For your sweetheart—or for yourself. You deserve it.
Yes, I put chips on chocolate on donuts. It sounds wild, but it works—so let’s make it a thing.
I don’t need a red dessert for Valentine’s Day. These donuts are the kind of treat you can make for someone you love or, even better, for yourself. Self-care can be delicious: chocolate, crunch, and a soft raised donut all at once. Trust me, chips on chocolate on donuts are good for morale and the universe.
Sweet-and-salty is my weakness. When I see really good chocolate-covered potato chips I can’t resist. I even use them in ice cream. So, sprinkling crushed kettle chips on a chocolate-glazed raised donut felt like a natural next step.
These are raised donuts made with yeast, which gives them a light, pillowy texture you can’t get from cake donuts. When you bite in, the dough compresses under your teeth and then springs back—soft, airy, and springy. It’s the quintessential raised-donut experience.
Now imagine that tender dough coated in milk chocolate. I’m a milk chocolate person—despite having trained myself to eat darker chocolate over the years for “health reasons”—milk chocolate still wins my heart every time.
Top that chocolate with the crunch of kettle-cooked potato chips and you’ve got an insane contrast of textures—soft and airy donut, silky glaze, and loud, salty crunch. Choose the crunchiest kettle chips you can find, crush them by hand or in a bag, and sprinkle them on just before serving so they stay crispy.
Are donuts breakfast? Sometimes. Personally, I wouldn’t be upset to enjoy one first thing in the morning, but these are excellent as dessert or an indulgent afternoon snack.
I used to not care about donuts much, then I had a revelation and wanted every kind. Cake donuts are quick and comforting, but they can’t match the lightness of a properly made yeasted donut. These raised donuts are airy, almost like eating a sweet cloud. They’re worth the extra time and patience.
They fry quickly, drain, cool, then get dunked in a glossy chocolate frosting and finished with crushed kettle chips for maximum texture.
Chocolate Frosted Raised Donuts with Potato Chips
20
to 25 donuts
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups milk, whole or 2% is best
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 packages active dry yeast, 4 1/2 teaspoons
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- oil for frying
chocolate frosting
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup milk
- 3 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup kettle cooked potato chips, crushed
Instructions
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Warm the milk and water in a saucepan over low heat until just warmed.
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Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and pour the warm milk over it, stirring until it melts. Add the honey and sprinkle the yeast over the mixture, stirring briefly. Let sit for about 5 minutes until the yeast is foamy.
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Add the eggs, sugar, salt, nutmeg, and half of the flour to the yeast mixture. Using the paddle attachment, beat on low speed until combined and sticky. Add the remaining flour and continue beating, gradually increasing speed to medium until the dough comes together. It will be sticky. Switch to a dough hook and knead on medium speed for 5 minutes, until the dough pulls away from the bowl sides.
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Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for one hour.
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Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll to about 1-inch thickness. Cut rounds with a biscuit cutter and use a smaller cutter for the centers. Place rounds on a baking sheet, cover, and let rise for about 30 minutes.
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Heat oil in a large pot to about 350–365°F (175–185°C). Fry donuts 2–3 at a time for roughly 1 minute per side until golden. Drain on paper towels and let cool completely before glazing.
chocolate frosting
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In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, vanilla, corn syrup, and milk. Once the butter melts, reduce heat to low and add chopped chocolate. Whisk until smooth, then remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar until no lumps remain. Dip each donut into the glaze and immediately sprinkle with crushed potato chips. Let set for about 15 minutes.
Notes
Can I win at today?