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–+ servings
loukoumades fried greek donut balls
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5 from 2 votes

Loukoumades Greek Donuts (Zalabia)

Loukoumades are Greek donuts, known as zalabia in Egypt. They are crispy fried balls of dough that are drizzled with aromatic sugar simple syrup, or honey. 
Servings: 50

Ingredients

Loukoumades Batter

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups warm water
  • 2 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoon powdered milk
  • 2 teaspoon instant yeast
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Oil for frying

Syrup

  • ⅔ cup sugar
  • ⅔ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Start by mixing the dry ingredients, then add the warm water and mix until there are no lumps. Cover with plastic wrap and let the batter rest for an hour. 
  • Prepare the simple syrup by mixing all the sugar and water in a pot, bring to a boil, and cook while mixing frequently until it thickens. Add the lemon juice and orange blossom water. Set aside to cool. 
  • After an hour, heat the oil on the stove. To check if it's hot enough, drop some batter in; if it bubbles, then the oil is ready. If not, wait a little bit for it to get hotter. 
  • Using 2 teaspoons, dip one spoon in a bowl of water and scoop up some dough. Use the other spoon to scrape the dough into the oil. Repeat until you have a couple of dough balls frying in the oil.
  • Use a frying spatula or slotted spoon to move them around in the oil, making sure they evenly fry on all sides. Once they're golden-brown, take them out of the oil and place them in a colander or on a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat until all of your dough is fried. 
  • Drizzle the simple syrup on top of the loukoumades and sprinkle your toppings of choice. 

Notes

  1. Serve immediately; they're best when fresh and crispy. 
  2. Substitute ¾ cup milk and ¾ cup water for 1 ½ cups of water and 2 tablespoons of powdered milk.
  3. Drizzle honey in lieu of orange blossom simple syrup.
  4. Alternate toppings are Nutella, crushed Oreos, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and crushed nuts.
  5. Reheating: Although I don't think you'll be left with any leftovers (my family always fights for the last piece), they can be reheated in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350 ℉ (180 ℃) and bake them for 10-15 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 10loukomades | Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 15.3g | Protein: 2.3g | Fat: 14.8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 4mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 4.2g