Irresistible Baked Lemon Donuts with Zesty Glaze: Your Go-To Recipe for Fluffy, Citrusy Perfection
Prepare to delight your senses with these **Baked Lemon Donuts**, a vibrant and incredibly easy treat that perfectly captures the bright essence of fresh lemons. Forget the fuss and mess of deep-frying; these fluffy, cake-like donuts are baked to golden perfection in under 30 minutes, making them an ideal choice for a quick breakfast, a cheerful brunch centerpiece, an afternoon pick-me-up with coffee or tea, or a refreshingly zingy dessert. If you’re a devotee of all things lemon, these lemon glazed donuts, bursting with triple lemon flavor, are about to become your new obsession!
Baking donuts in specialized donut pans is a true game-changer, transforming the traditional deep-fried experience into a healthier, cleaner, and significantly faster process. You’ll achieve wonderfully fluffy, delicious cake donuts without the need for messy hot oil or lengthy dough rising times. This quick 30-minute recipe delivers moist, tender baked lemon donuts packed with vibrant lemon flavor, promising pure satisfaction with every bite.
This delightful recipe is proudly sponsored by Lifeway Kefir. Their organic whole milk kefir is a fantastic ingredient, known for being up to 99% lactose-free, gluten-free, and available in a variety of delicious flavors. We particularly love using their lemon kefir in these donuts, as well as in other favorite recipes like lemon muffins and lemon snack cake, because it imparts an incredible boost of both flavor and a wonderfully fluffy texture to all our baked goods!
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Why You’ll Adore These Easy Baked Lemon Donuts
These lemon glazed donuts aren’t just a treat for your taste buds; they offer a delightful baking experience and a truly satisfying result. Here’s why this recipe will quickly become one of your favorites:
- Triple Lemon Flavor: Get ready for an explosion of citrus! This recipe expertly layers lemon flavor using fresh lemon zest, bright lemon juice, and the unique tang of Lifeway Organic Lemon Whole Milk Kefir, ensuring every bite is intensely lemony and refreshing.
- Effortless Lemon Glaze: You’ll learn how to whip up a simple yet luscious lemon glaze with just three basic ingredients, adding a perfect sweet-tart finish to your donuts. It’s incredibly easy to make and elevates the flavor profile.
- No Hot Oil, No Fuss: Say goodbye to the dangers and mess of deep-frying. These delicious baked lemon donuts are prepared in a donut pan, offering a healthier alternative with minimal cleanup and a significantly less intimidating process. Enjoy perfectly formed donuts without a drop of splattered oil.
- Fluffy & Citrusy Cake Donuts: Experience the ultimate texture: light, airy, and moist, with a delicate crumb that melts in your mouth. The combination of ingredients, especially the kefir, contributes to a remarkably tender and fluffy cake donut, infused with bright citrus notes throughout.
- Quick & Convenient: With a total time of about 30 minutes from start to finish, these easy baked donuts are perfect for when you crave a homemade treat without spending hours in the kitchen. No need for yeast, no waiting for dough to rise!
Essential Ingredients for Perfect Lemon Baked Donuts
Crafting these heavenly baked lemon donuts requires a careful selection of both standard pantry items and a few key star ingredients that bring out their distinctive flavor and texture. Here’s a detailed look at what you’ll need:
- All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of our donut batter. Measuring flour correctly is crucial for the right texture; we highly recommend weighing it for the most accurate results, or using the spoon-and-level method if using measuring cups.
- Baking Powder: This chemical leavening agent is essential for giving our baked donuts their light, fluffy, and cake-like texture. It reacts when wet and with heat, creating air pockets that make the donuts rise beautifully.
- Salt: Just a pinch of salt is used to enhance all the other flavors in the donuts, especially the sweetness and the bright lemon notes. Don’t skip it!
- Vegetable Oil: Adds richness and moisture to the donuts, contributing to their tender crumb. Any neutral-flavored oil, such as canola oil or melted coconut oil, will work well here.
- Granulated Sugar: Provides sweetness and helps create a tender texture in the donut batter.
- Lemon Zest & Lemon Juice: These are critical for the vibrant, fresh lemon flavor that defines these donuts. The **lemon zest**, from the outermost yellow part of the lemon peel, contains aromatic oils that deliver an intense lemony punch to both the donut batter and the glaze. Freshly squeezed **lemon juice** provides the tartness needed for the perfect balance in the glaze.
- Egg: A large egg acts as a binder, providing structure to the donuts and helping to create a smooth, unified batter. Using it at room temperature ensures it incorporates evenly.
- Vanilla Extract: A touch of vanilla extract rounds out the flavors, adding a subtle warmth that complements the bright lemon without overpowering it.
- Lifeway Organic Lemon Whole Milk Kefir: This is our secret ingredient for exceptionally moist and tender donuts! Kefir not only adds a lovely tang and an extra layer of lemon flavor but also contributes to the donuts’ light and fluffy texture. Its slight acidity interacts with the baking powder, enhancing the rise. Using it at room temperature helps it blend seamlessly into the batter.
- Powdered Sugar (for glaze): Forms the base of our quick and easy lemon icing, dissolving smoothly to create a silky, pourable consistency.
- Milk or Water (for glaze): Used to thin the lemon icing to your desired consistency. Start with a small amount and add gradually until it reaches your preferred drizzle or dipping thickness.
See the full recipe card below for exact measurements and a complete list of ingredients.
Creative Substitutions & Delicious Variations
While these baked lemon donuts are perfect as is, they’re also incredibly versatile! Feel free to experiment with these ideas to customize your batch:
- Lemon Sugar Coating: For a less traditional glaze, brush the warm donuts with melted butter and then dip them generously into a lemon sugar mixture. To make it, simply rub lemon zest into granulated sugar with your fingertips for a deeply fragrant coating.
- Lemon Curd Muffins: Transform the donut batter into delicious muffins by baking it in a muffin pan. Once cooled, use a core tool or a small spoon to hollow out the center and fill them with a tangy lemon curd for an extra burst of citrus.
- White Chocolate Drizzle: If you prefer a sweeter touch, replace the lemon glaze with a decadent drizzle of melted white chocolate. The creamy sweetness of white chocolate pairs beautifully with the tartness of the lemon donuts.
- Lemon Poppy Seed Donuts: Add a classic twist by folding a teaspoon of poppy seeds into the donut batter before baking. These tiny seeds add a delightful texture and a subtle, nutty flavor that complements the lemon perfectly.
- Kefir Alternatives: If Lifeway Lemon Kefir is unavailable, you can substitute it with their Plain Whole Milk Kefir. Alternatively, buttermilk can be used in a pinch; its acidity will still contribute to a tender donut, though you might lose a bit of the pre-infused lemon flavor.
- Citrus Swap: Not a fan of lemon? You can adapt this recipe to use other citrus fruits! Try orange zest and juice for baked orange donuts, or lime zest and juice for a zingy lime version. Adjust the amount of zest and juice to your taste.
- Spices: A pinch of ground cardamom or ginger in the batter can add a lovely warm spice note that pairs surprisingly well with lemon.
This recipe has been thoroughly tested with the original ingredients. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below! Your feedback helps other bakers in our community!
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make Fluffy Lemon Baked Donuts
Making these delightful lemon donuts is a straightforward process, perfect for bakers of all skill levels. Follow these simple steps for a successful and delicious batch:
Step 1: Combine Dry Ingredients. In a medium-sized bowl, thoroughly whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisking ensures these ingredients are evenly distributed, which is crucial for a consistent rise in your donuts. Set this bowl aside.
Step 2: Prepare Wet Ingredients. In a separate, large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, and fresh lemon zest. For maximum flavor, rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingers before adding other ingredients; this releases the oils and infuses the sugar. Then, thoroughly whisk in the room temperature egg, vanilla extract, and Lifeway Organic Whole Milk Lemon Kefir until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
Step 3: Combine Wet and Dry. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Use a spatula and mix only until no streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to dense and tough donuts.
Step 4: Pipe and Bake. Transfer the batter into a piping bag (or a large Ziploc bag with a corner snipped off) for easy, neat filling, or spoon it into a greased donut pan, filling each cavity about two-thirds to three-quarters full. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for approximately 10-15 minutes, or until the donuts are lightly golden and spring back when gently pressed. Allow them to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 5: Prepare the Zesty Lemon Icing. While the donuts cool, whisk together the powdered sugar, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and 1 tablespoon of milk or water in a small bowl until completely smooth. If the icing is too thick, add more milk/water a teaspoon at a time until it reaches your desired drizzling or dipping consistency. If it’s too thin, whisk in a little more powdered sugar.
Step 6: Glaze the Donuts. Once the donuts have cooled completely, dip the top of each donut into the lemon glaze, or drizzle the glaze over them using a spoon. Place them back on the wire rack over parchment paper to catch any drips and allow the icing to set and dry, which should take about 15-20 minutes.
Expert Baking Tips for Flawless Lemon Donuts
Achieving perfectly fluffy and flavorful baked lemon donuts is simple with a few expert insights. Keep these tips in mind for consistently delicious results:
- Donut Pan & Fill Level: The bake time and the number of donuts you yield may vary slightly based on the specific size and material of your donut pan. Generally, fill each donut cavity about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way full. This ensures they rise nicely without overflowing. Look for golden-brown edges and a gentle spring-back when lightly poked as indicators of doneness.
- Avoid Overmixing: Overmixing the batter is the most common mistake in cake-style baked goods, and donuts are no exception. Mix only until the flour streaks have just disappeared. Overmixing develops the gluten too much, resulting in dense, tough donuts rather than the desired light and fluffy texture.
- Don’t Overbake: Keep a close eye on your donuts during baking. Overbaking will dry them out and make them less tender. As soon as they pass the “spring back” test and the edges are lightly golden, remove them from the oven.
- Silicone Donut Pans: If you’re using a flexible silicone donut pan, always place it on a sturdy baking sheet before filling and transferring it to the oven. This prevents bending and spills, making handling much easier and safer.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your egg and Lifeway Kefir (or other dairy) are at room temperature. Room temperature ingredients emulsify more easily, creating a smoother, more uniform batter and a more tender final product.
- Accurate Measuring: Especially for flour, precision matters. Weighing your flour with a kitchen scale (in grams) is the most accurate method. If you’re using measuring cups, spoon the flour into the cup and then level it off with a straight edge; never scoop directly from the bag, as this compacts the flour and leads to using too much.
- Fresh Lemon Zest: Always use freshly grated lemon zest for the best flavor. The oils in fresh zest are much more potent and aromatic than dried zest or artificial lemon flavorings. When zesting, be sure to only get the yellow part, avoiding the bitter white pith underneath.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lemon Donuts
Lemon zest is the vibrant yellow, outermost layer of a lemon’s peel, intentionally avoiding the bitter white pith underneath. It’s incredibly important in this recipe because it contains essential oils that hold the most concentrated and aromatic lemon flavor. Incorporating zest adds a bright, intense citrus aroma and taste to both the donuts and the glaze that lemon juice alone cannot provide.
No, this specific batter is formulated for baking and will not yield desirable results if deep-fried. Baked donut batters are typically more cake-like, while fried donut batters require a different consistency and leavening agents to achieve their characteristic chewy, airy texture. Attempting to fry this batter would likely result in an oily, dense, or crumbly product.
Lifeway Kefir products are widely available! You can often find their organic whole milk kefir, including the lemon flavor, in the dairy section of most major grocery stores. To locate a specific retailer near you, or to explore their full product range, you can visit their website directly at lifewaykefir.com.
While Lifeway Kefir adds a unique tang and moisture, you can substitute it with regular whole milk. However, to mimic the acidity and tang of kefir, you might want to add ½ teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to your ½ cup of milk and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before using. This creates a homemade buttermilk substitute.
For the neatest and most evenly shaped donuts, we highly recommend using a piping bag. Simply snip a corner off a large Ziploc bag or use a dedicated piping bag with a round tip. This allows you to pipe the batter smoothly into each cavity. If you don’t have a piping bag, a spoon will work, but it might be a bit messier.
Proper Storage for Fresh Lemon Donuts
To keep your delicious baked lemon donuts as fresh and flavorful as possible, follow these storage guidelines:
Room Temperature Storage
For the absolute best taste and texture, these donuts are wonderfully enjoyed on the same day they are made. If you have unglazed lemon donuts, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. This helps maintain their soft, cake-like texture.
Refrigerator Storage (Glazed Donuts)
Donuts that have been glazed with the lemon icing should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The icing will help seal in moisture, and they can remain fresh for up to a week. Bring them to room temperature for a few minutes before serving for optimal enjoyment.
Freezing Instructions
To enjoy these treats at a later date, freeze fully cooled, un-iced donuts. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, simply defrost them at room temperature and then prepare the fresh lemon glaze to finish them.
More Bright & Citrusy Recipes You’ll Love
If you’re a fan of the vibrant flavors in these lemon baked donuts, you’ll definitely want to explore these other delicious citrus-inspired treats from our kitchen:
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Lemon Snack Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
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Lemon Cupcakes with Strawberry Filling
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Lemon Zucchini Cupcakes
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Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins
Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review below and tag @brokenovenbaking & @lifewaykefir on Instagram!
📖 Recipe
Baked Lemon Donuts with Zesty Icing
Kayla Burton
Pin Recipe
Equipment
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Donut pan
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Mixing bowls
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Measuring spoons
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Scale/measuring cups
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Whisk
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Spatula
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Piping bag optional
Ingredients
Lemon Donuts
- 1¼ cups (156.25 g) all-purpose flour weighed in grams or spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (59.15 ml) vegetable oil or other neutral oil
- ⅓ cup (66.67 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (118.29 ml) Lifeway Organic Lemon Whole Milk Kefir room temperature
Lemon Icing
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1-2 tablespoons milk or water more/less depending on consistency preference
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a standard donut pan with non-stick spray or butter, ensuring all cavities are well coated.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until they are thoroughly combined and no lumps remain. This step ensures an even rise.
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In a large bowl, combine the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, and lemon zest. Whisk vigorously for about 30 seconds to release the fragrant oils from the zest into the sugar. Then, whisk in the room temperature egg, vanilla extract, and Lifeway Organic Whole Milk Lemon Kefir until the mixture is smooth and fully incorporated.
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Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Using a spatula, gently fold them together until just combined and you no longer see streaks of dry flour. Be very careful not to overmix, as this can result in dense, tough donuts.
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Transfer the donut batter into a piping bag (or a large freezer bag with the corner snipped off). Pipe the batter evenly into the prepared donut pan cavities, filling each about ⅔ to ¾ full.
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Bake on the middle rack of your preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the donuts spring back when gently poked. Remove the pan from the oven and let the donuts cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
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While the donuts cool, prepare the lemon icing. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and 1-2 tablespoons of milk or water. Start with 1 tablespoon and add more gradually until you achieve a smooth, pourable consistency suitable for dipping or drizzling. Dip the tops of the completely cooled donuts into the icing or drizzle it generously over them. Allow the icing to set on the wire rack before serving.
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Notes
Donut pan: The exact bake time can vary based on the size and material (metal vs. silicone) of your donut pan. Always rely on visual cues (lightly golden, springs back when poked) rather than strict time. The yield may also slightly differ depending on how full you fill each cavity.
Storage: For optimal freshness, plain (un-iced) baked lemon donuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Glazed donuts, due to the moisture in the icing, are best kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For longer storage, un-iced donuts can be frozen for up to 2 months; simply thaw and glaze before serving.
Nutrition: The provided nutritional information is an estimated value per iced donut, calculated assuming the recipe yields 6 donuts. Please note that the calorie and nutrient accuracy is an estimate and not guaranteed to be exact, as it can vary based on specific ingredient brands and preparation methods.
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.