Soft and fluffy donut holes are filled with sweet and tart lemon curd and covered with a sugar glaze. These fresh, from-scratch donut holes are a lemony delight you’ll want to make again and again!
There’s just something about lemon in the springtime. It has magical powers. It can brighten up just about any dish from muffins to pie.
Most people think of donut holes for breakfast, and these Glazed Lemon Curd Donut Holes would be a deliciously perfect way to start the day. But it’s also a pretty deliciously perfect sweet bite to end the day too. That’s the great thing about donut holes! They work for breakfast and dessert!
How to Make Glazed Lemon Curd Donut Holes
You are going to love these classic fried donuts filled with a sweet and tart lemon curd!
Ingredients Needed: scroll down for full recipe with exact measurements
Donut Holes
- flour
- active dry yeast
- water
- milk
- egg yolks
- sugar
- butter
- salt
- vanilla extract
Lemon Curd
- eggs
- lemons
- sugar
- butter
Glaze
- powdered sugar
- milk
- vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the Dough – Combine the warm water, milk, 1 tablespoon sugar, and yeast in a bowl. Whisk to dissolve the yeast. Leave for 5-10 minutes until foamy. Add the remaining sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla. Add in the flour and salt. Knead until smooth using the attachment on your mixer or by hand. Incorporate the butter and knead well until the dough comes together and forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the dough out to a ½-inch thickness. Cut out donuts as close together as possible. Reroll the dough and cut out more donut holes. Transfer the circles to the prepared baking sheet and cover lightly with plastic wrap. Let rise for 15-20 minutes.
- Make the Lemon Curd – While the donut dough is resting, make lemon curd. Place the eggs, zest, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Leave for 10-15 minutes so that the zest will infuse the mixture. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat. Constantly whisk until the mixture becomes thick, about 5-7 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Whisk butter into the curd. Pour curd into a bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top. Let cool and put in the fridge.
- Make the Glaze – Simple mix all the ingredients together until smooth
- Fry and Fill – Heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy pot (cast iron) to 330°F. To fry donut holes, drop 5-6 at a time and allow to become golden about 1-2 minutes. Remove donut holes from the oil with the spider tool and place on a tray lined with paper towels. Let cool slightly. Add the lemon curd to a pastry bag fitted with a small nozzle. Fill each donut hole with the curd. Dip each donut hole into the glaze.
Deep Fried Alternatives
If you want to skip the extra oil, you absolutely can make these donut holes in your air fryer or oven.
- Air Fryer – Once the dough has risen, place a single layer of the donut holes in your air fryer basket. Air fry at 350 degrees until golden brown and puffy, about 7-8 minutes. Gently remove the donut holes from the basket, fill with the lemon curd, and then glaze. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
- Oven Baked – Once the dough has risen, place them on the cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving about an inch between each donut hole. Bake the donut holes at 375 degrees for about 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Fill the baked donut holes with the lemon curd and then glaze.
Filling Substitutions
If lemon isn’t your thing, you can still make delicious, filled donut holes! Some of our other favorite fillings:
- Nutella
- Jelly – we love strawberry
- Pumpkin
- Cream Cheese – roll these donuts in cinnamon sugar instead of glazing you’ve got an inside out cinnamon roll
How to Store Donut Holes
To store homemade donut holes, let them cool completely, then place them in an airtight container lined with parchment paper. Keep the container in a cool, dry place, and they should stay fresh for 2-3 days.
More Delicious Donut Recipes
- Pumpkin Churro Donuts
- Blueberry Apple Donuts
- Brownie Batter Protein Donuts
- Birthday Cake Protein Donuts
Glazed Lemon Curd Donut Holes
Description
Soft and fluffy donut holes are filled with sweet and tart lemon curd and covered with a sugar glaze. These fresh, from-scratch donut holes are a lemony delight you’ll want to make again and again!
Ingredients
Donut Holes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup water (lukewarm)
- 2 tablespoons milk (lukewarm)
- 3 egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- oil for frying
Lemon Curd
- 4 eggs
- juice of 4 lemons
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine the warm water, milk, 1 tablespoon sugar, and yeast in a bowl. Whisk to dissolve the yeast. Leave for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
- Add the remaining sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla.
- Add in the flour and salt. Knead until smooth using the attachment on your mixer or by hand. Incorporate the butter and knead well until the dough comes together and forms a ball.
- Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, make lemon curd. Place the eggs, zest, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Leave for 10-15 minutes so that the zest will infuse the mixture. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a medium saucepan.
- Cook over medium-low heat. Constantly whisk until the mixture becomes thick, about 5-7 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Whisk butter into the curd. Pour curd into a bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top. Let cool and put in the fridge.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the dough out to a ½-inch thickness. Cut out donuts as close together as possible. Reroll the dough and cut out more donut holes. Transfer the circles to the prepared baking sheet and cover lightly with plastic wrap. Let rise for 15-20 minutes.
- Heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy pot (cast iron) to 330°F. To fry donut holes, drop 5-6 at a time and allow to become golden about 1-2 minutes. Remove donut holes from the oil with the spider tool and place on a tray lined with paper towels. Let cool slightly.
- Add the lemon curd to a pastry bag fitted with a small nozzle. Fill each donut hole with the curd.
- For the glaze, mix all the ingredients until smooth. Dip each donut hole into the glaze.
