There is just something about a doughnut on a crisp fall morning. The kitchen is still dim, the coffee is steaming, and something warm and spiced is cooling on the counter.
That is exactly the feeling these spiced maple doughnuts were made for, and they have become my favorite way to welcome sweater weather without dragging out a pot of frying oil.
These doughnuts are baked, not fried. You still get a tender, golden ring under a sweet maple glaze, but there is no splatter, no thermometer, and no lingering smell of hot oil in the house. The texture lands somewhere between a soft spice cake and a tender muffin, which is exactly what I want next to a mug of coffee.
The flavor starts with a classic spice cake base. Cinnamon leads the way with a full 2 teaspoons, ground nutmeg adds warmth, and ground cloves bring that deep, almost old fashioned note that makes people ask what is in them.
Brown sugar and vanilla keep everything rustic and homey rather than sharp, and a tablespoon of maple syrup goes into the batter itself so the maple flavor shows up in more than one place.
Then there is the brown butter, and honestly, this is the step that turns a good doughnut into a great one. You start with 1/4 cup of unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once it melts, you whisk gently and wait.
It will crack, pop, and bubble, and after a few minutes small brown flecks begin to form in the pan. That is the milk solids toasting, and with them comes a warm, almost nutty aroma.
When the butter looks almost amber in color, pull it off the heat and let it cool.
Browning reduces the volume of the butter, so the recipe uses 2 and 1/2 tablespoons of the finished brown butter. Any extra can be discarded or saved for another batch.
Buttermilk and sour cream do the heavy lifting for texture. Together they give the batter a cakey, dense, and moist crumb that holds up beautifully under glaze. The one rule I never break is this: do not overmix.
Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ones just until everything comes together and no lumps remain. Keep going past that point and the doughnuts turn tough and hard instead of tender.
While the doughnuts cool, the maple glaze comes together in the same kind of small saucepan. Butter, cream, brown sugar, and maple syrup melt together over low heat with gentle whisking.
Once the mixture is smooth with no lumps of brown sugar left, the pan comes off the heat and in goes vanilla and powdered sugar. A little maple extract is optional, and if you love a bold maple flavor, it is worth adding.
I dip only the tops, then set each doughnut back on the wire rack and sprinkle crushed walnuts over the glaze while it is still tacky. The nuts add a soft crunch that balances all that sweetness. Cinnamon and maple together are a fall combination for a reason, and this glaze is where the two really meet.
At my house these disappear before they are fully cool. If you are feeding a crowd, make a double batch, because 6 doughnuts sounds like plenty until everyone walks through the kitchen.
Here is everything you need for one batch. Room temperature dairy and eggs blend more smoothly into the batter, so pull them out of the fridge about half an hour ahead if you can.
For the doughnuts
1 cup all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, browned down to 2 and 1/2 tablespoons
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tablespoon sour cream, room temperature
1/3 cup buttermilk, room temperature
For the maple glaze
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 tablespoons cream
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon maple extract, optional
For the topping
1/4 cup crushed walnuts
One quick word about the maple syrup: use the real thing. Maple flavored pancake syrup will not give you the same flavor in the batter or in the glaze.
Instructions
The whole batch comes together quickly, so preheat the oven and get your pan ready before you start mixing.
Preheat and prep. Preheat the oven to 350F and spray a doughnut pan with 6 cavities with nonstick cooking spray. You will end up with about 6 to 8 doughnuts total, so you may need to bake in 2 batches or use 2 doughnut pans if you have them.
Whisk the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined, about 30 seconds.
Brown the butter. Melt the butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Once it has melted, whisk it gently until it starts to bubble and make popping noises. After a few minutes, small brown flecks form and you will smell an almost nutty aroma. When the butter looks almost amber in color, remove it from the heat and let it cool. Browning leaves you with less than 1/4 cup, so measure out 2 and 1/2 tablespoons and discard any excess.
Mix the wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, gently whisk the 2 and 1/2 tablespoons of browned butter with the packed brown sugar, vanilla, and maple syrup. Whisk in the egg, then the sour cream and buttermilk.
Fold and fill. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the flour mixture and fold with a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined and no lumps remain. Be careful not to overmix. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, or spoon it into a large ziploc bag, cut off one bottom corner, and pipe it into the cavities. Fill each cavity about 1/2 to 2/3 full.
Bake and cool. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes, until a doughnut springs back slightly when you gently touch it with your fingers. Let them cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then remove and cool on a wire rack.
Make the maple glaze. As the doughnuts cool, melt the butter, cream, brown sugar, and maple syrup in a small saucepan over medium low heat, whisking gently. Once everything is melted and no lumps of brown sugar remain, remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla, powdered sugar, and optional maple extract.
Glaze and finish. Dip the tops of the doughnuts in the glaze and place them back on the wire rack so the glaze can set. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
If you have never browned butter before, stay close to the pan the first time. The jump from nutty and amber to burnt happens fast, and the whole process usually takes only a few minutes.
The batter is thick, which is normal. Piping it from a bag gives you the most even rings, but a spoon works fine if you smooth the tops with the back of it.
Bake times vary a little from oven to oven, so start checking at 8 minutes. Overbaked doughnuts dry out quickly, and since the glaze goes on the tops, you want the crumb underneath to stay soft.
A quick note on the glaze consistency: if it seems too thin, whisk in a little more powdered sugar, staying within the 1 to 1 and 1/2 cups called for. If it tightens up while you are dipping, a few seconds back over low heat will loosen it again.
Notes
No buttermilk in the fridge? Cow’s milk can be used instead. The texture will be a little different, but the doughnuts still bake up nicely.
Use real maple syrup, not maple flavored pancake syrup. The real thing carries the flavor in both the batter and the glaze, and it is the difference between maple and just sweet.
If you are short on walnuts, the glaze is lovely on its own, though the nuts add a nice bit of crunch against the soft cake. Either way, plan on these being best enjoyed the day you bake them, since a fresh baked doughnut is hard to beat.
Recipe details
Here is the quick rundown before you start.
Detail
Value
Prep time
20 minutes
Cook time
8 minutes
Total time
28 minutes
Servings
6 doughnuts
Yield
About 6 to 8 doughnuts
Oven temperature
350F
Method
Baked
Calories
488 kcal per serving, from the source
The nutrition value comes from the original source and is an estimate.
FAQs
What spices go in spiced maple doughnuts?
The spice blend for these doughnuts includes 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves. This classic fall combination creates a warm, aromatic flavor that pairs perfectly with the maple glaze.
Can you bake doughnuts instead of frying them?
Yes, these spiced maple doughnuts are baked, not fried, for a tender, cake-like texture. Bake the batter in a greased 6-cavity doughnut pan at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes, until the doughnuts spring back when gently touched. This method is easier and less messy than deep-frying.
How do you make the maple glaze for these doughnuts?
The maple glaze is made by melting 1 tablespoon of butter, 3 tablespoons of cream, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup over medium-low heat. Whisk in 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 to 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar until smooth. For a stronger maple flavor, add 1/2 teaspoon of maple extract.
Why does this recipe call for brown butter?
Browning the butter adds a deep, nutty flavor that enhances the overall taste of the doughnuts. To brown it, melt 1/4 cup of unsalted butter over medium heat, whisking until it turns amber and smells nutty, then measure out 2 1/2 tablespoons for the batter. This simple technique elevates the spice and maple flavors.
Spiced Maple Doughnuts There is just something about a doughnut on a crisp fall morning. The kitchen is still dim, the coffee is steaming, and something warm and spiced is cooling on the counter.
Total Time:28 min
Yield:6 doughnuts 1x
Ingredients
Scale
1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup unsalted butter 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 1 tablespoon maple syrup 1 large egg, room temperature 1 tablespoon sour cream, room temperature 1/3 cup buttermilk, room temperature For the Maple Glaze 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 3 tablespoons cream 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons maple syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 to 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar 1/2 teaspoon maple extract 1/4 cup crushed walnuts
Instructions
Make the Doughnuts 1-Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and: Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and spray a 6-cavity doughnut pan with non-stick cooking spray. You’ll end up with about 6-8 doughnuts total, so you may need to make them in 2 batches or spray 2 doughnut pans (if you have multiple). 2-In a large bowl whisk together the: In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda and salt until combined (about 30 seconds). 3-To brown the butter, melt the butter: To brown the butter, melt the butter over medium heat in a small saucepan over the stove. Once the butter has melted begin whisking it gently until it starts to bubble and make popping noises. After a few minutes you’ll notice small brown flecks begin to form and you’ll smell an almost nutty aroma. Once the butter looks almost amber in color, remove it from the stove top and let cool. After browning the butter, it will be less than 1/4 cup in volume. Measure out 2 and 1/2 tablespoons of the brown butter (you can discard any excess). 4-In a medium sized bowl, gently whisk: In a medium sized bowl, gently whisk together the 2 and 1/2 tablespoons of browned butter with the packed brown sugar, vanilla, and maple syrup. Then whisk in the egg, followed by the sour cream and buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients into the bowl with the flour mixture, and fold everything together using a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined and no lumps remain. Be careful not to overmix the batter. 5-Spoon the batter into the prepared doughnut: Spoon the batter into the prepared doughnut pan. Alternatively, you can spoon the batter into a large ziploc bag, then cut off one of the bottom corners and pipe the batter into the doughnut pan. Fill each doughnut cavity about 1/2 to 2/3 full. You should end up with about 6-8 doughnuts total. Bake in the preheated oven for about 8-10 minutes or until the doughnut springs back slightly if you gently tough it with your fingers. Allow to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before removing the doughnuts from their pan and cooling on a wire rack.
Make the Maple Glaze 6-As the doughnuts cool, make the glaze: As the doughnuts cool, make the glaze. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat melt together the butter, cream, brown sugar and maple syrup while whisking gently. Once everything is melted and no lumps of brown sugar remain, remove the mixture from the heat and whisk in the vanilla, powdered sugar and optional maple extract. 7-Dip the tops of the doughnuts in: Dip the tops of the doughnuts in the glaze and place back on the wire rack for the glaze to set. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
Last Step:
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