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Lemon Fritters

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
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Lemon Fritters

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Lemon Fritters are a quick and easy recipe for delicious and light donut-like bites. These babies are crispy and golden on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. Light as a cloud and bursting with fresh lemon flavor, these lemon fritters are perfect for brunch!

If you need an easy Mother’s Day brunch recipe, you’re going to love these perfect lemon fritters.

Watch my web story for easy lemon fritters here.

What are Lemon Fritters?

Lemon fritters are just a quick and easy version of donuts. Think a light and airy donut hole–these crispy donuts practically melt in your mouth.

Lemon fritters are less dense than your typical donut and they’re so easy to make. The batter comes together in about 5 minutes in one bowl with no yeast or leavening besides baking powder. These little donut-like fritters don’t require fancy ingredients or equipment and they’re perfect for an impromptu brunch.

lemon fritters

How to make Easy Lemon Fritters

This recipe couldn’t be easier to make and is a perfect breakfast or brunch recipe whenever you’re craving something sweet.

Tools Needed

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Sour Cream
  • Lemon zest
  • Eggs
  • Olive Oil
  • Sugar
  • Flour
  • Baking Powder
  • Canola oil
  • Powdered Sugar

The Process

  • Step one: In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, lemon zest, sugar, and olive oil until smooth. Make sure your ingredients are room temperature.
  • Step two: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until no streaks of flour remain and the batter is smooth.
  • Step three: Heat at least 2 inches of oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat until a probe thermometer reaches 360 F. I found that this is about 5-6 cups, depending on your pot.
  • Step four: Using a 1 oz (2 tablespoon) cookie scoop, drop 4-5 scoops of batter into the oil at a time. Fry for 4-5 minutes, turning the fritters over a couple of times, until golden brown.
  • Step five: Using a spider or slotted spoon, remove the fritters from the oil and transfer to a paper towel-lined tray to drain off excess oil. Dust with powdered sugar while still warm and serve immediately.

Storing Lemon Fritters

These lemon fritters are best served fresh and warm. You can store them in an airtight container lined with a paper towel at room temperature. Try reheating them in the oven briefly, or an air fryer. They won’t be as good as fresh, but they’ll still be tasty!

fried lemon fritters in a bowl

More Brunch Recipes to Try

Easy Salmon Gravlax
Maple Bacon French Toast
Apple Pie French Toast Bake

This post contains affiliate links from which I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Affiliate links allow me to keep providing great recipes for free and I never recommend products that I don’t love and personally own.

lemon fritters
Breakfast, Brunch

Lemon Fritters

These easy lemon fritters are a one-bowl easy brunch recipe.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Makes: 18 fritters

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 6 cups canola oil
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

  • In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt or skyr, olive oil, granulated sugar, and lemon zest until smooth. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until no streaks of flour remain.
  • Heat the canola oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat to 360 F. You want the oil to be at least 2 inches deep, so use an appropriately sized pot.
  • Using a 1 oz (2 tablespoon) cookie scoop, drop 4-5 scoops of batter into the oil and fry for 4-5 minutes, flipping the fritters halfway through, until golden brown.
  • Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer the fritters from the oil to a paper towel-lined tray to drain excess oil. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Nutrition

Serving: 1fritterCalories: 79kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 2gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 96mgPotassium: 41mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 53IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 48mgIron: 1mg

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  1. 5 stars
    I ended up making these with vanilla instead of lemon (because the lemon I had was not useable), and they still turned out delicious! It was a bit strong of an eggy flavor, but even my kid who doesn’t usually love eggs devoured them.
    Will try them again once I get another lemon!

    • Chantal,

      So happy you liked the recipe! The lemon definitely cuts through some of that eggy flavor. In future, you could cut the recipe down to two eggs and it should still work fine!