I first shared this recipe on Real Housemoms as a contributor. ‘Tis the season for Maple Donuts! These soft and airy yeast donuts are a fun yummy treat to make with the family this fall and winter.
Fried yeast donuts are the best, especially these Maple Donuts! If you have never made your own, you’re in for a delicious treat! These are so light and airy with a beautiful golden crust and then are finished off with a silky sweet maple frosting.
Fall is the perfect time to make all the yummy treats. For more delicious autumn desserts, try my Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars, Pumpkin Sheet Cake, and Dutch Apple Pie.
MAPLE DONUTS
Yes, yeast donuts take a little work and patience but they are well worth it, especially hot and fresh! Way better than baked donuts (which are really just muffins in a different shape).
HOW TO MAKE YEAST DONUTS:
Time needed: 3 hours and 40 minutes
These Maple Donuts are light, airy, and perfectly golden. The silky smooth maple frosting is addicting and the perfect complement to the fried fluffy bread.
- Mix dry ingredient
Mix dry ingredients together in a the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment. Add the liquid ingredients and mix until well combined. Cover with a towel and let it rest for 8 minutes.
- Knead & rise
Knead the dough on medium speed for about 5 minutes until a soft smooth dough forms. Place dough in a greased bowl and then turn it so the top of the dough is wet with oil. Cover the bowl with a lid or towel and let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until double in bulk.
- Roll and cut
Punch the dough down and empty onto a floured surface and roll out to about 1/3 inch thick and use a biscuit cutter 2 1/2 to 3 inches wide to cut out donuts. Knead scraps together and roll out again and cut until no longer enough dough. Place on parchment lined baking sheets, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and let rise for 30-60 minutes until almost double in size.
- Fry
Pour oil in a pot until 2 inches deep and heat over medium until 350 degrees F. Fry dough, about 3 at a time until golden and then flip. Should take 30-60 seconds per side. Drain on a paper towel lined baking sheet.
- Frost
Once cooled enough to handle, dip the most rounded side of the the donut in the frosting and then set on cooling rack.
How to Make Maple Frosting:
The frosting is so simple but made different than your typical frosting because you need it to form a dry crust. Don’t worry, it’s still soft and silky smooth underneath.
Instead of grabbing a mixing bowl, take out a small sauce pan and melt the butter with brown sugar, half & half, and corn syrup. The corn syrup helps prevent sugar crystals from forming.
Once the sugar has dissolved you whisk in the maple extract, a little salt, and powdered sugar. It will be thin but you’ll find that after about 1-2 minutes it will start to dry so you’ll need to give the frosting a stir before dipping each donut in. If it starts to get too thick to work with, add a teaspoon of half & half and place it over low heat until smooth and thin again.
FAQS
No! It just takes patience and attention because you have to let the dough rise twice and you need to keep a close watch when the frying dough. Follow the directions and you will have success!
Yes. A chocolate or vanilla version would work or you can toss the fresh hot donuts in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.
I prefer to mush the scraps together and make more full size donuts but you can fry up the donut hole scraps just as you would the donuts. Toss in cinnamon and sugar or powdered sugar when hot or completely coat in frosting.
This depend on how wide your pot is. The wider the pot, the more oil you’ll need for the required 2 inch depth. I recommend getting two 48 ounce containers just in case.
Yes! Once you’re done, let it cool completely and let all the crumbs fall to the bottom. Pour through a mesh strainer in an airtight container and label (you can pour it back into its jar, just don’t mix used and unused oil). Stop pouring when the little bits get close to coming out. You don’t want these in the oil the next time you cook because they will burn and alter the flavor of the oil.
You can use this oil for frying anything. I would not recommend using oil you used to make fried fish to then make donuts.
Use within 1-2 months.
For things with batter, you can reuse 3 to 4 times.
For clean frying items like potatoes, you can reuse up to 8 times.
If the oil smells at all rancid or off, throw it out.
A neutral flavor oil with a high smoke point should be used. Canola oil, vegetable oil, corn oil, peanut oil, and sunflower are all good choices for deep frying.
TOOLS USED TO MAKE MAPLE DONUTS:
- Stainless Steel Deep Fryer– If you plan to make a lot of fried food, this makes regulating the temperature and removing the food so much easier.
- Pot & Skillet Set– These are the skillets and pots I use. They have a heavy bottom making them sturdy and cook the food evenly. I use the largest pot for deep frying.
- Deep Fry Thermometer– The clips to the side of your pot for easy temperature reading while cooking. It’s also great to use for candy making.
LOOKING FOR MORE FALL TREATS? CHECK OUT THESE:
- Spiced Apple Cupcakes
- Homemade Caramel Apples
- Pecan Maple Cookies
- Nutella Swirl Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting
Maple Donuts
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- vegetable oil, for frying
For the Frosting:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, light or dark
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3 tablespoons half & half cream
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
For the Dough:
- Mix dry ingredients together in a the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment. Add the liquid ingredients and mix until well combined. Cover with a towel and let it rest for 8 minutes.
- Knead the dough on medium speed for about 5 minutes until a soft smooth dough forms. Place dough in a greased bowl and then turn it so the top of the dough is wet with oil. Cover the bowl with a lid or towel and let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until double in bulk.
- Punch the dough down and empty onto a floured surface and roll out to about 1/3 inch thick and use a biscuit cutter 2 1/2 to 3 inches wide to cut out donuts. Knead scraps together and roll out again and cut until no longer enough dough. Place on parchment lined baking sheets, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and let rise for 30-60 minutes until almost double in size.
- Pour oil in a pot until 2 inches deep and heat over medium until 350 degrees F. Fry dough, about 3 at a time until golden and then flip. Should take 30-60 seconds per side. Drain on a paper towel lined baking sheet.
- Once cooled enough to handle, dip the most rounded side of the the donut in the frosting and then set on cooling rack.
For the Frosting:
- In a small sauce pan, heat butter, brown sugar, half & half, and corn syrup over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, Turn to low and whisk in maple extract, salt, and 1/2 cup powdered sugar at a time until smooth. Remove from heat.
- Frosting does start to dry and harden which is what you want but just give it a quick stir before you dip each donut. If it starts to get too thick, set the pan back over low heat and whisk in a teaspoon more of half & half.
Hi! We are not allowed to eat fried foods in our family. Can I bake these? And at what temperature, etc?
Thank you!
Tina