Loukoumades - Greek Honey Balls (Easy Homemade Donuts)

Loukoumades are delicious Greek Honey Balls or donuts made with only 5 ingredients plus toppings. They're soft and spongy inside while crisp outside, served warm with plenty of honey and ground cinnamon.

This is one of the easiest coziest wintry Greek desserts. These Greek donuts with honey are so delicious with the warm comforting flavors of honey and cinnamon. A simple and frugal dessert that's served during Greek feasts and celebrations.

Table Of Contents

• What Are Loukoumades
• Loukoumades Ingredients
• How To Make
• Toppings
• Recipe

What Are Loukoumades

Loukoumades are Greek fried dough balls made with a simple dough of flour, water, yeast, salt, and sugar. They're traditionally fried in olive oil and are a dairy-free version of donuts. Their texture is airy and puffy while crisp on the outside. They become spongy as they cool that's why they're always served warm.

Another delicious and very similar Greek fried dough dessert to try is Tiganites (Fried Greek Pancakes).

Loukoumades Ingredients

For the Greek donut balls:

• Flour: You can use all-purpose flour to make Greek honey balls but bread flour makes them even crisper.
• Yeast: I'm using instant-dry yeast but fresh yeast can be used instead. To substitute use 15 grams of fresh yeast.
• Salt
• Sugar
• Oil for frying: I'm using a mixture of vegetable (sunflower) and olive oil for frying. Vegetable oil yields fluff airy and light loukoumades while olive oil gives a deeper color and depth of flavor.

How To Make

To make Greek honey balls combine flour with sugar and yeast. Then pour in water gradually to form a thick dough batter. Stir in the salt at the end so it won't deactivate the yeast.

Allow the dough to rise in a warm oven covered with a dampened tea towel. If your oven has a proofing function use that. Otherwise, heat the oven for a few minutes at a very low temperature as instructed in the recipe, and then turn it off before you add the dough in it.

You can also let the dough rise at room temperature but it will take double or even triple the time depending on the temperature of the room.

To give the dough a round shape take a handful of it and pass it through your fist, scoop a spoonful of the dough that comes out of the top of your fist, and add it to the hot oil. Keep a cup filled with cold water next to you to dip your spoon in it every time you scoop a spoonful of the dough. This helps the dough not to stick to the spoon.

Deep-fry the dough balls until honey-golden in color and crisp all around. Use one or two forks to flip them often.

Drain the Loukoumades on a cooling rack for 1-2 minutes and then transfer to a serving plate or bowl. Avoid draining them on paper towels as this will soften them at the bottom. Ready to serve!

Toppings

Loukoumades are best served with plenty of honey and ground cinnamon. For extra sweetness with some icing sugar as well. The warm donut balls soak the sticky honey and together with ground cinnamon make this a cozy and scrumptious dessert.

Another popular topping for Loukoumades is a chocolate ganache. You can add a dark chocolate ganache (the more cocoa percentage in the chocolate the better) and a drizzle of honey for a delicious bitter-sweet combination. Or you can use milk chocolate or white chocolate ganache without the honey.

Nuts and Seeds: Traditionally Greek honey balls can be topped with either sesame seeds or ground walnuts. If you add a chocolate ganache hazelnuts are a delicious combo. The white chocolate ganache would be great with some pistachios. Or just mix things up and get creative!

Recipe