If you’re craving something cozy, sweet, and a little extra special, these baked sourdough maple pecan donuts are incredible and exactly what you need. Made with sourdough discard, maple syrup, and chopped pecans, they’re soft tender, and packed with fall flavor. The best part? No frying required!
Whether you’re new to sourdough baking or just looking for a fun weekend treat, this recipe is simple, cozy, and truly irresistible out of the oven!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Basic Ingredients – We are using tried and true fall ingredients like cinnamon and nutmeg, but also keeping it super simple with things you already have in your house like flour, starter, and butter.
Festive – The best thing about fall baking is finding fall recipes that are extremely low lift like these incredible baked sourdough maple pecan donuts. They taste like fall without you having to go all out for a themed dessert. Cinnamon and nutmeg are your new best friend.
So Tasty! – When I recipe tested these, I ate 3 before I even added the cinnamon sugar topping. THAT’S how good they are! These donuts are fluffy, warm, gut-supporting all while tasting so good!
Tips for Making the Sourdough Maple Pecan Donuts
- Do not vibe out on the oil. If you add too much oil, the dough might be a bit too flimsy which will make it hard to remove the donuts from the pan.
- To help remove these incredible sourdough baked maple pecan donuts from the donut pan, wait until they have completely cooled before removing them.
- We used cinnamon sugar to top these donuts, but you can make a maple glaze or drizzle chocolate over top. These donuts are so versatile!
- Fill a ziploc bag with the batter and cut a hole at the bottom to create a piping bag on a budget! Filling the donut pan this way is also less messy.
Tools You May Need
Four large bowls – one for dry and wet ingredients and once for melted butter and the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Dough whisk
Donut pan
Spoon
Silicon spatula
Knife – to chop the pecans
cutting board
Baked Sourdough Maple Pecan Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
All-purpose flour
Baking powder
Baking Soda
Salt
Pecans – chopped
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Sugar
Wet Ingredients
Sourdough Starter – active or discard
Maple syrup
Vanilla extract
Eggs
Sour cream
Avocado oil – Or any oil with a neutral taste
Melted butter – To dip the donuts in so the cinnamon sugar mixture sticks.
How to Make the Most Incredible Baked Sourdough Maple Pecan Donuts
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Oil your donut pan to prevent sticking and set aside.
In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix until everything is incorporated.
In the other bowl, mix in the sourdough starter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, eggs, sour cream, and oil until well combined. This should create a frothy mixture from mixing the sourdough starter with other wet ingredients.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well with the dough whisk.
Next, chop the pecans and fold them into the dough with the silicon spatula.
Finally, take a spoon and start adding the batter to the donut pan. You can also fill up a ziploc bag with the batter and cut a hole at the bottom to create a piping bag if that’s easier. Fill each donut well about 2/3 full.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
Once the donuts are done baking, let them completely cool in the pan before removing them.
While the donuts are cooling, melt butter in a bowl and add cinnamon and sugar to another bowl. Dip the donuts in butter and then in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Enjoy!
Storage
These incredible baked sourdough maple pecan donuts can be stored in the fridge for about 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months. We recommend prepping the donuts ahead of time and freezing them without the butter and sugar mixture on top.
The Most Incredible Baked Sourdough Maple Pecan Donuts
Equipment
- 4 Large bowls – one for dry and wet ingredients and once for melted butter and the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Dough whisk
- Donut pan
- Spoon
- Silicon spatula
- Knife – to chop the pecans
- Cutting board
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup (250g) All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ cup Pecans – chopped
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp Nutmeg
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup (140g) Sourdough Starter – active or discard
- 1 cup (300g) Maple syrup
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 Eggs
- ¼ cup (60g) Sour cream
- ⅓ cup (70g) Avocado oil – Or any oil with a neutral taste
- 1 stick Melted butter – To dip the donuts in so the cinnamon sugar mixture sticks.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Oil your donut pan to prevent sticking and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix until everything is incorporated.
- In the other bowl, mix in the sourdough starter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, eggs, sour cream, and oil until well combined. This should create a frothy mixture from mixing the sourdough starter with other wet ingredients.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well with the dough whisk.
- Next, chop the pecans and fold them into the dough with the silicon spatula.
- Finally, take a spoon and start adding the batter to the donut pan. You can also fill up a ziploc bag with the batter and cut a hole at the bottom to create a piping bag if that's easier. Fill each donut well about 2/3 full.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Once the donuts are done baking, let them completely cool in the pan before removing them.
- While the donuts are cooling, melt butter in a bowl and add cinnamon and sugar to another bowl. Dip the donuts in butter and then in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
If you tried this recipe and loved it please come back and give this recipe 5 stars! Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @goldenhourgrains.
Want More Sourdough Recipes?
Check these out!
Chocolate Swirl Sourdough Bread
Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Pumpkin Cinnamon Sourdough Bread
Are you local?
If you live in the Lubbock, TX area we would love to bake bread for you! Sign up for reminders for our next bread drop so you don’t miss a chance to pre-order bread from us!
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