I present, the best treat on earth: Maple Bacon Donuts! Filled to the brim with a sweet and silky maple custard then topped with maple glaze and salty bacon. As my favorite donut of all time, I promise you’ll be raving about this odd combination!
If you haven’t had the pleasure of trying a maple bacon flavor combination, I am so honored to introduce you to something this incredible. No, I’m not talking about simply buying maple-smoked bacon! However I did go out of my way to grab exactly that type for this recipe. I’m talking about straight up dipping a piece of bacon in maple syrup. It is life-changing and so are these donuts.
I tried a maple bacon donut years ago at a specialty shop and fell in love right away. It quickly became my favorite! The only thing It was missing was a beautiful custard filling. I hunted around and found the internet riddled with plenty of maple bacon donuts, but none filled. I am here to fill (haha) that hole in the collective internet’s heart.
Ingredients
- Milk – Any type of milk, including non-dairy alternatives, will work. The milk will be used in the donuts, custard, AND the glaze, so make sure you have enough.
- Yeast – I used active dry yeast for this recipe. You can use instant yeast instead. Fresh yeast will also work! The rule of thumb with fresh yeast is to double the amount called for in the recipe. You’ll need 1 oz/ 28g fresh yeast for this recipe.
- Sugar – Both regular granulated sugar and icing sugar (aka powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar.
- Egg yolks – Egg yolks in both the donut dough and the custard. You’ll end up with plenty of extra whites to whip up some whiskey sours!
- Vanilla – Extract or paste.
- Butter – I prefer to use unsalted, but if you end up using salted just reduce the salt called for in the recipe. There is typically about 1/4 tsp salt per stick (1/2 cup) of salted butter.
- Flour – I used all-purpose flour. You can use bread flour cup-for-cup.
- Salt – To taste.
- Vegetable oil – For frying. Other types of oil that will work are canola, sunflower, peanut, soybean, safflower, corn, or cottonseed.
- Cornstarch – The key for making a perfectly, thickened and silky smooth custard. You may know this ingredient as corn flour.
- Maple syrup – Pure maple syrup if you can find it!
- Maple extract – Why use maple extract when we are already using pure maple syrup? Well, maple syrup is very liquidy and can make both the custard and glaze too runny if we use enough to give the big maple flavor I was looking for. Adding a bit of extract along with the maple syrup gave perfect maple flavor without wrecking the consistency.
- Bacon – Don’t get those imitation bacon bits! Fry up the real deal for this recipe. Turkey bacon or vegan bacon can be used as well! I used maple bacon because, why wouldn’t I?
How to make maple bacon donuts
Dough
- Whisk the lukewarm milk, yeast, and 1 tsp of the sugar together. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes until the mixture becomes foamy. Whisk in the egg yolks and vanilla until well combined.
- Flour, butter, salt, remaining sugar, and prepared yeast mixture to the bowl of your stand mixer. Attach the dough hook to the mixer and start on low speed, working up to medium speed until the dough comes together. Knead for 5-10 minutes until the dough is soft and elastic*.
- Lightly grease a large mixing bowl. Shape the dough into a ball and place it into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free environment for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.
Custard
- Beat the egg yolks in a medium-sized mixing bowl just until smooth. Add the cornstarch, maple syrup, and salt to the bowl and continue to beat until combined and pale yellow, about 1 minute.
- Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium-high heat until it comes to a bare simmer. Remove the pan from the heat. Ladle the milk into the egg mixture, whisking until completely smooth between each ladle. Pour the mixture into the saucepan and return it to the stovetop over medium heat.
- Continuously whisk the mixture until it’s bubbling and completely thickened. Remove the pot from the heat. Add the vanilla and butter and whisk until the custard is glossy and the butter has melted.
- Cover the custard with plastic wrap, carefully pressing the plastic directly against the surface of the custard. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until completely cooled.
Donuts
- Punch the risen dough down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out until about 1/2″ thick.
- Use a 3″ biscuit or cookie cutter to cut rounds from the dough. You can knead the remaining dough back together to cut more rounds from it, but keep in mind the dough can become over-worked and result in donuts that aren’t ideal.
- Place the rounds on a lightly greased baking sheet, leaving about 1″ of room between each one for room to rise. Lightly cover them with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and allow them to rise for 20-30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- Fill a large, heavy-bottomed pot with 3-4 inches of vegetable oil. Carefully add 2-3 risen dough rounds to the oil. Cook for about 1 minute, or until golden brown, then flip and cook for another minute or until golden. Remove the donuts with a slotted spoon and allow them to drain on a paper towel-lined plate while you fry the remainder.
Fill & Glaze
- Add the custard to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip. Insert a skewer or chopstick into each donut, moving it around to create a pocket inside for the custard. Insert the tip of your piping bag into the hole created by the skewer and fill with the donut with custard. Repeat with the remaining donuts and custard**.
- Whisk the icing sugar, milk, and maple extract together until completely smooth. Taste the glaze and add more maple extract if needed. Dip the top of a donut into the glaze, then hold it on its side to let excess glaze drip off. Place the donut on a wire cookie rack and repeat with the remaining donuts.
- While the glaze is still wet, top each donut with the bacon pieces. Let the glaze set for 10-15 minutes before serving.
FAQ
Yes, you can! Bread flour has a higher protein content which will give you even more gluten development. You can use bread flour cup-for-cup in this recipe.
After testing the glaze and custard, I found the maple flavor very subtle using just maple syrup. If I added any more syrup, the consistency would become way too thin and the flavor too sweet. A bit of maple extract really brings out that beautiful pure maple flavor without messing with the consistency.
Try out my recipe for whiskey sour or you can give another egg white cocktail such as this earl grey martini a try! You can also try these adorable and simple egg white cookies out.
Before you to ANYTHING with the oil, carefully set the pot aside in a safe, stable place and let it completely cool down to room temperature. I have learned that different cities/ municipalities/ counties have different rules for discarding oil. If you plan on deep frying again, pour the oil back into the bottle to reuse. If not, find local information for discarding the oil properly.
Check the section below for a detailed information about your yeast dough and how to fix anything that may have done wrong.
Troubleshooting your dough
Yeast
If your yeast didn’t foam up during the first step, don’t continue with the recipe! This means that your yeast didn’t activate. The dough will not rise and I don’t want to waste the rest of your ingredients. “Why didn’t my yeast activate?!”, Well, it could be a few different factors:
- The milk temperature wasn’t within the “Goldilocks range”. If it’s too cold, the yeast be able to thrive properly. If the milk is too hot, it will kill the yeast. Remember: it’s a living organism! We’re looking for ~100F/40C, warm to the touch. Similar to baby formula! You can use a thermometer or just dip your finger into the milk and feel for lukewarm perfection.
- Your yeast has died. Again, it’s a living organism! It can even die within the expiry date on the jar. Go grab a new jar of yeast and store it in the freezer for a longer shelf life.
- The yeast hadn’t been stored properly and, as a result, died early. Make sure it’s in an airtight container. I like to but jars of yeast for that screw-top. The freezer is the perfect spot to keep your yeast to help it last as long as possible.
Dough
Alright, so your yeast foamed up exactly as it was supposed to in the first step, but that darned dough isn’t rising as expected. Maybe:
- It’s just taking its sweet, sweet time. Even when I’m just cooking for myself and not the website, I’ll snap a picture of my dough before rising for a comparison. Sometimes it’s hard to notice small changed. If you see even a bit of rising action, just give it a bit more time.
- The spot you have set it to rise is too cold. The yeast in the dough needs a warm and draft-free placeto be able to thrive. I like to preheat my oven to the lowest setting, then turn it off completely. This creates a perfectly warm, but not hot, environment where the dough can rise.
Alright, we have all of the yeast issues ironed out. But, what about mixing your dough to the perfect texture? Every environment is different, and humidity can play a big role in your dough’s hydration. It should be soft to the touch without being sticky.
- It’s too sticky: Add one tbsp of extra flour at a time, and mix it in completely using the dough hook on your mixer until you get the perfect texture.
- It’s too dry: Add a splash of milk or water at a time, mixing in completely with the dough hook on your mixer, until you get the perfect texture.
Tips for making perfect maple bacon donuts
- If you’re new to yeast bread making, be sure to check out my section above, “Troubleshooting your dough” for extra information to help you out.
- Make sure the custard has cooled down completely before piping into the donuts. If it’s still warm and runny, it will ooze out of the donuts.
- Speaking of custard oozing out of the donuts, let the donuts cool down completely after frying before piping the custard. This doesn’t take long, so by the time I had finished my last batch of frying, the first batch had cooled nicely.
- Try making candied bacon for the donut topping! Heavenly.
- Donuts are best served fresh. I would make these 1, max 2 days before serving them if you need them for a special event or guests.
How to store leftover maple bacon donuts
While regular donuts are great to sit at room temperature, custard-filled donuts are essentially filled with… milk. It’s best to store these in the fridge. Store them for 3-5 days in a large airtight container or covered with plastic wrap. I don’t love donuts cold out of the fridge, as they feel a bit dry. Let the donuts sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes to warm up before serving.
I don’t suggest keeping your donuts in the freezer. Since custard is egg-based, the act of freezing and thawing can result in an odd consistency.
Did you love this decadent treat? Try these!
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Maple Bacon Donuts
Ingredients
Donuts
- 1 cup milk lukewarm
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 4 tbsp butter softened
- 4 1/4 cups flour all-purpose
- 1 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- vegetable oil for frying
Custard filling
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tsp maple extract
- 2 tbsp butter unsalted, cold
Maple Glaze
- 2 cups icing sugar aka powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 1/2 tsp maple extract
- 6 slices bacon cooked and roughly chopped
Instructions
Dough
- Whisk the lukewarm milk, yeast, and 1 tsp of the sugar together. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes until the mixture becomes foamy. Whisk in the egg yolks and vanilla until well combined.
- Flour, butter, salt, remaining sugar, and prepared yeast mixture to the bowl of your stand mixer. Attach the dough hook to the mixer and start on low speed, working up to medium speed until the dough comes together. Knead for 5-10 minutes until the dough is soft and elastic*.
- Lightly grease a large mixing bowl. Shape the dough into a ball and place it into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free environment for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.
Custard
- Beat the egg yolks in a medium-sized mixing bowl just until smooth. Add the cornstarch, maple syrup, and salt to the bowl and continue to beat until combined and pale yellow, about 1 minute.
- Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium-high heat until it comes to a bare simmer. Remove the pan from the heat. Ladle the milk into the egg mixture, whisking until completely smooth between each ladle. Pour the mixture into the saucepan and return it to the stovetop over medium heat.
- Continuously whisk the mixture until it's bubbling and completely thickened. Remove the pot from the heat. Add the vanilla and butter and whisk until the custard is glossy and the butter has melted.
- Cover the custard with plastic wrap, carefully pressing the plastic directly against the surface of the custard. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until completely cooled.
Donuts
- Punch the risen dough down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out until about 1/2" thick.
- Use a 3" biscuit or cookie cutter to cut rounds from the dough. You can knead the remaining dough back together to cut more rounds from it, but keep in mind the dough can become over-worked and result in donuts that aren't ideal.
- Place the rounds on a lightly greased baking sheet, leaving about 1" of room between each one for room to rise. Lightly cover them with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and allow them to rise for 20-30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- Fill a large, heavy-bottomed pot with 3-4 inches of vegetable oil. Carefully add 2-3 risen dough rounds to the oil. Cook for about 1 minute, or until golden brown, then flip and cook for another minute or until golden. Remove the donuts with a slotted spoon and allow them to drain on a paper towel-lined plate while you fry the remainder.
Fill & Glaze
- Add the custard to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip. Insert a skewer or chopstick into each donut, moving it around to create a pocket inside for the custard. Insert the tip of your piping bag into the hole created by the skewer and fill with the donut with custard. Repeat with the remaining donuts and custard**.
- Whisk the icing sugar, milk, and maple extract together until completely smooth. Taste the glaze and add more maple extract if needed. Dip the top of a donut into the glaze, then hold it on its side to let excess glaze drip off. Place the donut on a wire cookie rack and repeat with the remaining donuts.
- While the glaze is still wet, top each donut with the bacon pieces. Let the glaze set for 10-15 minutes before serving.
So good!!!