So guys! I got a new donut pan! Basically all I’ve been talking about on Instagram lately is my new donut pan, which also means I’ve been dreaming up sooo many donut recipes! Todaaay we have Lemon Baked Donuts and oh myyy they make me do a happy dance.
When I was dreaming up the recipe for these Lemon Baked Donuts, I kept thinking of my favorite bakery, Wildflour Bakery in Boise, Idaho. It is my all-time favorite place to get donuts. They make the best cinnamon sugar donuts. (And now you’re wondering why I’m talking about cinnamon sugar donuts, when this recipe is about lemon donuts.) Well, here’s why, those cinnamon sugar donuts are the lightest, most fluffy and delicious donuts, I’ve ever had! I wanted my Lemon Baked Donuts to be light and fluffy just like the cinnamon sugar donuts. And yes my friends — these lemon donuts are so light and fluffy.
Why Baked Donuts?
What makes these donuts so light is that we bake them, instead of frying them. Baking these Lemon Donuts, allows the liquid ingredients within the batter to steam as they bake, creating a light, spongey crumb; resulting in a light fluffy donut!
The other benefit of baking these donuts, is that it keeps the mess down! Frying donuts, the oil get’s everywhere, and I already make enough of a mess on my own hahaha!
One of my favorite tricks for keeping the mess down with baked donuts, is how I transfer the batter to the donut pan. I put the donut batter into a ziplock bag, press out the air, seal it shut, and then snip off the corner of the bag. Then I treat it just like a piping bag, and pipe the batter into the donut pan, instead of spooning it into the pan. This not only keeps batter from getting everywhere, it also makes it easier to create proportionally sized donuts, because you can easily distribute the same amount of batter into each donut ring.
These Lemon Baked Donuts, are seriously my favorite! They are super light and fluffy, with a vibrant lemon flavor, topped with a lemon sugar glaze. The perfect way to start or end the day!
How to make Lemon Baked Donuts
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For the Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 375° Fahrenheit.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar. Use an electric hand mixer to mix the lemon juice and sugar for about a minute, to aerate it.
- Then add in the lemon juice and mix for another thirty seconds. Then add in the egg and mix for another minute to aerate the batter more. Then slowly mix in the milk and vanilla extract.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
- Use a pastry brush to brush a little melted butter or oil around the donut pan to grease it.
- Transfer the donut batter into a gallon ziplock bag, press the air out of the bag, and seal it shut. Then snip a 1/4″ corner off the bag and pipe the donut batter into the donut pan, fill each donut mold 3/4 of the way full with batter.
- Place the donuts in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until a toothpick can be inserted into the donut and comes out clean. Remove the donuts from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes.
- Then gently remove them from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack.
For the Lemon Glaze
- In a bowl, combine the lemon juice and sugar. Stir together until the mixture is thick.
- Place a paper towel under the cooling rack, to capture drips. Spoon the glaze over the top of the donuts, until the donuts are evenly coated. Let sit for about 5 minutes, to let the sugar glaze set. Then eat allllll the deliciousness!
Lemon Baked Donuts
Equipment
- Donut Pan
- Electric Hand Mixer
Ingredients
For the Donut
- 1/2 Cup Butter Melted
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 6 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 2 Eggs
- 1/2 Cup Milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 1/2 Cup Flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
For the Glaze
- 2 Tbsps Lemon Juice
- 6 Tbsps Sugar
Instructions
For the Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 375° Fahrenheit.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar. Use an electric hand mixer to mix the lemon juice and sugar for about a minute, to aerate it.
- Then add in the lemon juice and mix for another thirty seconds. Then add in the egg and mix for another minute to aerate the batter more. Then slowly mix in the milk and vanilla extract.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
- Use a pastry brush to brush melted butter or oil around the donut pan, to grease it.
- Transfer the donut batter into a gallon ziplock bag, press the air out of the bag, and seal it shut. Then snip a 1/4" corner off the bag and pipe the donut batter into the tray, fill each donut mold, 3/4 of the way full with batter.
- Place the donuts in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until a toothpick can be inserted into the donut and comes out clean. Remove the donuts from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes.
- Then gently remove them from a pan and transfer to a cooling rack.
For the Lemon Glaze
- In a bowl, combine the lemon juice and sugar. Stir together until the mixture is thick.
- Place a paper towel under the cooling rack, to capture drips. Spoon the glaze over the top of the donuts, until the donuts are evenly coated. Let sit for about 5 minutes, to let the sugar glaze set. Then eat allllll the deliciousness!