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This versatile maple glaze is perfect for donuts, bread, cakes, muffins, and more! The flavor is bold and sweet, and it sets up beautifully.
Want to add a pop of flavor to your baked goods? Try this easy maple glaze, perfect for donuts, quick breads, cakes, muffins, and more!
In just 5 minutes, you can whip up a sweet glaze with a bold, maple-bursting flavor. Customize the maple flavor to your taste, so it’s just what you need for a variety of recipes. Try it on my Pumpkin Bread or Baked Donuts!
Ingredients You’ll Need
This easy maple glaze requires just 6 ingredients and has a quick prep time. It also sets nicely at room temperature, so it stays solid instead of becoming sticky like other glazes.
The key? Maple extract, which brings just the right intensity of maple flavor. Technically, you can make a maple glaze without extract, but it’s what brings in the true, pure maple flavor. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
- Powdered sugar
- Butter, salted or unsalted
- Maple syrup
- Salt
- Maple extract
- Milk of choice
For a vegan version of this glaze, use vegan butter and your non-dairy milk of choice (I like oat milk).
The Secrets to This Maple Glaze
The secrets to the bold flavor and robust texture of this maple glaze recipe? Maple extract and butter. The butter is such a game-changer for homemade glazes and icings, because it makes them more stable at room temperature. Here’s what to know:
- Maple extract is a flavoring made from steeping maple syrup in a neutral solvent, like vodka or grain alcohol, for a few weeks to extract the flavor. The extract has a much stronger maple flavor than the syrup itself, which is very neutral. You can adjust the maple intensity to taste here.
- Butter used in this maple glaze is what lets it set up as a solid at room temperature. Other types of glazes can become sticky during room-temperature storage, but this maple glaze sets beautifully.
Whisk and Adjust as Needed
This maple glaze is similar to other powdered-sugar icings and glazes; it’s simply a matter of whisking a few ingredients in a bowl. Add more liquid as needed until the glaze reaches the desired consistency. Here’s what to know:
- Gradually add the milk. The milk quantity specified below should create a smooth, glossy texture to the maple glaze. Add it gradually to make sure it comes to a thick yet drizzleable texture.
- Add a hint more milk if necessary. Add liquid a teaspoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
- Taste the glaze and add more maple extract if desired. Want a super maple-y glaze? Simply add a few more drops of maple at a time until the flavor pops. It’s pretty potent stuff, so add it just a bit at a time!
- Use a fork to drizzle the glaze. This gets a much better drizzle consistency than a spoon, which makes very large lines.
Ways to Use It
The best ways to use this maple glaze? It’s honestly delicious on so many baked goods, but here are a few of my favorite ways to use it:
- Donuts like baked donuts or mini donuts
- Bundt cakes or pound cakes
- Sheet cakes like pumpkin cake or applesauce cake
- Cookies like applesauce cookies or pumpkin cookies
- Quick breads like apple bread or banana bread
- Scones like pumpkin scones
- Bars like apple pie bars or blueberry pie bars
- Muffins like apple cinnamon muffins or banana muffins
Storage Info
Allow approximately 20 minutes for the glaze to dry. The glazed bread stores up to 5 days at room temperature (without getting sticky!). For best results, store refrigerated up to 10 days.
Dietary Notes
This recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, use vegan butter and non-dairy milk.
Maple Glaze (for Donuts, Bread, Cake, & More!)
This maple glaze is perfect for donuts, bread, cakes, muffins and more! The flavor is bold and sweet, and it sets up beautifully.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 12 donuts, 12 muffins, or 2 quick bread loaves 1x
- Category: Essentials
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Drizzle
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 cup* powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons melted butter, salted or unsalted (or vegan butter)
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon maple extract, plus more if desired
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk of choice, plus more if needed
Instructions
- Heat the butter and maple syrup in a small saucepan until the butter melts. In a medium bowl, slowly whisk the powdered sugar, butter and maple syrup, salt and maple extract until a thick glaze forms. Gradually add the milk to make a smooth, pourable glaze. If the glaze is too sticky, add a teaspoon more milk until it comes to a smooth, thick consistency. Taste and if desired, add more maple extract to taste, a few drops at a time.
- Use a fork to drizzle across the bread. Allow approximately 20 minutes for the glaze to dry. The glazed baked good can generally stay up to 5 days at room temperature (without getting sticky!) or for best results, store refrigerated up to 10 days.
Notes
*For a lighter drizzle for pumpkin bread, quick bread, or muffins, make a half batch!
Hi there! What size measuring spoon is used for the maple extract in the Maple Glaze Recipe? Thanks! Gerry
P.S. I haven’t made the Apple Bars yet, so I couldn’t rate the recipe, but I’m looking forward to it!
Full recipe is here: https://www.acouplecooks.com/maple-glaze/#tasty-recipes-148264-jump-target 1/4 tsp.
Can I freeze the maple glaze? I have a bit lefto over and I won’t need it unitl Christmas time!
We haven’t tried it. Let us know if you do!
Let us know if you have any questions!