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Baked Lemon Blueberry Doughnuts (Donuts) + VIDEO

By 109 Comments On The Healthy/Lighter Side

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These Baked Lemon Blueberry Doughnuts 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.

These Baked Lemon Blueberry Doughnuts 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 donuts | lemon recipe | lemon dessert | baking | lemon donuts

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

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.

MY LATEST VIDEOS

These Baked Lemon Blueberry Doughnuts 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 donuts | lemon recipe | lemon dessert | baking | lemon donuts

(And just for the record, yes, I am kind of a “doughnut” girl and not a “donut” girl. I used to be a high school English teacher, so I’m not really into those spellings of words we make up just to make spelling easier. I eat doughnuts. I write cheques. Although because I know that most people are looking for “donut recipes” and not “doughnut recipes”, I throw both in for good measure. I’d hate for you to miss out.)

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.

(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.

These Baked Lemon Blueberry Doughnuts 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 donuts | lemon recipe | lemon dessert | baking | lemon donuts

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 (like… these Easter Candy Doughnuts.… 🙂 See?)

I hope you won’t be mad?

Watch the recipe video and see how they’re made:

These Baked Lemon Blueberry Doughnuts 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 donuts | lemon recipe | lemon dessert | baking | lemon donuts
Print Pin Recipe

Baked Lemon Blueberry Doughnuts

Baked Lemon Blueberry Doughnuts: So fresh and perfect for Spring! They're easier than you think, and super moist! www.thereciperebel.com
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 23 minutes
Servings 14 donuts
Calories 202kcal
Author Ashley Fehr

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
  • 7-8 tbsp fresh lemon juice or milk see notes

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 (this is an estimate)

Nutrition Facts
Baked Lemon Blueberry Doughnuts
Amount Per Serving
Calories 202 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 12%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 33mg 11%
Sodium 134mg 6%
Potassium 101mg 3%
Total Carbohydrates 31g 10%
Sugars 29g
Protein 1g 2%
Vitamin A 3.4%
Vitamin C 5.2%
Calcium 4.7%
Iron 1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Tag @thereciperebel or hashtag #thereciperebel -- I love to see what you're making!

 

Baked Lemon Blueberry Doughnuts
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: about 15
Baked Lemon Blueberry Doughnuts: So fresh and perfect for Spring! They’re easier than you think, and super moist! www.thereciperebel.com
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • ¼ cup canola or vegetable oil
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 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
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • Glaze:
  • 2 cups powdered icing sugar
  • 1-2 tsp lemon zest
  • 7-8 tbsp fresh lemon juice or milk (see notes)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and grease your doughnut pans with butter or non-stick spray.
  2. In a large bowl, combine butter, oil and sugar and whisk until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  3. Add in eggs, vanilla, lemon zest and buttermilk and whisk until smooth.
  4. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and whisk just until combined. Stir in blueberries. Batter will be thick (see notes).
  5. 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.
  6. 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:
  1. 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.
  2. 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.[br]*If you like more lemon flavour, use fresh lemon juice for the glaze. If you like less lemon flavour, use milk.[br]*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.

I found this recipe on Cooking Classy, originally adapted from King Arthur Flour.

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Comments

  1. My daughters and I made these doughnuts this morning because blueberries were on sale so we have a ton of blueberries. And we love doughnuts! They were delicious! And so easy! I will definitely be making more doughnuts now that I know how quickly they bake! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  5. I tried this recipe with my brand new doughnut pan, I had never made doughnuts before so I was a little nervous but I followed the recipe exactly and they came out perfect! They looked just as good as the pictures and were delicious! Thank you!

    Reply

  7. I CAN’T WAIT TO TRY THESE! I’M SCARED TO ASK – DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF THE NUTRITION (CALORIES ETC) VALUE OF THESE? THANKS

    Reply

  9. My 3yo daughter loves to mix up batter. We made these tonight. I need more pans! Your recipe made 14 standard size donuts plus a full pan of mini size. It was well past her bed time, but we delivered a few doughnuts to her “Ganmom”. She is traveling tomorrow and will share them with other family members of ours. Thank you for a delicious recipe!

    Reply

  11. I was super excited to use my brand new doughnut pan and I was looking for an easy recipe. These ended up being a huge success at my work bake sale and I’m making them again for a Christmas potluck. Love, LOVE them. I ended up using frozen blueberries and they worked really well. I will definitely make the glaze thicker this time though. Thank you SO MUCH!

    Reply

  14. Another “doughnut” speller/eater here! I think a batch of these will be perfect this mid-week morning, so I’m very happy that I invested in a second doughnut pan (I get to eat sooner than when I only had one pan)! But I think you wanted to say the glaze should dry to the “touch” instead of “tough”! I’m a spelling snob too! 😉 Thanks for a wonderful recipe and a giggle too.

    Reply

  16. Wow! These look super amazing!
    It’s Winter on our side of the world now, so no blueberries just yet. Hoping to make them soon!
    I absolutely love baked doughnuts! (And yes, we South Africans spell like the British :p)

    So glad I follow you on FB!

    Thanks for sharing from a chilly Cape Town
    Sa-eeda 🙂

    Reply

    • Thank you so much Sa-eeda! And thanks for following on Facebook! We are just getting our first fresh summer berries here and it’s very exciting — I’m going to have to make another batch soon!

      Reply

  19. Hi Ashley
    So happy to have found your blog. So inspiring and beautiful.

    The Doughnuts look wonderful. Did you ever try to deep-fry them?
    Love from Switzerland
    Sonja

    Reply

  20. I just made these today and they were AMAZING!!!!! Seriously incredible. My daughter has food allergies so I used Blue Bonnet Light for the butter and oil, Ener-G egg replacer for the eggs, and soymilk with vinegar in it for the buttermilk. They were incredible in every way. Moist and fluffy and perfect. I used lemon in the glaze and it really made the donuts perfect. Thank you for this recipe!!

    Reply

    • That is awesome! I’m so glad you were able to make the changes you needed — and thanks for coming back and letting us know!

      Reply

  21. Hi Ashley! Just wanted to come back and comment on frozen blueberries. You probably know this, but some of your readers might not. Keep them frozen and gently fold them into your batter at the last minute.

    Reply

  22. Hi Ashley! I just found your blog and these look wonderful! I don’t use my donut pans nearly as much as I should. Have you ever used frozen Maine wild blueberries? They are much smaller and taste so good! Plus, they would go through a piping bag easier. I think these are on my Sunday breakfast menu! Thanks!

    Reply

    • Hi Dorothy! I’m glad you found me! I have not tried using frozen blueberries. I think the size would be perfect! I’m just not sure about the extra liquid. Let me know if you try it!

      Reply

      • Hi Ashley! I make a streusel topped coffee cake using the frozen Maine blueberries and it comes out perfect. I also use them in waffles. The Maine berries are much smaller and not as watery as regular blueberries, so they don’t release much juice at all. But they are packed with flavor! I’m with you on proper spelling and English. I always reminded my children that it was very important, because you are judged by how you present yourself.

        Reply

  23. I made these doughnuts this morning but didn’t have a doughnut pan, so I used mini muffin pans (trying to pass them off as doughnut holes!). They were really good, would have been better had I used a doughnut pan! As for the spelling, when my kids were little they asked who came up with doughnuts. I told them they were invented by a guy named Doug (DougH.Nuts to be exact!). I have no idea where they really came from, but it’s been a family joke ever since. It makes it easy to remember how to spell as well!

    Reply

  24. Did you use buttermilk or regular milk in the doughnuts pictured above? I want mine exactly like yours lol!!!! Also for the glaze did you go all out lemon or just milk? Thanks and I can’t wait to make some, guess I need to get a doughnut pan first!! Thank God for Amazon prime lol ☺️

    Reply

    • Haha, yes the doughnut pan helps! I used buttermilk, just because I had some in the fridge. I don’t always though! I actually made 2 batches of glaze, one with all lemon juice and one with milk — it just depends on how strong you like your lemon flavour!

      Reply

  31. I absolutely LOVE your new site, Ashley!!! It looks so great! And I love the logo you decided on!! I also love these doughnuts! I have a doughnut pan and for some reason I’ve only used it once. They were so good though, so I’m not sure why it just sits in the cupboard! These blueberry ones sounds delicious 🙂

    Reply

  38. These look perfect! Like a blueberry muffin, but better. I make sure to include doughnuts and donuts in my blog posts for the SEO value…LOL! 🙂

    Reply

    • Thanks Tonia! Haha, I probably should! If I do it’s only in an “I’m right and you’re wrong” kind of way — mostly I’m just stuck in my ways! Lol

      Reply

  40. Oh heavens! These look fabulous! And for being donu….I mean Doughnuts, I feel like they lean towards being healthy because, you know…blueberries. I declare them healthy and will be locating a doughnut pan PRONTO.
    🙂

    Reply

    • Hahaha, they’re baked AND they have blueberries! Which means they’re totally healthy and a perfectly acceptable breakfast 🙂

      Reply

  41. These doughnuts look amazing, and I completely agree with you on the spelling thing! I cannot change the spelling of doughnut and cheque, it’s just not right! I need to use my doughnut pan more often, I think I’ve only used it twice. I may start with these ones!

    Reply

    • Haha, glad you’re on my side! You should definitely give them a go — I think I ate 6 the day I made them :S

      Reply

  43. These donuts are GORGEOUS Ashley! Opps…I guess I just say “donuts”. Laziness at its finest 😉
    Pinned!

    Reply

  44. See, I always wondered about “doughnut” and “donut”. At some point I just thought it was a UK/US difference, haha! Honestly, I don’t even possess a donut pan! I’m all about the deep-frying but I probably need to jump on the bandwagon as well! They’re looking GOOD Ashley!

    Reply

  45. I am late to the doughnut baking party too. Not to buying the pan but to actually using it! I made maple/bacon and Heath bar versions and loved them and now want to make doughnuts every day. This flavor combo is on my list; thanks for making it easy on me and providing a recipe!

    Reply

  48. I’m a “doughnut” girl, too!! I came to the States when I was 11 years old, and because I had to learn English at such an older age, I am a spelling freak!! I cringe when I see misspelled words. 😀
    Your doughnuts look fantastic! Thinking about the burst of blueberries is making my mouth water!

    Reply

  49. Why would anyone be mad about doughnuts?! These look so fantastic, and lemon blueberry is a light and springy variation that you don’t see often – perfection! Also, you write cheques?! Is that really even a word? Spell check is saying it’s not 😉

    Reply

    • Haha, what?! Shame on your spell check! Apparently your spell check must be American. Lol. Us Canadians like to do everything the most difficult way possible. Thanks Michelle!

      Reply

  51. Uh oh, I specialized in English and I think I have been using the term doughnuts/donuts interchangeably! I’ll correct that from now on!I have been wanting to make homemade doughnuts forever. I swear I will one day!

    Reply

    • Haha,it might actually be a British/Canadian v. American thing… but even so, I’m Canadian and I stubbornly stick to the longest spelling of all the words. Lol. You need to try homemade doughnuts!

      Reply

  53. I like to flip flop between “donut” and “doughnut.” It just depends on my mood. 😉 Has anyone figured out which one is better for SEO purposes? I would like to know this! In all seriousness though, I need to bake more doughnuts, and these cuties are right up there on that list! Love!

    Reply

  57. I don’t think I could ever get enough of donuts, so keep those recipes coming! These donuts looks so gorgeous, Ashley! I love the pretty pops of color from the blueberries. And the flavor sounds perfect for the spring, especially with that glaze!

    Reply

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