Simple and Easy Maple Bars in the Air Fryer

Does an air fryer work for donuts?

Air fryers are one of the best ways to make maple bar donuts! If you are new to the air fryer or Fabulessly Frugal, then let me introduce you to the best and healthiest way to make these maple bar donuts!

No deep frying required if you’re using an air fryer! No big messes that you need to clean up! You will find that the air fryer is so easy to use to make these maple bars.

I am so excited to share today’s donut recipe with you because it is incredibly easy and will be ready in 15 minutes or less! Air fryer maple bar donuts are simple and so delicious! 

Keep reading to learn a few tricks to make maple bars in the air fryer!

Easy Maple Bar Donut Recipe

This recipe is simple and you only need a handful of ingredients. I don’t normally love traditional fried donuts because they are usually heavy and I feel overly full and not great from that oil. After making this recipe, I was so surprised to love these donuts! These maple bars are light, fluffy, and don’t leave me with an upset stomach afterwards!

To make maple bars in the air fryer, you will need:

• 1, 8 ct can Pillsbury buttermilk biscuits

Then for the maple bar glaze, you will need.

• ¼ cup butter
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp corn syrup
• 2 tsp maple extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Jump down to the homemade maple bar frosting section to learn a few tips and tricks to making the best maple bar glaze.

How to air fry maple bars

Maple bars are so easy to fry in the air fryer. No oil is required and no flipping is needed, even if you have a traditional one burner air fryer like the Cosori 5.8 quart air fryer. If you have a dual burner air fryer, like the Cosori Dual Blaze air fryer, you of course don’t need to flip the donuts. Here are a few simple tips for making donuts in the air fryer.

Tip 1. Preheat the Air Fryer

Preheating the air fryer is optional, but it does help the biscuits cook quicker.

If you want to learn more about preheating your air fryer, check out this helpful video all about preheating your air fryer on YouTube. 

Tip 2. Stretch out the Biscuit dough

Stretch out the dough into an oblong or donut bar shape. You can stretch it out a lot further than you think, especially if you want more crunchy donuts. But if you want more biscuit like donuts, only stretch it out a little.

Tip 3. Air Fry

Place the biscuits (about 4) in the air fryer basket- no need to spray the basket. 

Cook for 5 minutes at 350 degrees F/175 degrees C. You do not need to flip the donuts.

Tip 4. Let the donuts rest and cool.

Let the donuts rest in the air fryer basket for about a minute or two. Then, transfer the donuts to a cooling rack or plate and let cool for another 3-5 minutes. If you ice while they are too hot, the maple glaze will melt off of the donuts. 

Tip 5. Dip and Enjoy!

Dip the donuts in the maple glaze. Let the glaze cool onto donuts for a couple of minutes or so. Then, enjoy!

What is maple bar frosting made from?

This maple bar frosting is made from a handful of pantry staple ingredients such as butter, brown sugar, milk, corn syrup, maple extract, and powdered sugar.

It is possible you may not have maple extract on hand, but a quick run to just about any grocery store or even Walmart will make it worth it! You don’t want to substitute the maple extract with maple syrup because the flavor won’t be as strong. If you have maple flavoring, you can use that instead.

Corn syrup substitution ideas

Corn syrup is another pantry staple that you may not always have on hand. You can substitute corn syrup with honey for this recipe. I haven’t personally tried this substitution, so I don’t know how it affects the thickness and consistency of the syrup. If it is too thick, you can always thin it out with more milk. Other possible corn syrup substitutions include:

• honey (1 to 1 ratio)
• agave (1 to 1 ratio)
• golden syrup (1 to 1 ratio) – may take longer to thicken
• allulose syrup (1 to 1 ratio) – for a sugar free alternative to the corn syrup

Homemade Maple Bar Glaze Recipe

In a small saucepan, add the butter and brown sugar until mostly melted and combined.

Whisk in the milk and heat for about 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring often, until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and add in corn syrup or substitute and maple extract.

Add the powdered sugar a 1/2 cup at a time to the saucepan. Whisk with each addition, until it is smooth. Keep adding powdered sugar until it reaches desired consistency.

NOTE: The glaze will get thicker and harden as it cools, so don’t add too much. If you do, you can thin it with a tiny bit of milk.

Once all powdered sugar is added, keep maple glaze warm on the stove, whisking occasionally. Because it will begin to harden if you leave it sitting (but we do want it to get thick). Add 1-2 tsp more milk if needed to help thin it out if it gets too thick and hard.

Whisk the maple glaze a little before you dip the donuts in it.

Final Thoughts

Maple Bar donuts are an incredibly easy and simple air fryer recipe that is ready in just about 15 minutes. This is a great dessert you can enjoy this summer with family and friends when you need a quick treat. Or, serve these donuts at Halloween party during the fall with some tasty apple cider!

More easy air fryer donut recipes

• Air fryer pancake donuts
• Healthy air fryer donuts (keto recipe)
• Air fryer donuts (Krispy Kreme donuts)
• Old Fashioned Donuts or Cake Donuts
• Air fryer lemon donuts

More of our favorite air fryer desserts

• 5 Ingredient Peach Cobbler Cake
• How to Make Pop Tarts in the Air Fryer
• The Best Crème Brûlée Recipe You’ll Ever Try – Air Fryer Instructions
• Air Fryer Puff Pastry Danishes
• Air Fryer Dessert Hand Pies

Is an air fryer actually worth it?

Check out a few of these guides and tips to help you decide if an air fryer is worth it for you!

• Common Air Fryer Mistakes
• The Best and Worst Air Fryer Accessories
• How to Clean Your Air Fryer
• How to Cook Any Recipe in the Air Fryer
• Air Fryer Buying Guide
• 25 Air Fryer Tips and Tricks From Start to Finish

Watch Fabulessly Frugal YouTube Channel for Air Fryer Recipes

Quick Air Fryer Maple Bars

This air fryer maple bars recipe is ready in 15 minutes and you only need a handful of ingredients to make a delicious homemade maple bar glaze!

4.38 / 5 ( 24 Reviews )

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Serves: 8

Adjust Servings: 8

US CustomaryMetric

Equipment

• Air Fryer

Ingredients

• 1 Pillsbury buttermilk biscuits 8-count package

Maple Glaze

• ¼ cup butter
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup
• 2 teaspoons maple extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

• Preheat the air fryer at 400 °F for 5 minutes.
• Stretch out the dough into an oblong/donut bar shape. You can stretch it out a lot further than you think, especially if you want more crunchy donuts. But if you want more biscuit donuts, only stretch it out a little.
• Place the biscuits (about 4) in the air fryer basket- no need to spray the basket.
• Cook for 5 minutes at 350 °F. You do not need to flip the donuts.
• Let the donuts rest in the air fryer basket for about a minute or two. Then, transfer the donuts to a cooling rack or plate and let cool for 3-5 minutes.
• Dip the donuts in the maple glaze. Let the glaze cool onto donuts for a couple of minutes or so. Then, enjoy!

Maple Glaze

• In a small saucepan, add the butter and brown sugar until mostly melted and combined.
• Whisk in the milk and heat for about 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring often, until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and add in corn syrup and maple extract.
• Add the powdered sugar a 1/2 cup at a time to the saucepan. Whisk with each addition, until it is smooth. The glaze will get thicker and harden a. Keep adding powdered sugar until it reaches desired consistency.
• Once all powdered sugar is added, keep maple glaze warm on the stove, whisking occasionally. Because it will begin to harden if you leave it sitting (but we do want it to get thick). Add 1-2 tsp more milk if needed to help thin it out if it gets too thick and hard.
• Whisk the maple glaze a little before you dip the donuts in it.

Recipe Notes

If you don't have corn syrup, you can replace it with honey. See recipe post for more substitution ideas. 

Nutrition

Calories: 243kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 0.5g | Fat: 6g | Sodium: 86mg | Fiber: 0.04g | Sugar: 45g

Recipe Adapted From: Butter With A Side Of Bread