Healthy Blackberry Lemon Cake Donuts – Gluten Free!

Healthy baked blackberry lemon donuts are easy to make and a must when fresh blackberries are in season!  Plus, there is no kneading or rise time needed – just mix, bake, and enjoy! They’re delicious and kid-approved!

Healthy Blackberry Lemon Cake Donuts – Gluten Free!

When it’s blackberry season, I love making low-sugar blackberry jam, blackberry pancakes, blackberry protein smoothies, and also lemon blackberry donuts!

They’re made with a combination of almond flour, oat flour, and coconut flour to keep them naturally gluten-free, and are much lower in sugar than your average donut.

The citrus + berry combo is perfection. You can totally use frozen berries (simply defrost), so enjoy these all year long when fresh blackberries aren’t in season.

Silicone donut molds make it easy, too!

Why you’ll love this baked donuts recipe

Soft and sweet donuts – These baked donuts have a cake-like texture that is super soft. You’ve never know they are gluten-free, too!

Fruity goodness – The bursting berries make these donuts extra good! Add that fresh lemon flavor, and you’ve got fruity, delicious donuts.

One bowl recipe – I love using one large bowl to mix the wet ingredients, then adding the dry ingredients into it. It means fewer dishes to wash and a quicker prep time.

What you’ll need for this blackberry cake donut recipe

Scroll down to view the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions.

• large eggs
• almond milk
• unsweetened applesauce
• avocado oil
• lemon juice
• lemon zest
• vanilla extract
• oat flour
• almond flour
• coconut flour
• natural cane sugar
• sea salt
• baking powder
• fresh blackberries

Glaze

• powdered sugar
• lemon juice

How to make blackberry cake donuts

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place the silicone donut pans on a baking sheet. Oil the donut pans.

Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, applesauce, oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract.

Step 3: Once the wet ingredients are fully mixed, add the oat flour, almond flour, coconut flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder, and stir until you don’t see any dry clumps anymore. Stir in the blackberries.

Step 4: With a spoon, spatula, or piping bag, transfer the batter to your greased pan, leaving a little room at the top.

Step 5: Bake for 16-18 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness by inserting it into the center of a donut, looking for a dry crumb.

Step 6: Allow the donuts to cool slightly, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool. Once cooled to the touch, make the glaze by whisking the powdered sugar with the lemon juice in a small bowl and drizzling it over the donuts.

Notes: To make large donuts, use a donut pan that has a larger donut shape. If using a larger size, you’ll end up with closer to 6 donuts, and the baking time will increase by a few minutes. For a sweet blackberry glaze, use blackberry juice instead of lemon juice.

Watch me make lemon blackberry donuts

The full how to video can be watched below, or on my YouTube channel!

How to store

Once the donuts have cooled to room temperature, they can be added to an airtight container. Leftover donuts will stay fresh on the counter for 2-3 days, and in the fridge for 5-7 days.

You can also freeze donuts! Freeze on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan until frozen solid, and then transfer to a freezer bag.

They will last for up to 6 months frozen. Defrost frozen donuts on the counter, and then enjoy!

Substitutions, optional variations & dietary adjustments

Below you’ll find a list of substitutions that will work well in this soft-baked blackberry donut recipe. 

If you try something different out, please leave a comment below letting us all know how it turned out!

Oat flour/almond flour/coconut flour – The combination of these three flours leaves you with a cake-like donut, but if you don’t have all 3 available, no worries! To keep it gluten-free, you can swap all-purpose gluten-free flour for oat flour or almond flour. If you don’t need to keep the recipe gluten free, all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour are good alternatives.

Avocado oil – Melted coconut oil is a great option, as is melted butter or extra virgin olive oil.

Almond milk – Feel free to use your milk of choice here!

Natural cane sugar – White sugar will work in place of cane sugar, as would coconut sugar. I would not suggest using a liquid sweetener like maple syrup until you adjust other liquid amounts down.

Lemon juice/lemon zest – Orange, lime, or grapefruit are all good citrus alternatives.

Blackberries – Any berry would be a great alternative here! Dice strawberries or use raspberries or blueberries for a blueberry cake donut option. Try mixed berry too!

More blackberry recipes you’ll love

• Blackberry protein shake
• Whole wheat blackberry pancakes
• Low sugar canned blackberry jam

If you try this gluten free blackberry lemon donuts recipe, I’d love it if you left a star rating and comment below letting me know how it turned out!

XO

Heather

Originally published September 2011. Updated June 2025.