Sourdough Halloween Dessert – Monster Donuts  

Ring in spooky season with this not-so-scary sourdough halloween dessert: featuring monster donuts. Topped with candy googly eyes and a cream cheese drizzle, these double chocolate sourdough donuts are a Halloween delight.

If you are looking for a sourdough Halloween dessert (without pumpkin spice), look no further! We had a blast creating these sourdough double chocolate donuts. Inspired by the fun monster characters in Disney’s ‘Monsters Inc.’ and ‘Monsters at Work’, these sourdough monster donuts will be loved by all.

Our family has been loving the spin off series of the original ‘Monsters Inc.’ movie called ‘Monsters at Work’. The show is all about making kids laugh and the show does just that.

These sourdough Halloween donuts would be perfect for any party this fall season- Halloween party, school fall parties and any celebration with themes of spiders, witches, ghosts, skeletons or monsters.

The design, including the googly eyes, frosting and even a chocolate topper (I.E. Spiders) are all customizable to what you have on hand. Pair them with sourdough pumpkin sugar cookies (a Pillsbury copycat recipe) and sourdough cinnamon rolls for a delightful fall dessert platter!

Ingredients 

There are a few ingredients needed to make this sourdough halloween dessert.

• All purpose flour (or gluten free flour)
  • We use organic, unbleached flour. Can use spelt flour, oat flour, whole wheat flour, bread flour, rye flour, and gluten free flour within this recipe. Changes in the flour will produce a donut with a different texture.
• Sourdough starter
  • Use active sourdough starter or sourdough discard within this recipe.
• White Sugar
• Egg (optional)
  • Can make egg free and will result in shorter (smaller rise) donuts.
• Butter
  • Swap with salted butter, vegan butter or a neutral tasting oil – like avocado oil or olive oil- if preferred.
• Vanilla Extract
• Milk (1/2 cup)
  • Can swap with dairy free milk or water
• Sea Salt
• Baking Powder
• Cocoa powder
  • For a rich chocolate flavor, we use Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate powder. Not only does it have a stronger flavor, less is used within each recipe. If you use regular cocoa powder, increase the amount of powder used.
• Mini chocolate chips (dark chocolate chips or peanut butter chips are a fun twist!)

Cream Cheese Frosting

• Full fat Cream cheese
  • We like using a block of cream cheese, not the spreadable kind for topping sourdough bagels or toast
• Unsalted Butter
  • Can use salted butter, see notes
• Salt (if using salted butter, do not add)
• Vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar (amount based on desired sweetness)

Donut Topping

• Assorted googly eyes
• Natural food dye (optional)
• Chocolate chips (2T) 
  • For homemade chocolate spiders

Kitchen Tools

Mix these double chocolate sourdough donuts by hand, with a stand mixer(paddle attachment) or hand mixer. Other helpful kitchen tools include:

• Donut Pan (These are silicone and these are non stick)
• Sheet Pan/baking sheet
• Stackable Cooling Racks (wire rack)
• Large bowl
• Cookie sheet (for catching frosting while drying)
• Reusable Plastic Bags (instead of a ziplock bag) (for storage)

How to make double chocolate sourdough donuts 

The first step to create this sourdough donut recipe is to feed your starter. This recipe can use active starter or sourdough discard.

Stir and Go method

To stir and go – add all ingredients together in a mixing bowl and bake.

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine butter (or oil) and sugar together. Add the egg, sourdough starter, milk (or water), and vanilla extract.

To the wet ingredients, add in the flour, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, baking powder, salt. Mix until combined.

Grease the donut pan and add the mixture into each spot in the pan. Use a bag to pipe the mixture in, an ice cream or cookie dough scoop or even a spoon.

Fill the donut pan 3/4 of the way full. Bake 15-20 minutes until tops are firm to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean.

Once the donuts have cooked, place on a cooling rack. Cool completely, frost and decorate as desired.

Long Fermentation Sourdough Donuts

Similar to our sourdough lemon poppyseed donut recipe, these double chocolate sourdough donuts can be long fermented. To enjoy long fermented sourdough donuts, mix the milk, butter, flour and sourdough starter together.

Cover with plastic wrap and place on the counter for 4-12 hours. This fermentation process will reduce the phytic acid and gluten within the recipe, increasing the health benefits. Place in the refrigerator for a bulk fermentation period for up to 2 days, if desired.

When ready to bake, remove the flour sourdough mixture from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. Crumble the flour / sourdough mixture into a mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients and mix until combined.

Some small pieces are ok! If the mixture will not blend and there are big lumps, heat the mixture on a double boiler for a moment until it comes together.

How to decorate Halloween sourdough donuts 

Making the Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting

To make the homemade cream cheese frosting, using a hand mixer, combine room temperature butter and cream cheese until well combined. Frosting will turn lighter in color as it is whipped.

Add in vanilla extract, salt (optional) and powdered sugar. Stir on low to begin and increase speed until light and fluffy. See next steps below on how to add food coloring as desired for toppings. 

The toppings for these sourdough discard chocolate donuts are highly customizable. They can be left bare or coated in frosting. We chose frosting, googly eyes and chocolate spiders. 

To make the frosting, choose your colors of choice. Use separate bowls if making different colors. 

Add drops of food dye into your frosting and stir until well combined. We use a natural food dye, therefore we needed more to achieve a bold color.  

To intensify color even more, put the frosting in the microwave for 5-10 seconds. Stir each time it comes out of the microwave. Once desired color is reached, place in the fridge until solidified. Using a hand mixer, beat until light and fluffy.

Thin with milk or heavy cream until desired consistency is reached. By thinning the frosting it can even be shaken over top of the donuts to create a mummy donut look with a wire whisk. 

Dip the donuts in to cover them completely. Add googly eyes if desired.

How to make chocolate spiders 

To make this sourdough halloween dessert extra creepy – add chocolate spiders. These are a great way to enjoy a sweet treat for any time of year.

Start my melting 2-3 Tablespoons of chocolate chips in the microwave or stovetop. Stir the chocolate chips chocolate every 30 seconds to prevent burning. 

Once the chocolate is melted, use a spoon to spread a dollop of chocolate chips onto wax paper (or parchment paper)- creating the body. Use the end of a fork, a chopstick or a toothpick to drag out the corners – creating eight spider legs. 

For best results, place the melted chocolate spiders in the fridge or freezer until cooled. Remove from wax paper and place on top of sourdough chocolate donuts. The chocolate will not melt at room temperature once hardened. 

Storage

Store the donuts on the countertop for up to 3 days. Place in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 weeks. Frosting may sink into donuts a little bit as they sit (though they are still delicious treats!). 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can this recipe be made in advance?

These donuts can be made in advance. Because the frosting is thin in texture, it may sink into the donuts a bit after sitting for more than 2 days.

Did you grow up watching any of the ‘Monsters Inc.’ movies?  After having kids this movie has became a favorite of ours! We love Sully and of course, Boo. Let us know your favorite character in the comments below.