Lemon-Glazed Biscuit Donut Holes
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A fun brunch recipe with a light touch of lemon liqueur, these Lemon-Glazed Donut Holes use my favorite donut hack: using pre-made biscuit dough to save time making real donut dough. With just 4 ingredients and in less than 30 minutes, you have a lightly boozy treat to serve enjoy along with a freshly topped up mimosa.
Lemon Liqueur-Glazed Donut Holes Recipe
A few friends and I try to get together for brunch every month… but to be honest, as our kids get older and schedules get busier, we probably end up having brunch two or three times a year.
I’m always on self-appointed cocktail duty, and since not all of my friends want brunch cocktails, I tend to also bring a light boozy treat for those who want a bit of grown-up indulgence without imbibing before noon.
My latest boozy treat was these Lemon-Glazed Donut Holes with a light hit of lemon liqueur in the crunchy, sweet glaze. The lemon liqueur gives them a bit of bite without being overly indulgent, especially if the you have to be back on mom duty in a couple of hours.
To be clear, these lemon donut holes are not really boozy – they have a light hit of lemon liqueur, just enough to make them an adult treat for a special brunch with the girls, but to make them actually boozy, after frying, use a skewer to prick several holes in each donut hole and then soak the donut holes for 20 seconds in a glass of lemon liqueur or vodka. (You can also swap the lemon juice called for in the recipe for more lemon vodka, as mentioned.)
You can also make these lemon-glazed donut holes without the alcohol, following our tips below.
Variations on Lemon Glazed Donut Holes:
- bake the donuts instead of frying (Heat oven to 350F, brush the unbaked donuts with butter before baking for 8-10 minutes.)
- use the airfryer (Heat to 350F, add 1 Tablespoon of oil to the airfryer and place the donuts inside – spray with a bit extra oil, if desired. Bake for 5 minutes.)
- swap out the glaze for a different flavor by using mashed berries, flavor extracts, orange juice and zest, lime juice and zest, etc.
- garnish the glazed donut holes with sprinkles while the glaze is setting for a colorful touch
- sprinkle the zest from the lemons (if using fresh) over the glazed donuts before the glaze sets for even more lemon flavor.
- swap out the lemon liqueur for vanilla vodka or another lemon or vanilla-flavored alcohol, whatever you already have on hand
- omit the lemon liqueur and replace with milk to make a non-boozy version of these lemon glazed donut holes
Tips for the best biscuit donuts:
- enjoy within 2 days – this will be easy because they will disappear quickly!
- stretch the donut before frying and make the donut hole wider to get the best shape and prevent them from being too thick
- keep oil temperature at 350F – use a candy thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature. Too low and they will soak up the oil, too high and they will burn or overcook on the outside while not fully cooking on the inside
- store at room temperature in an airtight container (if you store in the fridge, the glaze will soften at room temperature)
Can I air-fry these donut holes instead of frying? Yes, heat the air fryer to 350F, add 1 Tablespoon of oil to the airfryer and place the donut holes inside – spray with a bit extra oil, if desired. Bake for 5 minutes.
How do I store leftover donut holes? Store leftover donut holes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one day. If keeping them longer, refrigerate for up to three days. The texture will be softest on the day they’re made.
Can I freeze the donut holes? Yes, freeze the unglazed, fried donut holes once cooled. Store in a freezer-safe bag or your favorite freezer containers for up to two months. (This set of freezer containers is a crazy bargain.) Reheat in a 300°F oven until warmed through, then add the glaze as directed in the recipe below.
Can I make these lemon donuts without the alcohol? Yes, of course! Swap the lemon liqueur for milk to make a more family-friendly version of these lemon glazed donut holes.
Ingredients for Lemon-Glazed Donut Holes
- Pillsbury Grands Homestyle Biscuits 8 biscuits
- Powdered sugar
- Fresh lemon juice (can swap for more liquor)
- Lemon Liquor
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.
Tip: you will need approximately 4 cups of oil to fry the donut holes, but the amount will differ based on the size of your dutch oven or whatever you are using to fry them. You want at least 3-4″ of depth. You can use peanut, canola or vegetable oil.
Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
- Heavy stockpot or Dutch Oven <– highly recommended for even cooking and seamlessly transferring recipes from the stove to the oven – or for deep-frying, like with this recipe
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Cutting Board
- Small Circle Cookie Cutter
- Spider Strainer
How to Make Lemon-Glazed Donut Holes
Place about 4 cups of vegetable oil in a large dutch oven and heat until it reaches 350°F.
Cut each biscuit into four pieces.
Roll the biscuit into balls using the palms of your hands.
Cover a baking sheet with paper towels.
Place the biscuit balls into the oil in batches of 5-6.
Cook the biscuit balls for 3-4 minutes till they are a deep golden color.
Make sure to continually flip the biscuit balls for even cooking.
Remove the biscuit balls from the oil and place them on the cookie sheet.
Set them to the side to cool. .
Make the Lemon Glaze:
Whisk powdered sugar, lemon juice, and liquor in a medium bowl.
Once the donut holes are cool dip them in the glaze.
Optionally, sprinkle the zest from the lemons (if using fresh) over the glazed donuts before the glaze sets for even more lemon flavor.
Pin this Fun Lemon-Glazed Donut Hole recipe for your next brunch with friends:
Grab your free printable recipe card for our easy lemon glazed donut holes recipe:
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Lemon-Glazed Donut Holes
Ingredients
- 1 can Pillsbury Grands Homestyle Biscuits 8 biscuits
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (can swap for more liquor)
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Liquor
Instructions
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
32Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 82Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 116mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 0gSugar: 4gProtein: 1g
Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.
I hope your friends enjoy this easy lemon glazed donut hole recipe as much as mine did!
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