Description
Homemade baked lemon donuts deliver citrusy sunshine with a tangy glaze that sparks pure joy. Light crumb and zesty notes create delightful breakfast or dessert perfection for people who crave bright morning flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 large eggs
- 120 ml (½ cup) buttermilk (or milk + ½ tbsp lemon juice)
- 60 g (¼ cup) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tbsps freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 23 tbsps freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 200 g (1 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
- 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 150 g (1 ¼ cups) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (from 1–2 lemons)
- 1 tsp lemon zest (optional)
- Yellow sprinkles or sanding sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 180C (350F) and thoroughly coat donut mold with non-stick spray or butter to prevent adhesion.
- Dry Ingredients: Whisk flour, granulated sweetener, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl until uniformly combined.
- Liquid Fusion: Vigorously blend buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until smooth and integrated.
- Batter Integration: Pour liquid mixture into dry ingredients, stirring gently with minimal strokes to maintain an airy, light texture without overmixing.
- Mold and Bake: Transfer batter into prepared donut cavities, filling each approximately two-thirds full, then slide tray into preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until donuts acquire a golden-brown exterior and a inserted toothpick emerges clean.
- Cooling Process: Rest donuts in mold for five minutes to stabilize structure, then delicately transfer to wire rack for complete cooling and final texture development.
Notes
- Prevent Overmixing: Stir wet and dry ingredients minimally to maintain a light, airy texture and avoid tough, dense donuts.
- Zest Intensity Matters: Use fresh lemon zest for maximum citrus flavor and aromatic brightness; microplane zesting ensures fine, flavorful results.
- Precise Filling Technique: Fill donut molds only two-thirds full to allow proper rising and prevent overflow during baking.
- Temperature Monitoring: Check donuts at 10-minute mark; golden edges and clean toothpick indicate perfect doneness without overbaking.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 158
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 94 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 37 mg