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Elf on the shelf sitting with elf donuts
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5 from 1 vote

Elf Donuts

Elf Donuts are fun to make and leave out for your "Elf on the Shelf" and all of Santa's elves this Christmas season.
Prep Time40 minutes
Chill/Resting time1 hour
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: elf on the shelf donuts, elf donuts, christmas recipe
Servings: 40 Elf Donuts
Author: Jeannie

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Cheerios, plain
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar, with a little extra for sprinkling
  • ¾ teaspoon milk
  • ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • small sprinkles

Instructions

For the powdered sugar donuts:

  • Combine the powdered sugar and milk in a bowl until it makes a frosting consistency.
  • Place a small amount of Cheerios at a time into the frosting.
  • Cover them completely with the powdered sugar, flipping them over a couple of times with toothpick.
  • Take each Cheerio out individually using a toothpick and allow excess frosting to drip off.
  • Place the Cheerios onto working area covered with parchment paper.
  • Sprinkle them with either powdered sugar or sprinkles.
  • Set them aside to dry, about an hour.

For the chocolate donuts:

  • Melt the chocolate chips either on the stovetop on low to medium heat or in the microwave, stirring often until chocolate is smooth.
  • Place a small amount of Cheerios into the melted chocolate and flip them over a couple of times, using a toothpick, to completely cover them in the chocolate.
  • Take each Cheerio out individually using a toothpick and let the excess chocolate drip off.
  • Place the Cheerios onto a baking sheet or large plate covered with parchment paper or foil.
  • Cover the donuts with sprinkles or leave them as they are.
  • Chill them in the refrigerator until the chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.

Notes

Cover your baking sheet or work area with parchment paper for easy clean up.
Place the chocolate donuts on a covered baking sheet so they can be transferred to the refrigerator to set easily.
Melting the chocolate chips:
If using a microwave, pour the chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl.  Heat for 45 seconds and stir.  If more time is needed, heat at 15 seconds, stirring after each one until the chocolate is creamy.
If using the stovetop, pour the chocolate chips into a pot and heat them on low to medium heat, stirring often.  When you see just a little bit of chocolate chips in the pot, turn off the heat and stir. 
The melted chocolate should be creamy.  Make sure not to overheat it as it will be clumpy and will not work for the recipe.
How many Elf Donuts you make depends on how many you would like to make.  When I make them in my house, we make about 40 for each one.