Ingredients
Donut holes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Blueberry cake donut recipes use a very similar base of flour, sugar(s), baking powder/soda, buttermilk or milk, melted butter or oil, eggs, vanilla, and fresh or frozen blueberries.
Citrus glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1–2 tablespoons milk (to adjust consistency)
Lemon glazes for blueberry donuts usually combine powdered sugar with lemon juice (and sometimes zest or a splash of milk/cream) for a pourable, tangy icing.
Lemon curd filling
- 3/4 cup lemon curd (store-bought or homemade)
Lemon-filled donut and donut-hole recipes frequently use lemon curd as the filling, noting that store-bought curd works well if you don’t want to make it from scratch.
Step-by-step instructions
Make the blueberry cake batter
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl, combine buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract; whisk until smooth.
Cake-style donut recipes nearly always mix dry and wet ingredients separately before combining for a tender crumb.
- Gradually add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Avoid overmixing to prevent tough donut holes.
- Gently fold in the blueberries, taking care not to crush them so they don’t bleed too much into the batter.
Blueberry donut recipes consistently advise folding berries in at the end and handling gently so the batter stays speckled rather than turning purple.
Fry the donut holes
- Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F (175°C). Use a thermometer for accuracy; fried donut and donut-hole recipes strongly recommend monitoring oil temperature.
- Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, carefully drop tablespoon-sized portions of batter into the hot oil, working in batches to avoid overcrowding.
- Fry for about 2–3 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through.
Fried blueberry donuts and donut holes typically fry for several minutes at around 350°F until golden outside and baked through inside.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels or a wire rack set over a tray. Let cool slightly.
Maintaining a steady 350°F helps prevent greasy donuts (oil too cool) or burnt exteriors with underdone centers (oil too hot).
Make the citrus glaze
- While the donut holes cool slightly, whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice, orange zest, and 1 tablespoon of milk in a bowl.
- Add more milk, a teaspoon at a time, until the glaze is smooth and pourable but not too thin.
Lemon glazes for blueberry donuts are generally mixed to a consistency that clings but still flows in a thin layer over warm donuts.
Dip the donut holes
- Dip each still-warm donut hole into the citrus glaze, turning to coat, or spoon glaze over the top.
- Place on a wire rack to let excess glaze drip off and the surface set.
Glazed donut recipes mention that dipping while donuts are slightly warm helps the glaze adhere and set with a nice sheen.
Fill with lemon curd
- Once the glazed donut holes are fully cooled, transfer lemon curd to a small piping bag fitted with a narrow round tip.
- Insert the tip into each donut hole (from the side or bottom) and gently squeeze to fill with lemon curd.
Lemon curd–filled donut and donut-hole recipes use this same technique—piping with a small round tip, inserting the tip and squeezing until you feel slight resistance.
- Wipe any excess curd off the outside and serve.