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.
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.
(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.
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?
Baked Lemon Blueberry Doughnuts
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
*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
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Tag @thereciperebelI found this recipe on Cooking Classy, originally adapted from King Arthur Flour.
Marnae says
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!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Marnae! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them! I love the raspberry swap 🙂
Meta Woods says
Do donuts come out the same using lactose free milk?
Ashley Fehr says
Sorry, I’ve never tried!
Gwen Frita says
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!
Gwen Frita says
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!
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Gwen! I actually have a very similar loaf recipe here: https://www.thereciperebel.com/cream-cheese-filled-blueberry-lemon-bread-recipe-video/
Alice Han says
I am new to baking but I decided to bake more during Coronavirus quarantine season, and OMG this recipe is AMAZING. O.M.G. This is so good ^__^
Ashley Fehr says
I am so glad you liked them!
Jody says
I’m wondering if anyone has tried freezing these before glazing We have a big bake sale coming up and I’d like to get a Head Start Suggestions???
Ashley Fehr says
I haven’t but I think it would work just fine!
Amateur baker says
Didn’t have a doughnut pan so I used a muffin tin and they worked perfectly and were just like timbits
Ashley Fehr says
I love that idea!
Kimberlee Schenz says
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!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad to hear you liked them!
Adena Clark says
These are addictive ❣️
Elisa says
First time making doughnuts and using my donut pan and they came out exactly like the images. I’m so glad! 🙂
Ashley Fehr says
Yay! So happy to hear that!
Kim says
Have you tried making these with gluten-free flour?
Ashley Fehr says
I haven’t, sorry!
Kelly Senyei @ Just a Taste says
Doughnuts (my preferred way of spelling, too) are my favorite food. Your lemon and blueberry combination is perfect for summer!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Kelly!
Allie says
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!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so happy to hear that! Glad you liked them!
Nicole says
Do you think this would work as a cake? I don’t have a doughnut pan.
Ashley Fehr says
I probably wouldn’t try it but I do have this Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake if that’s something you’d be into? https://www.thereciperebel.com/lemon-blueberry-cream-cheese-coffee-cake/
MARSHA says
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
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Marsha! I don’t, but it’s pretty easy to calculate using the My Fitness Pal Recipe Calorie Calculator 🙂