Greek Food Sweets

Loukoumades: Greek Honey Doughnuts Recipe

Name: Loukoumades
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 250 g plain flour; 7 g instant dried yeast (1 sachet); 1 tsp sugar; 1/2 tsp fine sea salt; 250 ml lukewarm water (plus 1 to 2 tbsp if needed); 200 g honey; 100 ml water; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 L sunflower oil (for frying); 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 50 g walnuts (finely chopped); 1 tbsp sesame seeds (optional, toasted)

Light, crisp yeast-dough puffs fried golden, drenched in warm honey syrup and finished with cinnamon and walnuts.

Serves

Calories

390 kcal

Cuisine

Greek

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Greek loukoumades honey doughnuts with honey syrup, cinnamon, walnuts and sesame seeds

On this page: What is it · History · What you need · Step by step · Serving & storage · Recipe card

Loukoumades are small Greek doughnuts: light, airy puffs of yeast batter fried until crisp and golden, then soaked in warm honey syrup and scattered with cinnamon and chopped walnuts.

They are best eaten straight away, while the outside is still crunchy and the centre is soft. In Greece they are sold hot from specialist shops and at festivals.

The batter takes five minutes to mix. After an hour of rising, frying a whole batch takes about twenty minutes.

What Are Loukoumades?

Loukoumades (λουκουμάδες) are made from a loose, sticky yeast batter rather than a dough you can roll. Small spoonfuls are dropped into hot oil, where they puff up into irregular golden balls.

Once fried, they are drained and soaked in a syrup of honey, water and lemon, then dusted with cinnamon and topped with walnuts or sesame seeds.

Today you will also find them with chocolate sauce, ice cream or praline, but honey and cinnamon is the classic.

A Little History

Sharing a plate of warm loukoumades with honey and cinnamon on a Greek square in the evening

Fried dough soaked in honey or syrup is found across the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. The Greek name is linked to the Turkish lokma, meaning ‘mouthful’, and related versions are made from the Balkans to the Levant.

In Greece, loukoumades are sold in shops called loukoumatzidika, and are a familiar sight at fairs and religious festivals.

They are one of the most popular Greek desserts and a simple one to make at home with ingredients most people already have.

Planning a trip, or just back from one? Our Greece travel and food guide covers where to eat, where to stay and what to explore.

At a glance

Serves

Calories

390 kcal

Protein

5 g

Course

Dessert

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Why it works

01 Crisp outside, airy inside

02 Simple yeast batter, no kneading

03 Warm honey syrup soaks into every bite

Bowl of golden loukoumades soaked in honey with cinnamon and walnuts, seen from above

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What You Need

Exact amounts are in the recipe card

For the Batter

plain flour
instant dried yeast, 1 sachet
sugar
fine sea salt
lukewarm water, plus 1 to 2 tbsp if needed

For the Honey Syrup

honey
water
lemon juice

To Fry and Finish

sunflower oil, for frying
ground cinnamon
walnuts, finely chopped
sesame seeds, optional, toasted

Ingredients for loukoumades: flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water, honey, lemon, sunflower oil, cinnamon, walnuts and sesame

Step-by-Step Instructions

Mix the batter, let it rise, make the syrup, then fry in batches and serve immediately.

Beating a smooth, sticky, stretchy yeasted batter for loukoumades

1. Mix the batter

In a large bowl, mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add the water and beat with a spoon or your hand for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth, sticky and stretchy. It should be thick but pourable.

Loukoumades batter doubled in size and full of bubbles after rising

2. Let it rise

Cover and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour until doubled in size and full of bubbles.

Warming honey, water and lemon juice into a runny syrup for loukoumades

3. Make the syrup

Gently heat the honey, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan until runny and well mixed. Keep warm on the lowest heat.

Heating sunflower oil in a deep pan with a thermometer for frying loukoumades

4. Heat the oil

Heat the oil in a deep pan to 175 to 180 °C. The oil should be at least 6 cm deep.

Tip: Without a thermometer, drop in a small blob of batter. It should rise to the surface within a few seconds and turn golden in about 2 minutes.

Spoonfuls of batter puffing into golden loukoumades in hot oil

5. Fry the loukoumades

Dip a teaspoon in cold water, scoop up a little batter and push it into the oil with a second wet spoon. Fry 8 to 10 at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, turning, until puffed and golden. Drain on kitchen paper.

Tip: Dipping the spoons in water stops the batter sticking and gives rounder balls.

6. Soak and serve

Toss the hot loukoumades in the warm syrup, or pour the syrup over them on a platter. Sprinkle with cinnamon, walnuts and sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Serving & Storage

Serving

Serve loukoumades hot, piled on a plate with extra syrup on the side. A scoop of vanilla ice cream or a spoon of thick Greek yoghurt is a good contrast.

Serve with Greek coffee for a classic end to a meal.

Storing Leftovers

Loukoumades are at their best within an hour of frying. They soften as they sit in the syrup.

Fried loukoumades	eat the same day
Honey syrup	up to 2 weeks in the fridge
Freezer	not recommended

To revive leftovers, warm them on a tray in a 180 °C oven for 5 minutes, then add fresh warm syrup.

Loukoumades

Light, crisp yeast-dough puffs fried golden, drenched in warm honey syrup and finished with cinnamon and walnuts.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Greek

Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Rise 1

Total Time 1 30

Servings servings

Calories 390

Equipment

Large mixing bowl
Deep heavy pan or deep fryer
Kitchen thermometer
2 teaspoons
Slotted spoon
Small saucepan

Ingredients

Batter

250 g plain flour
7 g instant dried yeast 1 sachet
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
250 ml lukewarm water plus 1 to 2 tbsp if needed

Honey Syrup

200 g honey
100 ml water
1 tbsp lemon juice

To Fry and Finish

1 L sunflower oil for frying
1 tsp ground cinnamon
50 g walnuts finely chopped
1 tbsp sesame seeds optional, toasted

If the batter is too stiff to drop from a spoon, beat in 1 to 2 tablespoons of warm water.

Use a mild honey such as thyme or flower honey. Very strong honeys can overpower the dough.

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add the water and beat with a spoon or your hand for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth, sticky and stretchy. It should be thick but pourable.
Cover and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour until doubled in size and full of bubbles.
Gently heat the honey, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan until runny and well mixed. Keep warm on the lowest heat.
Heat the oil in a deep pan to 175 to 180 °C. The oil should be at least 6 cm deep.
Dip a teaspoon in cold water, scoop up a little batter and push it into the oil with a second wet spoon. Fry 8 to 10 at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, turning, until puffed and golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
Toss the hot loukoumades in the warm syrup, or pour the syrup over them on a platter. Sprinkle with cinnamon, walnuts and sesame seeds and serve immediately.