Maple Donut Bars From Scratch
These homemade maple donut bars are so soft, buttery, and moist! They are made from scratch so you know it's going to be good!
Servings 12 maple bars
Calories 500kcal
Ingredients
For the donuts
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 3/4 cup warm milk
- 2 tsp dry active yeast
- 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 5 large eggs
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
For the maple glaze
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3 TBSP milk
- 1 TBSP corn syrup
- 2 tsp maple extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Froth up the yeast
- Combine 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees Fahrenheit), 3/4 cup warm milk along with 1 tbsp sugar and 2 tsp yeast. Give it a quick whisk and wait till it gets foamy. About 10 minutes.
Combine everything in a stand mixer
- In the bowl of a stand mixer add 5 1/2 cups of flour(spooned and leveled off with a knife) , 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup sugar, the frothy yeast mixture, and 5 large eggs. Using the hook attachment, mix everything together on medium-high speed.
- When the donut dough begins to come together add 1/2 cup of softened unsalted butter. Continue mixing on medium-high speed for about 8 minutes or until the dough becomes smooth and elastic and no longer sticks to the sides of the stand mixer.
Let the dough rise
- Place the donut dough in a greased bowl and cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Then let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until it doubles in size. ( I like to speed it up in the oven on the “proof” setting).
Punch and proof a second time
- After the dough rises punch it down, reshape it, and let it rise again until it becomes twice the size (about an hour),
Roll, cut, and proof the donuts again
- Now remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a well-floured surface. Dust some more flour on top and roll it out using a rolling pin. You want the dough to be about a 3/4 inch thick rectangle. (About 15x17 inches)
- Now cut out the 12 donut bars using a pizza cutter and place them on a baking sheet dusted with flour. Then let them rise for about 30 more minutes.
Fry the donuts
- Pour about 2 inches of corn or vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot and let the oil come to 360-375 degrees Fahrenheit (I used this instant-read thermometer). Now fry each side of the donut for a few minutes per side or until golden brown.
- Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to absorb any extra oil. Let them cool completely.
Make the maple glaze and dip
- To make the glaze melt 1/4 cup unsalted butter in a saucepan. Then add 1/2 cup brown sugar, 3 TBSP milk, and 1 TBSP corn syrup. Turn the heat to medium and let it come to a simmer.
- Then turn the heat off and add 2 tsp of maple extract and 2 cups of powdered sugar. Stir until smooth.
- Then dip the cooled donuts into the maple glaze and let them set on a cooling rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Serving: 1maple bar | Calories: 500kcal | Carbohydrates: 84g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 139mg | Potassium: 130mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 484IU | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 3mg