Loukoumades – Greek doughnuts

Loukoumades – Greek doughnuts

loukoumades greek doughnuts in syrup

We have a real treat for you today – delicious dough puffs drizzled in an aromatic syrup and sprinkled with finely chopped nuts.

These delicacies are loukoumades, Greek doughnuts, which taste similar to doughnuts yet they are so much easier to make. They make fantastic coffee or tea companions. I can guarantee you that despite your best efforts, you will find it a challenge to stop at just one or two as they are completely addictive.

I know what I’m talking about. On the day of the photoshoot, every time I passed by the plate with loukoumades, I had to have one. By the end of the day I made a quick calculation and realised that I must have hoovered up at least a dozen of these golden brown beauties.

My advice to you is invite some friends over before you set the pot on the stove. I don’t know anyone who would say ‘no’ to a freshly fried, homemade doughnut. Failing that, line up some hard exercise sessions for the next day;). They are so worth it!

loukoumades greek doughnuts dough and fried puffs

loukoumades greek doughnuts glazing

loukoumades greek doughnuts side

loukoumades greek doughnuts top down

loukoumades greek doughnuts for dessert

loukoumades greek doughnuts close up

makes
35
PREP
20 min
COOKING
15 min
makes
35
PREPARATION
20 min
COOKING
15 min
INGREDIENTS

DOUGH

  • 2 cups of white all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup / 240 ml lukewarm water
  • ½ cup lukewarm almond milk
  • 1 sachet (7 g) dry instant yeast
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tbsp oil + more for frying

SYRUP & GARNISH

  • ½ cup / 120 ml maple syrup**
  • 1 orange (¼ cup / 60 ml orange juice + orange and zest)
  • a quill of cinnamon
  • handful of pistachios or walnuts, very finely chopped

METHOD
LOUKOUMADES

  1. Mix all the dry ingredients together including yeast. Then add lukewarm water and milk and mix well until you get a runny batter similar to pancake batter.
  2. Cover with a piece of cling film and rest it for about 1-2 hours (in warm weather it will take less time), until dough triples in size and there are lots of air bubbles visible (see photo).
  3. Once the dough is ready, heat up a small pot with oil on the stove. Once the oil is hot, dip a teaspoon in it and then scoop a teaspoon of the dough and gently drop it into hot oil. Give the dough a good stir in between batches.
  4. Fry about 4 loukoumades at one time. As the dough is very puffy / airy, they have a tendency to float, make sure you flip them now and again to be sure they are cooked evenly.
  5. Once your loukoumades are golden brown all over, fish them out of the oil with a fork or a slotted spoon and place them on a few layers of kitchen roll to get rid of excess oil.
  6. Pour hot (that’s important!) syrup over your loukoumades and sprinkle some finely chopped pistachios and optionally some orange zest. Serve immediately.

SYRUP

  1. Put maple syrup, 60 ml of orange juice and cinnamon quill in a small saucepan.
  2. Bring the mixture to boil and then simmer very gently for 10-15 minutes until the syrup thickens a little.
  3. Fish out cinnamon quill and pour hot syrup over hot loukoumades.

NOTES
* The dough recipe has been adapted from this recipe
** You can also make a simple sugar syrup if you don’t have maple syrup.

SHARE
NUTRITIONAL INFO
calories
45
2%
sugars
3 g
4%
fats
1 g
1%
saturates
0 g
0%
proteins
1 g
2%
carbs
9 g
4%
*per doughnut
How would you rate this recipe?
This is a test string

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

5.0
5 reviews, 23 comments
REVIEWS & QUESTIONS
Mina:
Hi Ania,
Thank you so much for your recipe
Just a question? Can I put water or rice milk instead of almond milk?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Mina,
    My pleasure, I am pretty sure any plant milk that is neutral in taste will work the same way, water won't be the end of the world either. Hope you'll enjoy them! x Ania
Julie:
I want to make these for a vegan Greek dinner party. could the cooked doughnuts be made in advance and reheated?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Julie,
    I haven't tried but I am not sure this will work that well, fried foods are never that good once reheated in my personal opinion. Ania
Leya fadzil:
Hi, I just wonder.. Will the dough last more than 4hours once it's mixed?
    Ania
    Ania:
    It should be fine in the fridge but as it contains yeast it is likely to overproof at room temperature. I recommend proofing it in the fridge overnight (instead of on the counter) for a slow rise. Hope that helps! Ania
Ron Wessels:
Q: Can I use an Air Fryer to make loukamades?
    Ania
    Ania:
    I don't own one so it's hard for me to comment, sounds like it's worth trying! Ania
ashok:
Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.
    Ania
    Ania:
    My pleasure! I'm delighted that you and your family enjoyed these and thanks for returning to let me know - much appreciated. Ania
Amy Pham:
I tried this recipe tonight and it was awesome. Super light and fluffy. I didnt spoon it out into the oil, instead I reccomend getting a ziploc bag and puuting a teaspoon of oil in it and seal it, mix the bag around and spread the oil, then open and add the mixture in, cut a little snippet of the corner of the bag and pipe into the oil with scissors to snip the dough. Thanks for the recipe.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Amy,
    Thanks so much for this lovely review, I am delighted to hear that you liked it! Great idea to use a makeshift piping bag especially if it's something you can reuse. Cheers! Ania
Victoria:
I've tried so many different recipes trying to find the right one and this one takes the cake. They are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. I did use normal milk instead of almond milk though. Love it! Thank you :)
    Ania
    Ania:
    Glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, Victoria! Ania
Sabeena:
Just come across this website. Amazing ! Thank you for the wonderful ideas.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you, Sabeena! That's lovely to hear! Ania
Charlotte:
Looks so tasty! Can you make anything in advance (dough or the donuts)? Thanks!
    Ania
    Ania:
    I haven't tried but my guess is that it will impact the flavour negatively. Ania
Blair thornton:
I made these today and followed recipe exactly and my dough was quite thick not like a pancake batter as you mentioned
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Blair,
    It may be because the flour you have used has higher absorbency than the one I had or could it be that you were a bit more generous with your cups? In any case, adding more liquid is what is required here. Ania
Hannah:
Can I ask where and how you take your photograph's? They're all so beautifully shot!
I'm currently learning more tips and tricks for photography - i'm really a newbie!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks Hannah :) There is really no secret to it - all you need good light and a camera that does manual settings. I shoot all my photos by a well lit window but you could also use a large lightbox instead. Like with everything, the key is practice. The more photos you take the better they get! Good luck and enjoy the journey! :) Ania
Emma:
Hi there,
What oil do you use for frying them and how deep do you fill the pan? Could they be done in a deep fat fryer?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Emma,
    I used sunflower oil and filled the smallest pot I have with about 7.5 cm / 3 in of oil. I don't have a deep fat fryer myself, but I'm sure that would work even better! Good luck and hope you'll like them! :)
      Emma:
      Lovely, thankyou! 😊
        Ania
        Ania:
        I would love to hear what you thought! Hope you'll love them as much as do! x
Glen Marlow:
Love this website, so much to pick from.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Aw, thanks so much, Glen :) That's so nice to hear! Ania
DON'T MISS A SINGLE RECIPE
Join our mailing list and we we will let you know when we publish a new recipe. You'll receive our DELIGHTFUL DESSERTS E-BOOK as a thank you for supporting us.