Easy Maple Glaze (for donuts, scones, cakes and more!)
This creamy maple glaze couldn’t be easier to make and comes together in just minutes. Use it to make maple glazed donuts, or drizzle it over scones, muffins, cakes and more!
I originally developed this glaze for my baked maple donuts recipe but soon began using it on other baked goods, such as scones, muffins, and cakes. The glaze has a delicious maple flavor and hardens as it sits, forming a crunchy, sweet crust that’s completely irresistible
Ingredients:
- Powdered sugar: This is a simple powdered sugar glaze—no butter or corn syrup needed.
- Maple syrup: Be sure to use pure maple syrup. I prefer a dark maple syrup, which has a more robust flavor than lighter colored syrups.
- Maple extract: The secret ingredient in this glaze is maple extract, which you can buy at well stocked supermarkets or online. It boosts the maple flavor without making the glaze overly sweet. However, you can use vanilla extract instead, although the maple flavor won’t be as pronounced.
- Milk: Milk thins out the glaze, making it pourable. It also allows the glaze to harden once cooled.
- Salt: A pinch of salt balances all the flavors.
How to make this maple donut glaze recipe:
- In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients until smooth. The consistency should be thick but pourable. If needed, you can add more milk for a thinner glaze.
Maple icing
If you prefer to make a spreadable maple icing instead of a thinner glaze, cut back on the milk, starting with 1 tablespoon. Add more milk, drop by drop, until you get the consistency you desire.
Serving suggestions
Dunk donuts in the glaze to make maple glazed donuts. Or, drizzle the glaze over scones, muffins, poundcake or even banana bread (so good!). The glaze will harden as it sits.
Recipe tips:
- The secret ingredient in this glaze is maple extract, which you can buy at well stocked supermarkets or online. It boosts the maple flavor without making the glaze overly sweet. However, you can use vanilla extract instead, although the maple flavor won’t be as pronounced.
- If you prefer to make a spreadable maple donut icing instead of a thinner glaze, cut back on the milk, starting with 1 tablespoon (add more bit by bit, as needed).
- Try this glaze on pumpkin poundcake, gingerbread and carrot cake muffins!
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FAQs
This maple donut glaze recipe is made of just powdered sugar, maple syrup, maple extract, milk and a pinch of salt. The maple extract boosts the maple flavor without making the glaze overly sweet.
To make maple donuts, dunk cooled donuts in the maple glaze. Let the donuts sit at room temperature until the glaze is hardened.
This glaze should be used right after it’s made, as it will harden as it sits.
Glazed donuts VIDEO!
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Get the recipe
Maple Glaze
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 ½ - 2 tablespoons milk
- ¼ teaspoon maple extract
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, 1 ½ tablespoons of the milk, maple syrup, maple extract and salt. Stir until smooth. For a slightly thinner glaze, stir in another ½ tablespoon of milk.
- To make maple glazed donuts, dunk the top of the donuts in the glaze, then transfer them to a wire rack and let them sit until hardened. (If the glaze is a bit too thin, you can glaze them twice—let the first coat harden then dunk the donuts again).
Notes
- The secret ingredient in this glaze is maple extract, which you can buy at well stocked supermarkets or online. It boosts the maple flavor without making the glaze overly sweet (if you add too much syrup the glaze turns cloyingly sweet). However, you can use vanilla extract instead, although the maple flavor won’t be as pronounced.
- If you prefer to make a spreadable maple donut icing instead of a thinner glaze, cut back on the milk, starting with 1 tablespoon (add more bit by bit, as needed).
- Try this glaze on pumpkin poundcake, gingerbread and carrot cake muffins!
Delicious...just made this glaze and put it on top of my banana bread I just made. I did taste the glaze and it's absolutely delicious. I'm planning on making your donuts with the maple glaze in the fall with fall colored sprinkles. I'm actually looking forward to that even though it's June.
p.s. I love the spices that you have in your donuts with the addition of
Cardamom.I was almost going to throw out my cardamon because I never use it, now I have a recipe to use it
What a great idea to use the glaze on banana bread! I hope you love the donuts in the fall (yay for sprinkles!).
I just read all of the rave reviews about the Maple Glaze. Sadly, I'm on limited amounts of sugar, but still I think you might consider renaming this recipe to 'Magic Maple Glaze'!
Haha, thanks Jill!! It is pretty magical. 😂
For a birthday, one of my kids requested chocolate chip cookie bars, topped with maple glaze. So I found this recipe, just made it, a double batch coated the entire surface of the bars. WOW this is a fantastic recipe. I cannot even believe how easy it was to do.
That makes me so happy to hear!!
I made this yesterday to frost some gingerbread cookies, and it was fabulous!! I’m very interested where you got that perfect size dipping bowl from? It’s perfect, nice and wide and not too deep!
I'm so glad you loved the glaze!! Gosh, I wish I knew where the bowl came from but I have so many props. 😂 I think that was was gifted to me!
Does this need to be refrigerated?
Hi there! The glaze should not be refrigerated before using, as it will harden. If you use the glaze on baked goods (such as donuts) you can store them at room temperature or in the fridge, according to your preference. I hope you enjoy!
Twice monthly, I contribute baked goods to meals for the needy through People Helping People. All told, I bake 425 +/- cookies mainly, but have plans for muffins and other "finger treats" easy to make in large volume.
Recently I made Buttermilk Cookies [Tom's Tinkering and Adventures], a delight on their own. I used a thick layer of your [thickened] Maple Glaze as the topper on each cookie and embellished with a generous sprinkle of turbinado sugar for sparkle and crunch...two cookies per serving.
Normally, during distribution our patrons accept their meals gratefully and quietly. On this day, a sweet elderly man returned with compliments, that he had not eaten better cookies in many decades, in his words, since his childhood. We were so thrilled to hear that our meals not only satisfied hunger, but warmed hearts and sparked fond memories.
Thanks a million for offering your fine [and versatile] Maple Glaze recipe for others to use and enjoy. The frosting performed beautifully, fast forming a lovely crust, although remaining creamy, allowing me to pack the cookies, two by two, in snack bags and stack in boxes for transport, without smearing.
I will be happily using your Maple Glaze recipe on future baked goods for this endeavor which is so important a service to others and so dearly fulfilling to me personally. Thank you again and blessings for you.
This comment brought tears to my eyes. Thank you so much for sharing and for all you do. You are an inspiration!
I have made your Maple Glaze several times for our People Helping People monthly meal distributions: on applesauce muffins, mini pumpkin bundt cakes, gingerbread latte cookies. The glaze is so flavorful and performs so beautifully and reliably that I keep it ready-made in the refrigerator. Banana bread is planned as dessert for the next meal, and your Maple Glaze, certainly, will be a tasty topper.
I have this far used cookie, muffin, etc., recipes new to me for these meals. So essentially I use this monthly event to experiment with new recipes. Gratefully all have been successful. Your Maple Glaze has been the one repeat recipe, the one constant that I use frequently, with nods to its taste and versatility. Thank you once again for sharing.
Made this yesterday cause I was really, REALLY craving a maple donut. Now that I know about this recipe, namely the maple frosting, I'm very excited to try it on other pastries!
I’m so happy you enjoyed!