These easy baked Maple donuts are a celebration of all things fall! They are the perfect treat to share at a brunch, breakfast, or at any party during the fall. These cake donuts are made completely from scratch and topped with a scrumptious maple frosting!
Fill your home with amazing fall aromas and bake some pumpkin donuts and apple cider donuts to go along with your maple donuts. I mean, can you really have too many kinds?
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Easy Maple Donut Recipe
Making baked donuts at home is so much fun, especially when there are so many different kinds you can bake at home!
These heavenly cakey donuts are sweetened with pure maple syrup and the cinnamon spice finishes the flavors perfectly. Then, they are topped with delicious homemade maple frosting. The result is a doughnut that rivals your local bakery!
They only take a little more than 15 minutes to bake, and because they’re not deep fried, they are nice and light and don’t create any grease splatter!
Perhaps one of my favorite things about these sweet maple frosted donuts is that they aren’t seasonal. You can sink your teeth into one all year long.
What to Serve with these Maple Doughnuts
Serve these donuts with some sweet and savory breakfast classics. Red velvet sheet pan pancakes are sweet and feed a crowd. Or complement the rich maple donuts with a savory crescent roll breakfast casserole.
If you’re going to serve the donuts for breakfast, add some savory flavors to the table. Spinach quiche muffins are easy to serve and provide essential nutrition.
And to bring out the cinnamon flavors in the donuts, serve them with easy apple scones. They are drizzled with sweet caramel. Then, don’t forget about the coffee! These donuts are perfect with a glass of maple whipped coffee.
Ingredients/shopping list
For the Donuts
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the base of the donuts which needs to be measured just right! Feel free to use cake flour or a gluten free one-to-one flour if desired.
- Granulated Sugar: Sugar sweetens the batter without having to rely completely on syrup for the sweetness.
- Baking Powder: Helps the donuts rise so they are nice and fluffy.
- Ground Cinnamon: This spice adds an earthy spiciness that complements the maple syrup.
- Whole Milk: Gives the donuts much-needed moisture.
- Maple Syrup: Real maple syrup sweetens them perfectly and makes the donuts taste richer.
- Butter: Be sure to melt the butter. This also gives the donuts moisture and a smooth, buttery flavor. I like using unsalted butter.
- Egg: These are the binding agents that hold all the ingredients together.
- Vanilla Extract: This has a beautiful flavor that pairs well with any baked good recipe.
Maple Frosting
- Butter: Creates a creamy texture in the frosting and a melt-in-your-mouth buttery consistency.
- Maple Syrup: Sweeten the buttercream frosting with maple syrup to bring out the maple flavors in the donuts.
- Powdered Sugar: This sweetens the frosting while also making it perfectly fluffy without grittiness.
- Vanilla Extract: This rounds out the flavors with deeper notes.
- Pecans: These are optional but give the donuts a lovely crunch.
Variations/ Substitutions
1. Use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar if desired.
2. Use any kind of milk you prefer or non-dairy milk like oat, almond, or soy milk.
3. Use candied pecans or roasted pecans. Trader Joe’s has wonderful candied pecans if you can find them.
4. Swap the butter for vegetable oil or an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce if you’d like.
5. Crumble cooked bacon over the frosting.
6. Swap the maple syrup for 1 teaspoon of maple extract in the frosting.
7. Turn the frosting into a maple glaze by adding a tablespoon of milk at time until you reach your desired consistency and then dip the donuts in the icing.
How to Make these Homemade Donuts
This recipe doesn’t take any shortcuts, but the donuts are still ready in less than 30 minutes. You can’t go wrong with homemade baked donuts like these!
Make the donuts:
Step 1: In a large bowl, add the milk, maple syrup, melted butter, egg, and vanilla and whisk together thoroughly.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon and whisk together well.
Step 3: Then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until barely combined. Be careful not to over-mix, or the donuts will be more dense.
Step 4: Pour the donut batter into a plastic zip baggie or in a piping bag and cut off the tip. Carefully pipe the batter into the greased donut pan filling each about ½ full.
Step 5: Bake for 16-18 minutes until golden brown or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a donut comes out clean. Remove from the oven and transfer them to a wire cooling rack to allow the donuts to cool completely before glazing.
Make the frosting
Step 6: Add the butter, maple syrup, and cream together for about a minute in a medium bowl. Then, add the powdered sugar in batches and mix in quickly. Add in the vanilla extract and beat on medium-high for about 2-3 minutes until it becomes fluffy.
Step 7: Spread or pipe the frosting onto the cooled donuts. Sprinkle the tops with chopped pecans or walnuts if desired.
Tips
- Bring the donuts to room temperature before serving. They’ll need to be cooled before frosting anyway.
- Be sure to measure the flour carefully using the spoon and level method or use a kitchen scale for accuracy. Adding too much flour will make the donuts turn out dry.
- Bring the butter to room temperature by sitting it out for about 30 minutes before.
FAQ’s
Yes, you can make the donuts in advance! Either store them for up to three days or freeze the donuts for up to 2-3 months without the frosting. Defrost in the refrigerator and then make the frosting before serving.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
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Maple Donuts Recipe
Ingredients
For the Donuts
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Maple Frosting
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup pecans chopped, optional
Instructions
Make the Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 350° F and grease a donut pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, add the milk, maple syrup, melted butter, egg, and vanilla and whisk together thoroughly.
- In a separate bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon and whisk together well.
- Then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just barley combined. Be careful not to over-mix or the donuts will be more dense.
- Pour the donut batter into a plastic zip baggie or in a piping bag and but the tip off.
- Carefully pipe the batter into the greased donut pan filling each about ½ full.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a donut comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before glazing.
Make the Maple Frosting
- In a medium bowl, add the butter and maple syrup and cream together for about a minute with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Then add in the powdered sugar in batches and mix in on low speed.
- Add in the vanilla extract and beat on medium-high for about 2 minutes until it becomes fluffy.
- Spread or pipe the frosting onto the cooled donuts.
- Sprinkle the tops with chopped pecans or walnuts if desired.
Notes
Bring to room temperature before serving. Use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar if desired. Use any kind of milk you prefer or a non-dairy milk like oat milk, almond milk or soy milk as well. Use candied pecans or roasted pecans. Trader Joe’s has wonderful candied pecans if you can find them. Be sure to measure the flour carefully using the spoon and level method or use a kitchen scale for accuracy. Adding too much flour will make the donuts turn out dry. Make sure the butter is at room temperature. Sitting it out for about 30 minutes before using is usually enough.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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Gene M Reams
Sounds Delicious could you make Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts? .
Sherri
Yes! Here you go! Enjoy!! https://www.tosimplyinspire.com/baked-pumpkin-donuts.html