Deep-fried Desserts

Pączki are traditional Polish doughnuts are made from yeast-leavened dough that's rich in eggs, sugar, milk, and fats. A touch of spirit, such as rum, is often added to the dough for pączki to prevent the absorption of oil during frying. They are ... READ MORE

Fried bananas or plantains are a common everyday snack eaten throughout Indonesia. They come in numerous versions in which the fruit is simply fried in shallow oil, but more often sliced banana pieces are coated in batter before they are fried unt... READ MORE

Nonnevot is a unique pastry originating from Limburg, dating back to at least the 17th century. The dough is prepared with flour, yeast, milk, salt, butter, lard, and brown sugar. It is then deep-fried until it develops a golden-brown color. Altho... READ MORE

Sfenj are popular Moroccan and Algerian doughnut-like fritters made from sticky unleavened batter, similar to Libyan sfinz and Tunisian bambalouni. The dough is traditionally shaped into rings and deep-fried until it develops a g... READ MORE

Fouskakia are traditional Greek donuts or loukoumades that are prepared on the islands of Skopelos and Alonnisos, in the northwest Aegean Sea. The name of this specialty derives from the Greek word foúska, meaning a bu... READ MORE

Italian deep-fried doughnuts known as bomboloni are one of the traditional sweets of the Carnival season, but nowadays they can be prepared throughout the year. Even though bomboloni are said to be of Tuscan origin, they are commonly sold as a sna... READ MORE

Graffe are soft Neapolitan fried sweets that are traditionally prepared for Carnival. It is believed that they were inspired by famous Austrian krapfen. The main characteristic of these leavened, doughnut-shaped fritters with a hole in th... READ MORE

Bambalouni are traditional Tunisian doughnuts that are especially popular in the village of Sidi Bou Said. They are made with flour, hot water, yeast, and salt. After the dough has been prepared, it is fried in hot oil until golden brown, and the ... READ MORE

Aborrajado is a Colombian dish consisting of cheese-stuffed sweet plantain slices that are battered and deep-fried. Although the name aborrajado means battered, the dish can also be baked or grilled. Aborrajado is traditionally s... READ MORE

Baked bananas are a typical African dessert that is especially popular in Gabon. There are numerous variations of the dish, but it is usually prepared by dipping sliced banana pieces in a combination of eggs and orange juice, then rolling them in ... READ MORE

Krapfen was probably the first European-style doughnut to appear, followed by similar varieties in other countries. These pastries are traditionally prepared with leavened dough that is deep-fried until golden and crispy on the outside, while they... READ MORE

Quarkbällchen, meaning quark balls, is a traditional snack that is typically made by combining quark, flour, eggs, sugar, vanilla sugar, and baking powder. Milk, melted butter, cinnamon, lemon zest, and corn or potato starch are also... READ MORE

These luscious little balls of sweet fried dough are one of the most recognizable Italian carnival sweets. Their name derives from the word castagne, meaning chestnuts, referring to their shape and size rather than the use of rea... READ MORE

Malasadas are traditional Portuguese yeast-leavened doughnuts made from eggs, flour, sugar, and milk. They are sometimes coated with cinnamon or granulated sugar. The original Portuguese malasadas don't have any holes or fillings, but the variatio... READ MORE

Qatayef is an Arabian dessert and a staple of the Ramadan holiday feast. It is a sweet pancake that is usually filled with cheese or nuts such as walnuts, almonds, pistachios, or hazelnuts. Qatayef can also be consumed plain, topped with clotted c... READ MORE

Bolas de Berlim are Portuguese donuts that are sliced in half, then filled with sweet and creamy egg-based custard. Fluffy on the exterior and thick and creamy on the interior, these donuts are typically rolled in granulated sugar before being fil... READ MORE

These soft, tender Czech doughnuts are prepared with yeasted dough that is occasionally flavored with lemon zest. They are typically round and have a small indentation on the top, which is used to hold all of the delicious filling. Even though the... READ MORE

Munkki, translated as monks, are popular Finnish deep-fried doughnuts made with buttery, cardamom-flavored, leavened dough. They are usually shaped into round forms that are occasionally complemented with sweet and fruity fillings, or in ... READ MORE

This traditional Middle Eastern dessert is often enjoyed on Iftar (a fast-breaking meal) during the holy month of Ramadan. The dish is made with thin sheets of phyllo dough that are wrapped into small elongated rolls while the center is filled wit... READ MORE

Papanași is a traditional donut-shaped pastry with a small sphere on top. It can be fried or boiled, and it's made by adding unsalted cheese such as brânză de vaci (cow's milk cheese) or urdă to a regular flour and egg dough. The fried papan... READ MORE

Odading is a traditional snack originating from Indonesia. It's usually made with a combination of flour, yeast, eggs, salt, and sugar. Once prepared, the dough is left to rise until it's doubled in size, and pieces of the dough are then fried in ... READ MORE

Priganice is a popular snack originating from Montenegro. The dough is made with flour, water, oil, salt, yeast, and sugar. Yogurt or rakija are sometimes added to the dough so that it doesn't soak up much oil during the frying process. Priganice ... READ MORE

Hailing from Zakynthos, this traditional Greek dessert is prepared with fine semolina flour that is cooked in water until thick and creamy. The mixture is then poured into a deep tray, and when set, it is cut into large rectangular or diamond-shap... READ MORE

Elongated, crispy, crunchy and intensely fragrant, churros consist of deep-fried yeast dough encrusted with sugar. Although some may argue against consuming these sweet treats, warning others about the dangerous effects of sugar and fat on human b... READ MORE

These squares of deep-fried pastry dough are sprinkled with powdered sugar and are traditionally served hot. The dish hails from France, and French settlers brought it to the Acadia region of Canada in the 17th century. Many of the Acadians later ... READ MORE

Picarones are a staple of Peruvian street food, the tasty, deep-fried treats that are also often referred to as the "Peruvian doughnuts". The dough is shaped into a ring and fried in hot oil, and picarones are then drizzled with a sweet cane syrup... READ MORE

Falling in the group of popular lumpia snacks, turon is the famous Filipino treat made with saba plantains and jackfruit. The fruit is sliced lengthwise, dusted in brown sugar, enclosed in thin wheat wrappers, then fried until go... READ MORE

Zeppole are a fried dough specialty that is found throughout southern Italy, consisting of deep-fried dough that is typically topped with sugar and can be filled with custard, jelly, pastry cream, or a combination of honey and butter. Some version... READ MORE

Maruya are the famous Filipino banana fritters which consist of sliced or mashed bananas that are dusted with flour, battered, then fried until crispy. The fritters are usually made with Filipino saba bananas and can come in various forms... READ MORE

Beaver tails are sweet, flat, and thin Canadian pastries made from whole wheat flour. The dough is hand-stretched and shaped to look like a beaver's tail - unsurprisingly, one of Canada's national symbols. The shaped dough is fried (a technique re... READ MORE

Imqaret is a traditional pastry that is filled with a combination of dates, citrus, and spices, shaped into a diamond, then deep-fried in hot oil. The name of the dish is derived from the word maqrut, meaning diamond-shaped, refe... READ MORE

These crispy Argentinian pastries are typically star-shaped, while the center is filled with quince or sweet potato preserve (dulce). They are usually deep-fried and then brushed with a sugar glaze. Optionally, they can be filled with dulce de lec... READ MORE

Magdeburger schmalzkuchen is a small, deep-fried pastry, considered a local specialty in the city of Magdeburg. It usually consists of yeast dough flavored with vanilla extract or vanilla sugar and lemon zest or juice. Typically rectangular or dia... READ MORE

This elegant, rose-shaped dessert is prepared with the same sweet pastry for the Polish faworki, only shaped like a rose. Due to its typical shape and the tradition of making it during the carnival season, this sweet treat was named r&oac... READ MORE

This internationally known, decadent, and sugar-packed dessert is usually made with a mixture of flour, sugar, yeast, and salt, which is deep-fried and then bathed in syrup or honey. The origin of lokma fritters is ancient but often debated. It is... READ MORE

Apple cider doughnuts are a type of doughnut popular on the East Coast of the United States, particularly in New England. As the name implies, they are made with a dough containing apple cider and are often coated in cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar. A... READ MORE

Koeksister is a sweet South African snack with a sticky appearance. It is prepared by frying braided dough strips in oil, then dunking them into a cold sugary syrup. These sticky treats are sold on every major street in South Africa, and today the... READ MORE

Skruzdėlynas is a Lithuanian dessert consisting of deep-fried pieces of dough which are stacked on top of one another, then glazed with honey syrup and sprinkled with poppy seeds. The dough consists of flour, eggs, a pinch of salt, and (optionally... READ MORE

Originating in Bengal, pantua is a soft, spherical dessert that is entirely drenched in cardamom-and-saffron-flavored sugar syrup. A dough of khoa (dried evaporated milk solids), chhena (Indian cottage cheese), flour, and baking ... READ MORE

Originating in Saxony, quarkkeulchen is made by combining quark, mashed potatoes, eggs, flour, and milk or water, and then shaping the mixture into flat cakes which are fried in hot oil or butter until nicely browned on both sides. This sweet spec... READ MORE

Although archaeologists had found some petrified remains of fried cakes with holes in the center, it is still unclear how could the early Native Americans prepare these delicious fried dough desserts that we know today as doughnuts. In the past, d... READ MORE

Rabanada is the Portuguese and Brazilian version of french toast. It's made with round or oval stale bread cut in thick slices that's dipped in milk (or milk, sugar, and vanilla) and beaten eggs, fried in oil, then sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. A... READ MORE