Key Lime Sourdough Donuts
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
These key-lime pie-inspired donuts are made with sourdough discard and are packed with fresh lime flavor! These sourdough donuts are soft, airy, and the easiest cake donuts! They’re topped with a lime glaze, crushed graham crackers, and lime zest for the perfect breakfast, brunch, or afternoon treat!
I’m notorious for buying food items in bulk at Costco and then coming up with creative ways to use them. So when I got a giant bag of limes, I knew I had to come up with a fun key lime recipe, and this one hits!
These baked sourdough discard donuts are fluffy, light, and so soft! They are packed with flavor thanks to the fresh lime juice and lime zest. Using room temperature ingredients (whole milk, sourdough discard, eggs, and not room temperature, but *melted* butter) makes these donuts the perfect texture.
And the best part? They come together in less than 30 minutes!
Looking for more sourdough discard desserts? Try these!
- sourdough millionaire’s shortbread bars
- sourdough sugar cookie bars
- peach upside down ricotta cake
- sourdough s’mores cookies
- sourdough baked doughnuts with chocolate glaze
Ingredients
Step-By-Step Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar and lime zest. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips until it becomes fragrant and slightly moist.
Whisk in the melted butter, vanilla extract, eggs, milk, sourdough discard, and fresh lime juice. Mix until smooth and fully combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two parts, stirring gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
Lightly grease a donut pan and set it aside.
Spoon or pipe the batter into the greased donut pan, filling each well about ¾ full.
Bake for 13 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden and spring back when gently pressed.
Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
In a bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, lime juice, and milk until smooth. Adjust the consistency if needed by adding more milk or sugar.
Dip the tops of each cooled donut into the glaze. Sprinkle with crushed graham crackers and lime zest. Let the glaze set before serving.
Tips for Making These Donuts the BEST!
- Use room temperature ingredients. Use room temperature eggs, milk, and sourdough discard. This recipe also calls for melted butter. We don’t use cold ingredients because they can create a dense donut.
- Pipe the batter. I transfer the donut batter into a piping bag to easily pipe the batter into the donut pans. You can also use a Ziploc bag. While piping creates less mess, you can also spoon the batter into the pans.
Equipment Needed
- Donut pan (standard size, 6 or 12 wells)
- Mixing bowls (1 medium, 1 large)
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
- Citrus zester or microplane
- Citrus juicer (or your hands!)
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Piping bag or zip-top bag (optional, for filling the donut pan neatly)
- Wire cooling rack
- Small bowl (for glaze)
- Spoon or spatula (for glazing)
Storage
Store these donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Sourdough Key Lime Donuts
Ingredients
For the sourdough key lime donuts:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lime zest zest from 1 lime
- 5 tablespoons salted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup whole milk room temperature
- ½ cup sourdough discard
- 1/4 cup lime juice juice from 2 limes
For the key lime glaze and topping:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons lime juice
- 3 tablespoons milk
- ¼ cup crushed graham crackers 1 full graham cracker sheet
- extra lime zest for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat and prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a donut pan and set aside.
- Combine the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Make the lime sugar: In a large mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar with the lime zest. Rub the zest into the sugar using your fingertips until fragrant and well combined.
- Add the wet ingredients: To the lime sugar, mix in the melted butter, vanilla extract, eggs, milk, sourdough discard, and fresh lime juice. Whisk until smooth and fully combined.
- Mix the batter: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined—do not overmix.
- Bake: Bake for 13 minutes, or until the donuts are lightly golden and spring back when gently pressed.
- Cool: Let the donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
- Make the glaze: In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, lime juice, and milk until smooth. Adjust the consistency if needed by adding a little more milk or sugar.
- Glaze and garnish: Dip the tops of each cooled donut into the lime glaze. Sprinkle with crushed graham crackers and a bit of extra lime zest for a key lime pie-inspired finish.
Oh, gosh, guys. These sourdough key lime pie donuts are awesome. Such a fun recipe to make, and the flavor is outstanding! Let me know what you think if you make them. They were a hit in our house and with coworkers.