This smooth maple glaze is infused with sweet maple syrup and is the perfect way to make your desserts next level delicious. Use on donuts, cookies, cake, cinnamon rolls and more!
Table of Contents
Quick and Easy Maple Icing
This maple glaze recipe is the perfect finishing touch for all your desserts! It’s a great way to showcase the sweet and caramelly flavor of maple syrup and is ready in just 30 minutes from start to finish.
Use this maple glaze for donuts, cinnamon rolls, cookies, cake and so much more. It has a thinner consistency than my maple cream cheese frosting and is especially great for dipping your desserts – no bag piping needed! Just another reason to love this easy maple icing.
I especially love making this recipe in the fall, when I start busting out all of my favorite pumpkin recipes and delicious apple desserts. It tastes amazing drizzled over pumpkin bread, pumpkin bundt cake or my apple pull apart bread…just to name a few!
Glaze Ingredients
- Butter: I recommend using unsalted butter so that the glaze isn’t overly salty. This way you can control the amount of salt used and add a pinch or so if needed.
- Maple syrup: Look for 100% pure maple syrup. This is different than pancake syrup and has a more rich and robust flavor. Using pure maple syrup will give you a fresher flavor than maple extract.
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract is added in for a boost of flavor vanilla.
- Powdered sugar: Adds a sweet flavor and gives the icing that creamy icing consistency.
- Salt: Just a pinch of kosher salt or sea salt will help balance out the sweetness of the glaze.
How to Make Maple Glaze
Add the butter to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until melted. Pour in the maple syrup and stir until melted, then remove the pan from the heat. Next whisk in the vanilla, powdered sugar and salt until the consistency is smooth and creamy. Then it’s ready to dip or drizzle on all your favorite desserts!
Tips for Making Maple Icing
- No lumps. Whisk the glaze mixture VERY well, so that you don’t have any lumps from the powdered sugar. You could even sift the powdered sugar to prevent them.
- Spices. You could always add a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice or nutmeg during the fall months to give it more warm spice flavor.
- Let your dessert cool. Make sure your dessert has cooled completely before adding the glaze, or else it could melt and thin out.
- Work fast. This glaze dries fairly quickly so make sure to work fast when dipping or drizzling on your desserts, especially if sprinkling on extra toppings.
- Pure maple syrup. This is the star of the show, so make sure to use 100% pure maple syrup. The maple flavor may change a bit depending on which type you go for. For a more subtle flavor, look for golden or amber varieties. For a stronger and richer flavor, look for dark or very dark maple syrup.
Ways to Use Maple Glaze
The options are endless when it comes to using this maple glaze recipe. Use it as a maple donut glaze, or drizzle it on top of your favorite cookies and cakes. You really can’t go wrong!
- For dipping the tops of these maple bacon donuts or soft pumpkin cookies.
- Drizzle over pumpkin crumb muffins, snickerdoodle muffins or pumpkin scones.
- Spread on top of cinnamon rolls or these cinnamon roll pancakes.
- For a fun twist on carrot cake, vanilla cake or pound cake.
Finishing Touches
Make your desserts extra decorative and delicious by sprinkling some chopped pecans, walnuts or cooked bacon pieces on top of the glaze. Just make sure to work fast, or the glaze will dry and your toppings won’t stick!
Storage Instructions
This maple glaze has the best consistency and flavor when used the day of preparing.
More Desserts to Use On
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Maple Glaze
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-1 ½ cups powdered sugar , plus more if needed
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the maple syrup until melted. Remove from the heat. Whisk in the vanilla, powdered sugar, and salt until smooth.
- Dip donuts into the glaze or drizzle on top of your favorite cakes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Easy and so so good! Not too sweet…great balance.
This is a very versatile glaze and can be used on so many things. Doughnuts may be my favorite though! Thanks for sharing, Linda!
Thanks, Linda! That is great to hear.
So delicious! I frosted an applesauce cake with it. Thank you so much!
Mmm sounds so delicious! Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Maggie :)
So good!
Yum! I am going to drizzle it onto apple hand pies. Thanks for an easy recipe with real maple syrup.
Enjoy! :)
Oh my gosh, I could eat that with a spoon! Absolutely delicious, thank you!
I made this for some homemade Biscuit donuts, you know the kind made with canned Pillsbury biscuits and fried up? Made them taste just like my favorite donut shop!
Yay! So happy to hear the recipe was a success :)
This glaze is so perfect for our donuts! We got storebought dough and this takes them too the next level!
So happy to hear you enjoyed it, Liz!