Description

Delight in these homemade Maple Donut Bars featuring a tender, spiced cake base topped with a luscious maple glaze. Perfectly moist and bursting with warm flavors of nutmeg and vanilla, these bars make an irresistible breakfast treat or sweet snack. Customize them with nuts, sprinkles, or crumbled bacon for added texture and flavor.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Wet Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Maple Glaze

4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup milk (or more, as needed)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Optional Toppings

Chopped pecans or walnuts
Sprinkles
Crumbled bacon

Instructions

Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg for at least 30 seconds to ensure everything is evenly mixed.
Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted unsalted butter (slightly cooled), granulated sugar, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth.
Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the wet ingredient mixture to the dry ingredients, mixing gently until just combined. It’s okay if some streaks of flour remain; be careful not to overmix.
Prepare the Baking Pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan, or alternatively, line it with parchment paper for easier removal.
Pour Batter into Pan: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and spread it smoothly to the edges.
Bake: Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a wooden skewer into the center; it should come out clean, and the edges should be golden brown.
Cool: Allow the donut bars to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Sift the Powdered Sugar: To make the glaze, sift the powdered sugar into a large bowl to remove lumps.
Combine Glaze Ingredients: Add the pure maple syrup, milk, melted butter, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt to the powdered sugar.
Whisk Until Smooth: Whisk the glaze ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Adjust the milk or powdered sugar to get the desired consistency.
Glaze the Donut Bars: Once the donut bars are fully cool, pour the maple glaze evenly over the top.
Add Toppings (Optional): Immediately sprinkle desired toppings such as chopped pecans, walnuts, sprinkles, or crumbled bacon over the glaze.
Let the Glaze Set: Allow the glaze to set for 30 minutes to an hour so it firms up before cutting.
Cut and Serve: Cut the donut bars into squares or rectangles and serve to enjoy.

Notes

Be sure not to overmix the batter to maintain tender, fluffy bars.
Use melted butter cooled slightly to avoid cooking the eggs in the wet mixture.
If buttermilk is unavailable, a substitute can be made by adding 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes.
Adjust the glaze thickness by adding a little more milk if too thick, or more powdered sugar if too thin.
These bars store well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to a week.
Reheat briefly before serving for a freshly baked texture.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: maple donut bars, baked donut bars, maple glaze, breakfast bars, spiced donut bars