The best baked lemon donuts recipe that also happens to be vegan. These donuts come together in just 1 bowl and are so easy to make!
It's been a minute since I've posted a donut recipe. In fact, I haven't posted one since these pistachio raspberry donuts, which was actually my first post ever. So, I'm excited to introduce you to these baked lemon donuts!
With citrus season in full swing, there's no better time than the present to whip up a batch of these lemon poppy donuts. For these donuts, I used meyer lemons, which to my surprise looked more orange than yellow. If anyone knows why that is, please leave me a comment below!
To get started, here's what you'll need:
All purpose flour
Cane sugar
Baking powder
Sea salt
Plant-based milk
Lemon juice + zest
Apple sauce
Vanilla extract
Poppy seeds
Coconut oil
Powdered sugar
There's a strong chance you already have everything in your pantry, but if not, add them to you shopping list!
The donut pan I use and love:
Since these donuts are baked - not fried - you'll need a donut pan for this recipe. This is the donut pan I have and love. There are 2 pans for $20 and it's Prime eligible. When I originally bought them, I was a little annoyed there was only an option to buy two pans, but now I'm really happy I have two. If you're making more than 6 donuts, one pan is really hassle. You'd have to wait for the pan to cool in between each batch, which can be really time-consuming.
Tips for glazing and decorating the donuts:
When it comes to glazing these baked donuts, you can either dunk the donuts into the icing or spoon the glaze atop. I pretty much go back and forth, depending on the day. Spooning the glaze over the donuts usually results in more uneven dripping, as you can see in the pictures!
For this particular batch, I had some really beautiful fresh flower petals from Sweet Gourmet Botanicals that I had been wanting to use. Of course, fresh flowers aren't always an option - especially for those of us in colder climates. If I didn't have fresh flowers, I probably would have dried lemon wedges as garnish. My friend Megan from Short Girl Tall Order actually put together a really great guide on how to dry citrus. If anyone is interested, you can check it out here.
Looking for more vegan desserts? Try these favorites:
Black Bean Brownies w/ Chocolate Ganache
Vegan Baked Lemon Donuts
The best baked lemon donuts recipe that also happens to be vegan. These donuts come together in just 1 bowl and are so easy to make!
Ingredients
Donuts
- 1 cup (134 g) all purpose flour
- ½ cup (102 g) cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup (116 ml) plant-based milk
- zest of 1 lemon (about 2 teaspoons)
- 2 tablespoons (26 ml) lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon (16 ml) apple sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) coconut oil, melted + cooled
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
Glaze
- ⅔ cup (103 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2-3 tablespoons of filtered water
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the donuts:
- Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
- Mix all dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, poppy seeds) together in a large bowl.
- Mix all wet ingredients (milk, lemon juice + zest, apple sauce, coconut oil, vanilla) together in a small bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Do not overmix.
- Distibute batter evenly among the donut pan. Should make about 6 small donuts. (I used this donut pan))
- Bake for 13-15 minutes and let donuts cool thoroughly before adding glaze. If you are able to, refrigerate them first so they are cold. This will help the glaze set better.
For the glaze:
- Add the sifted flour to a wide bowl that is big enough to dunk the donuts in.
- Slowly add 2-3 tablespoons and ¼ teaspoon vanilla to the powdered sugar. Whisk well until you have a desired consistency. If you find the icing is too thin, you can simply thicken it up by adding more powdered sugar.
To assemble:
- Once donuts have cooled, dip them face down into the glaze.
- Top with dried lemon slices, fresh flowers, and / or more poppy seeds.
- Add them to a tray or plate and immediately transfer to the refrigerator.
- Let them to chill for a minimum of three hours before eating. This will ensure the glaze is firm and not runny.
Notes
If you use a different sized donut pan, remember to adjust the baking time.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 172Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 326mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 2gSugar: 12gProtein: 4g
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