Maple Bacon Donuts
intro
Fluffy yeast-raised donuts coated in glossy maple glaze and topped with crispy smoky bacon, balancing sweet and salty notes for a decadent, indulgent treat.
Ingredients
Steps
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange 225g (8 slices) of thick-cut bacon in a single, unoverlapped layer on the sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes until the bacon is deep golden and fully crispy. Transfer cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess grease; once cool, crumble into 6mm (1/4-inch) pieces and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (or a large mixing bowl for hand mixing), combine 360g (3 cups) all-purpose flour, 7g (1 standard packet) instant dry yeast, 50g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon fine table salt. Add 180ml (3/4 cup) whole milk warmed to 38°C (100°F), 1 beaten room-temperature large egg, and 45g (3 tablespoons) melted, cooled unsalted butter. Mix on low speed for 4 minutes until a smooth, soft, slightly tacky dough forms that pulls cleanly away from the bowl sides. Cover the bowl with a damp clean kitchen towel and let rest in a warm 24°C (75°F) spot for 60 minutes, until the dough doubles in volume.
Once the dough has doubled, punch it firmly in the center to release trapped air, then turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough to an even 1.25cm (1/2-inch) thickness. Use a 9cm (3.5-inch) round donut cutter (or a large round cookie cutter paired with a 2.5cm/1-inch small cutter for the center hole) to cut 8 full donuts, re-rolling scraps once as needed. Arrange cut donuts on a parchment-lined baking tray, cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap, and let proof for 25 minutes in a warm spot until puffed; a gently pressed indent should remain in the dough when ready.
Heat 1L (4 cups) of canola or peanut frying oil in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or deep pot to 175°C (350°F), monitoring temperature closely with a clip-on candy thermometer. Carefully lower 2-3 donuts into the hot oil at a time, taking care not to overcrowd the pot (which drops oil temperature). Fry for 90 seconds per side, flipping once with a slotted metal spoon, until the donuts are a deep, even golden brown on both sides. Transfer fried donuts to a wire rack set over a baking sheet to cool completely for 20 minutes before glazing.
While donuts cool, make the maple glaze: in a shallow wide bowl, whisk together 120ml (1/2 cup) pure maple syrup, 180g (1 1/2 cups) sifted powdered sugar, 5ml (1 teaspoon) pure vanilla extract, and 1/8 teaspoon fine salt until completely smooth with no lumps. Adjust consistency as needed: if glaze is too thick to dip, add 5ml (1 teaspoon) of whole milk at a time; if too thin, stir in an extra 15g (1 tablespoon) of powdered sugar until the glaze coats the back of a spoon thickly.
Once donuts are fully cooled to room temperature, dip the top curved half of each donut straight into the maple glaze, holding it above the bowl for 5 seconds to let excess glaze drip back. Immediately sprinkle the glazed surface generously with the reserved crumbled crispy bacon, pressing very lightly to help the bacon adhere to the wet glaze. Return topped donuts to the wire rack and let rest for 10 minutes to allow the glaze to set fully before serving.
Tips
2.Wait until donuts are fully cooled to room temperature before glazing: warm donuts will melt the maple glaze, causing it to run off completely instead of forming a thick, set coating on the donut surface.
3.Use 100% pure maple syrup for the glaze rather than maple-flavored pancake syrup (made with corn syrup and artificial flavor) to get a deep, rich, authentic maple flavor that pairs perfectly with salty bacon.
OMG these homemade maple bacon donuts are a GAME CHANGER. I brought them to my office potluck last week and people were begging me for the recipe before I even left! The balance of sweet maple glaze and salty crispy bacon is *chef’s kiss*. Don’t be intimidated by the dough rising time, it’s so worth the wait. 10/10 would make every weekend if my waistline let me 😂
My kids went absolutely crazy for these! I usually make glazed donuts on Saturday mornings but swapped for this recipe last weekend and now they’re begging me to make them again before school on Friday. The only tweak I made was using thick-cut applewood smoked bacon instead of regular, and it was chef’s kiss. SO good.
Took me a minute to get the dough consistency right the first time (I think my kitchen was a little too cold so it took longer to rise than the recipe said) but once I nailed it? These were better than the fancy donut shop ones downtown. The maple glaze isn’t cloyingly sweet which I really appreciate. Will be making these for my fall camping trip next month!
Made these for my book club potluck and everyone thought I bought them from a gourmet bakery! I will say, the 2+ hour total time is no joke so make sure you block off enough time, don’t try to rush the proofing steps like I almost did. The end result is 100% worth the effort though.
As someone who eats a donut with his coffee every single morning, I can confirm these are top tier. I was worried homemade donuts would be dense and greasy but these were light, fluffy, and the bacon added the perfect crunch. The maple glaze hardened just right too, no sticky mess all over my hands when I ate them on my commute. 10/10.
Okay I was SO nervous to make these because I’ve never made yeasted dough before, but the instructions were super clear and easy to follow! My first batch of donut holes came out a little lopsided but no one cared once they were covered in glaze and bacon bits. Even my partner who swears he ‘doesn’t like sweet breakfasts’ ate three of them. Win!
Made these for Sunday football watch party with the guys and they were a total hit. I did a half batch with the maple bacon glaze and a half batch with plain maple for my one weird friend who doesn’t like bacon, and even he said the bacon ones were better. Don’t skip the step of cooking the bacon until it’s super crispy, soggy bacon on a donut is a crime.
These were good but I felt like the glaze needed a little more maple flavor for my taste. I added an extra tablespoon of maple syrup and a tiny splash of vanilla extract and that fixed it right up for me. Also, pro move: save the bacon grease to fry the donuts in if you’re not using a deep fryer, it adds such a great smoky depth.
Wait why did I wait so long to make these??? I’ve seen this recipe pop up on my feed for weeks and finally tried it today and I’m kicking myself for not making them sooner. I brought a few down to my neighbors and they already texted me asking for the link. Perfect weekend treat to go with my iced latte.
I’ve been making donuts for my grandkids for over 30 years, and I have to say this recipe is a new family favorite. I used the real Vermont maple syrup I bring back every year from my fall trip, and it made the glaze taste so rich and authentic. The grandkids kept sneaking extra bacon bits while I was decorating, which made me laugh.
Meal prep win! I made a double batch of these on Sunday, let them cool completely, and stored them in an airtight container in the freezer. All week I’ve been popping one in the air fryer for 3 minutes in the morning and it tastes just as fresh as the day I made them. Perfect for busy work mornings when I don’t have time to cook breakfast. The salty sweet combo keeps me full until lunch too!