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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 darker and larger than their Austrian cousin krapfen and often ball-like in shape rather than round.
Traditional fillings are plum preserve and rose jam. They are placed at the center of the dough and then wrapped around it to make a ball-like shape. Pączki are much more than just a tasty treat; they hold cultural significance in Poland and among Polish communities worldwide.
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 golden, crispy exterior.
The interior should be fluffy, tender, and chewy. These fritters are usually served hot when sold by street vendors, and they can be consumed plain or dusted with icing sugar.
MOST ICONIC Sfenj
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 doughnuts are then sprinkled with sugar on top.
It is recommended to serve bambalouni with coffee, either for breakfast or as a snack eaten at the end of the day.
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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 bubble, referring to the typically small spherical shape of the fluffy fried pieces of dough which resemble bubbles.
These donuts are typically made with a simple batter of flour, water, and yeast, and once deep-fried in oil, they’re usually eaten while still warm. Fouskakia are usually enjoyed drizzled with honey on top and sprinkled with cinnamon or nuts, although they can also be accompanied by scoops of ice cream on the side.
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 snack in numerous pasticcerias, bakeries, and coffee shops throughout the country.
However, in Tuscany and further to the north of Italy, bomboloni are simply sugar-coated, while in Lazio these delectable treats take on a more decadent appearance, as biting into their sugary crust reveals a silky cream on the inside. The so-called bombolone Laziale is typically filled with either classic custard cream called crema pasticcera, or sometimes even chocolate cream.
MOST ICONIC Bomboloni
View moreFried 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 until golden.
Besides numerous other varieties, fried bananas also appear under different names such as godoh biu on Bali or gedhang gorèng on Java. They are traditionally sold at street stalls and carts and belong to a group of gorengan dishes—Indonesian deep-fried snacks.
MOST ICONIC Pisang goreng
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. Although nonnevot has traditionally been associated with the carnival, today it can be bought in many regional bakeries.
The unusual name of this pastry means nun's butt, referring to its knotted shape and the knot on the back of a nun's uniform.
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 the middle is their softness, achieved by the addition of moist, cooked potatoes in the dough.
After the frying process, graffe are repeatedly tossed in granulated sugar until they are coated in it, and are then enjoyed right away - they taste the best while still warm.
MOST ICONIC Graffe Napoletane
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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 served as an appetizer or a snack, but some people like to add slices of bocadillo guava paste, so this dish can also be served as a dessert.
MOST ICONIC Aborrajados
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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 breadcrumbs.
The banana pieces are then fried in hot oil until they develop a golden color of the exterior. The dish can be served as a dessert or as an accompaniment to main dishes. When served as a dessert, it is traditionally sprinkled with brown sugar and served with a dollop of sour cream.
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 100 Deep-fried Desserts in the World” list until February 13, 2025, 12,131 ratings were recorded, of which 7,178 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.