These chocolate filled brioche donuts are baked instead of fried and have the best soft & pillowy texture with gooey Nutella inside.
These baked brioche donuts are just as delicious as any traditional fried donut, but are much quicker to make and a little less unhealthy without the actual frying in oil part😉. After just 10 minutes of baking, they're tossed in sugar and filled with a gooey chocolate hazelnut spread. If you've been looking for a good homemade donut recipe without the hassle of frying, this recipe is just what you need!
For more brioche recipes, try Cinnamon Sugar Brioche Donuts, Overnight Brioche Bread, Pesto Brioche Swirl Bread, and Crème Brûlée Filled Brioche Donuts.
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Ingredient Notes
- Active Dry Yeast or Instant Yeast: If using active dry yeast, combine with milk and sugar and allow to sit for 15 minutes. If using instant yeast, there is no need to let the yeast sit in the mixture.
- Whole Milk: Use whole milk for optimum flavor, and warm the milk to about 110 degrees F to activate the yeast.
- Granulated Sugar: The sugar will need to be mixed in with the milk and yeast to help activate the yeast.
- Eggs: You’ll need to 2 eggs at room temperature. You'll also need one egg for the egg wash.
- All-Purpose Flour: The best way to measure your flour, as well as the rest of the ingredients, is by weight.
- Unsalted Butter: You’ll need about 6 tablespoon of unsalted butter at room temperature, which will need to be added one piece at a time to properly incorporate into the dough.
- Chocolate Hazelnut Spread: Use your favorite chocolate hazelnut spread to fill these donuts. I used Nutella!
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.
Step by Step Instructions
Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make this chocolate filled brioche donut recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.
STEP 1: Make the dough. Stir together the warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Then, beat in the eggs and pour the wet ingredients into the dry.
STEP 2: Mix dough. Mix with the dough hook until fully combined.
STEP 3: Add butter. Add the room temperature butter a few pieces at a time while mixing on medium speed. Once the butter has fully incorporated, turn the mixer up to medium-high and mix for another 6-8 minutes until the dough is smooth and passes the windowpane test. *see notes on the windowpane test in the FAQ section below.
STEP 4: Proof. Cover the dough and allow to rise overnight in the fridge or for just one hour in a warm place.
STEP 5: Roll and bake. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces about 50g each. Roll them into smooth balls, then cover and rest for about 30 minutes. Brush with an egg wash and bake for 10 minutes.
STEP 6: Top and fill. Toss the baked donuts in granulated sugar, then fill with Nutella!
Expert Baking Tips
- These donuts are best the day they are made, but can be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container for 2-3 days. When warmed up, they'll taste almost as fresh as the day they were made.
Recipe FAQs
1. Using a stand mixer with the dough hook, mix the wet and dry ingredients on low-medium speed for a few minutes until it forms a ball around the hook.
2. Slowly begin incorporating the room temperature butter as it mixes on medium speed. It is very important to use room temperature butter in order for it to incorporate properly.
3. Once all of the butter is incorporated, turn the speed up to high and mix for about 8 minutes or until the dough passes the windowpane test.
The windowpane test is used to tell when the brioche has developed enough gluten. To check if the dough is ready, tear off a small piece and carefully spread it out to see if you can see the light through it without it tearing. If it tears, mix for another minute and check again.
1. First proof overnight - Make the brioche dough the night before, and allow it to proof overnight in the fridge. The next morning, shape into cinnamon rolls, proof one more time in a warm environment, and bake.
2. Second proof overnight - Make the brioche dough the night before, and proof for about 1 hour in a warm environment. Shape the dough into cinnamon rolls, then proof overnight in the fridge. The next morning (ideally before 9am), take the cinnamon rolls out to come to room temperature (about 1 hour) and bake as directed.
- Stand mixer: In order to properly knead the brioche, you need a stand mixer and a dough hook. It's possible to knead the dough by hand, but it would take a very long time and I have personally never done it.
- Kitchen scale: You'll need a kitchen scale to weigh all of your ingredients (read why below)!
These donuts are best the day they are made, but can be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container for 2-3 days. When warmed up, they'll taste almost as fresh as the day they were made.
Baking in Grams
All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale.
If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.
But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!
Happy baking! x
Other brioche recipes you'll love
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Filled Brioche Donuts
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry or instant yeast
- 115 g (½ cup) whole milk, warmed to 110 degrees F
- 20 g (1 ½ tablespoon) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 300 g (2 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 85 g (6 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temp
- egg wash, 1 egg + 1 tablespoon water
- granulated sugar for rolling
- about ½ cup Nutella
Instructions
- Heat the milk to 110 degrees F and stir in yeast and sugar. If using active dry yeast, allow to sit for 15 minutes. If using instant yeast, simply move on to the next step.
- Mix the eggs and vanilla into the milk yeast mixture.
- Combine flour and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the flour and mix on low-medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until it forms a ball around the hook.
- Add in one piece of butter at a time, allowing it to fully incorporate before adding the next.
- Once all of the butter is incorporated, turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and mix for 6-8 minutes. To check if the dough is ready, tear off a small piece and carefully spread it out to see if you can see the light through it without it tearing. If it tears, mix for another minute and check again.
- Once the dough is ready, transfer it to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and allow to proof overnight in the fridge. Alternatively, you can let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces about 50g each. Flatten each piece out and fold the edges over into the center, then turn it over and roll into a smooth ball.
- Place each ball onto a parchment lined baking sheet spaced about 3 inches apart, then cover and allow to rise for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Once the brioche has risen, brush each one with an egg wash and bake for 10 minutes or until they are golden and they reach 190 degrees F on an internal thermometer.
- Once the donuts are cool enough to handle, toss each of them in granulated sugar and place bake on the baking sheet to cool completely.
- Using a chop stick or something similar, poke a hole into each donut and move it around to create some room.
- Fill a piping bag with a small round piping tip with the Nutella, and fill each donut.
- Serve these donuts the day they are baked and enjoy!
Notes
- These donuts are best the day they are made, but can be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container for 2-3 days. When warmed up, they'll taste almost as fresh as the day they were made.
Nisha says
I did everything according to the recipe but my dough didn't rise in 1h 🥲 I even covered it with a blanket
Sloane says
Hi Nisha, It sounds like your yeast might have been expired or didn't activate properly. Did it become foamy when you mixed it with the milk and sugar?