Bronuts are homemade maple bars unlike any doughnut you’ve tried. Each bar is glazed with a shiny maple coating and finished with sweet and savory toppings—think crispy bacon, crushed potato chips, or a sriracha-spiked drizzle—to create an irresistible balance of textures and flavors.
Bronuts (noun): rectangular fried dough pastries, essentially maple bars, finished with bold, savory or salty toppings. The playful name evokes a certain macho energy, but these treats are for anyone who enjoys a contrast of sweet glaze and savory crunch.
Example: “Hey, did you snag the last bronut? I was saving it for breakfast—come on, give me one!”
With Father’s Day approaching, these bronuts are a fun riff on classic maple bars—an indulgent treat that combines familiar breakfast flavors with playful toppings. The concept grew out of a desire to reinterpret the humble doughnut with bold, savory accents like bacon, potato chips, and a sriracha maple glaze that adds heat and umami.
These bronuts are built on a reliable yeast dough that benefits from a long chill in the refrigerator. The extra resting time yields a dough that’s light and tender on the inside with a crisp fried exterior. After frying, each bar is dipped in a glossy maple glaze that sets to a crackly finish—perfect for holding toppings.
I tested three topping variations: crushed potato chips for a simple salty crunch, crumbled crispy bacon for smoky-sweet contrast, and a sriracha maple glaze for a spicy, savory kick. The potato chips keep the focus on the maple while adding texture—an approachable choice if you’re easing into the savory-sweet concept. The bacon taps into classic breakfast pairings: it’s the same pleasure as stacking bacon between pancakes and drowning everything in syrup. The sriracha variation is the most adventurous—the heat is subtle but noticeable, and its garlicky-tang complements the maple in an unexpected way.
These doughnuts do take time—plan at least six hours for chilling the dough, so preparing them the night before is ideal. When you fry them, maintain a steady oil temperature so each bar puffs and browns evenly. After frying and cooling, dip the top half of each bar in the maple glaze, then immediately scatter your chosen topping so it adheres while the glaze is still wet. For the spicy option, blend a small amount of sriracha into some of the glaze, adjust consistency with powdered sugar if necessary, and drizzle or pipe it over the finished bars.
Let the glazed bronuts rest for 30–60 minutes so the glaze sets completely before serving or stacking. These treats are best enjoyed the day they’re made, when the contrast of crisp exterior, tender interior, glossy maple, and crunchy or savory topping is at its peak.
Happy Father’s Day to anyone celebrating the dads, bros, and favorite home chefs in your life—these bronuts are meant to be shared, fist bumps optional.
More bro-worthy desserts
- Chocolate Mustache Pops
- Hamburger Cupcakes
- Golf Ball Truffles with Putting Green Brownies
- Snickers Cupcakes
- Tuxedo Brownies
- Breaking Bad–inspired Rock Candy
- Deep-Dish Pecan Pie
Recipe summary
Bronuts are maple-glazed doughnut bars topped with salty or savory accents. They require an extended chill for the dough (at least 6 hours), about 30 minutes of frying and glazing time, and yield roughly a dozen to fourteen rectangular doughnuts depending on sizing. Expect a glossy maple glaze, optional sriracha for a spicy version, and toppings like crushed potato chips, crumbled bacon, or chopped pretzels.
Ingredients overview
- Active dry yeast
- Warm milk
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar and salt
- Eggs and softened unsalted butter
- Canola oil or another frying oil
- For the glaze: powdered sugar, light corn syrup, milk, maple extract
- Optional: Sriracha, crushed potato chips, crumbled bacon, chopped pretzels
Basic instructions
- Bloom yeast in warm milk, then mix with flour, sugar, salt, eggs, and butter to form a soft dough.
- Wrap tightly and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Roll dough to about 1/2-inch thick, cut into rectangles, and let rise until doubled.
- Fry in 350°F oil until golden brown, about 1–2 minutes per side; cool completely.
- Whisk glaze ingredients, dip the tops of the cooled bars, and add toppings while glaze is wet. For sriracha glaze, stir Sriracha into a small portion of the maple glaze and drizzle.
- Allow glaze to set 30–60 minutes before serving.
Notes
A kitchen scale yields the most reliable results for the dough, but cup measurements can work if you prefer them. The chilled dough improves texture and handling; plan ahead for the refrigeration step. Feel free to experiment with other sweet-and-savory combinations to suit your taste.
Nutrition (approximate per doughnut)
Calories: 326 kcal | Carbohydrates: 59 g | Protein: 5 g | Fat: 7 g | Sugar: 33 g