Maple Glazed Donuts
There is nothing better than a warm, homemade donut. Add a maple glaze on top and suddenly you’ve got a fancy great made right in your own kitchen. These Maple Glazed Donuts are soft, fluffy, and just the right amount of sweet. Perfect for parties, lazy weekend mornings, or whenever you want to wow your guests (or just treat yourself).
How to Make Maple Glazed Donuts
Ingredients:
For the Donuts:
For the Maple Glaze:
Optional Topping:
Steps to Make Homemade Donuts
Step 1: Wake Up the Yeast
In a small bowl, mix together the warm milk, warm water, and yeast. Let it sit for about 5–10 minutes until it looks foamy and bubbly on top.
Step 2: Mix the Dry Stuff
In a large bowl, whisk together your flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon.
Step 3: Combine Wet & Dry
Add the softened butter, eggs, vanilla, and your foamy yeast mixture to the flour mix. Stir until everything starts to come together into a shaggy dough. (Don’t worry, it won’t look perfect yet.)
Step 4: Knead That Dough
On a lightly floured surface, knead for about 8 minutes, or pop it into a stand mixer with a dough hook and let it do the work for 5–6 minutes. The dough should be soft, smooth, and elastic.
Step 5: First Rise
Place your dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover it with a clean towel, and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until it doubles in size.
Shape & Fry
Step 6: Roll It Out
Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a floured surface and gently roll it to about ½ inch thick.
Step 7: Cut the Donuts
Use a donut cutter if you have one, or get creative with a large glass and a smaller cutter (even a bottle cap works) for the hole in the middle. Place the cut donuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 8: Second Rise
Cover them loosely and let them rest for another 30–40 minutes. They’ll puff up beautifully.
Step 9: Time to Fry!
In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat your oil to 350°F (177°C). Gently drop in 2–3 donuts at a time. Fry for 1–2 minutes per side until golden brown. Keep a close eye on them, they cook quickly!
Use a slotted spoon to lift them out and let them drain on a wire rack lined with paper towels.
Maple Glaze Magic
Step 10: Make the Glaze
In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, maple syrup, milk (or cream), vanilla, and a pinch of salt. The glaze should be silky and pourable. Too thick? Add a touch more milk. Too thin? A little more powdered sugar will do the trick.
Glaze & Finish
Step 11: Dip & Decorate
While your donuts are still slightly warm (not hot), dip the tops into the maple glaze. Place them back on the wire rack to set.
Feeling fancy? Sprinkle chopped toasted pecans on top for a little crunch. Want that salty-sweet vibe? Add a few flakes of sea salt.
Tips
- Yeast Tip: If your yeast doesn’t foam up in step 1, it may be expired or your water was too hot. Try again with fresh yeast and warm, not hot, liquid.
- Make Ahead: You can prep the dough the night before! Let it do the first rise, then pop it in the fridge. Bring to room temp before rolling out the next day.
- No donut cutter? No problem. Use what you’ve got on hand, creativity counts in the kitchen!
Perfect for Parties
These maple glazed donuts are a guaranteed hit for birthdays, brunches, bake sales, or even as a sweet morning treat on a Fall day. They look impressive, taste amazing, and you made them from scratch, how cool is that?
Check Out More Donut Recipes
Maple Glazed Donuts
Ingredients
For the Donuts:
- 3 ½ cups 440g all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 2 ¼ tsp 1 packet active dry yeast
- ½ cup 120ml warm whole milk (about 110°F / 43°C)
- 2 tbsp 30ml warm water (about 110°F / 43°C)
- ¼ cup 50g granulated sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup 60g unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups vegetable oil for frying
For the Maple Glaze:
- 1 ½ cups 180g powdered sugar
- ¼ cup 60ml pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp 30ml whole milk or heavy cream
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Optional Topping:
- ½ cup chopped toasted pecans
- ½ tsp flaky sea salt for a sweet-n-salty twist
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the warm milk, warm water, and yeast. Let it sit for about 5–10 minutes until it looks foamy and bubbly on top.
- In a large bowl, whisk together your flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon.
- Add the softened butter, eggs, vanilla, and your foamy yeast mixture to the flour mix. Stir until everything starts to come together into a shaggy dough. (Don’t worry, it won’t look perfect yet.)
- On a lightly floured surface, knead for about 8 minutes, or pop it into a stand mixer with a dough hook and let it do the work for 5–6 minutes. The dough should be soft, smooth, and elastic.
- Place your dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover it with a clean towel, and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until it doubles in size.
Shape & Fry
- Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a floured surface and gently roll it to about ½ inch thick.
- Use a donut cutter if you have one, or get creative with a large glass and a smaller cutter (even a bottle cap works) for the hole in the middle. Place the cut donuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Cover them loosely and let them rest for another 30–40 minutes. They’ll puff up beautifully.
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat your oil to 350°F (177°C). Gently drop in 2–3 donuts at a time. Fry for 1–2 minutes per side until golden brown. Keep a close eye on them, they cook quickly!
- Use a slotted spoon to lift them out and let them drain on a wire rack lined with paper towels.
Maple Glaze Magic
- In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, maple syrup, milk (or cream), vanilla, and a pinch of salt. The glaze should be silky and pourable. Too thick? Add a touch more milk. Too thin? A little more powdered sugar will do the trick.
- While your donuts are still slightly warm (not hot), dip the tops into the maple glaze. Place them back on the wire rack to set.
- Feeling fancy? Sprinkle chopped toasted pecans on top for a little crunch. Want that salty-sweet vibe? Add a few flakes of sea salt.
