Use canned biscuits to get amazing Maple Bar doughnuts in just 30 minutes! Yes, really.
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.
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 east coast, or even 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 10pm 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.
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 swear these taste like legit Maple Bars. They get perfectly crispy on the outside, but are melt-in-your-mouth soft and tender on the inside. 30 minutes guys.
Here are some other maple recipes if you’ve got the craving now:
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!
Notes
Nutrition
Here’s the dough I used. Worked like a charm!
Shoonk out the dough…yes shoonk.
Stretch out that dough…
Til it’s about 6 inches long.
Then throw it in some hot oil.
Aaaand flip.
And helloooooooo Maple Bars.
What is this maple bar you speak of?! It looks AMAZING. A bakery close to my home town makes a maple version of Long John’s and I always thought they were waaaaay better than the chocolate version. It’s both excellent and terrible that these only take 30 minutes to make. This is far too accessible. At least with the other version my laziness would keep me from making them. Oh well…we’re adults so we get to eat donuts whenever we want right?
Everyday Courtney. Charlotte: mom, if you can have a cookie, how come I can’t have one?
Cuz I’m bigger en you. that’s why.
This is parenting at it’s finest here.
We don’t have maple bar in our bakeries over here but maple glaze is definitely something achievable over here. Can’t wait to try!
I loooove me some maple bars. I’m going to have to remember this next time the craving hits(so every day, basically).
These Maple Bars look crazy good. I have never had one (Hello Midwest!), which means I will definitely have to try these and start falling in love, ha! Thanks for posting another awesome recipe that can be made in no time. 30-minute recipes are the bomb!
Thanks Kathi! I mourn for your Maple-Bar-lessness. Make these. They will bring you to your knees.
Girl !!!!! This is too tempting . My son is trying to lick the screen- Yes really. Now he wants me to make this . I am going to get you for this.
HAHAHAHA Immaculate!! Guilty! That is so funny :)
Mmm-Maple Bars are crazy good! We have a place here in Portland that I’ve never been to called Voodoo Doughnut and they have Bacon Maple Bars and I’ve been wanting to try one. I guess I could just make one of these and sprinkle some bacon on it.
Oh my god woman. Okay one, we are clearly on the same wavelength because I just made doughnuts this weekend two!!! Except we are on very separate stratas of that wavelength because I baked mine which makes me all sadface when I look at these GLORY-FILLED FRIED BARS OF BEAUTY. Well, glory-topped I suppose. I didn’t realize maple bars were a West Coast thing, but now that you mention it…I don’t think I’ve ever seen a maple bar in Houston! Good thing you’re here to remedy that!! FRIED BISCUITS FOR ERRYONE.
Why didn’t I name them that? Glory-Filled Fried Bars of Beauty. It has a nice ring.
Omigosh the convenience and deliciousness of these maple bars is going to ruin me! This is the worst timing–Anime Boston is this weekend and I have to fit into a costume! Ack! Why do all the best recipes come out at such inconvenient times?
That always happens doesn’t it? Anime Boston!? What is your costume? That’s awesome!
I’m going as Hawkeye from Fullmetal Alchemist (http://fma.wikia.com/wiki/Riza_Hawkeye). Guess I’ll get to experience being a blonde!
Ummm I’ve never heard of maple bars before. Are we still friends?? I hope so because I’m trying these, and then I’m stealing the whole frying biscuit dough thing, to make oodles and oodles of donuts! ;) Yummmmmm
Yes, still friends, as long as I can fly to Kansas and bring you a Maple Bar so that you can cry about missing out on these your whole life. I’m cruel like that.
These look amazing! Loving the fact they only take 30-minutes to make! :)
Thanks Jessica! Yes, fast desserts are a great way to get fat faster. Right?? :)
Great idea! I’ve seen these biscuit donuts before, but never a maple bar version. Genius! I love maple bars, I didn’t know they were a west coast thing. I’ve lived in Oregon and now Washington my whole life and maple bars are definitely available everywhere. And they are my fave. I just recently had a famous Voodoo Doughnut maple bar with bacon on top. I kid you not, it was the absolute best doughnut I have ever had. So good! : )
Oh. My. Word! This is so great! I’ve heard of the biscuit-dough-as-doughnut idea (sorry for being the bad friend who didn’t tell you!), but I was always skeptical and worried it wouldn’t taste as good. But if you say it’s just as good, I’m going to have to make these this weekend! So much easier than making your own dough. These pictures are amazing Karen!
Thanks for nothing Natalie!!! :) :) Just kidding. You really should try it, they are so easy and soooooo good. I mean, no rolling, no kneading…it just doesn’t get easier than that. Thanks for showering me with compliments Natalie, your comments are always very good for my ego :)
How creative is this, I had no idea you could make donuts out of biscuit dough, amazing!
I didn’t either Cheri! The Pillsbury gods have been holding out on us :)
LOVE LOVE LOVE!
Thanks Lori! Wish I could share some with you!
Wow. You know these would be great for company when you don’t want making breakfast to take too long. Like on Christmas. I’m also thinking they’d be perfect for a brunch if you didn’t want to get up too early (not that I am speaking personally). Maple is so good….I wish we had a holiday where it was traditional to eat mapley things.
Yes, let’s do it Sarah! Let’s pick a date. It will be Maple Day. Or maybe we could just steal the Canadian Independence day :) And yeah this would be a good brunch to make for company. It’s seriously so easy. No rising even.
Maybe we could invite some Canadian Mounties. And their riders… Lol!!
HAHAHAHA!!!!! Oh my gosh I love you.
Sarah…in Quebec we have not a maple day but a maple season in the Spring! Its tradition to go to a Cabane a Sucre ( Sugar Shack) and eat eggs, ham, bacon, mini hot dogs all cooked in maple syrup. Dessert is maple sugar pie, donuts with syrup and crepes with syrup…after all that you go outside and eat maple candy on snow…:)