Description
Soft, fluffy homemade maple glazed donuts that taste even better than your favorite bakery! These yeast donuts are fried to golden perfection and coated in a sweet, authentic maple glaze made with real maple syrup. Perfect for weekend breakfasts or special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Donuts:
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 packet (2 ¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup whole milk, warmed to 110°F
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Vegetable oil for frying (about 8 cups)
For the Maple Glaze:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Activate the yeast: In your stand mixer bowl or large mixing bowl, combine the warm milk (make sure it’s between 105-110°F), sugar, and yeast. Stir gently and let sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy and bubbly. This means your yeast is alive and ready to work its magic.
- Mix the wet ingredients: Once the yeast is foamy, add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract to the bowl. Whisk together until well combined and smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients: Add the flour and salt to the wet mixture. If using a stand mixer, attach the dough hook and mix on low speed for about 5-7 minutes until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. If mixing by hand, stir with a wooden spoon until combined, then turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- First rise: Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning once to coat all sides. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size. The dough should be puffy and soft.
- Roll and cut: Once risen, punch down the dough gently to release air bubbles. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and roll to about ½-inch thickness. Using your donut cutter or two round cutters, cut out donuts. Gather scraps, re-roll once, and cut more donuts. Save the donut holes!
- Second rise: Place cut donuts on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Cover lightly with a kitchen towel and let rise for 30-45 minutes until puffy and nearly doubled. They should spring back slowly when gently poked.
- Heat the oil: While donuts rise, pour oil into your heavy pot to a depth of 2-3 inches. Heat over medium heat to 350-365°F on your thermometer. This temperature is crucial for perfectly cooked donuts.
- Fry the donuts: Carefully slide 2-3 donuts into the hot oil (don’t overcrowd). Fry for about 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown. The donuts will puff up beautifully. Use your spider strainer to flip them and then remove them. Place on a wire rack to cool slightly. Repeat with remaining donuts and donut holes (holes cook faster, about 45 seconds per side).
- Make the glaze: While donuts cool slightly, whisk together powdered sugar, maple syrup, milk, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl until completely smooth. The glaze should be thick but pourable. If too thick, add milk one teaspoon at a time; if too thin, add more powdered sugar.
- Glaze the donuts: Once donuts have cooled for about 5 minutes (still slightly warm but not hot), dip the top of each donut into the maple glaze, letting excess drip off. Place back on the wire rack and let the glaze set for 10-15 minutes. For extra coverage, you can dip them twice!
- Serve and enjoy: Serve these beauties fresh for the best texture and flavor. They’re absolutely incredible while still slightly warm!
Notes
- Oil temperature is critical – too hot and donuts burn outside while staying raw inside; too cool and they absorb too much oil and become greasy.
- Don’t skip the second rise! This is what makes your donuts incredibly light and fluffy.
- Real maple syrup is essential for authentic flavor – don’t substitute pancake syrup.
- Donuts taste best the day they’re made, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- You can add a teaspoon of maple extract to the glaze for even more intense maple flavor.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 donut
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 41g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 40mg