Loukoumades: Greek Honey Doughnuts, Step by Step
Loukoumades are Greek honey doughnuts: small, airy puffs of yeast dough fried until golden and drenched in honey syrup, then dusted with cinnamon and walnuts. They are sold at festivals and street stalls across Greece and Greek communities everywhere, including New York, and they are one of the oldest sweets still made today. This guide covers the batter, the frying, the syrup and how to get the puffs round.
Ingredients
This makes about 30 to 40 loukoumades. The batter is looser than bread dough, closer to a very thick pancake batter.
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) instant yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) warm water, plus up to 2 tablespoons more
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (for crispness, optional)
- Neutral oil for frying
- Syrup: 1/2 cup (170 g) honey, 1/4 cup (60 ml) water, 1 cinnamon stick, strip of lemon peel
- Topping: ground cinnamon, chopped walnuts, sesame seeds
Make the batter
Whisk the flour, cornstarch, yeast, sugar and salt. Add the warm water and beat with a spoon or spatula for a minute until smooth and stretchy. It should be thick but pourable. Cover and leave in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour, until doubled and full of bubbles.
While it rises, make the syrup: simmer the water, cinnamon and lemon peel for 2 minutes, then stir in the honey and simmer 1 minute more. Keep it warm.
Fry the loukoumades
Heat 2 to 3 inches of oil to 350°F in a heavy pot. Traditional cooks squeeze batter through a fist and scoop it off with a wet spoon; at home, two teaspoons dipped in water or a small oiled ice cream scoop is easier. Drop in teaspoon-size blobs, a few at a time. They will sink, then float and puff. Turn them with a slotted spoon so they brown evenly, about 3 to 4 minutes, until deep golden.
Lift onto a rack or paper towels. Oil that is too cool makes greasy, flat puffs; oil that is too hot browns them before the centers cook. A thermometer makes this easy.
Syrup and toppings
Toss the hot loukoumades in the warm honey syrup, or pile them on a platter and pour the syrup over. Dust with cinnamon and scatter with chopped walnuts. Modern Greek shops also serve them with chocolate sauce, praline, ice cream or pistachios, but honey and cinnamon is the classic.
Which honey to use
In Greece, thyme honey is a favorite for its herbal, floral flavor. A golden Wildflower or Pure Raw gives a similar richness. Orange Blossom is lovely with the lemon peel. Because the honey is warmed only briefly in the syrup, its flavor stays clear. See thyme honey to learn about the Greek original.
An ancient sweet
Fried dough soaked in honey has been made around the eastern Mediterranean for a very long time. A popular story, traced to ancient Greek writers, holds that honey-soaked dough balls were given to winners at the early Olympic Games. Whatever the truth of that, versions of the same sweet are found across the region: lokma in Turkey, luqaimat in the Arab Gulf, and zalabia in parts of North Africa and the Levant. Luqaimat are a popular sweet during Ramadan, often drizzled with date syrup or honey. See dates and honey.
Frequently asked questions
- What are loukoumades made of?
- A yeast batter of flour, water, yeast, a little sugar and salt, fried and soaked in honey syrup, then topped with cinnamon and walnuts.
- How do you get loukoumades round?
- Use a thick, well-risen batter, drop small spoonfuls with a wet spoon or oiled scoop, and fry at a steady 350°F.
- Can I make loukoumades ahead?
- They are best fresh. You can make the batter a few hours ahead and keep it in the fridge, then fry just before serving.
- Are loukoumades the same as luqaimat?
- They are close cousins. Luqaimat, popular in the Gulf, are similar fried dough balls often flavored with cardamom or saffron and drizzled with date syrup or honey.
Al Safa Honey is a food producer, not a medical provider. Nothing here is medical advice. Never give honey of any kind to a baby under 12 months old.
