Sweet and zesty, these easy Baked Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Doughnuts are vegan, allergy-free, and topped with a simple sugar-free glaze! A quick spring or summer citrus recipe for breakfast, brunch, or dessert! One bowl and 12 minutes to baked donut perfection!
A sweet citrus treat always sounds like a good idea to brighten someone’s day! Lemon poppy seed is such a classic combo and for a good reason! It has that zesty lemon pop, balanced sweetness, and fun addition of the poppy seeds! From cake, muffins, to doughnuts, lemon poppy seed is perfect for bringing out the smiles and elevating the mood! Eating these doughnuts is just like taking a bite of sunshine (pun intended)!
Ingredients for lemon poppy seed doughnuts
You’re going to need the two essentials: lemon and poppy seeds. All the ingredients for these gluten-free doughnuts are simple pantry staples, except the poppy seeds which you may need to buy! No worries, they are super common and easy to find in any grocery’s spice and herb section (or online, cause…you know). You only need 8 things to make these zesty doughnuts and simple sweet glaze!
What you need:
- Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Commercial Egg Replacement
- Erythritol (or preferred granulated & powdered sweetener!)
- Poppy Seeds
- Lemon
- Vanilla Extract
- Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk
How to make gluten-free lemon poppy seed doughnuts
As with any good baked doughnut recipe you just need to mix up your batter, divide it up into your donut pan (you bought one like I told you, right?), bake them up in the oven, let them cool, and dip them into a simple glaze! Of course, we have to take it a step further for aesthetics and sprinkle on some extra poppy seeds (like little black allergy-free sprinkles) and a nice dose of fresh lemon zest (get that Microplane out!) This recipe makes 6 doughnuts and only takes 12 minutes! That gives you plenty of time to make a dozen doughnuts….or 2 dozen.
What does lemon poppy seed taste like?
It just tastes like…sweet lemon? You don’t taste the poppy seeds. The only way to actually get poppy seed flavor would be literally taking a spoon full of poppy seeds and eating them or biting into a plain heavily poppy seeded bagel! The poppy seeds are so distributed throughout the batter (whether that’s a lemon poppy seed cake, muffin, or doughnut!) that you never really get a poppy seed taste! I think the poppy seeds are there just for the look. There actually are benefits to poppy seeds when taken for supplemental reasons!
Poppy Seed Benefits:
- They’re good for digestion and keeping things moving, and contain 2g of fiber per tablespoon.
- They’re loaded with calcium, phosphorus, iron, manganese, and antioxidants.
- Great for bone health, immune health, and oxygen flow in the bloodstream.
- The oxygen and iron make them great for brain health, cognitive function, and reducing blood pressure!
- They also have a nice dose of magnesium, making them great for a pre-bed ritual for sleep!
Great for breakfast, brunch, or dessert!
The emphasis on the lemon makes these doughnuts great for breakfast and brunch, and that poppy seed magnesium makes them great for dessert 😉 A homemade baked doughnut really can be a breakfast or dessert; there is no wrong way or wrong time for having a healthy baked treat! These are gluten-free, vegan, allergy-free, sugar-free, and oil-free!
How to serve them
These are best served chilled! Once you bake, cool, and dip them into the simple glaze, keeping them at room temperature or in the fridge is best for taste and storage. Warm lemon doughnuts just does not sound good to me! However, I’m also someone who doesn’t like the thought of warm lemon water in the morning…
More lemon poppy seed recipes:
Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Doughnuts
Baked Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Doughnuts (Vegan, Allergy-Free)
Sweet and zesty, these easy Baked Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Doughnuts are vegan, allergy-free, and topped with a simple sugar-free glaze! A quick spring or summer citrus recipe for breakfast, brunch, or dessert! One bowl and 12 minutes to baked donut perfection!
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 12
- Total Time: 17 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Breakfast, Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Lemon Poppy Seed Doughnuts:
- 1 1/2 Cups Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Tsp Baking Powder
- 1 Prepared Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacement
- 1/2 Cup Granulated Erythritol (or preferred granulated sweetener)
- 4 Tsp Poppy Seeds
- 1 TB Fresh Lemon Juice
- 2 Tsp Fresh Lemon Zest (about one medium lemon zested)
- 1/2 Tsp Pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract
- 6 TB Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk
Simple Glaze:
- 1 Cup Powdered Erythritol (or preferred powdered sweetener)
- 6 Tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
Additional Toppings:
- Poppy Seeds
- Fresh Lemon Zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the doughnut ingredients together in order. Mix well until you have a thick doughnut batter.
- Grease a non-stick 6-cavity donut pan and spoon out the doughnut batter evenly among the six cavities (you’ll have a bit left over), smooth out the tops.
- Bake the doughnuts in the oven for 12 minutes, remove from the oven, and gently remove the doughnuts from the pan to allow them to cool on a wire rack.
- To make the glaze, mix together the powdered sweetener and lemon juice in a large bowl until you achieve a dripping mixture.
- Dunk the tops of the cooled doughnuts in the glaze and place them bake on a wire rack before sprinkling on additional poppy seeds and lemon zest.
- Serve chilled or store in an airtight container in the fridge or at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
Keywords: doughnuts, donuts, lemon, poppy seeds, baked doughnuts, lemon poppy seed, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, allergy-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, nut-free, peanut-free, fish-free, sesame-free, kid-friendly, oil-free, sugar-free
A rather healthy cake doughnut, if I do say so! They are just perfect for spring and summer, but I’m not one to shun a lemon poppy seed goodie during the winter either! Lemon poppy seed is such a classic combo, it deserves to be enjoyed year-round (and for any meal!)
More healthy doughnut recipes:
- Carrot Cake Doughnuts
- Ginger Glazed Purple Sweet Potato Doughnuts
- Cinnamon Sweet Potato Doughnuts
- Triple Chocolate Doughnuts
So tell me:
+ What’s your favorite food using the classic lemon poppy seed combo?
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Miz Helen says
I just made your awesome doughnuts and they were amazing!
★★★★★
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Thank you!
Nina Lewis says
I love lemon flavored things. I love poppy seeds. So, I’m sure I’d love eating these!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
I’m sure you will!
Kat (The Baking Explorer) says
Such fabulous looking donuts!
★★★★★
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Thanks so much!
Natasha Mairs - Serenity You says
These look so nice. I love lemon and poppy seeds together. Will have to try this.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
It is always a beautiful combo!
Ashley F says
I absolutely LOVE lemon so I know I would love these doughnuts! The poppy seed is a great additions!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
You’ve never had lemon poppy seed?
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
This will quickly become a favorite at my house!
★★★★★
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
I’m sure they will, Toni.
Angela says
These look amazing, have you tried any flour substitutes like almond or coconut flour?
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
If you would like a grain-free doughnut recipe, I have plenty of those. Please browse the recipe index.
Hayden says
These look ahhhmazing!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
THE doughnut of the season!
Suzan Ferreira says
My daughter would love these (and me too). So glad I found these! Pinned this as well 🙂
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Love hearing that!
susan says
Shut up and GET IN MY BELLY!!!! Oh my word! These sounds in cred i ble!!! Can’t wait to make them!!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Haha, wow! Let me know what you think!
Devon Harris says
Oh my god. These look absolutely incredible– lemon poppyseed is my favorite! I will be making these soon and will be sure to let you know how much I love them. Thanks for sharing!!
★★★★★
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Can’t wait to hear your thoughts!
Christa says
I love lemon and poppyseed muffins but have never had that flavor doughnut. They look delicious! I can’t wait to try them. 😀
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Ah, you know…doughnuts > muffins 😉
Rachel R Ritlop says
omg these look amazing! can’t wait to make them!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
They’ll be on repeat!
Michele Morin says
LOVE all things lemon!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
The citrus powerhouse!
Kate says
These look so good!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Thanks.
Indya | The Small Adventurer says
These look and sound super delicious! I always loved poppyseed muffins as a kid, but now I’m a huge fan of donuts – and anything with lemon! 😋
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Lemon Poppy Seed is a classic spring/summer combo here!
Kate says
These look so pretty and always good to have gluten-free recipes. Having said that lemon needs to very delicate for me to like it in food.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Great, well, give these sweet doughnuts a go!
Sam says
Lemon donuts sound devine X
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Thanks!
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
Mmmm! The citrus – so lip-licking delicious! They look amazing!
★★★★★
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
That perfect balance of sweet and zesty!
Nicole says
I love almost anything with poppy seeds in it. You make this recipe sound so easy and they sound so delicious! I can’t wait to give these a try.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
An underrated little seed!
Huda says
Ive honestly never tried anything gluten free but this looks absolutely delicious and i love the alternative ingredients! Might actually try this weekend 🙂
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
You can use normal flour if you don’t have celiac, this is only all-purpose.
Leigh Suznovich says
Love lemon poppy seed anything, these look absolutely scrumptious!
★★★★★
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Me too! Always a welcome flavor!
Dee | Grammy's Grid says
YUM! Sounds tasty and I like the idea of baking in the oven instead of frying in oil. Pinned ♥
★★★★★
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Always baked here!
Annaliese says
Oh these look so good! I’ve been craving poppyseed anything lately!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Well, time for doughnuts then!
Emily Clare says
These literally look so delish!! Off yo the shops to get the ingredients now!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Let me know what you think!
Joe @ ThriveCuisine says
A sugar-free and gluten-free donut? I can’t wait to try this for our gluten-free friends.
★★★★★
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Everyone will love them!
Jenny says
I love lemon poppy seed anything! I’ll definitely give this a try.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Me too! Such an underrated flavor!
Irina says
Wow, these look so delicious! Can’t wait to whip up a batch this week!
★★★★★
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
So glad you think so! Enjoy!
Lindsay Cotter says
These are calling my name! What a delicious treat!
★★★★★
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Perfect to brighten a day!
Britny says
These look amazing!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
My taste testers thought so!