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October 21, 2015

Maple Bacon Donuts

If you love sweet and salty these Maple Bacon Donuts are a must try!!! Baked, not fried, and ready in 20 minutes.

Baked Maple Bacon Donuts

Happy Wednesday! We’re making donuts today. And not just any donuts… maple bacon donuts! The perfect sweet and salty sugar rush to get us through the afternoon.

If you love sweet and salty these Maple Bacon Donuts are a must try!!! Baked, not fried, and ready in 20 minutes.

I know it’s only October, but can I tell you a little secret? I’m already thinking about the holidays. We have a lot of holiday traditions in our family, but by far, my favorite of them all is Christmas Day brunch. Endless eggnog pancakes, mimosas with mom, and an afternoon of goofing off with my brothers… it’s the best.

↑ Did I mention I’m the one who cooks said brunch every year? It’s equal parts fun and crazy, but I love every moment of it. This year the menu will consist of our standard spread (sausage, bacon, eggs, pancakes, bagels, lox, whitefish, and fruit salad) and one very special dessert: maple bacon donuts! Seriously, doesn’t the combination of maple and bacon just scream BRUNCH? I know my family is going to go nuts over these babies.

If you love sweet and salty these Maple Bacon Donuts are a must try!!! Baked, not fried, and ready in 20 minutes.

Alright so let’s get down to details. I’m bonkers for bacon and mad for maple, so I’m not sure why it took me so long to dream up the delicious idea of combing the two. For the donut base you’re going to need flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, milk, butter, bacon, and bacon grease. If you’ve never baked with bacon grease before, don’t worry! You’re only going to use 1 tablespoon for this recipe, and you’ll have plenty leftover from frying the bacon, so simply scoop a tablespoon out of the pan before discarding it. Using a combination of butter and bacon grease for the fat in this recipe allows the bacon flavor to really shine through, without being overwhelming.

Bonus: these donuts are baked – not fried. So in the grand scheme of donuts, they’re on the healthier side. ← All about balance, right? If you’re in the market for a donut pan and don’t know where to start, here is the one I have been baking with for the past few years. It’s considerably affordable and very good quality!

If you love sweet and salty these Maple Bacon Donuts are a must try!!! Baked, not fried, and ready in 20 minutes.

Let’s talk about the glaze. It’s sweet, rich in maple flavor, and just begging to get topped with a sprinkle of crispy bacon bits. To make this maple glaze you’ll need confectioners’ sugar, milk, a pinch of salt, maple syrup, and pure maple extract. This is the pure maple extract I have at home and I really love the clean maple flavor it adds to baked goodies. If you cannot find maple extract, vanilla extract will work as a substitute, however the maple flavor will not shine through as much if this change is made.

If you love sweet and salty these Maple Bacon Donuts are a must try!!! Baked, not fried, and ready in 20 minutes.

When it comes time to top your donuts, you have options. You can decorate the top of each donut with crispy bacon crumbs OR simple add a whole slice of bacon right on top. You can also be like me and do both 😉

If you love sweet and salty these Maple Bacon Donuts are a must try!!! Baked, not fried, and ready in 20 minutes.

If you love sweet and salty these Maple Bacon Donuts are a must try!!! Baked, not fried, and ready in 20 minutes.

These are my perfect donuts. They’re soft, fluffy, sweet, salty, and have the most delightful crunch thanks to a sprinkle of crispy bacon, which in my opinion, is the real star of these donuts. They’re easy to make and ready in just 20 minutes. Get ready to fall in love with this recipe!

What are you waiting for? Go bake these donuts!

P.S. This recipe was inspired by this maple bacon donut I ate on vacation in New Orleans. More on that trip coming soon. ♥

These Salted Caramel Turtle Fudge Bars are crunchy, creamy, and chewy! And the best part is they're so easy to make.

If you love sweet and salty these Maple Bacon Donuts are a must try!!! Baked, not fried, and ready in 20 minutes.

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Maple Bacon Donuts

Prep 10 mins

Cook 10 mins

Total 20 mins

Author Ashley Manila

Yield 6 baked donuts

Maple Bacon Donuts are baked - not fried - and ready in just 25 minutes! The ultimate sweet and salty treat.

Ingredients

  • For the donuts:
  • 6 slices bacon, fried until crispy
  • 1 cup and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon bacon grease (just save a tablespoon when you're done frying the bacon)
  • 1/2 cup milk (I used whole, but any type will do)
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • 1 large egg
  • For the Maple Glaze:
  • 2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure maple extract (see post for more information on this)
  • 3 tablespoons milk (I used whole, but any type will do)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
  2. For the donuts:
  3. Generously grease a donut pan; set aside.
  4. Fry bacon in a large skillet over medium-heat until brown and crispy; about 4 minutes per side. Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate and set aside. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon grease and set it aside.
  5. In medium-sized mixing bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder; whisk well to combine (use your fingers to break up any large clumps of brown sugar); set aside.
  6. In a separate medium-sized bowl combine the melted butter, bacon grease, milk, maple syrup, and egg; whisk well until completely combined. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and fold together with a rubber spatula until just combined - don't over mix here.
  7. Spoon the batter into the prepared donut pan OR pour the batter into a ziplock baggie, snip off the end, and pipe the batter into the prepared donut pan. Bake for 10-11 minutes, or until donuts are set and gently spring back when touched. Allow donuts to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
  8. For the maple glaze:
  9. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl; whisk smooth. If the glaze appears too thick, add a little more milk; if the glaze appears too thick, add a little more confectioners' sugar.
  10. Assembly:
  11. Once the donuts are cool enough to handle, dip them in the maple glaze, allowing excess glaze to drip back into the bowl before placing them back on the cooling rack; repeat with all donuts. Decorate wet glaze with bacon bits or a full slice of bacon. Let glaze set a few minutes then serve! These donuts are best eaten the day they are made.

Courses Breakfast

Cuisine Southern

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 baked donut

Amount Per Serving

% Daily Value

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

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Filed Under: Breakfast, Donuts

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tori says

    October 22, 2015 at 9:13 am

    Maple and bacon is hands down one of the best combinations known to man. These have to happen in my kitchen asap!

    Reply
    • Debby says

      October 22, 2015 at 1:29 pm

      There is no bake temp listed?

      Reply
      • bakerbynature says

        October 22, 2015 at 2:26 pm

        Hi Debby! You bake the donuts at 350 degrees (F). It’s the first step in the method, right above the donut instructions. If it’s still not showing up on your end please let me know. Enjoy 🙂

        Reply
  2. Senika @ Foodie Blog Stalker says

    October 23, 2015 at 6:52 pm

    I’ve never made donuts before! That must be remedied!!! I LOVE maple + bacon. In fact, I usually cook my bacon in the oven at 400 for 20 minutes with a brushing of maple syrup on top of it. Adding these to my holiday must-make list!

    Reply
  3. Laura says

    May 12, 2017 at 2:47 am

    Hi! Can these be made in advance or are they best eaten the same day? Looking forward to trying them!

    Reply
  4. Laura Lynn says

    April 10, 2021 at 4:00 pm

    I was nervous to make these because I have only made donuts once before and they were fried. This recipe was simple and the donuts came out great. Even my boyfriend who doesn’t like “cake-like” donuts said these were a winner. Thank you for this recipe.

    Reply

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Meet Ashley

Hey! I’m Ashley, a creative spirit with a major sweet tooth. Most days you can find me in my happy place: the kitchen. If I’m not there, I’m probably snapping photos of food, planning a party… or dreaming about my next trip to Paris (AKA my favorite place in the entire world). I’m a story teller, recipe developer, and photographer who firmly believes that a homemade life is a happy life. Learn More.

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