Lemon Poppyseed Baked Donuts

Name: Lemon Poppyseed Baked Donuts
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup cake flour, sifted; ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon salt; ½ tablespoon poppyseed; ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk; ½ teaspoon lemon juice; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly; 1 large egg; ½ tablespoon vanilla bean paste or seeds from ½ a vanilla bean; 1 cup powdered sugar; ¼ teaspoon lemon juice; 3 tablespoons milk; Poppyseed, for topping (optional)

posted by Zainab Mansaray on Feb 28, 2025 58 comments »

Jump to Recipe

Two lemon poppyseed donuts on a wooden tray.

These lemon poppyseed baked donuts are soft, moist, and bursting with fresh lemon flavor while popping with crunchy poppyseeds in both the tender donuts and the sweet lemon glaze.

This blog post was originally posted on March 31, 2014, and has been updated with new pictures.

Hey there, and welcome back, friends.

You are in for a treat!

A lemon poppyseed donuts on a cooling rack.

I brought these lemon poppyseed baked donuts to a baby shower party. When I heard the theme of “pop,” my mind went straight to poppyseeds, and considering I am still baking my way into Spring, lemons were perfect for the occasion. Nothing screams Spring like lemon poppyseed!

Lemon poppyseed donuts on a cooling rack.

Oh, I should mention I finally invested in a donut pan. And I am in big trouble. Guys, I am ADDICTED!! Like whoa!! Baked donuts are amazing. Soft, moist, delicious, and perfect with your morning cup of coffee or tea. I immediately made a second batch!

Various lemon donuts stacked on a plate and one has a bite taken out of it.

These lemon poppyseed baked donuts were the first donuts I made as soon as I got my pan, and they are everything I expected baked donuts to be: Moist, fluffy, and a little crunchy from the poppyseeds.

Various lemon donuts stacked on a white surface.

How do they compare to fried donuts? Well, for one, they are baked and much better for you. But also, they are really moist and have a great, tender texture.

Various lemon poppyseed donuts on a counter with a bowl of poppyseeds.

But of course, fried donuts will always have a little edge because they are fried, but since these are pretty delicious and better for the soul, I will stick with them.

Two lemon poppyseed donuts stacked on a cooling rack.

They are great for a quick breakfast and only took me 15 minutes to whip up, and they baked in 10 minutes.

Ingredients

cake flour
granulated sugar
baking powder
salt
a few poppyseeds
some buttermilk & milk
lemon juice
unsalted butter
a large egg
vanilla bean paste or seeds from a vanilla bean
powdered sugar

Various lemon donuts stacked on a counter and one has a bite taken out of it.

How to Make Baked Lemon Poppyseed Donuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a doughnut pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and poppyseed.

The wet ingredients for the lemon poppyseed donuts in a glass measuring cup.

In a measuring cup, whisk together the wet ingredients: buttermilk, melted butter, egg, lemon juice, and vanilla bean paste.

The wet batter being poured into the dry ingredients in a white bowl.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.

Lemon poppyseed donuts batter in a mixing bowl with a whisk.

Mix until just combined. Do not overmix, as you will have rubbery donuts.

Unbaked lemon donuts in a metal donut baking pan.

Using a small spoon, scoop batter into the prepared donut pan, filling each about two-thirds full.

Baked lemon donuts in a metal donut baking pan.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the donuts are baked through and spring back when lightly touched.

Let cool in the pan for 1 minute and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. While the donuts are cooling, make the glaze.

To make the glaze, combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together. Add some more milk (one teaspoon at a time) if the glaze is too thick.

Baked lemon donuts on a cooling rack with lemon glaze.

When the donuts are completely cooled, dip each in glaze and top with sprinkles. Let the glaze set for 30 minutes before stacking or serving. Donuts are best enjoyed within two days.

How to Store

Store leftover donuts at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

More Irresistible Spring Recipes

What do you think of this amazing lemon poppyseed baked donut recipe? What would you serve with these baked donuts? Let me know in the comment section below.

If you share across social media, make sure to tag #aclassictwist, so I can see your beautiful creation come to life!

Happy Spring baking, friends!

A lemon poppyseed donut on a wooden tray.

Lemon Poppyseed Donut Recipe

Yield: 6 donuts