Lemon Cranberry Donuts

The tartness of lemon and cranberries is well balanced with sugary sweetness in these delightfully refreshing Lemon Cranberry Donuts! Prepared with freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest, chopped cranberries, and a lemony glaze, these donuts are simply irresistible!

Two years ago, I shared my Orange Cranberry Cookies recipe with you. That cookie is one of those chilled, slice-and-bake cookies and it was such a hit. There is just something about cranberries and Christmas baking that everyone seems to love. This new recipe uses fresh cranberries just like that cookie, but this time, I’m pairing them with lemon, just like I did here in these Lemon Cranberry Cookies. So who’s ready for these Lemon Cranberry Donuts?

Have you been reading my blog for any length of time? If you have, you will already be aware of what I’m about to discuss. If you haven’t, it’s important that you understand how frustrating it can be to be a food blogger at times. Food bloggers are always working ahead of schedule. When it comes to Christmas recipes, for example, we are baking cakes and cookies as early as September! In fact, I’m writing up this donut recipe on a rainy Saturday afternoon in July!

We do this so that we can test the recipes to make sure that they will work for you at home. The recipes need to be plated and styled. Photographs need to be taken. We have to write up the post and make sure we please the folks at Google, otherwise, our recipes run the risk of being buried in cyberspace somewhere. There are many other steps that I’m skipping here, but all of it is to say that we need the time to get the recipes out to you a few weeks before you need them.

Now, as a huge fan of Christmas baking, there’s one thing that frustrates me every single year. There’s a tremendous lack of things like fresh cranberries for many months of the year. Don’t even get me started on holiday confections like Hershey’s chocolate or candy canes! I have tested these donuts with frozen cranberries and it does not work. Wait until you can get fresh cranberries, otherwise, your donuts will be a big, soggy mess.

I’m going to tell you all about this donut recipe and how you can make it in your home this holiday season, but first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. I know we’re just kicking off the holiday season, but I have a lot of Christmas-themed recipes to share with you this year, so I’ve had to get started early.

This is my first holiday recipe series for this year, called Lord Byron’s 12 Christmas Donuts. As you may know, I have several themes following their own series each holiday season! I hope you’ll join me over the next 12 weeks or so as I share over 70 brand-new Christmas recipes. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any of them! So, before we get to a list of ingredients and instructions for this recipe, let me tell you about this series and more!

LORD BYRON’S 12 CHRISTMAS DONUT SERIES

Another holiday series, Lord Byron? Yes – why not!? Welcome, Dear Reader, to the first of my annual holiday recipe series for this season! I’m calling this one Lord Byron’s 12 Christmas Donuts. This series will focus on easy-to-make donuts that you can make at home.  Not only are they delicious, but they’re also quite festive!

I will try to keep the recipes in this series quick and easy too. Unlike most of the donuts from donut shops, all my donut recipes are baked and not fried.  But don’t let that fool you into thinking they are not super moist and scrumptious!  I promise that they won’t be too complex and that you can’t whip them up as a holiday treat for your family. 

Just like every other holiday series that I’ve shared over the years, this series will see a new recipe shared every day for the next 12 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday recipes year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW SO THAT YOU NEVER MISS OUT ON NEW RECIPES!

So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Christmas Donuts series! Even though this is the first series for this holiday season, you can always take a look back at previous years if you just cannot wait until the next recipe is published. Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! Like in previous holiday recipe countdowns, I like to mix up the recipes in the series so that there is something for everyone. Are you ready!!??

EVERYONE LOVES DONUTS!

If there is one thing in life that one should never live without, it has to be donuts! Am I right? This is precisely why I have opted to prepare 12 back-to-back donut recipes, starting with these Lemon Cranberry Donuts. The question is, can you handle it? To be honest, any excuse I can find to break out my donut pans, I’m going to find it!

Now, for some of you, making donuts at home might seem daunting. But, it shouldn’t be. These donuts are baked, not fried, so there’s much less mess. And, the recipe is quite easy too. The only thing you might need is donut pans.

Baking the donuts makes them super healthy, right?  Oh, if only that were true!  In fact, baked is better than fried in terms of health-conscious eating. So, these donuts are indeed healthier, so at least we have that going for us!

DONUT PANS – A GOOD INVESTMENT FOR THE AVID BAKER

When I first thought about the possibility of making donuts at home, I thought long and hard about purchasing donut pans. After all, how often will one make donuts at home?  Did I really need to spend money on a set of donut-baking pans? Would I use them more than just twice a year?  Then, I’d convince myself that I didn’t have much storage room and eventually, I’d leave the store without them.

Ever since I broke down and purchased a set of donut baking pans, I can’t stop thinking about making donuts.  Truthfully, Dear Reader, I will try to find any excuse I can to whip up a batch. I try not to do that, though. If I can limit them to special occasions only, I won’t feel so guilty for eating so many of them.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

To Make the Donut:

• Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda
• Salt – This is a common ingredient in baking and cooking.  In baking it helps to enhance and balance sweetness. 
• Sugar – Sugar will caramelize when baked, which will help to brown the batter as it bakes.
• Cranberries – You have to use fresh cranberries here. Chopped dried cranberries will work in a bind, but frozen cranberries simply will not.
• Lemon Zest
• Milk
• Sour Cream – Baking with sour cream is a great way to keep baked goods moist while adding texture and richness.
• Eggs – Whenever you set out to bake, make sure your eggs are at room temperature too – just like your butter!
• Butter – Make sure your butter is at room temperature! To be perfectly honest, I have made these with both salted and unsalted butter and there’s no difference in taste or appearance once all is said and done. Use what you have on hand.
• Vegetable Oil
• Lemon Juice

For the Glaze:

• Confectioner’s Sugar
• Lemon Juice
• Lemon Zest – This is used as a garnish and is optional.

HOW TO MAKE LEMON CRANBERRY DONUTS

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly spray a donut pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the milk, sour cream and eggs. Next, beat in the butter, vegetable oil, and lemon juice. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, lemon zest, and cranberries. Beat into the wet ingredients.

Dump the entire batter into a large Ziploc bag. Cut one of the lower corners off the bag, and in a circular pattern, fill the donut pan about 3/4 way full. Tap the pan firmly on the kitchen counter to get the batter to settle into the pan.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool.

When the donuts have fully cooled, whisk together the confectioner’s sugar and lemon juice until the icing is smooth and consistent. Transfer the glaze to a resealable bag and cut a small tip from one of the lower corners. Drizzle the glaze over the donuts in a zig-zag pattern. Top with fresh lemon zest. Enjoy!

STORING, PACKAGING, AND FREEZING

These donuts will stay fresh for about 3 days in a covered container. I like to pile them all onto a cake stand with a domed cover. They look great on your countertop! But, if you plan to freeze these donuts, use a food-safe container that can be frozen. You’ll want to ensure a very tight-fitting lid too. (I use these quite often when freezing baked goods.) I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the container before pushing the lid on. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that donut freshness locked in!

You can freeze these donuts for up to three months. They will come out of the freezer looking just like they did when you put them in there. Once you thaw them, they will taste just as fresh, and be just as soft, as the day you first baked them! If you don’t finish all of the donuts in the first 3 days they will become a little stale. To breathe new life back into them, wrap one in a paper towel and microwave on medium power for 10 seconds!

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!