I truly enjoy a donut. I’ve made them before, my favorite recipe so far being the one made from a light brioche dough. The powdered donuts were light, airy and utterly delicious. I also made Amish donuts which were good but not as good as my first try. The hubby gave me a couple of donut cookbooks for Christmas and I was most interested in trying baked donuts so I bought a couple of donut pans and here is my first attempt. The recipe is adapted from The Doughnut Cookbook.

Baked Lemon Donuts

Makes 15

1/2 cup granulated sugar
zest and juice of one lemon, preferably organic
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup whole milk
6 TBS unsalted butter at room temperature
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla

For the Glaze
3 TBS buttermilk
zest of one lemon, preferably organic
1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1/2 cup toasted pistachios, chopped

Make the Baked Lemon Donuts:

Preheat oven to 375°
Spray a donut pan with cooking spray (or two if you have them)
Add the lemon zest to the granulated sugar and rub with your fingers until it is well incorporated. Set aside
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt
Stir together the milk, buttermilk and lemon juice
In a stand mixer with the paddle attached cream together the butter and sugar mixture.
Add the egg and vanilla and mix until well combined.
Mixing on low speed add the flour in thirds and milk/lemon mixture in halves, beginning and ending with the flour.
Add about 2 TBS of batter to each donut mold and spread evenly.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, rotating the pan(s) halfway through baking
Cool in the donut pan(s) for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely
Clean out the pan, respray with cooking spray and fill again. Repeat until all of the batter is used.

Make the Glaze:
While the donuts are baking make the glaze.
Mix together the lemon zest, confectioner’s sugar and buttermilk until it is well combined.
Glaze the Donuts:
Dip the top of each donut into the glaze and return to the cooling rack. Sprinkle the chopped pistachios over half of the donut.

Watch this Video on Making Baked Lemon Donuts:

How Were the Baked Lemon Donuts?

The baked lemon donuts were pretty tasty although I must admit that they didn’t really taste like a donut. At least not on the first day. By the second day they had a bit more of a cake donut taste to them I guess there is just nothing that compares to that fried flavor.

Don’t get me wrong - they were good, but just more muffin like than donut like. The lemon flavor was quite intense but not in a bad way. We both enjoyed them. I’ll try some other baked donut recipes but I think I will always have a soft spot for the traditional donut.

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