Baked Lemon Blueberry Doughnuts (Donuts) Recipe + VIDEO (2024)

The Recipe Rebel / Desserts

written by Ashley Fehr

4.69 from 45 votes

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 23 minutes mins

Servings 14 donuts

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Last updated on March 1, 2024

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These Baked Lemon Blueberry Donuts are fluffy, packed with citrus flavor and bursting with blueberries and covered in a tangy glaze! Baked donuts are the perfect healthy breakfast or snack. Includes step by step recipe video.

Baked Lemon Blueberry Doughnuts (Donuts) Recipe + VIDEO (2)

It was a big day here on The Recipe Rebel the day these first appeared: my first successful batch of baked donuts.

I have no idea why it took me so long to get on board.

I first posted this recipe more than TWO years ago (what?!?) but it needed a little love and a new recipe video, and — well — I needed another batch of these doughnuts.

I received a doughnut/donut pan way too long ago for Christmas.I baked doughnuts once, they sucked, and then I put it on the bottom of my stack of baking pans for a couple years.

When we were grocery shopping the other day, my husband told me he’d seen a mini doughnut maker in the clearance section for $9, and I had to buy it. Because if there’s anything better than eating a homemade doughnut, it’s eating a dozen mini homemade doughnuts.

Baked Lemon Blueberry Doughnuts (Donuts) Recipe + VIDEO (3)

(I also saw a pumpkin shaped cake pop pan for 94 cents, and absolutely wasn’t going to leave it there. But then I thought about sharing some pumpkin cake pops on the blog, and Step 3 being “now whip out your pumpkin-shaped cake pop pan”, and all of you leaving and never returning. So I left it there.)

So I bring home my mini doughnut maker and some blueberries and lemons.

Lemon Blueberry Doughnuts.

I had a big hankering for citrus and warm weather, so I mixed up some doughnut batter, and stir in some lemon zest and blueberries. The batter is thick, and I’m a little worried they’re going to be dense and chewy like my first batch.

Nevertheless, I scoop it into a large disposable piping bag and try piping it into the mini doughnut maker but the blueberries are just too big and it’s not really working.

Back to my trusty doughnut pan.

Baked Lemon Blueberry Doughnuts (Donuts) Recipe + VIDEO (4)

Turns out, they weren’t dense and chewy at all. They are soft, and cakey, and lemony, and springy, and PERFECT.

And they’ve made me a hardcore believer in the homemade baked doughnut. So there’s a good chance you’ll see about 713 variations of them in the next couple months.

I hope you won’t be mad?

Baked Lemon Blueberry Doughnuts (Donuts) Recipe + VIDEO (5)

More Lemon Blueberry love:

Lemon Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
Cream Cheese Filled Blueberry Lemon Bread
Greek Yogurt Lemon Bundt Cake

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Baked Lemon Blueberry Doughnuts

written by Ashley Fehr

4.69 from 45 votes

Baked Lemon Blueberry Doughnuts: So fresh and perfect for Spring! They’re easier than you think, and super moist! www.thereciperebel.com

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Review

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 minutes mins

Total Time 23 minutes mins

Cuisine American

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Servings 14 donuts

Calories 202cal

Ingredients

▢ 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
▢ 1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
▢ 3/4 cup granulated sugar 150 g
▢ 2 large eggs
▢ 2 tsp vanilla extract
▢ 1-2 tsp grated lemon zest depending on your tastes
▢ 1 cup buttermilk or substitute regular milk
▢ 2 2/3 all-purpose flour 350g
▢ 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
▢ 1/4 tsp baking soda
▢ 1/2 tsp salt
▢ 1 cup fresh blueberries

Glaze:

▢ 2 cups powdered icing sugar
▢ 1-2 tsp lemon zest (optional)
▢ 7-8 tbsp fresh lemon juice or milk see notes

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and grease your doughnut pans with butter or non-stick spray.
In a large bowl, combine butter, oil and sugar and whisk until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add in eggs, vanilla, lemon zest and buttermilk and whisk until smooth.
Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and whisk just until combined. Stir in blueberries. Batter will be thick (see notes).
Spoon batter into a large disposable piping bag or freezer bag (optional method – see notes. You can also spoon batter into doughnut pan). Cut off the end of the bag so your opening is about ½-3/4” wide (big enough for the blueberries to get through). Pipe batter once around each doughnut hole – the batter shouldn’t quite fill the hole as they’ll expand and rise.
Bake for 7-8 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes before removing from the doughnut pan to cool completely.
Make the glaze:In a medium bowl (not too deep as you’ll want to be able to dip your doughnuts), combine sugar, zest, and 6 tbsp of juice or milk. Add an additional 1-2 tbsp of liquid if needed. You want your glaze to be thin enough to evenly coat your doughnuts, but thick enough that it will set and become dry to the touch.
When doughnuts are completely cool, dip tops of doughnuts into the glaze and overturn so the glaze runs down the sides. Set aside for the glaze to set (or, just shove them right in your mouth!).

Notes

*The batter will be thick – that’s okay! I find the easiest way to get it into the pan is using a piping bag, but you can scoop with a spoon if you don’t have one.
*If you like more lemon flavour, use fresh lemon juice for the glaze. If you like less lemon flavour, use milk.
*If you’re making these ahead of time, I recommend baking them, letting them cool, and storing in an airtight container, then glazing up to a few hours before serving them. The glazed doughnuts become softer and stickier when stored in an airtight container. I baked and glazed them in the morning, and let them sit on the counter the whole day so the glaze would stay set.

Nutrition Information

Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

Reader Interactions

Comments

Ashley says
January 31, 2024 at 4:50 pm
Can I use almond milk in place of regular milk?
Reply
- Dianne McKinney says
  February 10, 2024 at 5:41 pm
  This recipe was amazing. I had to make it dairy free I substitute smart balance dairy free for butter, and for the milk I used full fat coconut milk. The doughnuts were amazing. They did not taste dairy free.
  Reply
Aleta Hoover says
January 16, 2024 at 7:47 pm
I measured everything correctly, but I do not believe my batter was “thick”, I could pour it. The recipe as is on the page made way more than 14 donuts, just an FYI. They were very tasty but I feel like I should have flipped them during cooking as the colors were pale on top and lovely golden brown on bottom.
Reply
Mary says
November 21, 2023 at 7:26 am
Any suggestions on making these egg-free?
Reply
- The Recipe Rebel says
  November 21, 2023 at 5:47 pm
  No I’m sorry, I’ve only made these with eggs. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!
  Reply
Sandra says
September 2, 2023 at 2:27 pm
What size donut pan did you use?
Reply
- The Recipe Rebel says
  September 6, 2023 at 12:29 pm
  Hi Sandra! I used a standard size pan. Enjoy!
  Reply
Cindy K says
August 28, 2023 at 7:50 pm
I mean mini bundts put of them and I put one in my mouth and almost cried they were so good and delicate. I changed the recipe a little amd added a tablespoon of the lemon juice to the batter and of the 6 tablespoons of lemon juice left only used 5 and the glaze was perfect! Normally when I do random internet recipes they come out terrible and I leave the snarky comment “please don’t ever write a cookbook!” I am urging you to please do write a cookbook! these are pillows clouds from heaven. I’m addicted!
Reply
- The Recipe Rebel says
  August 30, 2023 at 9:03 pm
  Hi Cindy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
  Reply
Sarah says
April 14, 2023 at 1:02 pm
These are the best donuts that I have ever made. I made them for a good friend and she said they were life changing! I highly recommend making them!
Reply
- The Recipe Rebel says
  April 17, 2023 at 4:07 am
  Hi Sarah! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
  See Also
  Colcannon and Colcannon Cakes | Rebel Recipes
  Reply
Cara Nahra says
March 1, 2023 at 11:09 pm
I love these donuts and so does my family and friends. I was wondering can we use lemon extract instead of lemon zest inside the donut batter or for the glaze???
Reply
- The Recipe Rebel says
  March 6, 2023 at 10:13 pm
  Hi Cara! It should be fine to use the extract. Hope you enjoy it!
  Reply
Debra Horrigan says
December 13, 2022 at 9:24 am
I made these Paleo-ish. I made the following replacements:
Sugar- Coconut Sugar
Flour- Paleo Blend-Red Mill
Butter Milk- Coconut Cream
I used Frozen Blueberries.
Vegetable oil- Coconut oil
I did use real butter through. I did NOT make the icing.
These turned out great. I followed the measurements 1:1 for my replacements and perfect. Even my 16 year old son was impressed with good they are.
Reply
- The Recipe Rebel says
  December 13, 2022 at 9:37 am
  Glad all of the replacements worked out for you Debra!
  Reply
Ashley Smith says
September 4, 2022 at 4:19 pm
These are amazing! Can I freeze this batter?
Reply
- The Recipe Rebel says
  September 9, 2022 at 7:50 pm
  Hi Ashley! Thank you! I’ve never attempted to freeze the batter before. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
  Reply
Karon says
August 31, 2022 at 5:54 pm
Great recipe. Thank you!
I didn’t want to use a single use plastic bag, so I used my pastry bag to spread the batter into the pans. Instead to adding the berries to the batter (they wouldn’t go through the pastry bag), I spread each donut cup with a thin layer of batter, added 4-5 berries, and topped them off with another layer of batter. Easy peasy.
My donut pan made 22 small donuts. For the glaze, I halved the sugar and lemon juice and still had glaze leftover.
Reply
- The Recipe Rebel says
  August 31, 2022 at 6:45 pm
  Hi Karon! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!
  Reply
Vicki says
August 9, 2022 at 2:52 pm
Made double batch so easy to make and delicious Taking a batch to early meeting tomorrow. Hope the girls like these as much as my family did
Reply
Aislinn says
February 6, 2022 at 1:21 pm
Loved these donuts!!! First time using a donut pan and it was so easy. The texture is awesome 👍🏼
Reply
- The Recipe Rebel says
  February 9, 2022 at 5:54 pm
  Hi Aislinn! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!
  Reply
Gwen Frita says
January 21, 2022 at 3:47 pm
For those of you without a doughnut pan; yes you can! However; only fill whatever pan your using 1 to 11/2 inches deep. This batter/dough expands a lot! And add an extra 10-15 minutes to the 7-8 min. As Ashley has instructed. It will also not be as soft and fluffy as doughnuts but still has a wonderful texture/crumb.
I’ve made these 3 times now; once in a loaf pan and twice in tex/jumbo muffin pan.
Reply
Cynthia says
January 16, 2022 at 6:34 pm
Hi Ashley! I would love to try this. Does the recipe make 14 donuts with each donut being a serving? Thanks!
Reply
- The Recipe Rebel says
  January 17, 2022 at 2:50 pm
  Hi Cynthia! That is correct. Hope you enjoy them!
  Reply
Cara Nahra says
June 21, 2021 at 8:51 pm
Can you make the batter the night before and then bake in the morning?
Reply
- Ashley Fehr says
  June 23, 2021 at 11:33 am
  Absolutely!
  Reply
Andrea says
April 16, 2021 at 9:53 am
I have frozen huckleberries that I would like to try in this recipe. Does the extra moisture in frozen berries ruin the texture? Would you add them frozen or defrost and drain?
Reply
- Ashley Fehr says
  April 19, 2021 at 1:29 pm
  Hi Andrea! I’ve never baked with huckleberries before so I’m not sure what they are like. Frozen blueberries would be fine, but some larger berries will release too much moisture or cause spots that are soggy, so I can’t say for sure. If adding frozen berries they should be added frozen.
  Reply
- Lynn says
  May 16, 2021 at 12:15 pm
  Other than cooking time what other adjustments should be made to turn this into a loaf instead of donuts, if any?
  Love your recipes!
  Reply
  - Ashley Fehr says
    May 17, 2021 at 6:57 pm
    Hi Lynn! I can’t really say as I’ve never tried, but I do have this lemon blueberry bread recipe that would be similar: https://www.thereciperebel.com/cream-cheese-filled-blueberry-lemon-bread-recipe-video/
Cheryl says
February 7, 2021 at 5:14 pm
Got donut pans for Christmas, this is the 3rd recipe I’ve tried – it’s a Keeper! Used coconut milk & non-dairy butter (food sensitivities) Lemon makes such a fresh taste & the blueberries burst with flavor. They were super yummy!!
Reply
- Ashley Fehr says
  February 8, 2021 at 2:21 pm
  Thanks Cheryl!
  Reply
Marnae says
July 21, 2020 at 11:13 am
These were really delicious! Light and fluffy and bursting with flavor. We made 12 doughnuts and a pan of doughnut holes(20) with this recipe. I substituted fresh raspberries from my garden for the blueberries and they were so good.. Gobbled down by my quarantined kids!
Reply
- Ashley Fehr says
  July 27, 2020 at 1:15 pm
  Thanks Marnae! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them! I love the raspberry swap 🙂
  Reply
Meta Woods says
June 24, 2020 at 6:12 pm
Do donuts come out the same using lactose free milk?
Reply
- Ashley Fehr says
  June 29, 2020 at 10:46 am
  Sorry, I’ve never tried!
  Reply
Gwen Frita says
April 22, 2020 at 12:55 pm
Can this be baked in one or two batches in a loaf pan? That is all I have and really want to try this today!
Reply
- Gwen Frita says
  April 22, 2020 at 1:37 pm
  Okay, I found a very similar recipe for “Doughnut loaf” @ Thekitchn.com so I’m going to use your recipe and their baking instructions. Here is their recipe; https://www.thekitchn.com/donut-loaf-22978257
  Hope it works!
  Reply
- Ashley Fehr says
  April 23, 2020 at 11:29 am
  Hi Gwen! I actually have a very similar loaf recipe here: https://www.thereciperebel.com/cream-cheese-filled-blueberry-lemon-bread-recipe-video/
  Reply

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Baked Lemon Blueberry Doughnuts (Donuts) Recipe + VIDEO (2024)

FAQs

Are baked donuts healthier than fried donuts? ›

They are healthier than fried donuts. The donuts are moist and fluffy, with a slightly crispy exterior. They are versatile. You can customize the recipe to your liking by adding different flavors of glaze or toppings.

Get More Info ›

Do baked donuts taste the same as fried? ›

Baked cake donuts won't have the same rich, greasy bite as a fried donut, but there's still plenty to enjoy about the flavor and texture of a baked cake donut. Whether you choose to bake or fry your donuts, think about the textures you want to achieve and pick a recipe that works best for your desired cooking method.

Why are blueberry donuts so good? ›

They are dotted with pockets of blueberries that burst and go pleasantly jammy, and their pearly, sugary glaze make them extra pretty and unapologetically sweet (doughnuts are not meant to be subtle).

Read The Full Story ›

What is lemon donut filling made of? ›

Prepare the filling: Create a double boiler by bringing a pot of water to boil and placing a heat-proof mixing bowl on top. Whisk in lemon juice, zest, sugar and eggs. Continue whisking on the double boiler until it starts to thicken slightly. Drop butter into the mixture one tablespoon at a time.

Learn More Now ›

What is the healthiest doughnut to eat? ›

✓ Sugared Donut

The classic sugared donut is also the most nutritious donut on the menu. It has 240 calories, 11g fat, 4.5g saturated fat, 33g carbohydrates, 4g protein, 13g sugars, and 270mg sodium. If you love donuts, you've got plenty of varieties to choose from.

What is the best flour for donuts? ›

Use real cake flour – not DIY cake flour!

DIY substitutions don't really cut it, and AP flour will not create doughnuts with that same soft texture. Also, bleached cake flour will work best. Unbleached (like King Arthur Baking) won't absorb as much moisture, and you may end up with doughnuts that crumble while frying.

Are Krispy Kreme donuts deep fried or baked? ›

Like most doughnuts, Krispy Kremes are fried (cooked in oil). Frying cooks the dough rapidly from the outside in to give the doughnuts their distinctive crispy texture. The flipper turns the doughnuts over midway through the oil.

Get More Info ›

Are Dunkin donuts donuts fried or baked? ›

He, along with 30 other franchisees, built a central kitchen. There the donuts are “baked fresh every single night” and shipped out every morning to each location before they opened.

See Details ›

What is the best oil to cook donuts in? ›

What kind of oil is best for cooking donuts? The best oil is the one with the least flavour. Vegetable oil and canola oil are both very good in this respect. The most important thing is to use the same oil for the same kinds of foods, since oil readily absorbs flavours and aromas.

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Does Dunkin Donuts use real blueberries? ›

Did you know that our Blueberry Muffin has been on the menu since Dunkin' first opened its doors in 1950? At that time, this sweet treat only cost 10 cents! Each year, we use about 5 million pounds of wild and cultivated blueberries sourced from the U.S. to make our Blueberry Muffins.

What is the most unhealthy donut in the world? ›

The Honey Dew Coconut Jelly Stick is the most calorie and sugar-heavy donut on our list with 590 calories and 40 grams of sugar per stick. Not only that, but it has a whopping 680 milligrams of sodium, which is almost a third of the recommended daily limit.

Find Out More ›

Why are Amish Doughnuts so good? ›

The Amish are well-known for their baking skills (and all kinds of amazing baking tips). Amish doughnuts are always made from scratch with the baking basics—sugar, flour, milk, yeast and eggs. What sets them apart from other doughnut recipes is the method, which requires kneading, stirring and patience.

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Do lemon filled donuts need to be refrigerated? ›

Do lemon filled donuts need to be refrigerated? Yes. Due to the lemon curd filling, any leftover donuts must be refrigerated. Alternatively, you could store the unfilled donuts at room temperature and fill them with lemon curd prior to enjoying any leftovers.