Maple Donuts

| | |

This post may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure.

Warm maple donuts are a coffeehouse favorite. Tender and fluffy, they feature airy soft middles and a beautiful golden crust. Frosted with a tasty maple donut glaze, these yummy baked treats are perfect for dunking.

📌 Pin Maple Donuts Recipe

Glazed maple donuts sprinkled with pecans stacked on a plate with 2 forks.

A delicious way to embrace the fall season, these desserts are brimming with the flavors of sweet maple syrup, warm cinnamon and vanilla. If you crave a deeper maple flavor, use maple extract instead of vanilla extract.

Because they’re made at home, these maple donuts can be enjoyed immediately while they’re still super fresh. For quality family time in the kitchen, have the kids help glaze the treats and sprinkle them with nuts.

Gold Line: Sprinkles of Inspiration | confettiandbliss.com
Glazed maple donuts served on a parchment paper-lined baking tray with a glass bottle of milk.

👩🏻‍🍳 Why This Recipe Works

  • This maple donut recipe is really easy to make. Even new bakers can successfully make a batch of these delicious treats.
  • These maple donuts are baked, not fried. So there’s no messy oil splatters to deal with in the kitchen.
  • This simple recipe comes together with common pantry staples. You probably have most of the ingredients you’ll need on hand right now.
  • The delicious donut batter bakes up gorgeous fluffy treats that are golden and tender. Just like those you’d buy at a coffeehouse.
  • With the 1 glaze recipe included, you can make 2 types of donut glazes. Luscious thick frosting perfect for spreading, or thinner icing the consistency of the silky sweet glaze used for donut shop maple bars.
  • Sprinkling candied pecans over the maple glaze adds beautiful texture while further amplifying the delicious fall flavor.

👉🏻 HELPFUL TIP: I own several donut pans. For this recipe I experimented with 2 different brands: Wilton donut pans and USA donut pans. The treats made in the USA pans were more beautifully golden and fluffy due to even heat distribution. These pans also released much better than the other brand.

Two maple donuts stacked on a speckled ceramic dessert plate. A bite has been taken out of the donut on top.

🛒 Ingredients

Maple Donuts

  • All-purpose Flour: Provides structure for baked goods. Measure the flour with the fluff/spoon/level method. If you use too much flour the maple donuts will be dense instead of light and fluffy.
  • Granulated Sugar: Adds the ideal amount of sweetness.
  • Baking Powder: It creates a beautiful rise in these cake donuts.
  • Ground Cinnamon: Pairs well with maple syrup and sugar. It has an irresistible aroma and delicious fall flavor. It gives these bakery treats some warmth and spice.
  • Sea Salt: This seasoning enhances the flavor of the other ingredients.
  • Whole Milk: Adds richness and moisture. If you don’t have whole milk on hand, use 2% instead.
  • Maple Syrup: Adds natural sweetness to the batter with warm hints of caramel and vanilla. It’s what makes these cake donuts maple donuts.
  • Butter: Adds moisture and a rich buttery flavor.
  • Large Egg: This is a binding ingredient that helps hold the batter together. It also provides delicious richness and moisture.
  • Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavors of the other ingredients while providing a delicious bakery taste and aroma.
Ingredients for maple donuts recipe.

Maple Donut Glaze

  • Butter: This ingredient is the base for our delicious glaze.
  • Maple Syrup: Gives the frosting a maple flavor.
  • Powdered Sugar: Thickens the glaze or frosting while adding sweetness to the mixture.
  • Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor and aroma of the maple donut glaze. If desired, use maple extract instead.
  • Sea Salt (optional): If the glaze is too sweet, add a tiny pinch of salt to balance out the flavors.
  • Candied Pecans: This ingredient is for garnishing. It adds delicious texture. You can find these nuts at Trader Joe’s. Or try these other great options: roasted salted pecans, walnuts, or macadamia nuts.
Ingredients for maple donut glaze plus candied pecans.

📖 Recipe Steps

Make Maple Donuts

RECIPE PREP: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a donut pan with butter or nonstick baking spray.

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the whole milk, maple syrup, melted butter, egg, and vanilla extract.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and sea salt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
  3. Mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
  4. Transfer donut batter to a piping bag (or a large zip-top bag with one bottom corner cut off). Pipe the batter into the prepared donut pan. Fill each well about 1/2 full.
How to make baked maple donuts in 4 easy steps.
  1. Bake the maple donuts for 16 to 18 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into 2 separate donuts comes out clean. Let them cool a few minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to shed heat.
One dozen freshly-baked maple donuts cooling on a wire rack.

🥣 Make Maple Donut Glaze

NOTE: With the same ingredients you can make luscious thick frosting, or a much thinner maple donut glaze. I break down the ingredient amounts for each consistency in the recipe card at the end of the post.

  1. Using a hand mixer (or stand mixer), cream together the butter and maple syrup – about 1 minute or until well combined.
  2. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Turn the mixer to medium high. Beat for 2 minutes or until the frosting or glaze is light and fluffy.
Maple donut glaze in a clear mixing bowl.

🥄 Apply Glaze & Garnish Donuts

  1. For thick frosting, just swipe it on with a spreader (or use a decorating bag and metal tip). If you chose the silky thin maple glaze, just dip the donuts twice in the glaze.
  2. Finish with a sprinkling of chopped nuts.
One dozen frosted maple donuts on a wire rack.

🧑🏼‍🍳 Recipe FAQ

These are the most commonly-asked questions for making the BEST maple donuts, and the most helpful answers for recipe success.

What flour is best for donuts?

All-purpose flour is the perfect choice for donuts. But you can also use pastry flour instead. When using pastry flour, use 1 cup and 2 tablespoons pastry flour for every 1 cup all-purpose flour.

Do I need to grease a non-stick donut pan?

Yes. This is very important. It provides an extra insurance policy for the easy removal of donuts from the pan. Use butter or non-stick spray.

How to tell when baked donuts are done?

The kitchen will smell fragrant, which is a good indication that the donuts may be done baking. Use a skewer to test the donuts. It should come out clean. And when the treats are golden and done, they’ll spring back when lightly touched.

How to store baked maple donuts?

Arrange the donuts in a parchment paper-lined airtight container. They can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bring them to room temperature before serving.

Three frosted maple doughnuts stacked on a brown speckled plate.

🍩 More Easy Donut Recipes

If you love donuts, you’re in for a real treat. The collection of recipes below are some of the best bake-shop donuts you’ve ever tasted. Save your favorite recipes for later.

Four maple donuts on a parchment paper-lined baking tray.

Rate This Recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Flavor testers rated these the BEST maple donuts. These bakery-quality treats got high marks for their rich, buttery maple flavor and for having a soft tender texture. The thick maple glaze was also a winner.

If you agree this recipe’s a keeper, give it a 5-star rating in the comments. Then be a recipe hero. Share it with friends. 📌 Pin it to Pinterest.

Gold Line: Sprinkles of Inspiration | confettiandbliss.com
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Glazed maple donuts sprinkled with pecans stacked on a plate with 2 forks.

Maple Donuts


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 6 reviews

Save Recipe

Description

These maple donuts are fluffy, tender and golden. They feature a delicious maple donut glaze that can be thick like frosting, or silky thin like the glaze on maple bars at a donut shop.


Ingredients

Units Scale

Maple Donuts

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Maple Donut Frosting* (Option 1)

  • 4 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tiny pinch salt – only if needed to tamp down sweetness

Maple Donut Glaze* (Option 2)

  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tiny pinch of salt – only if needed to tamp down sweetness

Optional Garnish

  • 1/2 cup candied pecans (or roasted salted pecans or walnuts), chopped

*FROSTING OR GLAZE: Pick your favorite! The frosting consistency is thick – like the images in the recipe post. It’s for spreading or piping onto the treats. The silky maple glaze is quite a bit thinner, so donuts can be dipped directly into the icing.


Instructions

Maple Donuts

RECIPE PREP: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a donut pan with butter or nonstick baking spray.

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together milk, maple syrup, melted butter, egg, and vanilla. 
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and sea salt.
  3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
  4. Transfer donut batter to a piping bag (or a large zip-top bag with one bottom corner cut off). Pipe the batter into the prepared donut pan. Fill each well about 1/2 full.
  5. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into 2 separate donuts comes out clean. Let them cool a few minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to shed heat.

Maple Donut Glaze

  1. Using a hand mixer (or a stand mixer), cream together the butter and maple syrup – about 1 minute or until well combined.
  2. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Turn the mixer to medium high. Beat for 2 minutes or until the frosting or glaze is light and fluffy. 
  3. If the frosting is thick, swipe it onto the donuts with a spreader, or use a piping bag (with or without a metal tip). If the maple glaze is thin, just dip each donut into the icing. 

Frost Donuts & Garnish

  1. For thick frosting, just swipe it on with a spreader (or use a decorating bag and metal tip). If you chose the silky thin maple glaze, just dip the donuts in the glaze twice.
  2. Finish with a sprinkling of chopped nuts.

Notes

Do I need to grease a non-stick donut pan? Yes. This is very important. It provides an extra insurance policy for easy removal of the donuts from the pan.

  • Prep Time: 10 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 Minutes
  • Category: Donuts
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American
Gold Line: Sprinkles of Inspiration | confettiandbliss.com

Maple Donuts 👉🏻 Join the Conversation

Do you enjoy making homemade donuts? Do you prefer them baked or fried? In the comments, share your thoughts on this easy maple donuts recipe.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

6 Comments

  1. My daughter and her friend were craving donuts so they looked up recipes and found this one. The donuts are quick and easy to make and so delicious. They used the thinner version of the frosting. We’re thrilled with the way they turned out.