Baked Maple Bacon Donuts
This post has been sponsored by Tyson Foods, Inc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Baked Maple Bacon Donuts are the PERFECT way to start the day! Thick cut Wright® Brand Bacon serves as the star of this breakfast treat, mixing into the batter and crumbled on top. Whether you make these baked donuts for a holiday breakfast, at-home brunch or a special weekend treat for the family, they’re sure to become a favorite! Makes 9 donuts.
Want more bacon-centric recipes? Don’t miss Praline Candied Bacon, Maple Bacon and Bacon, Egg and Avocado Sandwich!
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A weekend doesn’t go by without our family gathering in the kitchen to make and consume breakfast together.
Whether it’s homemade pancakes, sticky buns or biscuits… we prepare our meal together as a family.
And I’m thrilled to add a new recipe to our morning arsenal, just in time for the holidays: Baked Maple Bacon Donuts.
Why I love this recipe:
These homemade donuts are super simple and easy to make. And you can make ‘em with little kids, too, meaning everyone can have fun in the kitchen before you enjoy the fruits of your labor.
This recipe is baked, so no oil or a big pot is necessary. (Neither is an instant read thermometer to ensure that the oil is hot enough or a specialty cookie cutter to cut out the donuts.) There is also no instant yeast (or active dry yeast) or rise time required for these beauties, either.
The maple donuts are fluffy and studded with salty bacon bits and then topped with a decadent maple glaze. The combination of salty and sweet tastes like heaven!
Since this recipe makes nine donuts, it can feed the whole family and more — especially if you have seasonal visitors!
These donuts require very little prep time, utilize high quality ingredients AND they cook up easily, so you can spend more time with the people you love instead of fussing over food in the kitchen.
Other breakfast recipes that are great for sharing and celebrations: Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole | Strawberry Pancakes with Dark Chocolate Drizzle | Yogurt French Toast | Coffee Cake Muffins | Chocolate Raspberry Overnight French Toast Casserole
What you need to make this recipe:
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- Baking sheet (lined with parchment paper) for baking the bacon
- Glass bowls
- Liquid measuring cup
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- 3-tablespoon scoop
- Donut pan(s)
- Wire rack, for cooling
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here is what you need to get at the store to make these doughnuts:
- Bacon — Wright® Brand Bacon serves as the star of this recipe. This gorgeous, thick-cut bacon is perfect for these donuts because it adds a ton of flavor and texture on both the inside and outside.
- Unsalted butter — this is the fat we’re using in our recipe. It’s going to bring the dough together, and there’s not a replacement for it. (Low fat donuts aren’t a thing we should make, OK? Donuts are meant to be a treat!) If you’re dairy free, swap it out with vegan butter or margarine.
- Granulated sugar — some people call this white sugar. It’s going to sweeten up our baked donuts.
- Milk — we use whole milk in our house, but this recipe should work with 2%, 1% and even nonfat milk. I have not tried the recipe using a non-dairy milk.
- Maple extract — this is going to give us the maple flavor we want! I tried to make this recipe with pure maple syrup, and you just don’t get the same punch.
- All-purpose flour — we keep unbleached all-purpose flour at our house, but you can use the regular ‘ol kind, too.
- Baking powder — this is our leavener and will cause the donuts to rise. There is no substitution for this. Make sure yours is fresh.
- Kosher salt — this is my go-to kind of salt. If you don’t have it, table salt or sea salt will work in its place.
- Powdered sugar — also known as confectioners’ sugar, this helps make our icing sweet! There isn’t a substitute for it.
How to make Maple Bacon Donuts
How to bake bacon in the oven
Line a baking sheet with two layers of parchment paper, and arrange the slices of bacon onto the parchment paper. Don’t let them touch because this will slow down the cooking process.
Turn on the oven to 400°F, and place the bacon in the oven as it warms.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the bacon has browned and crisped up. You want it to be crispy enough to crumble.
Remove from the oven, and let cool slightly. Once cooled, crumble the bacon slices.
If you need more details, I’ve written a guide about How to Bake Bacon with more information!
How to make maple and bacon donuts
Prepare. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a donut pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set this aside.
Mix the wet ingredients. Combine the melted butter and sugar in a bowl. Whisk until smooth, then add the milk and maple extract. Stir until combined.
Mix the dry ingredients. In another bowl, measure out and whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Combine the doughnut batter. Sprinkle the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and stir until just combined. Add half of the bacon to the batter, and stir until incorporated.
Make sure you’re not using all the bacon because you want half of it to garnish the baked donuts!
Form the donuts. Dollop three tablespoons of the batter into each of the prepared donut molds, careful not to cover up the center so the donuts have holes.
Bake for 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on these because they should be done when they’re nicely browned.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire cooling rack before glazing.
Make the Sweet Maple Icing
Combine the powdered sugar, maple extract and milk in a medium bowl. Add a pinch of salt, and whisk the ingredients together until smooth. The frosting will have a thicker consistency so that it does not immediately run off the baked donuts.
Decorate. Carefully dip the cooled donuts into the icing, and then top with the remaining bacon crumbles. You could also lay a piece of bacon on top of each of these, if you prefer.
Decorate the remaining donuts, then enjoy!
how to store:
Store the cooled donuts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Gently reheat in the microwave or enjoy cold.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’m all about the salty-sweet combined into one food. (You saw that I made Bourbon Maple Bacon Cupcakes to celebrate my birthday this year, yes?) The flavors just work together and are so very breakfast-y and delightful.
They’re a lovely treat, that’s for sure, and perfect for a holiday celebration.
I’ve eaten many a Maple Bacon Donut in my time. However, I’d never made them at home and thought that would be a fun thing to learn how to do.
I don’t know how this batter would fare fried, and since it’s on liquidy side, I’d venture to say it might be a mess or at worst, a disaster.
If you don’t have a donut pan and are planning on making this recipe immediately, you can bake the batter in a muffin tin. Be sure to spray the muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray before dolloping the batter into it.
The baking time will more than likely be different, as you’re essentially making donut muffins at this point, so keep an eye on them as they bake, and test to ensure they’re baked through with a toothpick.
Yes. These donuts, of course, are best enjoyed right after they’re made, but if you have leftovers, they need to be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight food storage container.
You can eat these donuts for up to a few days after you baked them. I will reiterate that these are best the day you bake them!
Quick tips and tricks to the best baked donuts
- Give yourself enough time. These baked donuts have to be made in stages, and those include baking the bacon before mixing the batter.
- Double the recipe if feeding a crowd! Yes, it’ll take more time, but goodness gracious, will these be fun to eat as a group.
- Before cooking, make sure you’ve got the right tools. A donut pan is a must for this recipe. If you don’t have one, you can turn these donuts into muffins in a muffin tin.
More donut recipes to try:
Who doesn’t love a good donut? These Mochi Donuts and Coffee Donuts are both incredible recipes. And these Classic Cake Donuts are a classic for a reason!
If you love a fruit-based donut, check out Cherry Limeade Baked Donuts, Baked Strawberry Donuts and Glazed Blueberry Donuts!
What can I serve alongside these Baked Maple Bacon Donuts?
If you’re looking for some savory dishes to serve alongside these sweet-salty donuts, these Sage Browned Butter Homemade Home Fries are an excellent choice. So is this Sausage Brunch Salad, which sounds odd, but also delicious.
If you need some extra sweetness, try Summer Fruit Salad!
And if you need something bubbly, make some Prosecco Mimosas or a Mimosa Bar to share them with guests!
Now who’s ready to bake up some delicious donuts with the people they love?
Scroll on down to learn how to make these Baked Maple Bacon Donuts…
Baked Maple Bacon Donuts
EQUIPMENT
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Ingredients
- 8 slices Wright® Brand Bacon
Donuts
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 slices bacon crumbled
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
- 1 ½ tablespoons milk
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 4 slices bacon crumbled
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Instructions
Cook the Bacon
- Line a baking sheet with two layers of parchment paper.
- Arrange the slices of bacon onto the parchment paper.
- Turn on the oven to 400°F, and place the prepared baking sheet in the oven as it warms.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the bacon has browned and crisped up. (You want it to be crispy enough to crumble, so keep this in mind.)
- Remove from the oven, and let cool slightly.
- Once cooled, crumble the bacon slices
Make the Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Spray a donut pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a glass bowl, combine the melted butter and sugar—whisking together until smooth.
- Pour in the milk and maple extract, stirring until combined.
- In another bowl, measure out the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir to mix.
- Sprinkle the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined.
- Add the crumbled bacon into the batter, stirring until combined. Reserve enough crumbled bacon to top the donuts before you serve them.
- Carefully dollop three tablespoons of the batter into each of the donut molds, careful not to cover up the center so the donuts have holes.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until browned and cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Make the Glaze
- In a glass bowl, combine the powdered sugar, maple extract and milk. Add a pinch of salt.
- Whisk the ingredients together until smooth.
- Carefully dip the baked donuts into the icing, and then top with the reserved bacon crumbles.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
These were delightful when you made them for us on that Saturday morning. I’ll be attempting them again soon!
These were delightful when you made them for us on that Saturday morning. I’ll be attempting them again soon!
Weren’t they? So glad y’all enjoyed them as much as we did! I cannot wait to hear how they turn out for you when you make them at home.
Could maple syrup be used in place of maple extract?
Hi Amy! You could certainly make this substitute, though I will say that the maple flavor will be more subtle than if you use the extract. That said, it’ll still be tasty!
If you give it a try, let me know what you think!