Meyer Lemon Doughnuts

A recipe for Meyer Lemon Doughnuts! These light and airy baked doughnuts are flavored with Meyer Lemon zest and juice, then topped with a sweet glaze.

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I recently had a couple of extra Meyer lemons and these baked Meyer Lemon Doughnuts were the perfect use for them! I love that the Meyer lemon adds a light citrus flavor and a bit of sweetness without the kick that comes from more tart lemon varieties.

The Meyer lemon is a hybrid fruit (likely the cross between a lemon and mandarin orange) originally grown in China and first brought to the United States in 1908. They are rounded with a yellow to orange tinted skin and are sweeter/less acidic than other types of lemons. Meyer lemons are available year-round in some areas, but are best in the winter.

A Few Baked Doughnut Tips

I used this doughnut pan (Amazon link) to make the round baked doughnuts. Unfortunately, the heart-shaped pan I have is currently unavailable.

The easiest way to fill the (well-greased) pan is to transfer the batter to a piping bag or large ziploc bag with the corner snipped off. You can also gently spoon the batter in until each cavity is 2/3-3/4 full. Don’t have a doughnut pan? Use a mini muffin pan to make doughnut bites- the cooking time may vary.

Bake the donuts until puffed and barely golden. The tops should spring back when lightly touched. This is usually around 10-12 minutes for me.

Allow the doughnuts to rest in the pan for about 5 minutes before removing. This will make them easier to move without the risk of sticking to the pan or crumbling.

Slowly add the lemon juice to the powdered sugar to form a glaze just thin enough to coat the tops of the doughnuts. If too thick, add a little more juice. If too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.

These Meyer Lemon Doughnuts are best within a few hours of baking. Once the doughnuts have been glazed, they will become sticky after a few hours.

If you have extra you want to freeze, arrange them in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and transfer to a freezer-safe bag once frozen. Defrost at room temperature overnight and glaze right before serving.

We often like to add a few sprinkles to baked doughnuts. If doing so, be sure to add them before the glaze has set. Additional Meyer Lemon zest would also be delicious.

Looking for more Baked Doughnut Recipes?

Try my:

• Baked Nutella Doughnuts with Nutella Glaze
• Orange Poppy Seed Baked Doughnuts
• Baked S’mores Doughnuts

This recipe was originally posted in January 2015 and updated January 2022.

Meyer Lemon Doughnuts Recipe

Adapted from Sugarcrafter

Print Pin

5 from 5 votes

Meyer Lemon Doughnuts

A recipe for Meyer Lemon Doughnuts! These light and airy baked doughnuts are flavored with Meyer Lemon zest and juice, then topped with a sweet glaze.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine N/A

Keyword baked doughnut, breakfast, doughnut, lemon, meyer lemon

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

0 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 12 -14 Baked Doughnuts

Ingredients

Meyer Lemon Doughnuts:

• 1 1/2 cups (190 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons (15 grams) cornstarch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch salt
• Zest of 1 Meyer lemon
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3-1/2 cup (80-120 milliliters) milk
• 1/4 cup (60 grams) plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) fresh Meyer Lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons (30 grams) unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Meyer Lemon Glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups (180 grams) powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-3 tablespoons (30-45 milliliters) fresh Meyer Lemon juice

Instructions

To make the Meyer Lemon Doughnuts:

• Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Grease 2-3 doughnut pans.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and Meyer Lemon zest.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1/3 cup (80 milliliters) milk, yogurt, Meyer Lemon juice, butter, and vanilla extract. Mix into the flour mixture just until incorporated with no lumps. If too thick to pipe, slowly add a little more milk.
• Transfer the batter to a piping bag or a large ziploc bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe the batter into prepared doughnut pans. Each cavity should be about 3/4 full.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.

To make the Meyer Lemon Glaze:

• In a large bowl, whisk the powdered sugar with the vanilla extract. Slowly add 2-3 tablespoons Meyer Lemon juice until smooth and just thin enough to coat the doughnuts.

To assemble:

• Dip the top of each cooled doughnut into the Meyer Lemon glaze. Allow any excess to drip off, then place back on the wire rack, glaze-side up.
• If desired, top with sprinkles before the glaze sets.
• These Meyer Lemon Doughnuts are best the day they are made.