Maple Donut Bars (Printable View)

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

# What You’ll 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

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). 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.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk melted butter, whole milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and maple syrup until smooth.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently fold together with a spatula until just combined—do not overmix.
05 - Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
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.
08 - Meanwhile, prepare the glaze: 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.
10 - If desired, drizzle extra maple syrup for added sweetness and presentation.
11 - Allow glaze to set for 10–15 minutes, then slice into bars.

# Best Practices:

01 -
  • The texture is somewhere between cake and donut, which means you can call it breakfast and nobody can prove you wrong
  • The glaze sets beautifully but stays soft enough that each bite feels like a little maple cloud melting in your mouth
02 -
  • Overmixing is the enemy here, so stop folding as soon as the flour disappears into the batter
  • These must be completely cool before glazing or the maple frosting will slide right off onto your counter
03 -
  • Real maple syrup makes all the difference here, so splurge for the good stuff if you can
  • Letting the glaze sit for a few minutes before drizzling gives it better viscosity for those perfect lines
Go Back