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I’m so in love with lemon this time of year, and these easy lemon donut holes are a perfect way to satisfy my cravings!

Easy Lemon Donut Holes in blue bowl with title

Okay, so before we start to talk about these amazing and super easy (like, make in just a few minutes) lemon donut holes, I want to tell you about the travesty that happened to me this past weekend.

I’m out of perfume, so I headed to the mall to get more. I’ve been wearing Dream by Gap since I was 16. It’s been my signature scent for 20 years, except for the short period of time I flirted with something pink and fruity smelling from Victoria’s Secret. Anyway, I couldn’t find it, so I asked the sales lady where it was.

It’s been discontinued. DISCONTINUED.

Yeah. I know. Total travesty, right? Like, I gasped so loud I scared Jordan (not joking – it was the ugly gasp; hand-over-mouth and everything). It’s…like…I don’t even know where to go from here. Except maybe to Amazon to buy up the rest of their stock. I mean…perfume shopping? At 36? Really? Do people do that? I’m lost.

Also? #firstworldproblems

Anyway, let’s talk easy lemon donut holes!

Easy Lemon Donut Holes in blue bowl

My mom’s neighbor has a Meyer lemon tree. My mother-in-law has a lemon tree. I have lemons pretty much anytime I get to see either side of the family. (Are you jealous?) After the richness of the holidays, I’ve been totally craving lemon. This is the first (of a few) recipes I’m sharing with you!

And this is, by far, the easiest. It starts with Pillsbury Grands biscuits. Cut them in quarters, fry them into donut holes. {Or is it doughnut holes? I don’t know, I like donut better.} Then they are covered in one of two lemon toppings: Lemon Sugar or Lemon Glaze.

The Lemon Sugar is like a cinnamon dusting, without the cinnamon. There’s zest in the sugar and the flavors meld so well together. The Lemon Glaze is made with powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice (if you can use Meyers, do it, they’re so good!). Make a batch of one or the other or both and you have a sweet and tart breakfast or dessert!

These would be good with ice cream. Or white chocolate sauce. Or just because your perfume is discontinued and you’re depressed and need a donut hole.

Easy Lemon Donut Holes in blue bowl

My mouth is watering thinking of that glaze. I may go make some and drink it with a straw! 🙂

Easy Lemon Donut Holes in blue bowl with title

Easy Lemon Donut Holes {two ways}

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Yield 32 donut holes

Ingredients
 

For the Donut Holes:

  • 1 can Pillsbury Grands Homestyle Biscuits 8 biscuits
  • Vegetable oil for frying

For the Lemon Sugar Topping:

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest from 1-2 lemons, depending on size

For the Lemon Glaze:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2-3 lemons, depending on size

Instructions

  • Place about 4 cups of vegetable oil in a heavy bottom pot and heat until it reaches 350°F. I like to leave my candy thermometer in the pot during frying so I can regulate the heat up or down if it gets to hot or cold. A heavy bottomed pot is best for frying, it’s easier to regulate the heat that way than with a thinner pot. (I use a Le Cruset soup pot.)
  • Cut each biscuit into four pieces and roll into balls between the palms of your hands. Fry in batches of 5-6 depending on the size of your pot. Cook 2-3 minutes until they are a deep golden, flipping halfway. Remove from oil using a slotted spoon and place the cooked donut holes on a cookie sheet topped with two layers of paper towels.
  • Make the Lemon Sugar Topping: stir together the lemon zest and sugar in a bowl. Cool donut holes until you can touch them before rolling in sugar.
  • Make the Lemon Glaze: whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice in a second small bowl. Let donut holes cool completely, then dip in glaze.
  • Makes enough sugar topping for 16 donut holes and enough glaze for 16 donut holes. Double if you wish to do all one or the other.
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate

Click HERE for more Pillsbury Dough Recipes! 

Click here to see the complete list of Lemon Recipes!

Easy Lemon Cream Danish

Easy-lemon-cream-danish on parchment paper with title

Lemon Pound Cake

lemon-pound-cake-slice on cutting board with title

Caramel Banana Pecan Doughnuts

banana-caramel-pecan-doughnuts on parchment paper with title

Sweets from friends:
Buttermilk Orange Donut Muffins by Our Best Bites
Lemon Cream Cheese Coffee Cake by Two In the Kitchen
Caramel Glazed Turtle Donuts by Something Swanky

Last Updated on May 13, 2020



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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79 Comments

    1. These are best eaten the day they are made. Fried food doesn’t last like baked. If you do want to fry them ahead, don’t glaze them until the day of!

  1. Love the donut holes! Try fragrance.net for your search. They might have yours, plus they also have a ton of sample sizes of things you can get to try.

  2. Just clicked over to your blog from the Pillsbury site. These Lemon Donut Holes look divine! I just wanted to mention that it would be great if the recipe printed along with the picture. Can’t wait to try them!

    1. How are you printing? The print button in the pink box should print the recipe? I’m sorry if it didn’t. Can you let me know what you saw?

      1. I used the pink button and it printed just fine – it just doesn’t include the lovely picture. it’s text only. i use mozilla firefox if that makes any difference.

  3. I freaking love lemon! After all of the holiday sweets I was in the mood to bake but not with chocolate (gasp!) but was lost. Your recipe sounds perfect – simple but still yummy! I can totally relate to your perfume situation. Dream was my signature scent too, then the GAP in my town closed. The nearest one was 3 hours away so I’d stock up every time I was there, and then that one closed! If I wanted to continue wearing the perfume I’d have to drive 6+ hours to the nearest GAP, and buying online wasn’t an option because perfume can’t be shipped into Canada unless the bottles are really small 🙁 Good luck in your quest to find a replacement! I wear Euphoria by Calvin Klein now, in case you were wondering what I settled on!

  4. Oh yea, I’m totally making these! I love lemon and how easy these are!

    I’m sorry about your perfume 🙁 I totally hear you. I usually just wear scented lotions and my favorite coconut scents only come back twice a year, which means I stock up. Go to amazon and stock up girl!