Loukoumades
Pillowy Greek fried dough puffs drizzled with warm honey and dusted with cinnamon. Golden, crispy-outside-fluffy-inside bites that come together in minutes.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 4g
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup whole milk, warm
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 cups neutral oil, for frying
- ½ cup honey
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup shelled pistachios or walnuts, finely chopped
Instructions
- 1
Pour 0.75 cup of warm whole milk (around 110°F) into a medium bowl. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of instant yeast over the milk and let it sit for 1 minute until it blooms, then stir gently to combine.
- 2
Add 1 tablespoon of honey and 0.5 teaspoon of fine sea salt to the yeast mixture and stir until the honey dissolves.
- 3
Gradually add 1.5 cups of all-purpose flour to the wet mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until a soft, sticky dough forms. The dough should feel like thick batter — wetter and stickier than bread dough. Do not knead.
- 4
Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. You'll see it puff slightly and become bubbly around the edges — this is ready to fry.
- 5
Pour 3 cups of neutral oil into a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven and set over medium-high heat. Use an instant-read thermometer to monitor the temperature — you want it to reach 350°F. This usually takes about 5-8 minutes. The oil is ready when a small piece of dough dropped in immediately sizzles and rises to the surface, turning golden in about 60 seconds.
- 6
While the oil heats, warm 0.5 cup of honey in a small saucepan over low heat — you want it just warm and flowing, not hot. Set it aside.
- 7
Using two wet spoons (dip them in water to prevent sticking), gently scoop a walnut-sized portion of dough onto one spoon. Use the second spoon to nudge the dough off into the hot oil. Fry 4-5 loukoumades at a time — do not crowd the pan, as they need room to puff and turn golden.
- 8
Fry for about 1-1.5 minutes on the first side until deep golden brown, then flip using a slotted spoon. Fry for another 30-45 seconds on the reverse side until evenly golden. You're listening for a steady, gentle sizzle — if the oil is popping violently, lower the heat slightly.
- 9
Transfer the fried loukoumades to a paper towel-lined plate to drain briefly — just 10-15 seconds to remove excess oil while they're still warm.
- 10
Immediately arrange the warm loukoumades on a serving plate. Drizzle generously with the warm honey, dust with 0.5 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and scatter 0.25 cup of finely chopped pistachios or walnuts over the top. Serve while still warm — the honey will coat each puff as you pull them apart.
Tools you’ll need
- medium bowl
- wooden spoon
- plastic wrap or damp kitchen towel
- heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven
- instant-read thermometer
- small saucepan
- two wet spoons
- slotted spoon
- paper towels
- serving plate
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