Baked Chocolate Kraut Donuts
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Until you taste it, you’ll never believe the magnificent effect sauerkraut has on chocolate baked goods! My Sauerkraut Chocolate Cake is my favorite chocolate cake recipe, and these Chocolate Kraut Donuts are just as delicious! They begin with a chocolate fudge cake mix, so they are simple to make, the kraut adds moisture that makes these baked donuts light and airy and so delicious. Topped with my Chocolate Ganache and left plain or decorated with all sorts of goodies!
Baked Chocolate Kraut Donuts
Say what?! Sauerkraut donuts? Your first thought might be “but why??”
I will tell you what I told you way back when when I shared the Sauerkraut Chocolate Cake recipe — Don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it!
These doughnuts are light, moist, and fudgy. No one would even know that there is sauerkraut inside, because you can’t taste it. But after they eat one, and that grin extends from ear to ear, and the “mmmm” escapes their mouth, that is when you tell them!
This recipe is sponsored by Frank’s Kraut, but my opinions and lifelong love affair with their sauerkraut is all my own.
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Frank’s Baking Week
Today I have the honor of kicking off holiday baking week for Frank’s Kraut. I have worked with Frank’s for almost 6 years now, and I love everything about the company and its products. It’s truly the only sauerkraut I buy, and the one I grew up eating.
This year, in honor of holiday baking, Frank’s decided to show how amazing sauerkraut is to bake with. We have even teamed up to do a fun giveaway that you can read more about in this post.
Be sure to follow Frank’s website and all of their social media to see all of the baking recipes shared this week, as well as the sauerkraut yumminess they share year-round.
The BEST Sauerkraut
I know if you’re reading this recipe, that you are a fan of kraut like we are. But if you have never tried Frank’s Kraut, I urge you to change that. I can tell you without hesitation, it is the best I have ever eaten.
I always keep cans on hand in the pantry, but I have to say their 32 ounce glass jar and their 2 pound poly bags are my favorite way to buy it. When I purchase the poly bags, I buy extra and store them in the freezer until I open them, and whatever I don’t use, I put into a canning jar, and store in the fridge.
Baked Chocolate Donuts
If you have followed me for a while, you know how much I love being able to use my donut pan! Getting creative with baked donut recipes is one of my favorite things to do.
Baking donuts makes them healthier than frying them, and who wouldn’t want a good excuse to eat a donut? Not this girl! If you are a fan of cake donuts, then you are going to love this recipe!
This recipe starts with a cake mix, which even simplifies things a bit more. I chose to use a chocolate fudge mix because in my world, the darker the chocolate the better. If you would rather use a regular chocolate cake mix, or even a German chocolate cake mix, it would totally work, too.
What does Sauerkraut do to a chocolate cake?
Chocolate and sauerkraut are a match made in heaven, let me tell you why. Chocolate already has that “bittersweetness” to it and sauerkraut only deepens that flavor with it’s salty and sour taste.
The other benefit sauerkraut adds is the brininess helps add and retain moisture. Therefore, it helps create a more spongy, moist and perfect cake.
Just like sour cream makes chocolate frosting so much better, sauerkraut makes chocolate cake better. And if it works for a sauerkraut cake recipe, it’s sure to work for a chocolate kraut donut recipe!
Ingredients in Chocolate Kraut Donuts
To make these donuts you will need: chocolate fudge cake mix, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, eggs and of course, Frank’s Kraut. To frost them with the chocolate ganache like you see here, you will also need semi-sweet chocolate chips and cream.
Once the cake batter is made, fill the prepared donut pans.
Bake them. Cool on a rack.
“Frost” them with my homemade chocolate ganache recipe.
Then the fun and creativity can begin! What will you top yours with?
I left some of them just plain because that ganache is just dreamy all on its own. If you love chocolate glazed donuts, you could also glaze them with a vanilla donut glaze.
I used sprinkles, sweetened flaked coconut, cookies and cream sprinkles, and nuts. Each one was just as good as the next.
Love them? Pin them!
Don’t forget where you found this recipe! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board before you go.
Other Baked Donuts to Love
If you have been contemplating the purchase of a donut pan and are thinking “but would I use it??” I have all sorts of baked donut recipe reasons to get one!
Check out a few of them:
- Powdered Sugar Donuts
- Chocolate Covered Strawberry Donuts
- Cherry Limeade Donuts
- Glazed Lemon Donuts
- Banana Donuts
You can find many fantastic sauerkraut recipes here on my blog, as well as on Frank’s Kraut Website. I even have a Pinterest Board dedicated just to sauerkraut!
You will be sure to find new and creative recipes year-round at all of these places, and when you follow Frank’s Kraut on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Frank’s Baking Week Giveaway
Alright — who wants to win a little holiday baking cheer? Frank’s Kraut and I are doing a little giveaway! You can enter to win below the prize descriptions.
From Frank’s Kraut: Two 32 ounce jars of Frank’s Kraut and One Frank’s Kraut Celebrate Flavor T-Shirt in your size, shipped to your door.
From An Affair from the Heart: One custom-designed wooden spoon with logo and One red Betty Crocker 7-speed hand mixer with stand with chrome beater and hooks, shipped right to your door.
I can’t wait to see who wins! Good Luck!
ENTER HERE:
Mmmmmm. Just look at that chocolate deliciousness!
Let’s get to the recipe for these delicious baked chocolate kraut donuts! 
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Baked Chocolate Kraut Donuts
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 15.25 ounce Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix
- 1 cup milk
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup Frank's Kraut rinsed, drained, chopped
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- For decorating: sprinkles chopped nuts, coconut, flavored baking sprinkles (if desired)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray donut pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Measure your sauerkraut and give it a quick rinse with cold water. Drain it, and squeeze as much of the liquid out that you can. Chop it and set it aside.
- In your mixing bowl, combine cake mix, milk, oil, vanilla and eggs for about 30 seconds on low. Increase mixer speed to medium, and beat for 2 minutes.
- Fold the sauerkraut into the batter on low.
- Fill the donut pans. I like to use a ziplock bag with the corner cut off to squeeze the batter into the donuts pans. Makes it so much easier to fill them!
- Bake for 15 minutes. Donuts are done when a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean.
- Let rest in the donut pan for a minute or two, then flip them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
- In a saucepan over low heat stir the chocolate chips and cream together until smooth.
- "Frost" cooled donuts with chocolate ganache, and sprinkle with toppings of desired.
I love eating Frank’s Kraut on reubens!
my favorite way to enjoy sauerkraut is in a Rueben.
I’m not a kraut fan, but dang those look good! My parents are the kraut eaters in our family. They like it on hotdogs, or as a side with steak
My favorite to eat Kraut is in homemade pizza. It sounds horrible but is so good. LOVE IT. Does seem right in donuts but I sure would try it. Probably just as good as it is in pizza.
I have never had Frank’s Kraut before! I never would have thought to use sauerkraut to make fluffy cakes and donuts! Thanks for sharing this excellent secret tip! I’m going to try this! Thanks
Looks like a great recipe. Thank you for sharing
I would say sauerkraut on top of mashed potatoes and on top of applewood smoked pork chops.
I have not had the chance to have Frank’s Kraut but these donuts look so good and I would love to try some!!!