Loukoumades: Greek and Cypriot Honey Donuts Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Loukoumades: Greek and Cypriot Honey Donuts Recipe

Loukoumades are a delightful dessert from Cyprus and Greece. They are fried donuts coated in honey and sprinkled with cinnamon and walnuts.

Course Dessert

Cuisine cyprus

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Rising Time 1 10

Total Time 1 40

Servings

Calories 97kcal

Author Alexandria Drzazgowski

Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk
2 tbsp granulated sugar + 1 tsp, divided
1 Dry Active Yeast package
3 ¼ cup all purpose flour
1 cup water
4 tbsp olive oil
Sunflower or vegetable oil for frying
½ cup honey
¼ cup walnuts chopped
½ tsp cinnamon optional

Instructions

Place 1 cup of milk in a microwave safe container, and microwave until the temperature of the milk reaches 105 - 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
Add 1 tsp of sugar to the milk, then add the packet of yeast. Allow the yeast to sit for about 10 minutes on the countertop until it rises and the top becomes puffy.
In a separate bowl, mix 3 ¼ cups flour, 2 tbsp sugar, 4 tbsp olive oil, 1 cup water, and the risen milk/yeast mixture together. Whisk it for a few minutes until the combination is smooth.
Grease a glass bowl with nonstick spray, put the dough in the bowl, cover with a dish towel, and put in a warm, dark place for about an hour, or until the dough doubles in size.
After an hour, fill a skillet with about an inch of oil. Turn the heat to medium and heat until the oil reaches 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out ball-shaped scoops of dough. Dip your scoop in water or spray with nonstick spray between each scoop so that the dough doesn’t stick to the utensil.
Fry the batter in the oil, a few donuts at the time. When one side browns, flip them over so that they are evenly browned on each side. As the donuts are done, remove them to a paper-towel lined plate to remove any excess grease.
Once the loukoumades are cooked, move them to a serving platter. Warm the ½ cup honey in the microwave for about 30 seconds until it is easily pourable. Pour the desired amount over the donuts. Sprinkle the donuts with ¼ cup chopped walnuts and ½ tsp cinnamon. Enjoy!

Notes

Recipe copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational and personal use only.

Milk: Whole Milk or 2% will work best. I have not tested this recipe with almond milk for a dairy-free option, but you should be able to substitute it with no issues.
Dry Active Yeast: This is different from Instant Yeast.
Water: Room temperature
Oil for Frying: I prefer vegetable oil, but either vegetable oil or sunflower oil works
Follow the instructions on the back of your Yeast Package. My yeast called for the milk to be warmed to 105-110 degrees Fahrenheit, but if your package says differently, follow that.
The most important thing is to not heat your milk up too much over the called-for temperature or you will kill the yeast.
Make sure the balls of dough are about as large as a golf ball.
Make sure the oil is deep enough to cover at least half of your fried donuts.
If the outside of your donut is brown and crispy but the inside is still raw, your oil is too hot. Remove the hot oil from the heat and allow it to cool to the right temperature (300 degrees). Then, try again.
Only put honey on the donuts that you plan to eat. They are much harder to reheat if they have honey on them.
I am using a skillet to cook these Greek Doughnuts, but you can also use a deep fryer if you have one.

Nutrition