maple donuts on parchment paper

These baked maple donuts with crumb topping are as delightful as a crisp-cool, sunny fall day with knit sweaters and brightly colored leaves — except with these donuts, you get to eat them for breakfast, snacktime or dessert any time of year (preferably with a mug of hot coffee or apple cider). Cozy up to one of these decadent cake donuts for a maple-flavored treat you’ll absolutely fall for (get it?).


baked maple donuts on parchment paper

Baked Maple Donuts

I have journeyed long and far to find the perfect baked donut, and my friends, today is the day I get to share what is my best donut recipe to date. These maple donuts are perfectly dense and cakey like a classic fried donut but they’re baked in the oven — meaning no hot oil, no mess, no careful monitoring of temperatures, just pure decadent donut bliss.

But it gets better — because not only is the base of these donuts exactly as a donut should be, but they’re also topped with a double-dose of goodness from a maple-infused glaze and a sweet crumb topping. Cue the heavenly choir of angels and the Carlton dance at the same time.

baked maple donuts on parchment paper with a bite taken out of one

How to Make Maple Donuts

But how do you make such a delicious baked donut, after all? Lemme tell ya. It all comes down to a basic principle: Treat baked donuts like mini cakes. Creaming the butter and sugar together, then stirring in the flour and milk alternately (as you would a cake), plus an added boost from both baking powder and baking soda gives these donuts their texture, which is equal parts fluffy and dense, tender and sturdy. It’s really that simple!

Adding a touch of warm spice and a dash of concentrated extract give these donuts their mild maple flavor, which is then leveled up with a maple-flavored glaze. Once the donuts are dunked in the glaze, give them another dip in a cinnamon-brown sugar crumb topping that, once paired with the cakey donut base, results in a sweet medley of textures that proves donuts can bring about world peace. Can you tell yet that I’m in love with these donuts? Because, spoiler alert: I’m in love with these donuts. One bite, and I believe you will be, too.

close-up shot of maple donut with bite taken out of it

Tips for the Best Baked Donuts

As always, I want to share a few tips for your very best donut baking times:

1) As is the case with cake batter, be sure to mix ingredients together until they’re just combined — no overmixing here, which can result in a tougher texture.

2) Don’t overbake the donuts, either — 12 minutes, tops. You can tell they’re baked through when you press down the tops and they give slightly, but rise back up. You can also insert a toothpick in the thickest part of the donut; it should come out mostly clean (maybe just a few crumbs) when the donuts are baked.

3) You can skip the crumb topping if you want and just go with the maple glaze! You could also place the baked, uncoated donuts in a bag and shake them up with cinnamon-sugar or powdered sugar. But honestly, I’d just go big or go home here and go with the double topping in the recipe. We are here to make the best donuts ever, after all.

overhead shot of maple donuts on parchment paper

Breakfast, snacktime or dessert — there is no wrong time or season to enjoy these delightful maple donuts.

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maple donuts on parchment paper

Maple Donuts with Crumb Topping

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Stephanie
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6 donuts 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Dense and flavorful baked maple-flavored donuts with a sweet crumb cake topping and maple glaze. The perfect fall breakfast or snack (paired with a cup of coffee or a mug of hot apple cider, of course).

Scale

Ingredients

For the donuts:

  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon maple extract or vanilla
  • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup milk

For the crumb topping:

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

For the maple glaze:

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon maple extract or vanilla
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons milk

Instructions

  1. Make the donuts: Heat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease 6 standard-size cavities of a donut pan.
  2. In a medium bowl with an electric hand mixer on medium speed, beat 2 tablespoons butter, oil, sugar and 3 tablespoons brown sugar until smooth. Beat in egg until just incorporated.
  3. Use a spatula to stir in baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon maple extract until just combined. Stir 1 1/3 cups flour into butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour and making sure mixture is smooth and combined after each addition (batter will be thick).
  4. Spoon or pipe batter into prepared donut pan. Bake donuts 10 to 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in thickest part of one donut comes out clean. Cool donuts in pan 5 minutes, then turn out onto cooling rack to cool completely.
  5. Meanwhile, make the crumb topping: In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Stir in 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon salt until combined. Stir in 3/4 cup flour until combined. Continue to cook and stir over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes or until mixture is lightly browned and well combined (mixture will look like wet sand). Remove from heat; set aside to cool.
  6. Make the maple glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon maple extract and 2 tablespoons milk until a smooth and slightly drippy glaze forms (add remaining 1-2 tablespoons milk to thin out glaze, if needed).
  7. Dip tops of donuts in glaze; allow some glaze to drip off donuts. Dip glazed donuts in crumb topping, pressing crumbs slightly to adhere to donuts. Return to cooling rack, crumb topping side-up, to set.
  8. If desired, drizzle any excess maple glaze over crumb-topped donuts. Donuts are best served the day they are made, but can be stored in an airtight covered container at room temperature up to 2 days.

Notes

  • I use this donut pan from Nordic Ware and I love it! Highly recommend.
  • If you want to skip the maple extract, these donuts taste great with vanilla instead. I would not recommend swapping the maple extract for maple syrup, as the concentration of flavor is not the same.

Keywords: baked donuts, maple baked donuts, crumb cake donuts, maple glazed donuts, maple cake donuts

For your maple-loving needs:
Maple Cornbread Waffles
Bourbon Maple Peanut Butter Cup Milkshakes
Maple Vanilla Cream Stuffed Chai Doughnuts
Candied Bacon Maple Walnut Ice Cream
Pecan Pumpkin Pie with Bourbon Maple Whipped Cream