Meyer Lemon Baked Donuts
These soft, yeasted lemon donuts bake up tender and fluffy, then get dipped in a bright Meyer lemon glaze that soaks into every warm edge. They're just as tasty as a classic donut, only without the need for frying!
Most baked donut recipes make cake-style donuts, which are really just muffins shaped like donuts. This one uses a proper yeasted dough, the same kind you'd use for classic donuts, only they're baked instead of fried.
That said, you can absolutely fry these instead of baking them and, truthfully, they will be even better. But baking them is much easier, a little healthier, and still comes out really good.
The key is keeping them pale so they stay soft, then brushing with plenty of butter for a rich finish. I've found that popping them back in the oven for a few minutes after glazing helps the glaze soak in and makes them even better.
You will not need a donut pan for these, but you will need a donut cutter if you want a classic shape. You could totally just cut these into strips and be done with it, but where's the fun in that?
These are a fun recipe for a weekend baking project that lets you take your time, enjoy the process, and fill the kitchen with the scent of citrus and warm butter.
Want more bright lemon recipes? Try my simple Lemon Pasta, this elegant Meyer Lemon Tart, or a refreshing Lemon Granita.
Why This Recipe Works
- A yeasted doughnut dough that you can bake or fry.
- Flavored with a beautiful blend of floral Meyer lemons and cardamom.
- Also works with regular lemons, mandarin or other citrus.
- No donut pan required, just a simple cutter.
Ingredient Notes
Meyer lemons - These have a sweeter, floral flavor that works perfectly in both the dough and glaze. If you cannot find them, use a combination of lemons and mandarin oranges, or just use regular lemons.
Cardamom - You can skip this if preferred, but it really enhances the floral notes in the Meyer lemons and makes these taste so much more complex.
Active dry yeast - Make sure it is fresh and still active. The yeast should foam when mixed with warm milk.
Flour - Use regular all purpose flour.
Butter - Melted butter brings richness to both the dough and glaze.
Salt - I use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, which is less salty than other brands. You may need to adjust to taste.
Sugar - Granulated for the dough and powdered for the glaze.
*Find the full ingredient list in the recipe card below!
Helpful Equipment
- Stand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Rolling pin
- Doughnut cutter
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
- Pastry brush
Step by Step Instructions
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, stir together the yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar, and ¼ cup warm milk. Let sit for 5 minutes until the yeast is foamy.
- In the meantime, mix together the remaining ⅓ cup sugar, ½ cup warm milk, melted butter, and salt. Add that mixture to the yeast once proofed along with the egg, Meyer lemon zest, and cardamom. Stir until thoroughly combined.
- Add the flour. If using a stand mixer, attach the dough hook and mix on low. If mixing by hand, use a sturdy wooden spoon or spatula. Mix until the dough starts to pull away from the bowl, about 2 minutes. If it is very sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until it comes together. Just avoid adding more than ½ cup extra.
- Turn the mixer to medium and knead for 5 minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
- Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm, draft free spot until doubled, about 1 to 2 hours.
Pro Tip: If your kitchen is too cold, place the bowl in the oven with just the light turned on. It creates a gentle warmth that helps the dough rise evenly.
- When doubled, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it to ½ inch thick. Use a donut cutter to cut out as many as possible, then reroll the scraps.
- Place donuts on parchment lined baking sheets. Cover and let rise again until doubled.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Brush the tops with melted butter, then bake for exactly 7 minutes. Do not let them brown.
- Allow donuts to cool completely. Make the glaze by combining the Meyer lemon zest, juice, milk, cardamom, salt, and melted butter. Add powdered sugar and whisk until smooth.
- Dip donuts into the glaze on all sides except the bottom. Transfer to a rack and let set for 20 minutes.
Pro Tip: Optionally, you can return the glazed donuts to the oven at 400°F for about 2 minutes to help the glaze soak in. Allow to cool before serving.
Tips for Success
- The dough has a high hydration, so it should be soft and sticky. Adding too much extra flour will make the donuts tough.
- Do not let them brown or cook too long in the oven. Pale donuts will stay more tender.
- Make sure the glaze is fully smooth before dipping.
- For the best texture, allow the glaze to cool completely and harden before serving.
- If frying instead of baking, keep oil at a steady 350°F so they cook evenly.
Variations
- Swap Meyer lemon for regular lemon mixed with mandarin or orange.
- Add two teaspoons of teaspoon of vanilla extract to the dough for a sweeter aroma.
- Sprinkle with finely chopped candied citrus peel before the glaze sets.
- Add poppy seeds to the dough for a hint of crunch.
Serving Suggestions
Serve warm with a cup of Cold Brew Coffee. For a sweeter finish, pair them with this simple Italian Affogato for a fun contrast of hot and cold.
To amp up the citrus flavor, fill them with Meyer Lemon Marmalade or an elegant and lightly sweet Mascarpone Whipped Cream.
Serve them alongside this sweet and salty Candied Brown Sugar Bacon for a complete brunch.
How to Store and Reheat
Leftover donuts can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat in a toaster oven straight from frozen at 300°F until warmed through. Insert a knife or metal toothpick into the center, touch it to your lips, and if it feels warm, they are ready to eat.
FAQs
Yes. Fry at 350°F until lightly golden, then glaze the same way. The dough will work with both methods.
There are a few possibilities. Make sure everything is measured correctly. Test your yeast since it may be old, or the milk may have been too hot. Always make sure the yeast foams in slightly warm milk before mixing it into the dough.
Too much flour or under proofing can both cause dense dough. Keep the dough soft and give it enough time to rise fully.
Yes. After the first rise, refrigerate overnight. Then roll and cut, and allow to come to room temperature before baking.
Did you LOVE this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️ rating and comment and tag your creations @ColeyCooks on Instagram!
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox.
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Coley Cooks.
Meyer Lemon Baked Doughnuts
Ingredients
For the Doughnuts
- 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast 1 packet
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar plus 1 tablespoon, divided
- ¾ cup warm milk divided
- 2 tablespoons melted butter plus more for brushing
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon Meyer lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 ½ cups flour plus more as needed
For the Meyer Lemon Glaze
- 1 teaspoon Meyer lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, stir together the yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar, and ¼ cup warm milk. Let sit for 5 minutes until the yeast is foamy.
- In the meantime, mix together the remaining ⅓ cup sugar, ½ cup warm milk, melted butter, and salt. Add that mixture to the yeast once proofed along with the egg, Meyer lemon zest, and cardamom. Stir until thoroughly combined.
- Add the flour. If using a stand mixer, attach the dough hook and mix on low. If mixing by hand, use a sturdy wooden spoon or spatula. Mix until the dough starts to pull away from the bowl, about 2 minutes. If it is very sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until it comes together. Avoid adding more than ½ cup extra.
- Turn the mixer to medium and knead for 5 minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
- Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm, draft free spot until doubled, about 1 to 2 hours.
- When doubled, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it to ½ inch thick. Use a donut cutter to cut out as many as possible, then reroll the scraps.
- Place donuts on parchment lined baking sheets. Cover and let rise again until doubled.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Brush the tops with melted butter, then bake for exactly 7 minutes. Do not let them brown.
- Allow donuts to cool completely. Make the glaze by combining the Meyer lemon zest, juice, milk, cardamom, salt, and melted butter. Add powdered sugar and whisk until smooth.
- Dip donuts into the glaze on all sides except the bottom. Transfer to a rack and let set for 20 minutes.
- Optional: Return the glazed donuts to the oven at 400°F for about 2 minutes to help the glaze soak in. Cool before serving.
Notes
- Keep the dough soft. Adding too much extra flour at the end will make the donuts tough.
- Do not let them brown in the oven. Pale donuts will stay more tender.
- Make sure the glaze is fully smooth before dipping.
- For the best texture, allow glaze to cool completely before serving.
- If frying instead of baking, keep oil at a steady 350°F so they cook evenly.
Nutrition
This post may contain affiliate links.
I’m going to make these for Easter because they look perfect and so refreshing. I have made your apple doughnuts a million times and they are so easy and delicious every time. What are your thoughts if I make these lemon doughnuts in a similar way to that recipe instead of doing the yeast and rising portion called for here? I’d happily take a, “you’ll be missing out!” response if you don’t recommend. I just feel so comfortable with your Apple doughnut recipe and wondered if I could do the lemon sub. 🙂
Hey Mer! I think this could work with some tweaks. I say give it a try, but use these measurements instead:
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon Meyer lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
Bake according to the apple cider donuts recipe, then dip them in the glaze instead of cinnamon sugar. It should work, but no guarantees since I haven't tried it. But please report back and let me know how they are!
I made these with your amended measurements and baked like the Apple doughnuts and they were SO good! Thank you for giving me the substitutions. I had a little less batter than I normally do to fill my doughnut trays but I may have been over mixing and making it too tough 🙂 I still will try the lemon recipe exactly as posted, I’m sure you made it extremely easy to achieve. Another Coley cooks gem.
I'm SO happy this worked!! Thanks Mere! <3
do you have to use Meyer lemons?
You can use regular lemons but the Meyers really do make a difference in flavor.
What would be your thoughts on using gluten free flour. It’s a one for one- but just thought I would ask. These look scrumptious!
Thank you and Happy Easter! 🐇
I haven't tested it so I don't know for sure - I'm sorry I don't have a better answer!
If i dont have whole milk would buttermilk, or 1% milk do the trick?
Use the 1% milk
If i dont have whole milk wouldbuttermilk, or 1% milk do the trick?
I made these for Easter Brunch. Either I did something wrong or was mislead about the term donuts. They turned out to be lemon bread circles with glaze. Not that tasty, certainly not donut like at all. They were dense bread, more bagel-ish than donut . Did I do something wrong or have unrealistic expectations for a baked donut ?
Hi Louise, I'm so sorry to hear these were a disappointment for you. While they are not *quite* the same as a fried doughnut, they shouldn't have turned out the way you described. It sounds like a few things could have happened, which is always possible when working with yeasted doughs. They could have risen too much or too little, over or under kneaded, but to me it sounds like they may have been over baked. This could have been due to your oven not being calibrated correctly, which is very common. I appreciate your honest feedback, so I will be retesting this recipe again to see if I can update it with any new pointers or steps.
hi, will regular lemons suffice, I would think so? if meyer lemons are unavailable? thank you!
Absolutely!! They’ll still turn out delicious 😊
Can't wait to try this recipe! Lemon is, in my opinion, the best flavour in terms of baking and these look delicious ,
Thank you so much! They were super tasty. We're huge fans of lemon in this house as well! 😀
Sorry, there was an ad covering it
They look good however i was just looking for a recipe not an autobiography,paragraph or 2 fine,not several
Thanks Nadine!
Boo to you, Nadine! I liked hearing about her obsession with donuts. And I might soon make these tasty looking lemon gems. (If I can make my self get off the computer)..
Aww, thanks Judith! <3
These are a dream come true! I'm on Team Krispy Kreme! And you know my obsession with Meyer lemons. Mine are such gnarly specimens compared to the ones in your photos.
Love that pic of you scarfing doughnuts. I'm very impressed how clean your feet were as a kid.
These doughnuts look scrumptious! Gotta love those meyer lemons.