I was so excited when I got a promo package from Singing Dog Vanilla this week, packed with organic vanilla beans, extract and paste! Just in time for my little vanilla bean series (check out my Homemade Vanilla Bean Pudding or these divine Vanilla Bean Cake Truffles with Toasted Pistachios).
So I could not wait to make donuts. Baked. Not your average cake donuts though, the real deal with yeast and milk and butter. I love the yeasty texture and flavor of the donut packed with vanilla bean seeds, topped with maple glaze. So good! Maple glaze is such a classic and my absolute favorite topping for donuts, it is also really easy to make!
Maple Glazed Vanilla Bean Donuts
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Not your average cake donut: These fluffy baked donut dreams are made with yeast and milk, packed with vanilla beans and topped with a classic - maple glaze
Author: Melina Thompson
Serves: 18
INGREDIENTS
- FOR THE DONUTS:
- 1⅓ cups warm milk
- 1 package (2.5 teaspoons) quick-rise instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 vanilla bean
- FOR THE GLAZE:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup (or more) powdered sugar
- 8 tablespoons dark maple sirup
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the warm milk and 1 tablespoon of sugar in a cup and add the yeast. Stir and let sit for about 10 minutes until the yeast is activated and starts to smell and expand.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer with a dough hook attached, Mix the milk-yeast mixture, the rest of the sugar and the melted butter. Mix in the eggs, flour and inside of the vanilla bean.
- Beat the dough with the dough hook attachment for 2-3 minutes at medium speed. Adjust the dough texture by adding some flour if necessary. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl and be very soft and smooth but still slightly sticky - don't overflour! Too much flour will make the donuts hard and dry, the dough needs to be a little sticky.
- Knead the dough for a few minutes by hand.
- (If you are not using the quick-rise yeast but regular instant dry yeast, place the dough into a large bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place until it doubles in size. The quick-rise yeast does not require this step!)
- Roll out the dough to about ½-inch thickness on a surface covered with plastic wrap. Using a donut cutter or a 3 inch and a 1 inch circle cookie cutter, cut out the donuts and carefully transfer them onto a lined cookie sheet. Let the donuts rise for about 45 minutes, until they are puffed and nearly doubled.
- Bake at 350° F for about 8 to 10 minutes. They should still be pale on top, not golden and browned, and just barely baked through.
- Remove the donuts from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes.
- To make the glaze, melt the butter and mix it with the maple sirup and powdered sugar until the sugar is well dissolved and you reached a creamy icing. Glaze the donuts and let them dry.
- The donuts taste best when fresh, try to eat them within a day or two.
Oh, they look ridiculously delicious! My hubby’s been bugging me to make donuts and your photos have just convinced me.
Your doughnuts look utterly perfect! Light, fluffy and that shiny glaze….*drools* I need to get myself a doughnut pan.
Thank you!
And Kate, you dont even need a donut pan for these, just a donut cutter or round cutters! 😉
I found the flavor good but the dough had more of a bread like consistency once baked. They weren’t light and fluffy. Also, you need to have some good muscles to roll the dough out. I threw the first batch out thinking i did something wrong but i very carefully made it again and my wooden rolling pin handles almost broke trying to roll it. I had to pull my marble rolling pin out and even then it was a workout. They were quite yeasty too even for yeast donuts. Good flavor though.
I found the dough quite soft and nice to work with and usually I find my dough for things too hard. I think since I’ve started weighing the flour it has helped to ensure I didn’t add too much and make a tough dough. I agree that the texture is not quite the same as a fried donut though! Was a good start to donut making for me but I will try others next time I think.
they look delicious!
I have never made doughnuts. But these have compelled me to give it a try! Yum!
These are mouth watering to look at. Thank you for sharing!
I just wanted to write and say Thank You for sharing all your beautiful goodies with us
your Heart is very big for sharing. again Thank You. Olithia.
Thank you Olithia, you’re very welcome!
These look delicious!! What should I do differently if all I have is active dry yeast instead of instant?
Oh!! I am making these today for my kids!!
Can you shape these and let them sit overnight and then bake them in the morning?
Thanks for the recipe! Supper excited to try it:)
I just want to say thank you,you have made my day!
nice, looks delicious n so cute 🙂
thx for sharing
OK. I made these today, followed the recipe exactly as written, with the exception of the glaze. I used Alton Browns Doughnut Glaze and his Chocolate Doughnut Glaze.
As for the doughnut recipe. Simply put, it was awesome. It made about 2 dozen, plus donut holes, It was easy and they tasted great. I took most of what I made today, to my husband’s workplace for everyone and he said they went like hotcakes. He tried one and said it was really good.
Texture:
These have a texture very similar to ones that are fried. I have tried other recipes for baked donuts, and they were barely passable. These ??? These are a keeper. This recipe is a keeper. As a matter of fact, my husband wants me to make more for him to take to work next week.
Taste:
They taste like a deep fried donut only not greasy and without all the calories.
I strongly recommend this recipe.
Note:
When you make these, always, always check your yeast before you start, to help avoid problems of not rising.
I warmed the milk to 105 degrees. That was perfect. It’s not too hot to kill the yeast and it’s not to cold that it won’t activate the yeast.
I had a serious craving for some maple donuts. I decided on this one. I bake often so I’m quite familiar with bread doughs. I guess I should have been suspicious when I found out you dont have to use donut pans. The weight and texture of the dough is a cross between a dinner roll and a sugar cookie. I think the flavor is really great though!
Hi. May I ask a question? Do you make the maple glaze on the stovetop? Thanks.