These homemade Baked Lemon Doughnuts with White Choc Lemon Glaze are soft, more healthful and insanely easy to make. They have the perfect lemon flavour without being sour. Baked instead of fried, this sweet is a great alternative to nourish your body, while still feeling like you’re indulging!
Baked Lemon Doughnuts with White Choc Lemon Glaze
Do you know what the only thing better than a doughnut is? A doughnut that leaves you feeling less guilty after eating it. That’s right, these Baked Lemon Doughnuts with White Choc Lemon Glaze show that eating healthy can be both delicious and budget friendly!
These doughnuts use the natural sweetness of banana to help satisfy those sweet cravings. They contain a decent amount of dietary fibre, which will help us feel full and satisfied for longer and prevent unwanted snack attacks! So you won’t feel tempted to eat that block of chocolate after one or two of these doughnuts!
This recipe uses ingredients available all year round and can be made for roughly AUD$4.00 (with regular white chocolate!). So you’re getting doughnuts that are healthier and tastier for not much more than a supermarket 6-pack!
Additionally, these doughnuts are super easy to make, which makes them a great recipe for getting the kids involved and getting more fruit and wholegrains into their diet!
Ever bite into a lemon poppyseed sweet only to feel let down by the lack of lemon flavour? You won’t have that problem here! These doughnuts have lemon in both the dough and the glaze, which means you get a punchy lemon flavour that is perfectly balanced!
Nutrition
Fast food or supermarket doughnuts generally have little nutritional value as they contain excess fat, sugar, sodium, and very little dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals. These Lemon Doughnuts have a moderate amount of dietary fibre, at 4.1g per serve, which supports our gut health. While they are not low in fat (much lower than supermarket doughnuts), this is mostly from healthy fats (e.g. chia seeds, extra virgin olive oil, etc). They are also low in sodium but not low in cholesterol. These doughnuts are also vegetarian but can easily be made gluten-free and vegan!
What you'll need for Baked Lemon Doughnuts with White Choc Lemon Glaze
KEY INGREDIENTS
- Banana – Are the perfect fruit for doughnuts due to their softness and natural sugars, and the riper the better! Bananas are a fantastic source of potassium, which is used for muscle and nerve function and may help regulate blood pressure. They also contain vitamin B6, which plays a role in the metabolism of fats and amino acids, immune system function, and makes the haem part of haemoglobin for our red blood cells.
- Chia seeds – Are little nutrition powerhouses and are great for adding to baked goods. Chia seeds are loaded with dietary fibre (9.8g per 100g), which promotes gut health, may help regulate blood sugar and prevents constipation. They also contain omega 3, an essential fatty acid that research suggests may support eye and brain health and reduce inflammation and risk factors associated with heart disease.
- Wholemeal flour – Is a fantastic alternative to white flour because it has more protein and dietary fibre. I used ‘The Healthy Baker’ wholemeal flour from Woolworths, which has more dietary fibre than regular wholemeal flour.
- Psyllium husk powder – Is a great, easy way to boost the amount of dietary fibre in baked goods. Although it’s not the cheapest ($16 for 450g from Coles), this recipe only uses 2 teaspoons, which works out to 28 cents (AUD).
- Lemon – I used both zest and juice for more depth of flavour. It’s probably no surprise, but lemon is loaded with vitamin C, which our bodies use to maintain our skin and tissue health. Vitamin C also helps our bodies absorb iron from food better.
- Milk – Preferably low fat. Milk is an excellent source of phosphorus and calcium, two minerals needed to keep strong, healthy bones. It also contains vitamin B12, which is important for brain health and is used to make new DNA and blood cells. If using plant-based milk, choose an unsweetened, calcium-fortified option.
OTHER INGREDIENTS
- Egg – I used 1 large egg (as labelled on the carton), which are 55-60g as per industry standard.
- Maple syrup – For a touch more sweetness.
- Vanilla extract – Is natural and has more flavour than vanilla essence.
- Baking powder – Helps the doughnuts rise and adds a touch of salt.
- Extra virgin olive oil – Is a great healthy fat to thin the glaze.
- White chocolate – I used ‘Sweet William Vegan White Chocolate’ from Coles as it is the lowest in fat. This chocolate is also vegan.
How to make Easy Baked Lemon Doughnuts
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
- Add the bananas into a medium bowl and mash them into a smooth paste with a fork. Then add the vanilla extract, milk, maple syrup, lemon rind, lemon juice and egg to the bowl. Mix well.
- In a separate, medium bowl, add the chia seeds. Using a fine sieve, sift the wholemeal flour, psyllium husk powder and baking powder into the bowl until only the wheat bran remains. Tip the leftover wheat bran into the bowl and mix well with a whisk. The wheat bran is loaded with dietary fibre, and we don’t want to throw away all that goodness!
- Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Gently fold the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until you can no longer see any flour. Stirring roughly or overmixing will lead to dense and hard doughnuts. Transfer the doughnut mix into a medium snap lock bag.
- Grease a doughnut pan (I used a silicon doughnut pan from Kmart) with extra virgin olive oil spray. Cut the corner of the bag and pipe the doughnut mix evenly into the moulds. Lightly coat the back of a metal teaspoon with extra virgin olive oil and smooth the surface of the doughnuts.
- Place the doughnut tray into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. You can tell they are cooked when an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Once cooked, set the tray aside to cool for 5-10 minutes before removing the doughnuts from the pan. You want them be hot, but not hot enough to burn your fingers!
- Add the white chocolate, lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil to a shallow, microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave for 10 seconds, then stir with a fork. Repeat until the chocolate has completely melted and is smooth.
- Place the cake rack over a chopping board or sheet of baking paper. Dip the lemon doughnuts into the glaze, hold them over the bowl until the glaze stops dripping and then return to the cake rack. If the glaze becomes too firm, microwave it for another 5-10 seconds. This makes just enough glaze for the 6 doughnuts, so it is important to let the excess dip off, or you will not have enough for the last 2. Once all the doughnuts have been glazed, put them into the fridge (with the chopping board/baking paper underneath) to set the glaze.
- Once the glaze is set, serve and enjoy!
Storage
Unfortunately, these Easy Baked Lemon Doughnuts do not have the same shelf life as supermarket doughnuts as they are not heavily loaded with sugar. They will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Otherwise, they can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Tips & Substitutes
To make these doughnuts vegan, remove the egg and switch to plant-based milk (preferably unsweetened and fortified with calcium). Increase the milk to 1/3 of a cup and the banana to 3/4 cup. Replace the white chocolate with a vegan variety.
To make them gluten-free, switch the wholemeal flour to one that is gluten-free. Suitable options are gluten-free wheat flour, buckwheat flour, sorghum flour, amaranth flour and almond flour (do a 50/50 mix of almond and another flour to keep them fat low).
If you cannot get psyllium husk powder, a cheaper alternative is regular unflavoured psyllium husks.
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Ingredients
Doughnuts
- 2 small / 2/3 cup ripe bananas (Note 1)
- 1/4 cup low fat milk (Note 2)
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp lemon rind, finely grated
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/2 cup wholemeal flour (Note 3)
- 2 tsp psyllium husk powder (Note 3)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
White Choc Lemon Glaze
- 40 g white chocolate (Note 2)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil, light in flavour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
- Add the bananas into a medium bowl and mash them into a smooth paste with a fork. Then add the vanilla extract, milk, maple syrup, lemon rind, lemon juice and egg to the bowl.
- In a separate, medium bowl, add the chia seeds. Using a fine sieve, sift the wholemeal flour, psyllium husk powder and baking powder into the bowl until only the wheat bran remains. Tip the leftover wheat bran into the bowl and mix well with a whisk.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Gently fold the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until you can no longer see any flour. Transfer the doughnut mix into a medium snap lock bag. (Note 5)
- Grease the doughnut pan (I used a silicon doughnut pan from Kmart) with extra virgin olive oil spray. Cut the corner of the bag and pipe the doughnut mix evenly into the moulds. Lightly coat the back of a metal teaspoon with extra virgin olive oil and smooth the surface of the doughnuts.
- Place the doughnut tray into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. You can tell they are cooked when an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Once cooked, set the tray aside to cool for 5-10 minutes before removing the doughnuts from the pan.
- Add the white chocolate, lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil to a shallow, microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave for 10 seconds, then stir with a fork. Repeat until the chocolate has completely melted and is smooth.
- Place the cake rack over a chopping board or sheet of baking paper. Dip the doughnuts into the glaze, hold them over the bowl until the glaze stops dripping and then return to the cake rack. If the glaze becomes too firm, microwave it for another 5-10 seconds. Once all the doughnuts have been glazed, put them into the fridge (with the chopping board/baking paper underneath) to set the glaze.
Notes
- Bananas - The riper the better! Riper bananas contain more natural sugar, which means we need to use less maple syrup to balance out the lemon juice!
- Vegan - Remove the egg and switch to plant-based milk (preferably unsweetened and fortified with calcium). Increase the milk to 1/3 of a cup and the banana to 3/4 cup. Replace the white chocolate with a vegan variety. I used 'Sweet William Vegan White Chocolate' from Coles as it is the lowest in fat. This chocolate is also vegan.
- Wholemeal flour - I used 'The Healthy Baker' wholemeal flour from Woolworths, which has more dietary fibre than regular wholemeal flour. However, regular wholemeal flour will also work.
- Psyllium husk powder - Is a great, easy way to boost the amount of dietary fibre in baked goods. Although it's not the cheapest ($16 for 450g from Coles), this recipe only uses 2 teaspoons, which works out to 28 cents (AUD). If you cannot get psyllium husk powder, a cheaper alternative is regular unflavoured psyllium husks.
- Getting the dough into the snaplock bag - Open the medium snaplock bag and stick your fist inside the bag (abe sure to wash your hands first!). Then your first inside a small measuring jug (I used a 500ml pyrex jug). Carefull pull your hand out of the bag and fold the opening edges over the side of the jug. Now you can scoop the dough into the bag without having to hold it open!
- Storage - These doughnuts do not have the same shelf life as supermarket doughnuts as they are not heavily loaded with sugar. They will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Otherwise, they can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Nutrition - Calculated per serve, assuming 4 serves.