Loukoumades (Honey Puffs or Greek Doughnuts)

Serve these Greek donuts — Loukoumades — with a drizzle of honey, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and some toasted sesame seeds. No wonder this is such a popular dessert!

Try your hand and making these homemade New Orleans style beignets, too!

Greek Loukoumades

Sometimes referred to as lokma, these are popular in Turkey, Egypt, and Greece. Some say these sweet Greek donuts were served at the first Greek Olympic games! One thing is certain: These syrup drenched dough balls have some staying power.

These sweet Greek donuts start with a yeast dough. Fried to golden perfection, they’re covered in a honey syrup and sprinkled with cinnamon and powdered sugar for delightfully sweet treat.

Making yeast dough might sound daunting, but it’s really pretty easy. You’ll just need to make sure that you allow enough time for the dough to rise. In this case, about an hour. You don’t have to actually do anything while the dough rises — put your feet up and relax!

Ingredients

Flour — When I bake with all-purpose flour I opt for the unbleached version. Bleached flour is very white, but it’s also treated with bleaching agents that I don’t really need in my food. 

Active Dry Yeast — This is the ingredient that makes the loukoumades dough rise.

Sugar — Use your favorite brand of granulated cane sugar. I prefer organic.

Milk — Use whatever type you typically keep on hand. The addition of milk makes a more tender dough, though there is disagreement among Greek chefs as to whether or not milk is part of an authentic loukoumades recipe. (Disclaimer: I’m no expert on traditional Greek food, but I do love experimenting with recipes, especially desserts!)

Eggs — Let the eggs come to room temperature before adding them to the dough.

Butter — Allow the butter to come to room temperature for easy mixing. I used salted butter; if you prefer unsalted, that will work fine.

Honey — This is used as part of the drizzle for the cooked doughnuts.

Making these Greek doughnuts

Start by combining the yeast and water. This is called “proofing” and allows you to be certain that your yeast is fresh. It also gives the yeast a little bit of a head start. It should begin to get bubbly in 5-10 minutes.

In a separate bowl, combine the milk, sugar, and salt to dissolve the dry ingredients. Add the yeast, butter, and eggs, then add the flour about a cup at a time, to create a smooth batter.

Note: You can mix the dough for Greek honey balls by hand or use a high speed stand mixer.

Cover the finished dough loosely with a towel and set in a warm environment to rise. While the dough is rising, you can make the honey syrup by combining the honey and water in a sauce pan and bringing it to a boil.

Once the dough had doubled in size, use a scoop or your hands to remove a small portion of dough, enough to create two-inch dough balls. This will make a soft dough — just do your best to form a somewhat uniform small ball. Gently place the balls in the hot oil. Safety is paramount when you’re working with hot oil. It can splatter and burn.

As the loukoumades cook in the oil, they may roll over on their own. If not, you’ll need to give them a little assist. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, then remove from the hot oil with a slotted spoon or mesh skimmer. Drain fried dough balls on paper towels.

Once all of the loukoumades are golden brown, it’s time to dip and roll them in honey simple syrup. When they’re all coated, place the doughnuts on a serving tray and sprinkle with powdered sugar, cinnamon, and — optionally — toasted walnuts.

For a fun Greek-inspired meal, start to finish, serve this dessert following this homemade shrimp saganaki recipe!

Originally published in November, 2019; this post has been updated.

More dessert recipes to try:

• Lemon Cranberry Cake
• Fresh Peach Pie
• Pumpkin Creme Brulee
• Carrot Cake with White Chocolate Ganache