Brighten your day with Orange Donuts topped with a sweet orange glaze! Freshly squeezed orange juice and zest give the light and fluffy donuts a moist citrus flavor that you won't be able to resist.
Jump to:
Do you have a favorite donut? Is it a classic glazed or the ever popular chocolate frosted?
Did you know donuts are really pretty simple to make? Whether it is a classic sour cream donut, apple cider donut, or even an old fashioned donut stick, you can bring that great donut store taste right out of your oven or air-fryer.
We all enjoy the traditional donuts, but what about fruit donuts? These orange donuts were inspired from the Orange Julius drink we used to get at the mall!
Why Make Donuts with Orange Juice
- Amazing flavor - Orange juice, zest, and orange pieces adds a tangy citrus flavor to the sweet fluffy donuts..
- Looks delicious - The light orange color topped with a white vanilla frosting and sprinkles is a thing of beauty.
- Easy to make - These donuts can be made in 30 minutes and are perfect for a morning snack.
- Orange overload - These orange donuts are made with fresh orange juice, orange pieces, and then topped with an orange glaze!
Whether you want a delicious snack for yourself or some special treats to share with friends for a weekend breakfast, our sweet and citrusy orange donuts are sure to be a hit.
Key Ingredients
Combine some basic baking ingredients with fresh orange juice to create an orange donut that will start your morning right.
- Sugars - Both granulated and powdered sugar add some sweetness to the donut
- Cuties - Get the fresh orange juice, zest, and orange pieces from this small delicious fruit.
- Yogurt - Gives the donuts a soft, fluffy texture.
- Extracts - This will use both vanilla and orange extract.
How to Make Orange Donuts
This baked orange donut recipe is quick and easy to make with just one bowl and one pan. A vanilla glazed topping and fun sprinkles make the donuts so pretty and delicious.
If you love orange, check out these orange sweet rolls!
Make Donut Batter
Step 1. Mix together the wet ingredients. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the extracts, egg, and yogurt and mix again.
Step 2. Stir in the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, stir together the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flour. Slowly beat the dry ingredients into the wet ones.
Step 3. Add the juice and zest. Slowly mix in the orange juice and orange zest to the thick dough making sure not to over mix the batter.
Step 4. Stir in the orange pieces. Gently stir the orange pieces into the batter.
Bake and Cool
Step 5. Fill the donut pan. Spoon the batter into the greased pan or use a piping bag to gently squeeze the batter into the pan, filling them at least ¾ full.
Step 6. Bake and cool. Place the filled pan in the oven and bake for 11-12 minutes or until the tops spring back when pressed. Cool in the pan for a few minutes, before placing on a cooling rack.
After 10 minutes use icing tip 1M to cut out the centers where the batter over baked. Cool completely.
Glaze and Decorate
Step 7. Dip the donuts in vanilla glaze. Stir together the powdered sugar and orange juice. Dip the tops of the donuts in the glaze and let set.
Step 8. Decorate with sprinkles. Spoon the rest of the glaze into a ziplock bag and cut one corner off. Drizzle over one side of a few donuts and add sprinkles and sugar.
Add sprinkles while the vanilla glaze is still wet. Continue until all the donuts are done.
Storage Recommendations
These orange donuts are great the day they are baked, but you may enjoy them even more the day after.
On day 1, they will be light like a muffin. Store them in a sealed container, and they will absorb the moisture from each other making them more dense.
On the Countertop - Place any leftover donuts in an airtight container on the counter at room temperature for 3-4 days.
In the Freezer - Before glazing, place any donuts you want to freeze in an airtight container and freeze for 1-2 months. Place the donuts on the counter top and bring to room temperature before glazing and adding sprinkles.
Tips and Tricks
Here are some of our favorite baking tips that will help you make the best orange donuts.
- Do NOT over mix the batter. If you over mix the batter the orange donuts could be tough and chewy.
- To get the batter neatly into the donut pan, place the batter in a large ziplock bag or a piping bag and squeeze it into the pan.
- The donuts will over flow in the pan if you fill them too much. Make sure you only fill them ¾ full for the best donut shape.
- If the donuts overflow and fill in the donut hole, use a large icing tip or a small paring knife to cut the centers out of the donut for that perfect donut shape.
- It is best to wipe and respray the donut pan after every batch of donuts or they might stick in the pan.
- Makes sure the baked goods are completely cool before dipping them in glaze or the glaze will melt off instead of setting.
- Do not over bake the donuts. If they are over baked they will be dry and crumbly and could ruin your donut experience.
FAQ
If the donuts are hard they may have been mixed for too long or baked for too long. Also, be sure to properly measure the flour by using the spooning method.
While orange donuts may contain some nutritional benefits from the oranges used in the recipe, they are still considered a dessert and are not typically considered a healthy food option.
However, using healthier ingredients in the recipe, such as whole wheat flour or natural sweeteners, can make them slightly healthier than traditional donuts.
It is possible to make orange-flavored donuts without an actual orange by using more orange extract and replacing the orange juice with milk. However, the flavor will not be as strong and the color would not be as pretty as using fresh oranges.
Other Baked Donuts
- Carrot Cake Donuts
- Chocolate Zucchini Donuts
- Pumpkin Caramel Donuts
- Baked Vanilla Glazed Donut
- Blueberry Jelly Donut Holes
- Chai Donuts
Do you love a recipe you tried from Inside BruCrew Life?
Please leave a 5-star ⭐️ rating and a review in the comments section below.
Recipe
Orange Donuts
Brighten your day with Orange Donuts topped with a sweet orange glaze! Freshly squeezed orange juice and zest give the light and fluffy donuts a moist citrus flavor that you won't be able to resist.
Ingredients
For the Donuts
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 1 large egg
- ⅔ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon orange zest (from 3 cuties)
- ⅓ cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from 3 cuties)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup orange pieces (3 cuties, peeled and diced)
For the Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice + 1 teaspoon
- orange and white sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°. Spray a large donut pan with nonstick baking spray. Wipe out the excess spray with a paper towel.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugars until creamy. Add the extracts, egg, and yogurt and mix until again.
- Stir together the baking powder, baking soda, flour, and salt. Add to the butter mixture alternately with the orange juice. Do not over mix.
- Stir in the orange pieces gently. Let the batter rest 5 minutes.
- Fill the donut cavities ¾ full. Bake for 11-12 minutes or until the tops spring back when pressed. Cool in the pan for 3 minutes. Gently remove to a wire rack to cool completely. After 10 minutes use icing tip 1M to cut out the centers of the donuts where they may have over baked.
- Wipe the donut pan out completely and spray with baking spray again and repeat with batter.
- Stir together the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons orange juice. Add more if needed. The glaze should be thick. Spread on the donuts and let set.
- Spoon remaining glaze into a small Ziplock bag and cut one tip off. Drizzle over tops of donuts and add sprinkles as you go. Let set completely. Store in a loosely sealed container on the counter.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 15 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 247Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 257mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 1gSugar: 26gProtein: 4g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
*The post for orange Julius donuts was first published June 2013. It was updated and republished March 2023.
sally @ sallys baking addiction
I'm hearing those same donut pan voices too, Jocelyn! It's been way too long since I made donuts! Almost a year, I think.
These look wonderful! I love orange julius!
Jocelyn Brubaker
I'm glad I'm not alone with these crazy voices! 😉 Good lord girl, you need to make some then!!
Eat Good 4 Life
OMG you have some dangerous treats in here. I think my butt is getting bigger by just looking at them 🙂 It was great meeting you at blogher food in Austin. Hopefully we will meet again soon.
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thank you so much!! 😉 My butt is definitely getting bigger from consuming them, lol! It was great meeting you too!!
Capturing Joy with Kristen Duke
Looks so delicious, my friend!!!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thanks girl!!
Jennifer @ Not Your Momma's Cookie
Yum! These sound delicious 🙂 I love orange-y treats in the morning!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thank you Jennifer!! I do too!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust
Orange Julius is one of my favorite things ever. These donuts are amazing!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Then you totally need one of these bad boys!! They are so so goooood!! 😉
Ashley @ Kitchen Meets Girl
I love making homemade donuts...aaaaand now, my donut pan is calling to me! 😉
Jocelyn Brubaker
Yay!! 😉
Jenn
I so need a donut pan in my life so I can make all your yummy donuts!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Yes, you really do!! 🙂
Happy Valley Chow
dannggg...I could eat a dozen of those in one sitting! They look and sound amazing, as well as very dangerous. Feel free to stop by my link party and share your awesome recipes!
Happy Blogging!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thank you!! 😉
Chels R.
These look so good! I love Orange Julius! These will be the next donuts I bake up for my kiddos!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thank you! I'm glad to hear that you're going to bake them!! 🙂
Wendy
There can be no debate that these doughnuts would contribute to a healthy, happy state of mind and spirit! An orange scented doughnut, a cup of coffee, and the weekend newspaper sounds like a spiritual retreat to me. 🙂 Also, Jocelyn, if you ever run out of yogurt infused doughnuts and are worried about getting your daily dose of dairy, milk chocolate does it for me. 🙂
Jocelyn Brubaker
I'm glad you agree that they are healthy!! 😉 Chocolate milk is definitely a runner up for my daily dose of dairy 😉
Cathy@LemonTreeDwelling
These donuts sound like such a tasty treat! The perfect way to start your day!!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Yes, definitely the perfect way!! 😉
Karissa K. @ Sweet As A Cookie
These sound amazing! oh my 🙂
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thank you so much!! 😉
katie
yes please! I loved drinking orange julius' as a kid... in a donut? Even better!!!
Jocelyn Brubaker
I agree!! 😉
Jess
Oh my gosh these look amazing! YUMMY!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thank you Jess!!
Hayley @ The Domestic Rebel
Oh em gee, Joc! These donuts are killer! Everyone's been doing OJ inspired recipes lately and it has me CRAAAAVING one so bad. I am totally making these donuts!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Haha thanks!! And I'm sure you'll love them if you make them. They are GOOD!!
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes
OMG I need about 5 of these right now!! I also need to buy a donut pan asap 🙂
Jocelyn Brubaker
Yes, a donut pan is a must!! 😉
Julie @ Julie's Eats & Treats
Oh I hear ya. My donut pans have been calling my name every since everyone was posting donuts on National Donut Day!!!! These look fab!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thanks!! I'm glad I'm not the only one who hears pans talking! 😉
Becca @ Crumbs and Chaos
I like how you're thinkin'...total healthy breakfast right there! I love that this recipe makes 18 donuts - they seem to disappear so fast around here!
Jocelyn Brubaker
They disappear quickly here too! That might or might not be largely my fault! 😉
Aimee @ ShugarySweets
I love orange julius drinks, and in a donut? I'm on my way over!!!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Yay! Lets have a donut date!! 🙂
Tieghan
Mmm! What a fun flavor and I love that they are on the healthier side! I think I need try and do some healthier treats for these summer days!
These look awesome, Jocelyn!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thanks Tieghan! 😉