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    You are here: Home / Recipes / Breakfast / Gluten-Free Lemon Donuts

    Gluten-Free Lemon Donuts

    Last Update February 9, 2021 By chrystal 38 Comments

    This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
    Jump to Recipe
    Thanks for sharing!

    Full of fresh lemon flavor these homemade baked Gluten-Free Lemon Donuts are tender, refreshing and simple to make. The lemon zest in the glaze brings this lemon donut to the level of ultimate satisfaction.

    If you love lemon treats you'll want to make my Gluten Free Lemon Cupcakes. My Gluten Free Lemon Bars are also a reader favorite.

    gluten free lemon donuts on a wire rack

    Gluten Free Lemon Donuts

    We've talked about how my family enjoys donuts on Fridays right?

    We love to celebrate getting through the week with a tasty, tender, sweet gluten-free donut. I actually thought about making a donut recipe every week, but then I figured I would run out of ideas by week twelve.

     

    I am sure there are a hundred donut types, and all deserve to be explored, but one donut recipe a week is a bit much.

    Maybe once a month? Would that be too much? That's only twelve donut recipes a year. That might work, so I'll have to think on it. I don't want to put you into a donut comma.

    gluten free lemon donuts on a white plate

    Gluten Free Lemon Donuts Recipe

    But don't these gluten free lemon donuts look tasty? My girls loved the soft donuts topped with a lemony glaze that was bursting with citrus.

    They asked if they could have a second and I sadly had to tell them that you (my readers) probably wanted photos to go with the recipe - so they had to wait.

    Of course as soon as I was done taking a couple of delicious up-close photos, I let them dig ino these gluten free lemon donuts. My youngest took a bite out of the one above. She said, "Mom, don't you need a shot showing the inside? I will gladly bite into a donut for you."

    How sweet that she was thinking of you right? Haha, you and I both know she was cleverly working her way into a bite.

    gluten free lemon donut on a wire cooling rack

    Donuts are one of the easiest recipes to make. There are usually less than ten ingredients, one bowl, and one donut pan - unless you double the batch. The recipe is similar to a cake recipe, using similar ingredients.

    Most donuts bake up in less than twelve minutes. If you are making a friend donut, they are cooked in under ten minutes. I am a baked donut kind of girl, myself but I have been known to make up a batch of fried donuts every once in a while.

    a collage of six photos showing how to make gluten free lemon donuts

    How to make gluten free lemon donuts

    1. In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
    2. Add in the egg, milk, oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest and mix together just until combined. The batter will be thick; do not over mix.
    3. Scoop the batter into a zip lock bag and snip the bottom corner with scissors.
    4. Squeeze batter evenly into prepared donut pan, filling no more than half full.
    5. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for five minutes and then flip over onto a cooling rack to cool completely before icing them.

    For the ingredient quantities and baking times please see the recipe below.

    gluten free donuts pinterest pin collage

    If you insist on a fried donut you'll want to make my gluten free fried donut holes. They are chocolate donut holes fried to perfection then dipped in a sweet glaze.

    I do really think you guys are going to swoon over these Gluten-Free Lemon Donuts. They are so simple to make, and they melt in your mouth.

    If you don’t have any lemons on hand you could still whip up a batch of these Gingerbread Donuts or Vanilla Birthday Cake Donuts. Looking for more donuts? Type "donuts" in the search bar above and you will find a variety of delicious gluten-free donuts.

    If you make these donuts please stop back by and leave a comment letting me know what you thought!

    Continue to Content
    Yield: 6

    Gluten-Free Lemon Donuts

    Gluten-Free Lemon Donuts

    Full of fresh lemon flavor these homemade baked Gluten-Free Lemon Donuts are tender, refreshing and simple to make.

    Prep Time 19 minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes
    Additional Time 5 minutes
    Total Time 34 minutes

    Ingredients

    For the donut:

    • 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour blend
    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
    • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 large egg, room temperature
    • ½ cup milk (or dairy-free milk)
    • 2 tablespoon oil
    • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
    • 2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

    For the lemon glaze:

    • 1 cup powdered sugar
    • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    • 1-2 teaspoons milk (or dairy-free milk) for consistency

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a 6-cup donut pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
    2. In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
    3. Add in the egg, milk, oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest and mix together just until combined. The batter will be thick; do not over mix.
    4. Scoop the batter into a zip lock bag and snip the bottom corner with scissors.
    5. Squeeze batter evenly into prepared donut pan, filling no more than half full.
    6. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
    7. Let cool for five minutes and then flip over onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
    8. For Glaze: Whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth.
    9. Dip the top of the doughnuts into the glaze and place on a lined baking sheet.

    Notes

    • Dairy-free option: You can use dairy-free milk to make these dairy-free.
    • Use fresh lemon juice for best results.
    • You can use your oil of choice in this recipe. We like to use canola oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil.

    Nutrition Information:

    Yield:

    6

    Serving Size:

    1 donut

    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 322Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 287mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 1gSugar: 36gProtein: 4g
    © Chrystal Carver
    Cuisine: American / Category: Breakfast
    gluten free donuts pinterest pin collage

     

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    Note on Questions and Comments: All comments and questions are answered in the order they are received. I aim to answer all questions within 48 hours. There may be a delay on weekends and holidays.

    Previous Post: « Gluten-Free Cherry Cobbler
    Next Post: Gluten-Free Strawberry Cupcakes »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kristy from Southern In Law

      July 10, 2016 at 4:07 pm

      These look so fluffy and delicious! I can't have citrus but Jesse loveees orange and lemon baked goods so I'll have to make these for him!

      Reply
    2. jules

      July 13, 2016 at 9:26 am

      Oh my gosh, these look so AMAZING! I'm a sucker for anything LEMON! I can't wait to make these!
      ~jules

      Reply
      • chrystal

        July 13, 2016 at 10:22 am

        They are super lemony and super tasty 😉

        Reply
    3. Gluten Free With Emily

      July 13, 2016 at 12:25 pm

      I love lemon anything- these look amazing!

      Reply
    4. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine

      July 13, 2016 at 12:56 pm

      Lemon sounds so delicious for a summer doughnut right now!

      Reply
    5. KC @ G-Free Foodie

      July 13, 2016 at 3:44 pm

      I think once a month sounds just right!!

      Reply
    6. Sylvie

      July 14, 2016 at 1:25 am

      Sounds like the perfect way to treat yourself at the end of the week!

      Reply
    7. Brianna Hobbs

      July 14, 2016 at 10:33 am

      Yet another donut I am dying to try. All hail the donut queen!

      Reply
      • chrystal

        July 14, 2016 at 12:38 pm

        LOL!

        Reply
    8. Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog

      July 14, 2016 at 10:59 am

      My kids are lemon freaks (they eat them like oranges) so they're going to love these donuts!

      Reply
      • chrystal

        July 14, 2016 at 12:38 pm

        Mine were mad that I didn't make a double batch 😉

        Reply
    9. Megan

      July 14, 2016 at 7:14 pm

      I have yet to make donuts once this year. Thanks for the reminder. I'm obviously missing out!

      Reply
      • chrystal

        July 15, 2016 at 7:27 am

        They are so easy! And your family will love them 😉

        Reply
    10. Raia

      July 19, 2016 at 11:53 am

      I've been craving donuts lately... I'm taking these as a sign that I need to get myself a donut pan! Thanks for sharing them with us at Allergy Free Thursdays! I'm going to feature them at this week's party. 🙂

      Reply
      • chrystal

        July 19, 2016 at 3:08 pm

        Thank you 🙂 They are super cheap, $6 on amazing I think.

        Reply
    11. I Luv Gluten Free

      August 08, 2016 at 1:01 am

      My partner recently made me a lemon Victoria sponge which was amazing and I think I might ask him to try this, looks amazing and looking forward to trying it.

      Reply
    12. Sheryll Ziemer

      September 02, 2016 at 6:06 pm

      I accidentally added too much lemon zest.....best mistake ever! Loved these. My husband told me to quadruple the recipe next time!
      Thanks so much!

      Reply
      • chrystal

        September 03, 2016 at 8:04 am

        Haha, I love that you added too much and loved it. 🙂 Thank you for sharing.

        Reply
    13. Monica Mahoney

      February 19, 2017 at 11:22 am

      Pinned it! 🙂

      Reply
      • chrystal

        February 19, 2017 at 5:41 pm

        Thank you 🙂

        Reply
    14. Cinnamon Flowers

      May 19, 2017 at 8:53 pm

      I was wondering what causes these lemon donuts to baked at 400 degrees and the chocolate cake ones are at 325 degrees? Thanks:)

      Reply
      • chrystal

        May 19, 2017 at 9:06 pm

        These donuts have lemon juice in them which reacts with the rising agent. It creates air bubbles quicker than a traditional donut recipe so you have to cook them quicker. Most donut recipes need to rise slowly when they cook, to get the right texture and hold the shape, so you cook it at a lower temperature for longer. I hope that helps 🙂

        Best,
        Chrystal

        Reply
    15. Wendy Olmstead

      June 02, 2017 at 7:46 am

      Can i aubstitute butter for coconut oul?

      Reply
      • chrystal

        June 02, 2017 at 4:44 pm

        Yes. You can use butter in this recipe 🙂

        Reply
    16. Claire

      October 26, 2017 at 9:23 am

      Can this recipe be easily doubled? Every time I make these, they go in an instant. They're just too good!

      Reply
      • chrystal

        October 26, 2017 at 9:26 am

        Hi Claire! Yes, this recipe can be doubled 🙂 So glad to hear that your family loves them.

        Best,
        Chrystal

        Reply
    17. Jerri

      March 10, 2018 at 12:12 pm

      Is there A good substitute for coconut oil? I do not care for the taste. Ran out and bought some pans to make these today!!

      Reply
      • chrystal

        March 10, 2018 at 12:14 pm

        You can use your oil of choice 🙂 Hope you like them!

        Best,
        Chrystal

        Reply
    18. Claire

      April 01, 2018 at 1:32 pm

      Can I substitute lime in these donuts? Will it affect the bake at all?

      Thanks!

      Reply
      • chrystal

        April 01, 2018 at 8:30 pm

        Hi Claire,
        I haven't tried lime juice in these donuts. I know the acidity level is different, so it may effect them.

        Best,
        Chrystal

        Reply
    19. liz

      April 08, 2018 at 4:26 pm

      I just tried this recipe with my daughter and although the donuts tasted delicious, they were squishy and not at all cake like. The batter was like a big gelatinous ball and was very difficult to mix, although we managed to get it into a bag to pipe into the mould. I don't know what we did wrong. 🙁
      Needless to say- they disappeared quickly despite being the texture of a wet pancake.

      Reply
      • chrystal

        April 09, 2018 at 5:37 am

        Hi Liz,
        I'm not sure. Did you use fresh lemon juice and not bottled juice? Bottled juice reacts weird in baked goods like donuts and cakes. Also, depending on your elevation, you may need to adjust the temperature time and let it bake longer.

        Best,
        Chrystal

        Reply
    20. Claire

      March 23, 2019 at 1:07 pm

      These are SO insanely good! I make them every couple months by popular demand 😉

      One question: I usually make them in my 6 donut pan but recently purchased a 12 mini donut pan. Do you think I could just halve the cooking time?

      Reply
      • chrystal

        March 23, 2019 at 1:09 pm

        Hi Claire,
        I'm so glad you like them 🙂 I would start with 3-4 less minutes and watch them from there.

        Best,
        Chrystal

        Reply
    21. Christina

      March 16, 2020 at 11:12 am

      Have you tried baking with sweet rice flour? I had some gf mochi donuts at a coffee shop that were amazing and I’m looking for a recipe. I bought some of Bob’s Redmill sweet white rice flour hoping to make some. I’ve searched your site and can’t find anything about the flour. Thanks for any info you or your readers can provide.

      Reply
      • chrystal

        March 17, 2020 at 7:37 am

        Hi Christina,
        I haven't tried baking with sweet rice because I find that it absorbs liquid differently. It tends to suck it right up. I hope that helps.

        Best,
        Chrystal

        Reply
    22. Gail

      March 20, 2021 at 11:48 am

      Hello Christina,

      Food chemistry question: Will you explain why one would use gluten free all purpose vs 1:1? After making the delicious lemon donuts, I thought I had all the ingredients for your pumpkin donuts, then read they require 1:1. Why are they different? What happens when one is substituted for the other?
      Thank you

      Reply
      • chrystal

        March 20, 2021 at 2:57 pm

        Hi Gail,
        A lot of my readers have had poor results with the all purpose flour. It could be a chemical reaction with the chickpea flour, or it could be that the chickpea flour is rancid already (this has happened to me). For this reason, I test my recipes with the 1-to-1. Some people still use the all purpose with good results, some report back that the baked goods shrank down and became rubbery. My pumpkin donuts are one that don't work well with the all purpose. If you had good results with the lemon donut using the all purpose, you can certainly give the pumpkin donuts a try with that blend.

        Best,
        Chrystal

        Reply

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