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I am obsessed with lemon poppy seed muffins, so I had an idea to turn them into donuts! These lemon poppy seed donuts are the perfect sweet/tangy treat to start your day. These lemon poppy donuts are baked not fried, then dipped in a delicious lemony glaze.
Much like my other pumpkin spice donuts, I wanted these to be semi healthy. For instance, using coconut oil and greek yogurt instead of butter, and coconut sugar rather than white sugar.
I’m not much of a baker, but I do have the grasp on mixing your dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, then combining after.
So you’re going to mix the flour, poppy seeds, lemon zest, coconut sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda together until its all combined like the above picture.
When zesting citrus, I hold my microplane on the top of the fruit so all the zest catches on the top. This is easier to then measure how much you’re putting inside and less messy.
In a separate bowl, you’re going to mix together the egg, lemon juice, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, greek yogurt, and milk. Once that is whisked and combined, you’re going to add it slowly to the dry ingredients and mix till combined like the above photo.
A trick I like to use is spooning the batter into a gallon ziplock bag and cutting the tip off to use as a pipping bag. You can also just spoon the batter into your greased donut pan, but this is much easier/less messy.
Make sure your donut pan is well greased. I love using coconut oil spray when baking (don’t worry it doesn’t leave a coconut taste). I fill each one about 2/3’s of the way with batter. Then I give it a few taps on the counter to get rid of any bubbles.
I remove them out of the oven after 10 minutes, and carefully remove them with a spoon and place them on a rack to cool. While they are cooling we will make the icing.
The most important part about this glaze is sifting the confectioners sugar (powdered sugar) before hand. By sifting it through a mesh strainer, it comes out very fine with no chunks and will give you a smooth base for your glaze.
Once the donuts have cooled and the glaze is made, you’re going to grab the bottom of the donut carefully and dip it into the glaze. I recommend placing it on a rack that is in a pan because it will drip off excess. I only dipped mine once for a light glaze, but feel free to dip twice after waiting a few minutes for first layer to dry.
You’re left with these lemon poppy seed donuts that are moist, fluffy, baked donuts for you and the family to enjoy.
Things you’ll need: 2 medium mixing bowls, whisk, donut pan, microplane, rubber spatula, gallon ziplock bag, cooling rack/pan, fine mesh strainer, lemon squeeze, small bowl for glaze, measuring cups.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @girlwiththeironcast or hashtag #girlwiththeironcast so I can see your creations!
Lemon Poppy Seed Donuts
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup triple filtered coconut oil (melted)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup milk
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon melted salted butter
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients: flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, coconut sugar, and lemon zest. Set aside.
- In another mixing bowl, mix together all the wet ingredients: lemon juice, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, greek yogurt, egg, and milk.
- Slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, until combined. Grab a gallon ziplock bag and spoon the batter into the bag, push all the contents towards one of the bottom ends, and cut the corner off.
- In a donut pan, spray with non-stick ensuring to coat all the wells. Squeeze the batter into each donut mold, filling 2/3rd’s of the way. Gently tap the pan on the counter to get rid of any bubbles in the batter and even it out.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes until the edges are lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and carefully remove using a spoon or butter knife to loosen them out of the pan, onto a cooling rack.
- While the donuts are cooling, make the glaze. Using a fine mesh strainer, sift the confectioners sugar into a small bowl. Whisk together the rest of the ingredients into the same bowl: milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and melted salted butter. Once the donuts are cool, carefully grab the bottom of the donut and dip into the glaze. Allow glaze to set for 10 minutes before enjoying.
Notes
- Make sure you use filtered coconut oil because it doesn’t have the coconut flavor
- Ensure the donuts are fully cooled before icing or else the icing will not set correctly
- Store in a cool dry place
