Easy Italian Lemon Ricotta Doughnuts
One of the quickest doughnut recipes you'll ever make without any yeast and ready in less than an hour! These easy Italian lemon ricotta doughnuts, especially delicious served warm right out of the fryer, are crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside with a hint of lemon flavor!
Servings 24 mini doughnuts
Calories 78kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup ricotta whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 lemon, zest of
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
- vegetable oil for frying canola or sunflower oil may be used instead
For dredging
- 3 tbsp. granulated sugar or powdered sugar
Instructions
- If your ricotta is very watery, strain it in a cheesecloth lined fine meshed sieve for at least 15 minutes.
- Combine ricotta, eggs and sugar in a large bowl. Stir with a whisk or fork until smooth.
- Note: if the mixture is not completely smooth you will detect darker spots in the fritters when frying (as in mine!), these are simply small lumps of ricotta. This does not affect the flavor or texture of the doughnuts.
- Stir in the lemon zest. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the ricotta mixture and stir just until combined. The mixture will be sticky and thicker than a pancake batter.
- Let the dough sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
- During this time, slowly heat about 2 inches of oil in a heavy bottomed pot, or use a deep fryer if you have one. Test to see if the oil is hot by dropping a tiny piece of dough in the oil. If it immediately begins to bubble and sizzle, the oil is ready.
- Use a handy 1 tbsp. cookie scoop to carefully drop the dough directly into the hot oil. For best results, do not overcrowd the pan. I fried eight doughnuts at a time, in three separate batches.
- The doughnuts are ready when they are golden brown on all sides. Lower the heat if they begin to brown too quickly on the outside as they may remain raw in the middle. My fritters took from 2-3 minutes to cook.
- Use a slotted spoon to scoop them out of the oil and transfer them to a paper towel covered tray to absorb any excess oil. While still warm, dredge each doughnut in granulated sugar. Serve immediately.
Notes
Substitutions and Variations:
-Replace the lemon zest with orange zest.
-Add cinnamon to the dough, about 1/2 tsp will do.
-Instead of plain sugar, dredge your doughnuts in a combination of sugar and cinnamon or simply dust with powdered sugar, if you prefer. How long do these doughnuts keep for? -As mentioned above, ricotta doughnuts are best served immediately to ensure the best texture.
-However, if you do happen to have leftovers they are definitely edible the following day. They will be much softer. Can they be frozen? -I do not recommend freezing fried desserts as the texture, once defrosted, tends to be soggy.
-Since these doughnuts take less than an hour to prepare, I strongly recommend preparing a fresh batch when you have a craving for them! Best tips for making ricotta doughnuts: -Whisk the ricotta/egg mixture until smooth to avoid dark spots when frying the doughnuts (although it is ok if a few lumps are still present!)
-Let the dough rest for about 20 minutes, while you heat your oil, for the best possible texture.
-Use a cookie scoop for easy mess free, evenly shaped doughnuts.
-Alternately, you can use two spoons to scoop the dough into the hot oil.
-Lower the temperature of the oil if the doughnuts begin to brown too quickly on the outside in order to avoid having doughnuts that are undercooked on the inside.
-Add cinnamon to the dough, about 1/2 tsp will do.
-Instead of plain sugar, dredge your doughnuts in a combination of sugar and cinnamon or simply dust with powdered sugar, if you prefer. How long do these doughnuts keep for? -As mentioned above, ricotta doughnuts are best served immediately to ensure the best texture.
-However, if you do happen to have leftovers they are definitely edible the following day. They will be much softer. Can they be frozen? -I do not recommend freezing fried desserts as the texture, once defrosted, tends to be soggy.
-Since these doughnuts take less than an hour to prepare, I strongly recommend preparing a fresh batch when you have a craving for them! Best tips for making ricotta doughnuts: -Whisk the ricotta/egg mixture until smooth to avoid dark spots when frying the doughnuts (although it is ok if a few lumps are still present!)
-Let the dough rest for about 20 minutes, while you heat your oil, for the best possible texture.
-Use a cookie scoop for easy mess free, evenly shaped doughnuts.
-Alternately, you can use two spoons to scoop the dough into the hot oil.
-Lower the temperature of the oil if the doughnuts begin to brown too quickly on the outside in order to avoid having doughnuts that are undercooked on the inside.
Nutrition
Calories: 78kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 35mg | Potassium: 43mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 68IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg