Lemon Sugar Baked Donuts

Lemon Sugar Baked Donuts are light, citrusy, and generously coated in a crunchy, lemon-zest infused sugar...the perfect sunny treat for breakfast or dessert!

Lemon Sugar Baked Donuts Recipe with text overlay.


 

If you enjoy baked donuts, you'll also love Baked Banana Donuts and Baked Banana Donuts!

The food blogger side of me is a little embarrassed to admit that I’m decidedly late to the baked donut recipe craze, having only bought my first donut pans a month or so ago. But now that I've had a bit of time to bake and experiment, I can confidently tell you...baked donuts are where it's at, y'all.

Stack of baked donuts.

Why Baked Donuts?

Nobody is going to argue that any type of fried donut is delicious. But let's face it...anything shaped like a donut is just going to be fun to eat! On top of that, baked donuts are much less guilt-inducing than their fried counterparts, with a soft, delicate texture that's more akin to a muffin than a true cake donut, but delicious nonetheless. As an added bonus, you can whip out a batch quickly and with minimal mess...no popping, splattering oil to worry about!

Aerial view of Lemon Sugar Baked Donuts on white plate.

Flavor Options

And have I mentioned all of the different flavor possibilities?

Of course you can make them plain with a simple glaze or powdered sugar coating.

You can infuse the batter with chocolate or flavor the glaze with berries.

Close-up of baked donuts on plate.

How to Make Lemon Baked Donuts

But since I hail from a family of citrus lovers, I decided to go this lemon route for my inaugural run, taking the basic baked donut recipe that came with my pans and adapting it to include lemon juice and lemon zest in the batter.

I also combined some regular granulated sugar and fresh lemon zest in the food processor and ground them together to make a sweet and tangy lemon-sugar coating.

The resulting treats are bursting with lemon, inside and out!

Enjoying Them

Lemon Sugar Baked Donuts would be a special addition to a weekend breakfast or celebratory brunch…without the guilt of greasy fried donuts. Now don’t get me wrong, we occasionally (and happily) indulge in those as well! But these delights provide that sweet donut fix in a slightly lightened up form, so why not have the best of both worlds?

Now go forth and bake some donuts!

Close-up of missing bite.

More Lemon Treats

Lemon Sugar Baked Donuts on plate.

Lemon Sugar Baked Donuts

Lemon Sugar Baked Donuts are light, citrusy, and generously coated in a crunchy, lemon-zest infused sugar...the perfect sunny treat for breakfast or dessert!
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12 donuts
Calories: 246kcal
Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

  • cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

FOR THE COATING:

  • ½ cup sugar
  • 4 teaspoons grated lemon zest
  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions

  • Adjust oven racks to center position and preheat oven to 425°F. Spray two 6-cavity donut pans with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together flour and cornstarch. Whisk in sugar, baking powder, and salt until well blended. Stir in buttermilk, eggs, butter, lemon juice, vanilla, and lemon zest until batter is smooth and combined, but do not over-mix. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared donut pans.
  • Bake for 7 to 9 minutes until the edges of the donuts begin to turn a light golden brown and the tops of the donuts spring back when lightly touched. Allow donuts to cool for 5 minutes in pans before turning them out onto a cooling rack.
  • In a mini food processor, combine the sugar and lemon zest and pulse until finely ground (you may simply stir together the sugar and zest if you don't have a food processor). Place the melted butter in a shallow bowl. Dip one side of each donut in the butter, and then press into the sugar/zest mixture. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Equipment Needed

Video

Notes

The cornstarch lightens up the texture of the donuts, akin to using cake flour. If you prefer, you may omit the cornstarch and increase the flour to 2 cups.

Nutrition

Calories: 246kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 288mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 300IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 1mg
Made this recipe? I'd love to see on IG!Mention @FiveHeartHome or tag #FiveHeartHome!

Recipe originally shared at Belle of the Kitchen
Post originally published on July 18, 2016.

SaSaveSave

Sa

You May Also Like

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




30 Comments

    1. 5 stars
      I made these today and they were marvelous REALLY GOOD thanks you so much for sharing I love them:)