Brownie batter donut is one of the most popular flavors at Dunkin, but why pay for it when you can make it? These copycat Dunkin brownie batter donuts feature brownie batter filling all wrapped up in a tender, delicious donut. Yum!
I always get excited when Dunkin’ brings out their special brownie batter donuts, but I realized that I don’t have to wait all year to get them. I can just make my own! That’s just what I did, too.
Copycat Dunkin Brownie Batter Donuts
This was inspired by my other Dunkin copycat recipe on this site, and pairs well with this amazing dalgona cloud coffee recipe. It’s a one-two kick of sweet deliciousness!
Ingredients
It might take several ingredients to make these delicious donuts, but because most of them are kitchen staples, you probably have the majority of these ingredients in your kitchen right now.
For the Donuts
- all-purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- instant yeast
- milk
- warm water
- cream
- softened butter
- melted butter
- vanilla extract
- salt
For the Brownie Batter Filling
- brownie mix
- cocoa
- butter, softened
- vanilla
- milk
- powdered sugar
- hot water
For the Icing
- heavy cream
- melted butter
- clear vanilla
- powdered sugar
- Chocolate Sprinkles
See the recipe card at the end of the post for quantities and baking times.
Instructions
This recipe takes a few steps, but it’s not something that will overwhelm you if you simply take your time and go step by step.
Step 1: Prepare the Yeast
Heat the milk and cream together in a microwave-safe dish until it’s warm. Then, pour the warm water, milk, cream, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer.
Let the yeast rest for about five minutes until it’s bubbly. Then, add the salt, remaining sugar, and vanilla.
Step 2: Make the Dough
Fit the mixer with a dough hook, and turn it on at low speed. Slowly add the flour a little at a time until a shaggy, wet, and sticky dough forms. Add the remaining flour if needed.
Step 3: Knead the Dough
Using the dough hook, continue mixing at medium speed to knead the dough for about six minutes.
Step 4: Let the Dough Rise
Remove the kneaded dough from the bowl and spray the bowl in oil. Gently shape the dough into a ball and place it back in the oiled bowl seam-side down.
Lightly spritz the dough ball with oil and let it rise until doubled in size.
Step 5: Roll Out the Dough
Turn your dough out onto an oiled surface and, using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to about three-quarter inches thick.
Step 6: Cut Out the Donuts
Using a heart-shaped cutter, cut as many hearts out of the dough as possible, being careful to plan your cuts so you get the most hearts.
Step 7: Let the Donuts Rise
Place the donuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving a couple of inches between each one. Place a clean towel over the to of the tray and let the donuts rise for about thirty to forty minutes.
Step 8: Bake the Donuts
Brush the tops of the donuts with melted butter and bake in a preheated oven, turning about halfway through cooking. Remove the donuts when they’re lightly golden brown. Let them cool completely.
Step 9: Make a Hole in the Donuts
Using a dowel or the end of a kitchen utensil like a wooden spoon, poke a hole in the side of each donut to make space for the filling.
Step 10: Make the Filling
To make the filing, place the cocoa powder and brownies mix in a bowl and whisk together. Add the butter and vanilla and mix well. Then, add milk and slowly add the powdered sugar, beating on medium speed. Add the hot water and beat on medium speed for about three minutes.
Step 11: Fill the Donuts
Place the filling into a piping bag and fill each donut as much as possible.
Step 12: Make the Icing
Place all the icing ingredients into a bowl and whisk until smooth. It should be thin enough to dip the tops of the donuts but not so thin that it runs off of them completely.
Step 13: Dip the Donuts
Dip the to of each donut into the icing and then sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles.
Hint: Cut as many heart shapes out of the dough as possible on the first go around. You can only re-roll the scraps one time at the most before the dough becomes tough.
Substitutions
Don’t have the correct ingredients on hand? Or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change this Dunkin brownie batter donuts recipe.
- Yeast – If you don’t have instant yeast, use regular yeast. Just give it extra time to proof.
- Brownie Mix – Use any chocolate brownie mix you like. Any will work.
- Milk – If you don’t have heavy cream, milk will work. Don’t use anything with less fat than 2% milk.
Variations
Want to personalize this brownie batter donut recipe? Here are some of my tried and true tips for changing up this recipe.
- Add Cocoa to the Donuts – Add cocoa powder to the donut recipe to make double chocolate brownie batter donuts.
- Add Cocoa to the Icing – For even more chocolaty goodness, add cocoa to the icing, as well.
If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy these glazed pumpkin donuts.
Equipment
There might be several steps to this recipe, but there’s not a lot of equipment required. You’ll only need standard baking equipment to make this recipe.
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Spatula
- Stand or hand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Wooden spoon
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Piping bag
Storage
You can store these donuts for between three and four days in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. For longer storage, you can freeze these donuts for up to three months.
Tips
This recipe has several steps, but it’s not that complicated. Although it’s relatively easy, I have some tips here that will help you make the best donuts possible.
- Cut as many heart shapes as you can out of the dough on the first go around. Reworking the dough makes it tough.
- Be gentle when poking a hole in your donuts. You don’t want to go all the way through them.
- If your icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add more heavy cream.
More Donut Recipes
Do you like donuts? Here some recipes you may also like to try.
FAQ
Do you have questions about this brownie batter donut recipe? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about copycat Dunkin brownie batter donuts.
These donuts will last for three to four days in the refrigerator or up to three months in the freezer.
Let the donuts chill completely in the refrigerator and then lay them on a cookie sheet. Freeze them on the cookie sheet and then wrap them in cling wrap and place them in an air-tight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag.
To thaw the brownies, place them in the refrigerator overnight.
Yes. This recipe has lots of steps, but the actual cooking is simple. Just double everything up.
Your yeast was probably too old. Yeast is a living organism. It makes things rise by the gas it releasing from eating the food (sugar) that you give it. Dead yeast doesn’t eat.
Gently push the handle of your spoon about halfway into the donut. Then, move it back and forth gently to create a cavity for the filling.
Brownie Batter Donut Recipe
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Brownie Batter Donuts Copycat
Equipment
- Donut pan
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons instant yeast
- ¾ cup milk
- ⅓ cup warm water
- ¼ cup cream
- 4 tablespoons softened butter
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons salt
Brownie Batter Filling
- 1 cup brownie mix
- ½ cup cocoa
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla
- 2 Tablespoon milk
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoon hot water
Icing
- 3-4 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 Tablespoons melted butter
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Decorations
- Chocolate Sprinkles
Instructions
- Get out and measure your ingredients.
- Heat the milk and the cream together in a microwave safe dish until it is warm.
- Pour the warm water, milk, cream, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar into the bowl of stand mixer. Let the yeast mixture rest for about 5 minutes.
- Once the yeast mixture is nice and bubbly, add in the salt, remaining sugar, and vanilla.
- Fit the mixer with a dough hook and start running it on low speed.
- Slowly add in the flour ½ cup at a time until you have added 2 ½ cups.
- Once 2 ½ cups of flour have been incorporated, add in the softened butter 1 tablespoon at a time until combined.
- Your dough should be a bit shaggy, wet, and sticky, but should hold shape, add in the remaining ½ cup of flour at this time if needed.
- Knead the dough on medium speed for 6 minutes.
- Once the dough has finished kneading remove it from the bowl momentarily. Spray the bowl with oil, gently shape the dough into a ball and place it back into the oiled bowl seam-side down, and lightly spritz the top of the dough with oil.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel and place in a warm area to rise for 1.5 hours.
- The dough should have doubled in size in 1.5 hours, take the dough out of the bowl and place onto an oiled work surface.
- Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to about ¾” thickness. Use a heart shaped cutter to get as many hearts out of the dough as possible.
- This dough is not like cookie dough where you can re-roll multiple times, you should only re-roll the scraps 1 time at the most, otherwise the dough will get too tough.
- Place the dough hearts onto a parchment lined baking sheet, making sure to leave a couple inches between each one.
- Place a clean towel over the top of each tray and let rise for 30-40 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Once the donuts have risen, lightly brush the tops with melted butter.
- Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through. Remove from the oven when lightly golden and let cool completely on rack.
- Use a dowel or end of a kitchen utensil to poke a hole in the side of each donut to make space for the filling.
- To make the filling place cocoa powder and brownie mix in a bowl and whisk together.
- Add the butter and vanilla and mix well.
- Add milk and slowly add the powdered sugar while beating on medium speed.
- Add the hot water and beat on medium for about 3 minutes.
- Place the filling into a piping bag and fill each donut as full as possible.
- To make the icing, place all icing ingredients into a bowl and whisk until smooth. The icing should be thin enough to coat the top of a donut when dipped, but not too thin that it runs off the donut completely.
- Dip each donut top into the icing.
- Then sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles.
- Let the icing set for ten minutes.
- Enjoy every bite.
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