter in a six cavity donut pan on a white background.
  • Baked Oreo Donuts in a six cavity donut pan.
  1. Remove from oven. Let cool in pan for 3-5 mins then turn out on a wire rack and let the donuts cool completely before frosting. Sprinkle Oreo crumbs on top for cookies and cream chocolate Oreo donuts!
Six baked Oreo Donuts on a wire cooling rack.
White frosting topped Oreo Donuts with Oreo crumbs overtop, on a wire rack.

Recipe Tips

Because these donuts are so moist, they are also delicate, so you’ll want to wait until the donuts are completely cool before you dip them in the frosting so they don’t fall apart. Alternatively, you can spread or drizzle the frosting on top if you can’t wait for them to cool haha 😀

Don’t over mix the donut batter or else they won’t rise as well in the oven.

You’ll want to spray your donut pan even if it’s nonstick.

Using a pastry bag or a Ziplock bag with the corner cut off is a much easier way to get the batter into the donut pans than to spoon it in.

Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing

These donuts can last covered at room temperature for two days. Store in the fridge for up to a week.

Freeze the Oreo chocolate cake donuts before iced. Let the donuts cool completely, then wrap individually in plastic wrap then in aluminum foil and store in a Ziplock bag in the freezer for 1-2 months. Remove from the freezer and let thaw at room temperature and then dip them in the frosting.

FAQs

What is black cocoa powder?

Black cocoa powder is a type of cocoa powder that has been heavily dutched (which is the term for removing the acidity). This results in a less bitter flavor than natural cocoa powder. Check out my black cocoa powder guide to learn more!

What is the difference between cake donuts and regular donuts?

Cake donuts are made from cake batter which has baking powder and baking soda. Regular donuts are made with a yeasted dough.

What are cake donuts made of?

Cake donut batter is made of the same ingredients you’d find in cake batter.

Are baked donuts healthier than regular donuts?

While the sugar and fat content probably isn’t much different, the fact that they are baked is a much healthier form of cooking than frying since you aren’t frying them in oil.

An Oreo Donut on a white plate with a bite taken out of it.

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Oreo Donuts on a striped napkin.
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5 from 7 votes

Oreo Donuts

These Oreo donuts are the best ever!! They are made with black cocoa powder (which is an ingredient used in real Oreo cookies) AND they have crushed Oreos in the donut batter!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 17 minutes
Servings: 14 donuts

Ingredients
 

Oreo Donuts

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup black cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup Oreo crumbs - finely crushed
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 brown sugar - packed
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 6 tablespoon butter - melted

Frosting/Glaze

  • 3 tablespoon butter - melted
  • 2 tablespoon milk
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 Oreos - crushed, for sprinkling on top

Equipment

Instructions
 

Oreo Donuts

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a donut pan with nonstick cooking spray that contains flour. 
  • In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, black cocoa powder, Oreo crumbs, baking soda, baking powder, salt. Set aside. 
  • In a stand mixer fitted with paddle mix the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, brown sugar, sour cream, and melted butter until smooth and combined. 
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Batter will be very thick. 
  • Spoon batter into a Ziplock bag or piping bag that has the corner snipped off. 
  • Pipe the batter into the donut pan, the cavities should be ½ full. (The donuts will rise a lot).
  • Bake for 7-8 mins or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Remove from oven. Let cool in pan for 3-5 mins then turn out on a wire rack and let the donuts cool completely before frosting. 

Frosting/Glaze

  • Combine frosting ingredients in a bowl, minus the Oreo crumbs. Whisk until smooth. Should be thick able to drizzle down off the whisk. Either dip the tops of donuts in frosting or spoon and drizzle the frosting overtop of each donut. The donuts are quite tender and delicate so drizzling might be the best option but you can experiment and do what’s best for you! 
  • Last but not least, sprinkle Oreo crumbs overtop of the frosting/glaze. 

Nutrition

Calories: 200kcal (10%)Carbohydrates: 24g (8%)Protein: 2g (4%)Fat: 11g (17%)Saturated Fat: 6g (30%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 51mg (17%)Sodium: 159mg (7%)Potassium: 81mg (2%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 15g (17%)Vitamin A: 317IU (6%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 28mg (3%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
author: Whitney Wright
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
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