Maple Donut Bars (Printable)

Soft, fluffy bars with sweet maple glaze perfect for breakfast or brunch.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
06 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

→ Wet Ingredients

07 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
08 - 1 cup whole milk
09 - 2 large eggs
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
11 - 1/2 cup maple syrup

→ Maple Glaze

12 - 1 cup powdered sugar
13 - 1-2 tablespoons milk
14 - 2 tablespoons maple syrup

→ For Serving (Optional)

15 - Extra maple syrup for drizzling

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan or line with parchment paper.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well blended.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk melted butter, whole milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and maple syrup until smooth and fully incorporated.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently fold together with a spatula until just combined—do not overmix to maintain tender texture.
05 - Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
06 - Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the edges are lightly golden.
07 - Allow the bars to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
08 - Whisk together powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon milk until smooth. Add more milk as needed to reach a thick but pourable consistency. Stir in maple syrup for flavor.
09 - Once the bars are completely cool, drizzle the maple glaze evenly over the top. If desired, drizzle extra maple syrup for added sweetness and presentation.
10 - Allow glaze to set for 10–15 minutes, then slice into 12–16 bars.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The texture is impossibly light, like biting into a cloud that tastes like breakfast
  • That maple glaze sets just enough so your fingers dont get completely messy
  • They come together faster than you can preheat the oven
02 -
  • Wait for bars to cool completely before glazing or it will melt right off
  • Overmixing creates tough bars so stop as soon as flour disappears
  • The glaze should coat a spoon but still drip off slowly
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients blend more smoothly and create better texture
  • Use real maple syrup, imitation just doesnt have the same depth
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