Go Back
5 from 2 votes

3 Ingredient Lemon Donuts

Fluffy lemon flavored donuts that are just 3 ingredients and don't require any yeast, eggs or butter.
Servings: 13 donuts
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (124 g) lemon flavored Greek yogurt
  • 2 tsp (3.5 g) lemon zest
  • 3/4 cup (94 g) self-rising flour, see note regarding flour amount
  • canola or vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions
 

  • Add 2 inches of oil to a medium saucepan. Bring to medium heat, between 335°F (168°C) -350°F (177°C). 
  • In a large mixing bowl, add yogurt and zest (and lemon curd if using). Stir until evenly mixed. Add in 1/2 cup of self-rising flour. Do not add the full 3/4 cup amount. Stir it into the yogurt until a thick dough forms. The dough should be a little sticky. To see if the dough is ready, break off a piece and roll it between your palms. If you are unable to form a loose ball, then add a little more flour (1 tbsp at a time), until the dough reaches the desired consistency. Because different yogurt brands have different yogurt consistency, the amount of flour needed will vary. If you use up all your flour and you still find the dough too sticky to work with, you can add another 1-2 tbsp of self-rising flour but keep in mind the more flour you add, the more dense your donuts will be. I usually have 1-2 tbsp of flour leftover when I make these.
  • Once dough is ready, scoop 1 tbsp of dough. Roll dough between palms to form a loose ball. Place dough ball on a counter or board lined with parchment paper. Repeat with remaining dough. Add dough balls into the preheated oil. The donuts will float to the surface so only put in as many donuts as can fit on the surface. You can do this in two batches if your saucepan is not big enough. Cook donuts until both sides are golden brown, flipping halfway through. Remove donuts from oil and place onto a plate lined with paper towel to soak up excess oil.
  • When donuts are no longer too hot to touch, you can roll them in regular sugar or dust with powdered sugar. Donuts are best eaten within a few hours after they are cooked.

Notes

  • When measuring flour, make sure you spoon it into your measuring cup and then level off with a knife. Do not directly scoop the flour with the measuring cup because that will result in too much flour.
  • I used Lily's self-rising flour*
  • *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
  • Self-rising flour amount needed: There are 2 main kinds of self-rising flour sold in the US. One that is a lower protein (2 grams per 1/4 cup serving) flour and one that has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup). Brands like King Arthur Flour and White Lily make the low protein flour. Brands like Gold Medal and Amazon Fresh contain a regular protein amount. The amount of protein affects how much liquid is absorbed. 
  • If you are making this recipe with a self-rising flour with a regular amount of protein you will need less flour. You may only need 1/2 cup or you may only need slightly more than 1/2 cup.
  • To make your own self-rising flour, whisk together 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt. Do not use the full amount in the recipe. Use only 1/2 cup and then add 1 tbsp at a time as needed. Please make sure your all purpose flour contains a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup).
  • I don't recommend cooking the donuts in the air fryer or baking them. They will be very dense and more like bread.
  • As discussed in more detail in the post (under Donut Sweetness section), there is another variation of this recipe you can make with lemon curd. This is actually my favorite one as the donut is a little sweeter (I don't even need the powdered sugar) and has more lemon flavor. If you want to make the lemon curd version, substitute 3 tbsp of yogurt with 3 tbsp lemon curd. Keep in mind, lemon curd does contain eggs so your donuts will no longer be egg-free.
  • This recipe works best with Greek yogurt. If you add lemon curd or lemon zest to regular yogurt, the mixture becomes too thin and you end up having to add too much flour to get a dough to form.
  • If you are using a lemon Greek yogurt that is not already blended, make sure to stir and mix evenly before measuring out the yogurt for the recipe.
  • I dusted the donuts with powdered sugar. You can also coat them in regular granular sugar.
  • You can also glaze the donuts with your favorite glaze or just leave them plain.
  • The nutrition is calculated for the donuts using Chobani lemon yogurt and does not include oil absorbed during frying or any optional toppings. It is only for the donut dough before it is cooked as it is difficult to determine the exact amount of oil that is absorbed by the donuts.
Serving: 1donut, Calories: 33kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 0.3g, Saturated Fat: 0.2g, Sodium: 86mg, Fiber: 0.1g, Sugar: 1g, NET CARBS: 6
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!