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Easy Baked Lemon Donuts with Poppy Seed Glaze

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Looking for an easy recipe for the lemon lovers in your life? These Easy Baked Lemon Donuts with Poppy Seed Glaze might be just what you need. Made with lemon cake mix and topped with a lemon-poppy seed glaze, they’re a tasty option for breakfast or an afternoon snack. Best of all, they’re baked instead of fried, making them easier and healthier to whip up at home.

Lemon donuts with poppy seed glaze stacked on each other.
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Lemon desserts hold a special place in my heart and we all love associating food with something {or someone} we love!

Anytime I eat a lemon cookie or lemon cake I am reminded of both my late grandpa Leo and my sweet mama.

I have found that associating a flavor with someone special is a magical thing. Because even when they are no longer with you a simple taste brings them to life. Food is magical that way and these lemon donuts are no exception.

You’ll love this lemon donut recipe for so many reasons. The first is that, because it begins with a cake mix, you don’t have to make a complicated donut dough. There’s no measuring out all-purpose flour or waiting on dough to rise.

Also, the lemon icing glaze on top of the donuts just can’t be beat. With just 5 ingredients, you get a delicious topping for your homemade donuts. And because this is a baked donut recipe, they’re way more guilt-free than fried donuts, but still give you that sweet donut fix.

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    What Goes Into This Recipe

    The ingredients needed to make lemon donuts.
    • Lemon Cake Mix: The base for our donuts, providing a quick and easy lemon flavor without measuring out tons of dry ingredients or waiting on a yeast mixture to rise.
    • Powdered Sugar: The main component of our glaze, confectioners’ sugar will provide sweetness and a smooth consistency.
    • Poppy Seeds: Provide a bit of crunch and a gorgeous look to the glaze.
    • Milk: I used whole milk, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
    • Fresh Lemon Juice and Zest:  This adds a fresh flavor to the donut and lemon icing.

    See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

    How to make Lemon Donuts

    1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray your donut pans with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix the lemon cake mix, egg, melted butter, buttermilk, and lemon zest. Stir {or mix using an electric mixer} until the batter is well combined and smooth.
    2. Transfer the donut batter to a piping bag or a large zip-top bag with a corner snipped off. Pipe the batter into the prepared donut pan, filling each cavity about 2/3 full.
    Making the lemon donut batter and filling the donut pans.
    1. Bake for 10-13 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into a donut – it should come out clean.
    2. Let the donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. While the donuts cool, make the glaze. In a separate bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, melted butter, lemon zest, and poppy seeds until smooth.
    Baking the donuts and making the poppy seed glaze.
    1. Once the donuts are cool, dip the top of each donut into the lemon glaze, or use a spoon to drizzle it over.
    2. Let the glaze set for a few minutes on a cooling rack before serving.
    Covering the lemon donuts with glaze and serving them.

    Expert Tips

    • Don’t skip adding the fresh lemon zest to both the donut and glaze. This burst of fresh lemon flavor makes the homemade doughnuts extra special.
    • Add a 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen fruit to the batter. Lemon and blueberry or raspberry go together well and will give the lemon doughnuts even more freshness.
    • Do not over bake the donuts. Be aware of the baking time and remove your homemade lemon donuts from the oven once they are completely set but not browned on top.
    • If you don’t have buttermilk, make a quick substitute! Just add a tablespoon of lemon juice to regular milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.
    • Let the glaze set completely before stacking or storing the donuts to prevent sticking.
    • If you don’t like poppy seeds, omit them.  You can add a bit of vanilla bean paste to the glaze or leave it plain.

    Storage and Freezing

    Store: Keep these Lemon Donuts with Poppy Seed Glaze in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They’ll stay fresh for up to 4 days. Let them come to room temperature before serving for the best flavor and texture.

    Freeze: You can freeze the fluffy lemon donuts without glaze for up to 2 months. Wrap each donut individually in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature and add the fresh glaze before serving for the best results.

    Recipe FAQs

    Can I make these donuts without a donut pan?

    While a doughnut pan gives the best shape, you can use a muffin tin {or mini muffin pan} as an alternative. Fill each cup about halfway and bake for a similar time. The result will be more like lemon muffin tops.

    How do I know when the donuts are done baking?

    The donuts are done when they’re set and springy to the touch. You can also insert a toothpick into the thickest part – it should come out with just a few crumbs but no raw batter.

    A bite taken out of a donut and stacked on another.

    Do you love lemon recipes? Try one of these…

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    Lemon cake donuts with a bite taken out of the top one.

    Easy Baked Lemon Donuts with Poppy Seed Glaze

    A baked lemon cake mix donut is topped with a fresh poppy seed glaze for a match made in breakfast heaven.
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: donuts
    Calories: 317kcal
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    Ingredients

    Lemon Donut

    • 1 box lemon cake mix {13.25 ounces}
    • 1 large egg
    • cup butter {melted}-I used salted butter
    • ¾ cup buttermilk

    Poppy Seed Glaze

    • 2 cups powdered sugar
    • 3 Tablespoons milk
    • 2 Tablespoons butter {melted}-I used salted butter
    • zest ½ lemon
    • 1 teaspoon poppy seeds

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray donut pans liberally with non-stick cooking spray.

    Lemon Donuts

    • In a large bowl mix together the cake mix, egg, melted butter, buttermilk and lemon zest with a spoon. When the batter is well mixed, transfer the mixture to a large piping bag or a zipper bag. Pipe the mixture into the donut pans.
    • Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then flip the pan over onto a wire cooling rack and allow the donuts to cool completely.

    Poppy Seed Glaze

    • Once the donuts have cooled, whisk the powdered sugar, milk, melted butter,  lemon zest and poppy seeds until smooth. Use a pastry brush or a spoon and drizzle the glaze over the top of each slightly warm donut. Store leftover cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

    Notes

    • Add a 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen fruit to the batter. Lemon and blueberry or raspberry go together well and will give the donuts even more freshness.
    • If you don’t have buttermilk, make a quick substitute! Just add a tablespoon of lemon juice to regular milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1donut | Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 393mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 269IU | Vitamin C: 0.003mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 1mg
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