Baked Lemon Donuts Recipe (2024)

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This easy Baked Lemon Donuts Recipe is made with simple pantry ingredients and is packed with bright lemon flavor. You can top these homemade lemon donuts with lemon sugar, a lemon glaze or even powdered sugar!

Baked Lemon Donuts Recipe (1)

If you adore lemon, you’re sure to love these Lemon Baked Donuts rolled in lemon sugar and/or topped with a zesty homemade lemon glaze.

Baked Lemon Donuts Recipe (2)

If you’ve been around here for a while, you know how much I crave lemon desserts.

It’s not just a want—it’s a need. (Yes, I know 100% how dramatic that is.)

I’ve shared my favorite Lemon Bundt Cake (which you have GOT to try, if you haven’t already), tangy Lemon Bars (and even a coconut lemon bar!), the best Lemon Zucchini Bread (one of my most popular recipes of all time!) and quite a few other lemon centric recipes.

I’ve had this Lemon Donuts recipe in the works for a while. I wanted these lemon baked donuts to be the perfect combination of bright lemon flavor while not being too tart and at least for my tastes, I think I discovered the perfect blend.

Baked Lemon Donuts Recipe (3)

If you’re thinking about making donuts at home, you’ll first need these ingredients for these lemon donuts:

  • lemon juice and lemon zest (the zest is really important in this recipe)
  • all purpose flour
  • granulated sugar
  • baking powder and salt
  • egg
  • buttermilk
  • vanilla extract
  • melted butter

For the lemon glaze:

  • powdered sugar
  • lemon juice
  • lemon zest

For the lemon sugar:

  • granulated sugar
  • lemon zest
  • butter

Baked Lemon Donuts Recipe (4)

Let’s talk about some common questions I’ve had when it comes to making homemade baked Lemon donuts:

Do I have to make these baked donuts with buttermilk, or can I substitute regular milk for buttermilk instead?

Okay, this is a two-part answer. The first answer is yes, you can use regular milk if you don’t have buttermilk. I prefer buttermilk baked donuts because the rich flavor and consistency of buttermilk makes these donuts taste more like donut shop cake donuts (without having to fry them). But in a pinch, you can use milk.

However, the second part of this answer is that you can easily make homemade buttermilk with lemon juice! And, since you’re already using lemon juice to make these lemon baked donuts, you have all you need to make buttermilk at home.

Homemade Buttermilk Recipe:

  • 1/2 cup milk (or just a touch under 3/4 cup)
  • 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice (1 1/2 tsp lemon juice)

Squeeze lemon juice on top of milk and allow to sit ideally for about 10 minutes (but if in a time crunch, it can sit for 1-3 minutes—basically, you just want the milk to curdle). Whisk milk together before pouring into this lemon donut batter.

Baked Lemon Donuts Recipe (5)

I don’t have a donut pan. Can I use anything else instead?

Yes! It took me a long time to finally buy a donut pan. While they are not that expensive, it was something I didn’t necessary need to have. Why? Because you can make homemade donuts in a muffin tin.

You can use either a mini muffin tin for smaller ‘donut hole’ type baked donuts, or you can use a regular sized muffin tin for bigger lemon donut muffins of sorts.

Just note that the baking time will differ if you use anything besides a donut pan. If you’re using a mini muffin tin, you will need to cut down the baking time by 2-3 minutes. If you’re using a regular sized muffin tin, you might need to add 1-2 minutes to the bake time. You will need to keep a close eye on them.

Baked Lemon Donuts Recipe (6)

You mention using lemon sugar or a lemon glaze (or both) for these donuts, but can I leave them plain? Can I make these lemon powdered donuts instead?

Absolutely to both questions. Leaving them plain will result in a slightly less lemony, less sweet donut.

If you want to coat these lemon donuts in powdered sugar, when the donuts are cool enough to touch but still warm, coat them in powdered sugar.

For me, I’ve had the best success making powdered sugar donuts by either putting powdered sugar in a big bowl and dunking each side of the donut until it’s coated or by putting powdered sugar in a brown bag (like a lunch brown bag sack) or ziplock bag, adding in 1-2 donuts at a time, sealing it up and shaking until coated.

Baked Lemon Donuts Recipe (7)

Tips and Tricks for these Baked Glazed Lemon Donuts:

  • Whether you are using a donut pan, a mini muffin tin or a regular sized muffin tin, make sure you grease the pan well. I have found that using baking spray to coat my donut pan works the best.
  • As mentioned above, if you use something other than a donut pan to make baked donuts, the bake time listed in the recipe will differ (2-3 minutes less for a mini muffin tin and 1-2 minutes more for a regular muffin tin).
  • Also, these baked lemon donuts can go from ‘perfect’ to ‘overdone’ very quickly. Keep a close eye on them as they bake.
  • These are best when eaten fresh, but they an be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two, or stored in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Baked Lemon Donuts Recipe (8)

I’ll take them all, please and thank you.

Baked Lemon Donuts Recipe (9)

Print

Baked Lemon Donuts Recipe

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

12 mins

Total Time

32 mins

This easy Baked Lemon Donuts Recipe is made with simple pantry ingredients and is packed with bright lemon flavor. You can top these homemade lemon donuts with lemon sugar, a lemon glaze or even powdered sugar!

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baked lemon donuts

Servings: 6 -7 donuts

Author: Michelle

Ingredients

Lemon Donuts:

  • 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp lemon zest (the zest of about 2 lemons)
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice (fresh)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 Tbsp butter, melted

Lemon Glaze:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2-3 Tbsp lemon juice (fresh)
  • 2 tsp lemon zest, optional

Lemon Sugar

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 Tbsp lemon zest
  • 5 Tbsp butter, melted

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a 6-count donut pan with baking spray well. Set aside (the recipe makes about 6-7 donuts).

Lemon Donuts:

  1. In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest together. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

  2. Pour the lemon juice, buttermilk and egg in the center. Whisk the mixture until combined.

  3. Add in the vanilla extract and melted butter. Mix.

  4. Using a spoon or a piping bag, fill each donut cavity about 2/3-3/4 of the way full.

  5. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops of each donut ‘spring’ back when lightly touched.

  6. Allow to cool for 4-5 minutes in the pan before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

  7. Once the donuts have cooled, make your topping of choice.*

Lemon Glaze:

  1. Whisk powdered sugar, lemon zest (if using), and 2 Tbsp of lemon juice together in a bowl wide enough to dip each donut in. If the glaze is too thick, add in the remaining Tbsp of lemon juice to thin it out.

  2. Dip each donut into the glaze and the glaze allow to set before eating.

Lemon Sugar:

  1. Mix lemon zest and granulated sugar in a bowl wide enough to dip each donut in.

  2. Melt butter in a separate bowl (also wide enough to dip a donut in).

  3. Dip each donut in the melted butter, then dip in the lemon sugar (the butter helps the lemon sugar stick to each donut).

  4. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*If you want to glaze the donuts and sprinkle with lemon sugar, I would suggest making a much smaller batch of lemon sugar. Also, you do not need the butter. The lemon sugar will stick to the glaze.

Baked Lemon Donuts Recipe (10)

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Baked Lemon Donuts Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is lemon donut filling made of? ›

Prepare the filling: Create a double boiler by bringing a pot of water to boil and placing a heat-proof mixing bowl on top. Whisk in lemon juice, zest, sugar and eggs. Continue whisking on the double boiler until it starts to thicken slightly. Drop butter into the mixture one tablespoon at a time.

Are Doughnuts better fried or baked? ›

While many prefer the light and crispy texture of a fried donut, leaving the deep fryer in the cabinet and baking your cake donuts instead makes for healthier, less oily donuts. It's also safer and easier to clean up, given that you don't have to deal with lots of hot oil.

What is lemon glaze made of? ›

Lemon glaze requires only two ingredients: powdered sugar and lemon juice. Some recipes call for milk, but such a small amount of milk dilutes the lemony punch without adding much in return.

Does Krispy Kreme have a lemon donut? ›

Krispy Kreme - Glazed Lemon Filled Doughnut | Lemon Filled Doughnut.

What is the cream filling in donuts made of? ›

Bavarian cream doughnuts are rolled in (powdered) sugar and made with pastry cream that has been mixed with whipped cream. Boston cream doughnuts are filled with vanilla pastry cream and dipped in chocolate.

Do lemon filled donuts need to be refrigerated? ›

Yes. Due to the lemon curd filling, any leftover donuts must be refrigerated. Alternatively, you could store the unfilled donuts at room temperature and fill them with lemon curd prior to enjoying any leftovers.

What makes doughnut soft and fluffy? ›

How to Make Super Soft and Fluffy Sugar Glazed Doughnuts | Fried or Baked. There's only one way to make doughnuts even softer and fluffier and that is by scalding some of the flour. Scalding is a technique used to not only make bread softer, but also to make it stay soft for longer.

Do baked donuts taste the same as fried? ›

No, baked donuts do not taste the same as fried donuts. The cooking method affects the texture, flavor, and appearance of the donuts.

What are the 3 basic ingredients in glaze? ›

A BASE GLAZE is a mixture of these three basic groups: SILICA, FLUX AND ALUMINA.

Why is my lemon glaze grainy? ›

Why is my lemon glaze grainy? Several issues can cause a grainy powdered sugar lemon glaze. These include if the sugar hasn't properly dissolved into the glaze, if you've used too much sugar, or if you've used low-quality or homemade powdered sugar where the granules aren't fine enough.

What are the three basic ingredients in a glaze What does each ingredient do? ›

Glazes need a balance of the 3 main ingredients: Silica, Alumina and Flux. Too much flux causes a glaze to run, and tends to create variable texture on the surface. The texture may vary from shiny, where the glass is balanced, to matte where the excessive flux oxides may form visible, possibly lumpy, crystals.

What does Krispy Kreme do with unsold donuts? ›

It is understood the chain only sells food which is baked on the day and if the doughnuts are not sold within 24 hours, they have to be thrown away. Krispy Kreme said: 'We're proud that our doughnuts are made fresh daily.

What is a lemon bismark donut? ›

Description. Our Lemon Bismark is filled with our traditional lemon filling and then topped with a sweet white icing and yellow sprinkles.

Is it true that Krispy Kreme gives free donuts? ›

Receive a

Which will you choose? Sign up for Krispy Kreme Rewards and earn a free doughnut of your choice – it's as simple as that.

What was the original filling of a doughnut? ›

In 15th century Germany, where sugar was hard to come by, they were often cooked savory with fillings like meat or mushroom. The Pilgrims and Dutch settlers brought doughnuts to America. Eventually holes were added to the center of the fritter to create the shape of doughnut we're familiar with today.

What is Boston cream donut filling made of? ›

Boston cream donuts are always topped with chocolate and filled with pastry cream, just like a Boston cream pie or my Boston cream cupcakes.

What is a donut with custard filling called? ›

The Boston cream doughnut (or Boston cream pie doughnut, also spelled donut, or simply Boston Cream) is a round, solid, yeast-risen doughnut with chocolate frosting and a custard filling, resulting in a doughnut reminiscent of a miniature Boston cream pie.

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