These Pumpkin Donuts with Maple Glaze are moist, lightly spiced, and delicious.
Looking for more fall treats? You might like these Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Donuts , Pumpkin Donuts With Cream Cheese Glaze , Mini Pumpkin Pie , and Small-batch Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies .
If you follow me on Instagram , you might have, via the stories feature, seen me testing these doughnuts a few weeks ago in August. It felt almost sacrilegious cracking open a can of pumpkin puree before September, but it was so worth it so that I could have this recipe ready for you today, because, guys. These. Donuts. Are. AMAZING.
Remember last week when I was fighting with the water content in pumpkin puree to make pumpkin shortbread cookies ? That is NOT a problem this week, because pumpkin puree makes these pumpkin donuts so moist and soft.
I could happily eat them plain, straight out of the oven with a cup of coffee.
But we’re not going to do that. Instead we are topping these babies off with a killer maple glaze. I hate to even call it a glaze, because this stuff so thick, it’s practically maple frosting.
For years I’ve been trying to recreate the type of glaze that you find on the best bakery maple bars, and this is it!
The really great thing about my Pumpkin Donuts With Maple Glaze is that they are extremely quick and easy to throw together.
BUT, I definitely recommend inviting some friends over to enjoy them with you! These things are so tasty you are not going to want to stop at just one. Though, at a surprisingly low 180 calories each, having an extra wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world… 😉
Pumpkin Donuts With Maple Glaze Recipe Notes
- This maple glaze is made with maple extract, and unfortunately, you cannot substitute maple syrup for the extract (imitation extract is fine). Maple extract is waaaaaay more concentrated, and you just won’t get the strong maple flavor you are looking for with syrup.You can order extract online * or find it in the baking aisle at most large grocery stores. I started stocking maple extract a couple of years ago, and find that it’s one of those ingredients you start finding a million uses for once you know it’s in your cupboard.
- If you don’t own a donut pan, I recommend this one .* It’s the pan I own, and I’ve been very happy with it. You can also make these in a muffin tin. Fill tins 2/3 of the way full (it should make about 10) and cook for 8-10 minutes.
This recipes uses 1/3 cup of pumpkin puree, meaning if you open a new 15-ounce can, you will have a ton of puree left over. Check out my post What to Do With Leftover Pumpkin Puree for some ideas on what to do with the rest of the can.
Equipment
- Donut pan
Ingredients
Pumpkin Donuts
- ▢ 1 cup ( 120g ) all-purpose flour
- ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- ▢ 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- ▢ 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ▢ Pinch ground cloves
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1/3 cup ( 81 g) pumpkin puree
- ▢ 1/3 cup ( 66 g) brown sugar
- ▢ 1 large egg
- ▢ 1/4 cup milk any percentage
- ▢ 2 tablespoons ( 1 oz) unsalted butter melted and cooled
Maple Glaze
- ▢ 2 tablespoons ( 1 oz) unsalted butter
- ▢ 1/4 cup ( 50 g) brown sugar
- ▢ 1 tablespoon and 1 1/2 teaspoon milk
- ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup
- ▢ 1 teaspoon maple extract
- ▢ 1 cup ( 120 g) powdered sugar sifted
- ▢ Sprinkles for topping optional
Instructions
Pumpkin Donuts
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease your donut pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, brown sugar, egg, milk, and butter.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir until just combined.
- Prop a gallon-sized disposable bag open over a large cup, and transfer batter to the bag. Squeeze out most of the air, and use scissors to snip off one of the corners. “Pipe” the batter into your donut pan, filling 3/4 full–this should make exactly 6 donuts.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until donuts are fluffy, and spring back if you press down on the top with your finger.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, until cool enough to handle, before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling completely, about 15 minutes.
Maple Glaze
- Once your donuts have cooled, combine butter, brown sugar, and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until butter is melted, and sugar dissolved. Remove from heat and whisk in corn syrup and maple extract. Add half of the sugar, and whisk until incorporated before adding the rest. Whisk until smooth.
- Transfer glaze to a small bowl large enough for dipping. Dip donuts one at a time, and immediately add sprinkles. This glaze hardens quickly, and sprinkles won’t stick if you wait until the end to add them,
- Discard excess glaze* and allow the glaze on the donuts to set for 5 minutes before eating.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Donuts Adapted From Live Well Bake Often Maple Glaze Adapted From Butter With a Side of Bread
Basil Chicken Pasta is one of my favorite quick and easy meals. Just simmer basil, chicken, and tomatoes together, serve over the pasta of your choice, sprinkle with Parmesan, and enjoy!
This month on the blog, we are making super simple dinners that are healthy, easy, and quick. Last week we made Teriyaki Chicken with Homemade Teriyaki sauce , a dinner that comes together in all of 15 minutes.
Today I’m sharing a recipe that takes a few minutes longer, but is just as simple, Basil Chicken Pasta.
Do you have days where you just do. not. want. to. cook. anything? I have those days all the time, and rather than dig out a take out menu, this is the dish I turn to. Basil Chicken Pasta is low-maintenance food at its best.
To make this dish, you just cube a chicken breast, roughly (sometimes angrily–I don’t know what your day was like) chop some onion and garlic, open a can of tomatoes, add some basil, and simmer away.
You can make your basil chicken pasta with fresh basil or dried, whatever you have on hand. I am a horrible murderer of windowsill herbs, so usually I use dried, but my most recent victim kitchen basil plant is somehow still kicking, so I used fresh basil in the photos.
In about 20 minutes, you wind up with a dish that is light and simple but completely satisfying. I love the flavor the basil gives to the chicken and tomatoes, and since you are serving this over pasta–I usually choose angel hair, but use whatever you want– it’s basically law that you sprinkle it with plenty of Parmesan just before serving.
Plate it up with a side of Butter and Garlic Green Beans or the side of your choice , and your dinner’s going to be a good one!
More Easy Chicken Dinners
- Chicken Fajitas
- Chicken Parm Soup
- Chicken Shawarma With Yogurt Sauce
- Chicken Carcass Soup
This recipe serves two, but doubles (or triples–go nuts!) with no major changes to cooking time or method. See recipe notes for details.
Ingredients
Basil Chicken Pasta
- ▢ 4 ounces angel hair pasta or pasta of choice*
- ▢ 1 small (about 8 oz) boneless chicken breast cubed 1 inch
- ▢ 1/4 cup diced onion about 1/4 medium onion
- ▢ 2 cloves garlic pressed or diced
- ▢ 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
- ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil or 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
For Topping
- ▢ 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- ▢ Fresh basil optional, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Put a pot of lightly salted water on to boil for your pasta.
- Spray a medium skillet, with cooking spray, or drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Brown cubed chicken over medium heat, 3 to 5 minutes. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken while it is cooking.
- Add onions and garlic, and cook until chicken is cooked through and onions begin to turn translucent at the edges, another 3 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in canned tomatoes (and their juices), basil, and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and saucy, about 6 minutes.
- Start your pasta, and cook according to package instructions until al dente.* Drain and divide into two bowls.
- Stir hot sauce into the tomatoes and check the salt level. Add more if needed. Divide the sauce between your two bowls. Top with Parmesan and optional fresh basil.
- Enjoy!
Notes
This Top Sirloin Steak with Mustard Sauce recipe is my go-to dinner for busy weeknights when I’m craving red meat! It’s fast, healthy, and delicious.
Monday’s come around again. How was your weekend? Mine was lovely. As I mentioned in my Homemade Kettle Corn post last week, it’s fair time around here, so I got in a little fair visit and went to the movies to see Magnificent Seven . Not a bad weekend at all. 😉
We are nearly through the month of September, which means here on the blog, our month of Simple September Dinners is drawing to a close. But fear not, you know I love me some quick and easy recipes. There are plenty more of them in our future.
This month we made Easy Teriyaki Chicken using chicken thighs and Basil Chicken Pasta with chicken breasts. We are finishing out the month with something a bit more robust: Quick and Easy Broiled Steak With Mustard Sauce.
I almost never cook red meat during the work week, because I try to keep weekday meals light and easy, but if I do make steak between Monday and Thursday, it’s almost 100 percent sure to be this recipe. Broiling steak is the easiest , least fussy way to cook steak, and as long as you don’t grossly overcook your meat, your steak’s going to come out juicy, tender, and flavorful.
For this recipe, you just toss a little salt and pepper on some top sirloin and stick it under your broiler. During the short time that your steaks require to cook, you give some mushrooms, onions, and garlic a quick saute, steam some green beans , and throw together a quick mustard sauce, which is just beef broth, sour cream, and mustard.
The mustard sauce is a little tangy from the sour cream, creamy, but not too rich. I love the way it tastes poured over the top sirloin, but it’s also a killer topping for your green beans. I usually don’t feel like green beans need a ton of dressing up, but this sauce, I’ll allow. Also probably hog and not share.
I almost always serve this as is, with just the steak and green beans, but if you want to add some carbs to dinner, homemade mashed potatoes are my favorite. 🙂
The entire meal takes about 20 minutes from start to finish and if you’re in the mood for a healthy steak dinner, you won’t find better than this.
Steak With Mustard Sauce Recipe Tips For Success
- Top sirloin steak can vary a ton in size, so take the cooking times in this recipe with a grain of salt, particularly if you have a very thick piece/pieces of meat.
- Make sure to use a rimmed baking sheet * so you don’t wind up with boiling hot steak juice all over your oven or floor. And cover your tray with foil, because sometimes when you are broiling this small amount of meat, the juices in the pan are thin enough to burn under the broiler. Don’t be alarmed if this happens, but foil is important here because it will protect your pan. Also, never use wax or parchment paper under the broiler!!
- Let your meat rest after cooking so the juices have time to distribute themselves throughout the steak, and when it comes time to cut, slice across the grain for the most tender slices. Not sure how to find the grain? Read this post from Serious Eats on the subject.
- Finally, for the very best results, use an instant-read thermometer *! It’s the best, most accurate way of determining when to pull your meat from the oven. Temps are :
Rare 125° (with 3 minute rest) Medium rare 130°-135° Medium 135°-140° Medium well 145° (with 3 minute rest) Well done 160° (The steak in these photos was cooked to about 142°)
More Easy Dinner Recipes
- Carne Asada
- Country-style Ribs
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Easy Roasted Chicken
As written, this recipe serves two but doubles easily. For doubling instructions, see recipe notes.
Ingredients
Steak
- ▢ 10 ounces top sirloin
- ▢ Freshly ground black pepper
- ▢ Salt
Mustard Sauce
- ▢ 1 cup sliced mushrooms*
- ▢ 1 green onion thinly sliced
- ▢ 1 clove garlic diced
- ▢ 1 cup beef broth
- ▢ 2 tablespoons sour cream
- ▢ 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Serve With
- ▢ Steamed green beans
Instructions
Steak
- Preheat your broiler on high and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly grease.
- Lightly score 4 shallow cuts on both sides of the steak, two in each direction (per piece of meat if your sirloin is in smaller pieces).
- Sprinkle both sides generously with freshly cracked pepper and salt.
- Place steak on the prepared baking sheet and broil for 4 to 6 minutes per side, until steak reaches your desired level of doneness. Remove from oven, tent with foil, and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing across the grain.
Sauce
- While your steak is cooking, heat a medium skillet over medium heat and lightly grease with cooking spray or a small drizzle of olive oil. Add mushrooms and sliced green onions. Saute until mushrooms are lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Transfer vegetables to a plate and return pan to heat.
- Add beef broth to your pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until reduced by half. Remove from heat and whisk in sour cream and mustard. Add salt and pepper to taste (if you use full-sodium beef broth, you probably wont need salt). If not ready to serve, you can keep the mixture warm over very low heat–do not boil.
- Serve steak alongside steamed green beans, with mustard sauce spooned over both. Enjoy!
Notes
Recipe Adapted From Moms Who Think
Pumpkin Donuts with Maple Glaze
Equipment
- Donut pan
Ingredients
Pumpkin Donuts
- 1 cup ( 120g ) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup ( 81 g) pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup ( 66 g) brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup milk any percentage
- 2 tablespoons ( 1 oz) unsalted butter melted and cooled
Maple Glaze
- 2 tablespoons ( 1 oz) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup ( 50 g) brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon and 1 1/2 teaspoon milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
- 1 cup ( 120 g) powdered sugar sifted
- Sprinkles for topping optional
Instructions
Pumpkin Donuts
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease your donut pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, brown sugar, egg, milk, and butter.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir until just combined.
- Prop a gallon-sized disposable bag open over a large cup, and transfer batter to the bag. Squeeze out most of the air, and use scissors to snip off one of the corners. “Pipe” the batter into your donut pan, filling 3/4 full–this should make exactly 6 donuts.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until donuts are fluffy, and spring back if you press down on the top with your finger.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, until cool enough to handle, before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling completely, about 15 minutes.
Maple Glaze
- Once your donuts have cooled, combine butter, brown sugar, and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until butter is melted, and sugar dissolved. Remove from heat and whisk in corn syrup and maple extract. Add half of the sugar, and whisk until incorporated before adding the rest. Whisk until smooth.
- Transfer glaze to a small bowl large enough for dipping. Dip donuts one at a time, and immediately add sprinkles. This glaze hardens quickly, and sprinkles won’t stick if you wait until the end to add them,
- Discard excess glaze* and allow the glaze on the donuts to set for 5 minutes before eating.
- Enjoy!
