This quick and easy chocolate glaze recipe tastes like chocolate frosting but with a pourable, shiny finish that hardens as it sets! Made with 4 ingredients in just 5 minutes, it adds the perfect finish to donuts, cakes, brownies, and more.
Reasons to Love This Chocolate Glaze Recipe
- Quick & Easy: Just whisk everything together and it’s ready in just 5 minutes!
- Rich Cocoa Flavor: Sweet with just the right amount of chocolatey depth.
- Only 4 Ingredients: Everything you need is likely in your pantry.
- Bakery-Style: Always silky smooth with a gorgeous sheen.
- Sets Just Right: Firms up to create the perfect soft and fudgy bite.
After many years of indulging in chocolate glazed donuts and writing a Mini Donuts cookbook, it’s fairly safe to say I’m an authority on this topic! After much delicious trial and error, this chocolate glaze is silky smooth, rich, and sweet without being overly sweet.
What makes this chocolate glaze recipe stand out is the use of cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate. It still delivers all the flavor and finish of a stovetop version, but with none of the hassle—no heating, no melting, no waiting. It’s a quick, kid-friendly glaze (my girls love to whisk it) that makes everything from cupcakes to my easy homemade donut holes look bakery-perfect!
Ingredient Notes
There’s a good chance you already have what you need to make this chocolate glaze in your kitchen right now. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!
- Powdered Sugar: Don’t swap this with any other type of sugar!
- Cocoa Powder: Use a good quality cocoa powder for the richest flavor. I’ve found that 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder creates a rich chocolatey flavor while also letting the sweetness shine through. Of course, you can add more or less to best fit your tastes.
- Whole Milk: While you can use another type of milk, I get the best results with whole milk or half-and-half. It creates a thick, silky smooth glaze.
- Vanilla: Be careful not to go overboard here! One teaspoon is all you need to add a depth of flavor without competing with the other ingredients.
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How to Make Chocolate Glaze
Feel free to double this easy recipe as needed! The steps remain the same. Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll down to the recipe card for full instructions.
Chef’s Tips & Variations
- Don’t Skip the Sifting: When you sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, you remove clumps. That’s key to getting the smoothest glaze!
- Consistency: If you want a thicker consistency, add more sugar and cocoa. Want to thin it out? Mix in more milk.
- Extra Shine: Like in my homemade chocolate sauce recipe, you can stir in up to a tablespoon of corn syrup for an extra glossy finish.
How to Use Chocolate Glaze
- Donuts: Dunk these easy air fryer donuts, or homemade filled donuts, or mini donut holes for that perfect chocolate donut glaze finish.
- Cakes: Use it as an elegant decoration on top of my best chocolate cake or rich chocolate peanut butter cake!
- Cupcakes: It’s great drizzled over fluffy red velvet cupcakes, fresh strawberry cupcakes, or my best chocolate cupcakes for a triple chocolate cupcake!
- Brownies: Next time you make a batch of my homemade brownie recipe, top them off with this glaze and thank me later.
- Cookies: Dip Danish butter cookies in it or drizzle it over chewy peanut butter cookies.
- Ice Cream: Dress up a plain bowl of ice cream or use it over my easy strawberry ice cream cake!
Test Kitchen Review
Chocolate Glaze
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted for a super smooth glaze
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted for a super smooth glaze
- 3 to 4 tablespoons whole milk, or half and half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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Instructions
- Sift together the sugar and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Don't skip this step, or your glaze will be lumpy!
- Slowly whisk in 3 tablespoons milk and vanilla to make a smooth, pourable glaze. If it’s a little too thick, add a little extra milk – 1 teaspoon at a time – until you reach the desired consistency. Use immediately, as desired!
Notes
- Store: While best used fresh, you can store the glaze in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To avoid it drying out, you can place plastic wrap pressed right on the surface of the glaze.
- Reheat: When ready to use, gently reheat the glaze on the stovetop or in a microwave at low power, stirring frequently to regain its smooth consistency.
Nutrition
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