I had something sweet in mind, something a little lighter to enjoy after the gym, but in the end, the sour cream and jam won me over 😀. And that’s how these mini ricotta doughnuts came about. To me, they’re like smaller, more delicate cousins of the traditional Romanian papanasi.
And since I openly admit to being a ricotta addict, there was really no way I wasn’t going to love them. 😛
I love this recipe because it’s so simple, doesn’t require yeast, and you don’t have to wait forever for the doughnuts to be ready. In about 30 minutes, you’ll have a plate of small, fragrant doughnuts that are just perfect while still warm.
This recipe makes about 15 small doughnuts, depending on how large you make them.
Because they’re small, they fry pretty quickly, so keep an eye on them and don’t leave them unattended. Mine took about 2–3 minutes per side.
If you’re using a larger pan, you can fry more doughnuts at once and have them ready even faster.
Why I Love These Ricotta Doughnuts
First of all, because they’re so easy to make. There are no complicated techniques involved, and you don’t need any fancy ingredients.
The ricotta gives them a lovely texture and makes them a little different from classic doughnuts. They’re small, soft on the inside, and perfect with something creamy and something sweet on the side.
And there’s another big plus: they’re ready in no time. They’re the kind of dessert you can make when you’re craving something sweet but don’t feel like spending half the day in the kitchen. 🙂
How to Serve Ricotta Doughnuts
I served mine with sour cream and homemade wild strawberry jam, made by my mom. I loved the combination: warm doughnuts, cold sour cream, and the sweet-tart flavor of the jam.
They also work really well with other types of jam – mixed berry, sour cherry, strawberry, or raspberry. And if you want to keep things even simpler, just dust them with a little powdered sugar.
Basically, this is one of those recipes where you can have fun with the toppings and use whatever you happen to have on hand.
Tips for Perfect Ricotta Doughnuts
The batter for these ricotta doughnuts is quite soft. That’s perfectly normal, so don’t try to turn it into a firm dough like the one used for classic doughnuts.
It’s important for the oil to be hot enough before you start frying, so the doughnuts brown nicely on the outside without absorbing too much oil.
Since they’re small, they cook pretty quickly. After the first few doughnuts, you’ll get a feel for the right cooking time for your pan.
More Ricotta Recipes
If you love ricotta as much as I do, I have a few more recipes on the blog where you can put it to good use. From sweet treats to savory dishes, ricotta is one of those ingredients I always seem to find an excuse to turn into something delicious. 🙂
Apricot, Plum and Ricotta Cake
Ricotta Doughnuts Recipe
15
doughnuts10
minutes15
minutes70
kcalSmall, soft ricotta doughnuts that are best enjoyed warm, especially topped with sour cream and jam. They’re quick to make and disappear just as quickly. 😛
Ingredients
250 g ricotta
2 eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 level tablespoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
½ teaspoon baking soda
50 ml oil, for frying
- Note: You can also use vanilla extract instead of lemon zest. I think it would work really well, but I didn’t have any at the time.
Directions
- Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix well with a spoon.
- The batter should be quite soft, but thick enough that it doesn’t run.
- Spoon portions of the batter into a pan with hot oil.
- Fry the doughnuts on both sides for about 2–3 minutes per side, until nicely golden brown.
- Transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.