These easy 30-Minute Maple Bars are perfectly crispy on the outside, but are melt-in-your-mouth soft and tender on the inside. Use canned biscuit dough to make these amazing doughnuts in just 30 minutes! Yes, really. Originally published March 18, 2014.
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Every Monday we have family night, with a lesson and activity, and last night we taught Charlotte about healthy food habits. (This may or may not have been a direct result of her refusing to eat everything but the top layer of crust on her Chicken Pot Pie.)
Eric found this strange/hilarious food pyramid video to show her. (highlight: “My friend John is fat because he keeps eating and he does not play” (picture of Fat John).
Keeps eating and does not play. Yep, that pretty much describes me.
Then they’ll show a picture of me stuffing my face with one of these Maple Bars. Just in case this healthy food habits video doesn’t stick with Charlotte, surely her mother’s shining example will.
Rrrrright. I guess now is a bad time to mention that I have maple glaze on my hands as I type this. Because I just finished off my 4th doughnut for the day. Maybe it was 5. I’m not even gonna get out of my chair to go check how many are left.
These maple bars are so easy and so delicious
Raise your hand if you’re a West Coast transplant. This recipe is for you! I get a ton of people landing on my blog searching for a Maple bars recipe. Maple bars are a West Coast standard in doughnut shops, but are tough to find on the East Coast or even the Midwest. (At least I couldn’t find them in Indianapolis when we lived there.) It’s a darn shame, because maple bars pretty much rule.
But cry no more, my beautiful Californians, Oregonites, Washingtonians. My other recipe for Maple Bars is fabulous and stars and rainbows and all that…but it definitely takes like 5 hours, what with all the rising and rolling and shaping. Not that I haven’t been known to start making them at 10 pm when I’m 37 weeks pregnant. Sometimes cravings call.
But never again will I have to lose feeling in my cankles just to get my maple bars. These seriously take 30 minutes! Hallelujah.
Featured Comment
“You are seriously my hero. Ever since I left the PNW for the military, I have been consistently craving maple bars, and I can’t find them ANYWHERE. I made these the other day, and I ate six in one sitting. SIX. I feel no shame. This just changed my life.”
– Nikkita
Key ingredients
- Apparently, I’ve been living under a rock, because I had no idea you could take biscuit dough and fry it into a donut. I told a few people about this idea, and they were like, yeah, duh. (We’re not even friends anymore because hello, who doesn’t share awesome ideas like that? Just kidding, Sandi.)
- I use maple extract for the glaze. I prefer the extract over maple syrup because it has a stronger, more concentrated maple flavor and won’t thin the consistency or make the glaze too runny
How to make maple bars in 30 minutes
Here’s the dough I used. Worked like a charm!
Shoonk out the dough…yes shoonk.
Gently stretch each piece until it’s about 6 inches long without overworking it so it stays light and airy…
then throw it in some HOT oil.
Aaaand flip.
Let them drain on a paper towel. While the donuts are cooling, make the glaze in a shallow bowl or pie plate by whisking together all the glaze ingredients. Add more water if necessary.
Dip the puffiest side into the glaze.
Move fast, the glaze starts to harden right away.
And helloooooooo Maple Bars.
How to store leftover maple bars
Maple bars are best enjoyed fresh, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If your kitchen runs warm, refrigerate them to keep the icing from getting too soft, but note that the texture is best at room temp.
Can I freeze these?
Sure, but freeze the maple bars without the glaze. Let them cool completely, then place them in a single layer in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 2 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw at room temperature and add fresh maple icing for the best flavor and texture.
More maple recipes
30-Minute Maple Bars
Ingredients
For the doughnuts:
- peanut oil*
- 1 16.3-oz can buttermilk biscuit dough, refrigerated, I like Pillsbury Grands
For the glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon light corn syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon table salt
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon maple extract
- 3 tablespoons hot water
Instructions
- In a high-sided skillet, add about 1 1/2 to 2 inches of peanut oil. Turn the heat on to medium and let the oil heat for at least 5 minutes, or until a thermometer reads 350 F. If you don’t have a thermometer you can test the oil buy dropping in a small piece of dough: if it bubbles, it’s ready. Don’t be tempted to turn up the heat; medium is the temperature you want.
- Open the can of biscuits and separate them out. Use your fingers to pull each biscuit into a large oval, about the size of a dollar bill (5 or 6 inches). You want it to be kinda long and skinny; if you flatten it out too much the other way you will end up with fat donuts. (Kinda like Fat John.)
- Drop the dough into the hot oil 2 at a time. Cook for 2 minutes, then flip them over with tongs. Cook for another 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until they are a deep golden color. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate. Continue with the rest of the donuts.
- When the donuts have cooled, make the glaze. In a shallow bowl or pie plate, whisk together all the glaze ingredients. Add more water if necessary.
- Dip the puffiest side into the glaze. Move fast, the glaze starts to harden right away. Cover any remaining glaze with plastic wrap. EAT!
Thank you so much for these yummy maple bars!! We are from Idaho- moves to PA and we have missed maple donuts!!! My family will be thrilled when I crank out these babies!!
Also, my mom used to make us donuts out of canned biscuit dough as a kid and roll them in cinnamon & sugar. Yum!!
You have to let me know how it goes DeSha! It’s a serious crime that the east coast has not gotten on board with the maple bars, right?? Enjoy!!
You are seriously my hero. Ever since I left the PNW for the military I have been consistently craving maple bars and I can’t find them ANYWHERE. The only thing holding me back from making them myself was how time consuming they are. I made these the other day and I ate six in one sitting. SIX. I feel no shame. This just changed my life.
There should be no shame associated with donuts, just in general I think :) I’m so glad you like them Nikkita! Next time if you are in a hurry try this 30 minute recipe, it’s pretty fabulous too!
seriously!?!? My mom who was born and raised in California, has lived overseas for the last 45 years. Every time she visits, maple bars are at the very top of her homesick cravings list. Here in upstate NY we have Dunkin Donuts on every street corner, but they’ve never heard of maple bars. This is maple country, for Pete’s sake! :) I will definitely be making these next time she visits…
Speaking of maple country… Maple glaze that doesn’t have even a drop of pure maple syrup? I think I might have to do some kitchen experiments…
Thanks for the great idea!
I’m so glad you found a recipe Arianna! Now you can make them for your mom and win major brownie points :) The problem with legit maple syrup is that it has a pretty delicate flavor. You would have to add a lot to the frosting to get the strong maple flavor that I wanted and that would mess with the consistency. If you experiment and find something that works, let me know! Happy frying :)
Wow! My hubby’s fav donut! Thanks for sharing this recipe!!
I was born in Washington and grew up in Oregon, but now I am a southern girl. Since I moved here, 5 years ago, I haven’t seen a single maple bar. These were my favorite things about the northwest. Even Krispy Kreme hot and fresh donuts are nothing compared to a yummy maple bar. Thanks for sharing! My birthday is this Saturday, and I know what I want now!
I’m so glad you get to have these on your birthday Rainy! you have to let me know how they turn out! Thanks for commenting :)
The trifecta of recipes – beautiful, delicious, and crazy easy to make!
I LOVE maple bars. They were (and I say were because I don’t dare walk into a doughnut shop anymore) my favorite thing to order when I was a kid. There’s nothing like fried dough with a maple glaze slathered on top. Then again, I’m a fan of maple anything so I’ll definitely be checking out your other maple recipes too. Thanks, Karen!! :)