Lemon Glazed Baked Donuts are fluffy lemon donuts topped with a luscious lemon glaze. They’re bursting with fresh lemon flavor!

Lemon Donuts stacked up with dripping glaze

I’m finally getting into Easter mode after making my Slow Cooker Ham last weekend.  Yes, I was a week early but at least it got me in the spirit!

You know what else got me in the spirit?  These Lemon Donuts.  I went on a lemony baking spree last weekend because a friend gave me some gorgeous lemons from her tree.

I prized those lemons and didn’t want to squander them away in just anything.   I wanted to make something that would really make them shine.

Meyer lemons in a bowl

I made a batch of lemon bars and these lemon donuts.  I realized that I hadn’t pulled out my donut pans in ages, and it was time to remedy that.

The inspiration for this lemon donut recipe came a few months ago while I was working at my computer in the kitchen.  The news was on in the background and I heard that Krispy Kreme Donuts took a poll asking people to vote on a new flavor of donut. 

The voters chose Lemon Glaze!

I was surprised by this, but I thought that sounded like a phenomenal idea for my next donut recipe.

front shot of lemon donuts on wire rack

I’ll admit that I’d never gone to Krispy Kreme until I was pregnant with my second son.  I had mad donut cravings during that pregnancy and made special trips out there just to pick up a donut or two.

Once I gave birth I never went back…isn’t that crazy?

The truth is that baked donuts are where it’s at for me.  I don’t care for regular donuts because they’re so sweet and they always make me feel so blah afterward.

Baked donuts are really just muffins in a fun donut shape….with glaze of course.  These Lemon Glazed Baked Donuts have more glaze than I normally use because the glaze needed to stand out for my photos.

close up front shot of lemon donuts on wire rack

As luscious as these donuts look, they won’t break the bank calorie-wise.  They come in at about 223 calories per donut and they’re whole grain so there is some nutrition going on.

I adapted this recipe from my Healthy Blueberry Muffins because it’s one of my favorites.  The texture is fluffy and tender and they’ve got a delicious tang from low fat buttermilk.

How to make lemon donuts

The prep for these lemon glazed donuts is super easy.  Spray the donut pans with cooking spray to ensure that they pop right out.

  1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
  2. Whisk the sugar, eggs and oil vigorously until frothy, about 1 minute. Add the buttermilk, lemon zest, juice and vanilla and whisk until well blended.
  3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
  4. Place the batter into a zip top bag and cut off one of the corners.  Pipe evenly into the (12) cavities of the prepared donut pan.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until puffed and the tops spring back when pressed gently.
  5. Cool on a wire rack in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely on the wire rack.
  6. Prepare the glaze, and dip each donut into the glaze and place on a wire rack over a sheet of parchment until set.
lemon donuts process collage

Recipe notes

  • Pro tip: don’t prepare the glaze until the donuts have cooled and you’re ready to glaze them as it will harden as it sits.
  • If you want a glaze that’s less tangy, substitute some of the lemon juice for milk.
  • Store leftover donuts in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Lemon Glazed Baked Donuts are fluffy whole grain lemon cake donuts topped with a luscious lemon glaze!

More lemon desserts you’ll love:

Did you try this recipe?  If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram

Stack of lemon donuts on a wire rack

Lemon Glazed Baked Donuts

Lemon Glazed Baked Donuts are fluffy lemon donuts topped with a luscious lemon glaze!
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Ingredients

For the donuts:

  • 1 3/4 cup whole wheat white flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup coconut sugar or substitute with granulated or brown sugar
  • cup coconut oil or sub with your favorite oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup low fat buttermilk or substitute with your favorite milk
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the glaze:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Instructions 

Prepare the donuts:

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Spray the cavities of (2) donut pans with cooking spray and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs and oil vigorously until frothy, about 1 minute. Add the buttermilk, lemon zest, juice and vanilla and whisk until well blended.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
  • Place the batter into a zip top bag and cut off one of the corners.  Pipe evenly into the (12) cavities of the prepared donut pan.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until puffed and the tops spring back when pressed gently.
  • Cool on a wire rack in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely on the wire rack.

Prepare the glaze:

  • Place a sheet of waxed paper underneath the wire rack.
  • Place the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and zest into a small bowl and whisk together until smooth. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice if you’d like a thinner glaze.
  • Dip the top of each donut into the glaze, and place on the wire rack.  Let the donuts stand at room temperature until the glaze has set.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • Don’t prepare the glaze until the donuts have cooled and you’re ready to glaze them as it will harden as it sits.
  • If you want a glaze that’s less tangy, substitute some of the lemon juice for milk.
  • Store leftover donuts in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1donut, Calories: 223kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 32mg, Sodium: 73mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 23g

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

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