Baked Banana Donuts with Maple Cinnamon Glaze

Autumn is here, bringing with it cooler weather. I like the cozy atmosphere.  So romantic. Yesterday it got really chilly. I decided to spoil my sweet fiancé with a comfort dessert. When I think comfort, I think donuts. They are nostalgic, extremely sweet (in a good way) and make people smile. Are you smiling right now?

I don’t have a donut pan, but that didn’t stop me from making these cuties. I used a standard size muffin pan instead. I had ripe bananas sitting on the counter for quite a while and some leftover maple syrup from a party I threw last week (you know, just a little something). So basically it was a sign. Maple Glazed Banana Donuts it is.

Let’s start with the muffins. On their own they might not taste like donuts, but paired with the glaze, they certainly do. They are cakey, very moist and full of banana flavor. And the glaze…oh the glaze! It is divine. Without it the donuts just aren’t the same.

Can you see how high the muffins domes are?  The trick is the temperature! If you start baking with a very high temperature, it creates a burst of steam, quickly lifting the muffin tops. I talk more about how to make high domes in my Classic Muffins Recipe. Wondering why I wanted high domed muffins in this recipe? Yup you got it -the higher the top, the more glaze on the donut! And the glaze is the yummiest part.

The muffins are simple to make and you don’t need a mixer! Start by whisking oil with the brown and granulated sugars, maple syrup, eggs, mashed bananas, yogurt and vanilla extract (in this order). Then add dry ingredients. I used 1/4 cup of maple syrup as a sweetener, but if you prefer, you can replace it with 1/4 cup of granulated sugar (in addition to the sugar that is already in the recipe). Use very ripe bananas. The riper the bananas, the moister your muffins will be. I also added 2 tablespoons of yogurt to make the muffins lighter (a trick I learned from Thomas Keller in his fabulous BOUCHON bakery cookbook). Don’t overmix the batter. Banana cakes already have the tendency to be heavy and dense, so if you overmix you might end up with a tough, rubbery texture.

Now for my favorite part – the glaze! I started with powdered sugar, a tiny bit of cinnamon and maple syrup. I added about one tablespoon of hot water (a little at a time) to make the glaze really smooth. Since it was still somewhat thick, I started adding milk, drop by drop, until I reached the desired consistency. It should be thick but pourable. You can use just milk or just water as the liquid. I chose to use both since milk adds taste and the hot water gives it a smooth texture.

When the muffins are cooled, dip their tops in the glaze, and tap off any excess. Some of the glaze will probably drizzle to the sides – don’t worry about it too much, it’s ok (and delicious). The donuts are best eaten the same day they are made because of the glaze. They do stay moist and delicious for a few more days in room temperature, but they won’t look as pretty since the muffins will start to absorb the glaze. You can freeze the muffins without the glaze. See the notes in the recipe for more information.

Just in the last hour, while typing this post, I have eaten two donuts. This is a disaster. In a good way.