If you love lemony treats but don’t want to wrestle with a deep fryer at dawn, these Lemon Donuts Recipe are your new best friend. Imagine the bright, tangy hits of a Starbucks lemon loaf translated into soft, pillowy Lemon Cake Donuts Baked in pans — yes, they’re basically that loaf but in donut form. They bake fast, glaze even faster, and vanish fastest of all. Who needs the gym when donuts exist, right?
What makes this recipe so irresistible?
First: big lemon flavor — thanks to a full tablespoon of lemon extract plus zest. Second: texture — soft, fluffy, and moist because of Greek yogurt and oil (no butter drama). Third: convenience — these are Donut Baked Recipes (baked, not fried), ready in about 25 minutes, which makes them perfect for breakfast, brunch, or that mid-afternoon “I deserve cake” moment.
Plus: they’re cute. Donut holes = tiny poppable happiness. Mini donuts = instant crowd-pleaser. Great for selling at small markets too — hello, Easy Bakery Items To Sell.
The ingredients (short & sweet)
You’ll need everyday pantry staples — and one tiny, flavor-forward secret: lemon extract. Use the real deal.
- Egg
- Granulated sugar
- Greek yogurt
- Oil
- Lemon zest and juice
- Lemon extract (do NOT swap this for lemon juice)
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Salt
- Yellow food coloring (optional)
- Confectioners’ sugar (for glaze)
This combo gives you a little bit of tang, a lot of brightness, and a texture that’s more cake-meets-donut than greasy ring.
Quick how-to (so you actually make them)
- Preheat and prep: heat oven and grease a 6-count donut pan (and a 12-count mini muffin pan if you’re making donut holes).
- Dry + wet: whisk dry ingredients in one bowl, wet ingredients in another. Mix gently until just combined.
- Divide: spoon or pipe into pans — use a zip-top bag with a corner snipped if you want neat rings. For holes, a 2-tbsp scoop filled to a heaping tablespoon works perfectly.
- Bake: watch for a springy top and set center — about 10–12 minutes for mini holes and 12–15 for donuts (adjust depending on pan size). Total time from start to finish: ~25 minutes.
- Glaze: whisk confectioners’ sugar with lemon juice until smooth. Dip warm donuts — they’ll drip a little, and honestly, that’s the vibe. Warm glazed donuts = chef’s kiss.
Bold tip: Do NOT use lemon juice in place of lemon extract in the batter. The extract gives concentrated flavor without wrecking the chemistry of the dough. Lemon juice is too weak for flavor and too acidic for structure. Trust me on this.
The story behind the recipe
I took my wildly popular Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf and thought, “Why not make it party-sized?” Turning a loaf into donuts felt a bit like culinary alchemy — same heart, more fun. The donut shape brightens the mood and makes sharing easier. Also: mini donuts travel better. Case closed.
Pro tips for the best outcome
- Use lemon extract — it’s cheap and essential for that punchy citrus note.
- Don’t overmix — overworked batter = tough texture. Fold until just combined.
- Warm is winning — glaze slightly-warm donuts for that glossy, drippy finish.
- Use a zip-top bag as a piping bag for neater shapes.
- For uniform mini holes, use a 2-tbsp scoop and don’t overfill.
- If you only have one pan, rotate batches — and stash baked ones on a cooling rack (not crowded).
(IMO: piping is satisfying and makes you feel like a pro. FYI: spooning works fine too.)
Variations to try
- Classic lemon sugar (skip glaze, toss in lemon-sugar mix while warm).
- Lemon poppyseed (add 1–2 tsp poppy seeds to batter).
- Glazed with vanilla-bean icing for Donut Flavored Cake vibes.
- Filled version: pipe in lemon curd after cooling for an upscale treat.
These are terrific examples of Baked Pastries that you can dress up or down depending on your vibe.
Best way to serve
Serve warm, with coffee or a lightly sweetened tea. For brunch, arrange on a tiered stand with small labels (great for markets). If you plan to sell, present them in neat boxes or cello bags with a sticker — people buy with their eyes.
Want an artisan spin? Dust with flaky sea salt over the glaze for a grown-up twist.
Storage and leftovers (quick tips)
These are great among Baked Goods That Dont Need Refrigeration for short-term keeping. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 48 hours. Refrigerating will dry them out, so only refrigerate if you’ve added a perishable filling — otherwise, keep at room temp or freeze.
To freeze: flash-freeze on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag. Thaw at room temp and refresh with a quick 10–20 second zap in the microwave before glazing. Works like a charm.
Why these work for bakers & sellers
If you want Easy Bakery Items To Sell, these hit a sweet spot: familiar, quick, and easy to scale. They’re simpler than elaborate tarts but more interesting than plain muffins. Plus, they fit into the Donut Baked Recipes category that customers love — looks upscale, bakes like a dream, and tastes deeply nostalgic.
If you like experimenting, these also make a delightful Donut Flavored Cake concept when you turn the batter into small sheet-cake rounds and layer with lemon glaze.
FAQs (short & useful)
Q: Can I swap lemon extract for lemon oil?
A: No — lemon extract and lemon oil are not interchangeable. Use lemon extract as instructed.
Q: Can I make full-size muffins with this batter?
A: I haven’t tested it as full-size muffins, but you can try — bake time will increase. Keep an eye on the center and test with a toothpick.
Q: Do I need to refrigerate the glazed donuts?
A: No — these are Baked Goods That Dont Need Refrigeration unless you add a perishable filling. Store in an airtight container at room temp for up to 2 days.
Q: Can I substitute Greek yogurt?
A: Greek yogurt keeps them moist and tender. You could try sour cream as a close swap, but yogurt is the OG here.
Ready to bake? These Lemon Doughnuts (or Lemon Donuts if you’re in a hurry) give you bright citrus, a soft crumb, and a tiny bit of kitchen magic — all without frying oil or drama. They’re a perfect example of why Baked Pastries don’t have to be complicated to taste like a bakery dream. Go make them, dunk one in your coffee, and tell me how many you ate before anyone else noticed.
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Lemon Donuts Recipe: Baked, Glazed & Easy to Make
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Additional Time: 4 minutes
- Cook Time: 16 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: Dessert
Description
Bright, tangy, and ridiculously easy — these baked lemon donuts capture the same sunny flavor as that beloved lemon loaf, but in handheld form. No mixer required, no frying, and the glaze is a simple sugar + lemon combo that hits sweet and sour just right. Make full-size rings or tiny donut holes in a mini muffin tin — both are winners.
Ingredients
Donuts
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 6 oz Greek yogurt (I used 0% Fage; sour cream can be swapped in)
- ¼ cup neutral oil (canola or vegetable)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon extract (use this — not lemon juice, not lemon oil; see notes)
- A few drops yellow food coloring (optional, for color)
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup powdered (confectioners’) sugar
- ~3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (add gradually until you reach the glaze thickness you want)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease or spray a 6-count donut pan and a 12-count mini muffin pan; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar, Greek yogurt, oil, lemon zest, and lemon extract. If you want that sunny yellow look, stir in a few drops of food coloring.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry mix to the wet ingredients and fold gently with a spatula or stir carefully with a spoon. Stop when the batter is just combined — a little streaking is okay. Don’t overmix.
- Portion the batter into the prepared pans. Fill each cavity about three-quarters full. I spoon batter into the donut wells, but you can put batter into a large zip-top bag, snip a corner, and squeeze/pip it in for tidier rings. For donut holes, I use a 2-tablespoon scoop and fill about 1 heaping tablespoon per cavity.
- Bake for roughly 13–16 minutes. In my oven the full-size donuts took 15 minutes and the mini donut holes took about 14 minutes; your oven and pan sizes will vary, so bake until the tops are set and they spring back when touched.
- Let the donuts cool slightly in the pans while you mix the glaze.
Lemon Glaze
- Put the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Whisk in lemon juice a little at a time until the glaze is smooth and pourable but not runny — tweak the proportions to suit your taste and desired thickness.
- Dip the warm donut tops into the glaze. Allow them to sit for a moment so the glaze can set up a bit before serving.
Notes
Notes & Tips
- Lemon extract is essential. Do NOT substitute lemon juice or lemon oil for the lemon extract in the batter — extract provides concentrated flavor without changing the batter’s chemistry. Lemon oil is far stronger and lemon juice is too weak (and too acidic).
- If you only own one donut pan, you can bake in batches; keep finished donuts on a cooling rack (not piled) while the next batch bakes.
- For neater filling, use a zip-top bag as a disposable piping bag. For uniform mini donut holes, a 2-Tbsp scoop works perfectly.
- Baking times shift with pan material, fill level, and oven differences — check early and often.
Storage
- These taste best fresh and warm, but you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Don’t refrigerate unless you’ve added a perishable filling — refrigeration will dry them out. To refresh, briefly warm in the microwave or oven before glazing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 380kcal
- Sugar: 44g
- Sodium: 259mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 65g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 32mg
