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 these maple bacon donuts, easy one hour 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
This maple glaze recipe is so simple with basic ingredients that are pantry favorites! Mix together the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients giving it a smooth and creamy glaze. Maple glaze is a sweet and savory flavor that is quick and easy to make!
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- 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.
- Kosher Salt: Just a pinch of 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
Making a maple glaze is a delicious way to add a sweet and maple-flavored touch to a variety of dishes! We love to add it to pancakes, baked ham, or donuts. Here are some helpful tips and tricks to help you make a tasty maple glaze!
- 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 a 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!
- Donuts. For dipping tops of my homemade donut recipe or soft pumpkin cookies.
- Muffins. Drizzle over pumpkin crumb muffins, snickerdoodle muffins, or pumpkin scones.
- Cinnamon rolls. Spread on top of cinnamon rolls or these cinnamon roll pancakes.
- Cake. For a fun twist on carrot cake, vanilla cake, or a pound cake.
- Cookies. These maple cookies are full of seasonal flavor and the glaze is perfect for drizzling on top!
Recipe FAQs
Maple glaze is made out of powdered sugar, maple syrup, milk, and salt, and may have maple syrup or extract. Combine these key ingredients to boost the flavor and enhance the sweet maple glaze recipe!
Honey has a similar texture to maple and is a great substitution for it. Both honey and maple syrup are thick and runny types of ingredients. Use honey as a 1 for 1 substitution for maple syrup. It may alter the flavor but it will be okay to use honey instead of maple syrup.
5 star review
“My husband said he doesn’t forgive me for not making this before (he’s teasing)
-Sarah
The family loved it. We drizzled it on maple pecan coffee cake & berries 😋.”
Storage Instructions
This maple glaze has the best consistency and flavor when used on the day of preparation. If you need to make it ahead or store it overnight, place it in the refrigerator overnight and slowly reheat it on the stovetop stirring while it is warming up.
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!
More Desserts to Use On
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Maple Glaze
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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!
Categorized as: 5 Ingredients Or Less, American, Christmas, Desserts, Frosting, Gluten-Free, No-Bake, Nut-Free, Stovetop, Thanksgiving, Toppings, Vegetarian
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
Do you think this recipe would work using nondairy butter? I want to glaze a nondairy gluten free carrot cake.
Thanks!
Yes it would work. Most dairy free butters though contain salt, so I would not add the addition of a pinch of salt. Enjoy!
I am going to make this and bring to my work to put on homemade donuts. Can I make a head of time and just heat in microwave? Thanks in advance :-)
It really is better the first day when the donuts are dipped right into it. It may work to warm up and drizzle on the donuts, though. Let us know how it goes!
Yum! I have been looking for a long time to find the perfect maple topping to a donut. Most people use maple flavoring and I don’t like the way it’s tastes. This is perfection! Mmm….
Not so common to find another Nye baker! I drizzled this glaze over a butter pecan bundt cake….DELICIOUS!
Yum! I just made this & it’s so delicious! I baked some simple banana breads to give to my coworkers & this glaze made them special & festive
oh my lanta, this is literally the best glaze for my homemade donuts this fall season! thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe
I used this maple glaze to top an apple pound cake and it was divine! But it was honestly good enough to eat with a spoon. :) I can’t wait to try it on other fall desserts!
terrific! perfect consistency for pumpkin breads!
This homemade maple glaze is perfect! Super easy to make and tastes amazing. Indeed goes great on donuts.
My husband said he doesn’t forgive me for not making this before (he’s teasing)
The family loved it. We drizzled it on maple pecan coffee cake & berries 😋.
haha, this is so funny and the best comment. So glad that you enjoyed these donuts!
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!