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Home > Dessert > Lemon Sugar Baked Donuts

Lemon Sugar Baked Donuts

By Samantha Skaggs — June 13, 2016, Updated March 26, 2018 18 Comments

Breads/GrainsBreakfastDessertFruitSnacks

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Lemon Sugar Baked Donuts are soft, tender, and bursting with lemon flavor! They are the perfect, easy baked treat for any occasion!

A plate of lemon donuts

Hi there, Belle of the Kitchen friends! It’s Samantha from Five Heart Home, where I share quick and easy, family-friendly, real food recipes…and today I’m so excited to be guest posting for fabulous Ashlyn while she and her family are in the process of moving to my home state of Texas — yippee! Or perhaps that should be yee-haw… 😉 At any rate, today I brought over some Lemon Sugar Baked Donuts and I think y’all are going to love these beauties as much as my family does!

A plate of lemon donuts

Have you tried baked donuts yet? They’re such yummy, versatile little treats, with a soft texture that’s probably more akin to that of a muffin than a donut…but they’re delicious nonetheless. The donut shape alone makes them fun to eat, meaning they’re a special addition to a weekend breakfast or celebratory brunch…without the guilt of greasy fried donuts. Don’t get me wrong, we occasionally (and happily) indulge in those as well! But these Lemon Sugar Baked Donuts provide that sweet donut fix in a slightly lightened up form, so why not have the best of both worlds?!

a stack of lemon donuts
My family adores anything lemon, so I thought it would be tasty to take the basic baked donut recipe that came with my donut pans and adapt 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 donut delights are bursting with lemon, inside and out!

A plate of lemon donuts
So the next time you’re in the mood for donuts — or in need of a lemon fix — look no further than these Lemon Sugar Baked Donuts. They’re easy to make, they’re scrumptious, and they’re guaranteed to disappear in to time! 🙂

A half eaten doughnut

A plate of lemon donuts

Lemon Sugar Baked Donuts

Lemon Sugar Baked Donuts are soft, tender, and bursting with lemon flavor!
5 from 8 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes
Total Time: 19 minutes
Servings: 12 donuts
Calories: 194kcal
Author: Ashlyn Edwards | Belle of the Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons butter,, melted
  • 1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

FOR THE COATING:

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 4 teaspoons grated lemon zest
  • 4 to 5 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, sift 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 194kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 238mg | Potassium: 117mg | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 125IU | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!Mention @TheBelleoftheKitchen or tag #BelleoftheKitchen

Thanks so much for having me today, Ashlyn and Belle of the Kitchen readers! I hope to see you again soon over at Five Heart Home, where you can find recipes like these… 😉

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Comments

  1. Suzanne says

    August 21, 2020 at 10:00 pm

    This looks delicious, thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  2. Toni says

    March 30, 2020 at 11:10 am

    5 stars
    I seriously loved this donuts! Refreshingly delicious!

    Reply
  3. Carrie Robinson says

    March 30, 2020 at 10:22 am

    5 stars
    These look perfect! I am all about all things lemon right now. 🙂

    Reply
  4. Annie @ Annie's Noms says

    March 30, 2020 at 9:38 am

    5 stars
    Baked doughnuts are my jam as I don’t have the patience to make the fried version. These look so light and delicious, I need to make them. So perfect for Spring!

    Reply
  5. Neli Howard | Delicious Meets Healthy says

    April 18, 2019 at 3:27 am

    5 stars
    This is amazing! I’ve never seen a lemon donut recipe like this before. I’m anxious to try it out. Thanks!

    Reply
  6. Dannii says

    April 18, 2019 at 3:14 am

    5 stars
    I am all about the lemon desserts at the moment and I need to try these!

    Reply
  7. Nathan says

    April 18, 2019 at 3:00 am

    5 stars
    I Love lemon in everything and these donuts look divine! I sure could get through a few of those in one go….Maybe all! definitely have to try!

    Reply
  8. Mikayla says

    April 17, 2019 at 11:43 pm

    5 stars
    I have a donut pan but hardly ever use it! These look like a great recipe to try out with it! Bright and sugary, yum!

    Reply
  9. Kristen says

    October 5, 2018 at 4:04 pm

    5 stars
    Hello! Do I need to refrigerate these if I serve them the following day? They turned out beautiful! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
    Thanks!

    Reply
  10. Judy Schroeder says

    July 11, 2016 at 5:36 am

    Could I use this recipe and use a bundt pan. i dont have donut pans.

    Reply
    • Samantha @ Five Heart Home says

      July 14, 2016 at 5:55 pm

      Hi Judy! I’ve only made this recipe in a donut pan, so I’m not able to advise you on baking it in a bundt pan. That being said, I would probably try to convert it to muffins as opposed to a bundt cake. But again, since I haven’t done it myself, I’m not able to advise on a baking time. Sorry I can’t be of more help and good luck if you decide to try it! 🙂

      Reply
  11. Monica says

    June 16, 2016 at 6:04 am

    Me too. I love anything lemony. These donuts have stolen my taste buds. Wills rely make them. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  12. Miryam Quinn Doblas says

    June 15, 2016 at 4:37 am

    I love making my own donuts. These are great. So refreshing with the lemon flavor.

    Reply
  13. Renee - Kudos Kitchen says

    June 15, 2016 at 3:38 am

    These look so light, luscious and lemony. I love the flavor of lemon in sweets. These are great!

    Reply
  14. Cathy | Lemon Tree DWelling says

    June 14, 2016 at 6:40 pm

    These donuts look so inviting! What a great way to wake up!

    Reply
  15. Debra A Attinella says

    June 14, 2016 at 4:43 am

    I love lemon and these baked donuts look so light and airy!

    Reply
  16. Dee says

    June 13, 2016 at 9:13 pm

    These donuts are totally calling my name — love anything with lemon!

    Reply
  17. Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says

    June 13, 2016 at 11:09 am

    You are singing my lemon love song with these beauties!

    Reply

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Welcome!

Ashlyn from Belle of the Kitchen smiling for the cameraWell hello! I'm Ashlyn, and I'm so glad you're here! I hope you're hungry, cause I've got lots of family-friendly eats and treats just waiting for you! I'm a wife, mama, taco lover, and am blessed to be living in the great state of Texas. I love the south, cold brew coffee, Georgia football, cooking, and EATING!

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