↑

Will Cook For Smiles

The Best of Homecooking

  • Home
    • About Me
    • Work With Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Subscribe!
  • Recipes
    • Popular Posts
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Healthy Dishes
    • Soup
    • Salad
    • Sandwich
    • Cauliflower
    • Drink
    • Cocktail
  • How To
  • Instant Pot
    • Instant Pot Main Dishes
    • Instant Pot Side Dishes
    • Instant Pot Soups
  • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Chicken
    • Beef
    • Seafood
    • Pork
    • Chili
    • Pasta
    • Slow Cooker
    • Vegetarian
  • Dessert
    • Cheesecake
    • Cake
    • Cookies
    • Chocolate
  • Holidays
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Super Bowl Recipes
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Cinco de Mayo
    • Mother’s Day
    • Father’s Day
    • BBQ
    • 4th Of July
    • Fall Recipes
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas Dinner
    • Christmas Baking
    • Holiday Leftover Recipes
    • New Year’s
Home » Breakfast » Easy Ricotta Doughnuts

Easy Ricotta Doughnuts

Created: December 23, 2015 Updated: January 9, 2021 by lyuba 68 Comments

22.4K shares
Jump to Recipe

Soft and fluffy, scrumptious doughnut holes made with ricotta cheese. These simple doughnuts don’t require any yeast, only take about 30 minutes to make and finger-licking-good!

Doughnut holes with powdered sugar on top stacked on a white plate

RICOTTA DOUGHNUT HOLES

This is one super treat for breakfast. These little ricotta doughnut holes will quickly become a family favorite. They are quite addictive for two reasons:

1. They are SO tasty! The texture is wonderful, they are soft, moist and fluffy inside. They have a mild sweet flavor that goes with coffee, tea or milk. And, you can easily fill them with some jam or custard as soon as you pull them out onto a wire rack. (Just use a long pastry tip to fill the doughnuts.)

2. These doughnuts are unbelievably easy to make. First time I made them, I was really surprised just how fast it was to make these from start to finish. Dough takes about five minutes and cooking will depend on the size of the pan you are using and how many doughnuts can you cook at a time. Each batch takes about 5-7 minutes to cook. All in all, it’s an easy, tasty treat for breakfast.

When my mom first gave me this recipe, I thought that the only way to make easy, no-yeast doughnuts was to use refrigerated biscuit dough. This is much, much better. The original recipe actually calls for farmer’s cheese. If you’re not familiar with farmer’s cheese, it’s kind of a pressed cottage cheese. It’s very firm, grainy and quite tasty. I grew up eating a lot of dishes that use farmer’s cheese, so I’m very familiar with it. As I was planning on making this recipe and sharing it with my readers, I realized that there is probably only a small portion of you who are familiar with farmer’s cheese. So I decided to use ricotta cheese and make the appropriate adjustments for the dough. The doughnuts turned out beautiful!

Doughnut holes with powdered sugar on top stacked on a white plate with a bite out of one

Don’t even think twice! Make these doughnuts as soon as possible. Make them for your family on Christmas morning and it will be the most hassle-free breakfast that everyone will love. After all, you spend most day on Christmas in the kitchen already.

MORE DOUGHNUT RECIPES TO TRY

Baked Apple Pie Doughnuts

Black & White Glazed Doughnuts

Coconut Cake Donuts

Baked Lemon Blueberry Doughnuts from The Recipe Rebel

4 Ingredient Apple Cider Doughnuts from The Food Charlatan

Baked Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Doughnuts from The Gunny Sack

Ricotta Doughnut holes with powdered sugar on top stacked on a white plate

If you made any of my recipes and shared them on Instagram, make sure to tag me @willcookforsmiles and #willcookforsmiles so I can see all the things you tried!

Connect with Will Cook For Smiles!

Be sure to click below and follow me on my social media, so you never miss a recipe.

   

Don’t forget to sign up for email, so you won’t miss any new recipes.

Easy Ricotta Doughnuts piled on a decorative round white plate with powdered sugar topping the doughnuts as viewed from above

Easy Ricotta Doughnuts

Soft and fluffy, scrumptious doughnut holes made with ricotta cheese.
4.08 from 27 votes
Print SaveSaved! Rate
Course: Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine: American
Keyword: doughnuts, ricotta
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 12 -14 doughnuts
Author: Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

  • 10 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 Tbsp white granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Oil for frying
  • Powder sugar for topping

Instructions

  • Preheat about 5 cups of oil in a medium sauce pot, over medium to medium-high heat. Heat oil to about 315 degrees. (350 will cook doughnuts too fast on the outside and leave them raw on the inside.)
  • Set out a wire rack and cover it with a paper towel or two.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk ricotta, vanilla, sugar and eggs until all incorporated.
  • Add flour baking soda and salt. Mix with a rubber spatula until completely mixed throughout.
  • Lay out a piece of parchment paper and lightly grease it.
  • Grease your hands with some cooking spray as well. Scoop out some dough and make about 1-inch balls. Lay them on the parchment paper while waiting to be fried.
  • Fry doughnut balls in batches of about 6 (as fitting to your sauce pot) for 5-7 minutes, until deep golden brown.
  • Take out the cooked doughnut balls and place them on a paper towel. After they are cooled for a couple of minutes, dust them with powder sugar.

Video

Notes

Recipe from Lyuba @ willcookforsmiles.com All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to share this recipe, please simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles and tag #willcookforsmiles

holding donut hole with powdered sugar on top

 

Ricotta Top view photo of Doughnut holes with powdered sugar on top stacked on a white plate

Ricotta photo collage of Doughnut holes with powdered sugar on top stacked on a white plate

LYUBA

ABOUT LYUBA

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read more...

22.4K shares

Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert Tagged With: donuts, doughnuts

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

Comments

  1. Donna says

    September 16, 2018 at 12:48 pm

    4 stars
    I made these exactly and fried to deep golden brown and some of them came out under cooked what a waste. You cant leave in for too long or they burn, i reduced temp even to 300 degrees. I was wondering can these be baked instead of fried? I felt bad for the kids.

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      September 26, 2018 at 5:44 pm

      Oh no, I”m sorry it came out that way. I wonder if maybe they were a little too big? I’ve made these so many times and I haven’t had them under-cook. I lat them sit to deep golden brown.
      If you have a doughnut pan, you can definitely try baking them. Try about 11 minutes and do a toothpick test. Let me know how it works out!

      Reply
  2. djr says

    September 24, 2018 at 2:43 am

    I was wondering if these can be made using an ebelskiver pan-is the consistency like pancake batter? If so, it may be doable, and you can use a lot less oil/fat to cook them.

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      September 26, 2018 at 5:46 pm

      Hi there!
      The consistency is actually thicker than pancake batter. You can see the consistency of the batter in the video. I’ve never used that pan before so I don’t want to give out a wrong suggestion.

      Reply
      • renata says

        December 4, 2021 at 6:07 pm

        yes, but where is the video, or a link. in the recipe above there is only written the word
        “video”, but no link. you can’t click on it.

        thanks a lot for the response

        renata

        Reply
  3. Airis A says

    September 29, 2018 at 11:20 am

    Hi, I love donuts, but I don’t eat fry food, well it’s not to. Can I bae the donut instead? Please let me know. They look so delish! Am an amateur Baker and I want to try to make them. I hope they come out looking and tasting like yours.

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      October 1, 2018 at 2:24 pm

      Hi Airis! I haven’t actually tried baking these doughnuts but I would think you would be fine baking them. The batter is a little thicker than the baked doughnuts I make though so the doughnuts might come out denser.
      Here is one of the baked doughnuts recipes I have https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/apple-pie-baked-doughnuts/
      I have a few more that you can search for or let me know and I’ll send more.

      Reply
  4. A. Menth says

    December 6, 2018 at 6:46 pm

    5 stars
    Would it be ok if I doubled the recipe, to make more of them?

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      December 15, 2018 at 12:00 pm

      Of course! Go for it 🙂

      Reply
  5. Karen says

    April 15, 2019 at 9:59 pm

    My grandmother made these and they are “sfingi” and a popular Sicilian dessert. She made them for St. Joseph’s Day and morning Aunt now makes them at Easter. We made them for my husband’s family for Hanukah this year and made with a berry dipping sauce as a play on the tradition sufganiyot donuts that are traditionally eaten for the holiday! Thanks for sharing your recipe!

    Reply
  6. Melissa Palombo says

    December 5, 2019 at 11:53 am

    These look so good Lyuba. I love all your recipes. Thanks so much for sharing. These little doughnuts remind me of my Italian family’s Zeppole. They are so addicting for sure lol!! I have to try making these, I bet they aren’t much different. Hope you and your family have a lovely holiday. 🙂

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      December 23, 2019 at 9:19 am

      Thank you, Melissa! Happy holidays to you and your family as well 🙂

      Reply
  7. Zoe says

    February 16, 2020 at 1:16 pm

    Hi!! Can I use an Air Fryer to cook these donuts? What would be my setting? Thanks!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      February 17, 2020 at 4:38 pm

      Hi, Zoe! I don’t have an air fryer so I am unsure what setting to use. I am sorry I couldn’t be more helpful.

      Reply
  8. Jane says

    March 31, 2020 at 3:53 pm

    Can I use an electric donut ball maker for these?

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      April 3, 2020 at 5:49 pm

      Hi Jane,

      I have never used one before so I am not sure of the results. It might dry out the middle and make them dry if you don’t fry them. You might want to try one of my other donut holes that have a filling. I have listed the links below. Hope this helps !

      Bacon Brown Sugar Cream Doughnut Holes
      https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/bacon-brown-sugar-cream-doughnut-holes/

      Lemon Curd Doughnut Holes
      https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/lemon-curd-filled-doughnut-holes/

      Reply
  9. Lindy says

    July 20, 2020 at 7:00 am

    I made these and they came out perfectly. I used self rising flour bcs it was all I had. I fried them at 190 C in beef drippings which is the common oil to fry in here. They came out perfectly and the the children ate all of their breakfast to get to the plate of them. Cheers for the lovely recipe!!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      July 21, 2020 at 10:41 am

      Hi Lindy,

      I am so happy you liked my recipe! Thanks for taking the time to let me know 🙂

      Reply
  10. Michelle says

    November 23, 2020 at 8:33 am

    5 stars
    Loved these. I added a grated Apple, some pine nuts and some cognac soaked raisins and lemon zest to the second batch. Either way you can’t stop eating them. Thanks for your recipe. X

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      November 25, 2020 at 10:53 pm

      Yum! I am so glad you liked them!

      Reply
  11. Shirley says

    January 25, 2021 at 2:55 pm

    I can’t wait to make these, but I would like to try them in our new air fryer. “Zoe” asked you this about a year ago, and I am wondering if you have any updated information for making them in an air fryer. Thank you!!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      January 28, 2021 at 11:56 am

      Hi Shirley,

      I still do not have an air fryer… I know, I know, I might be the only person without one. 😉 So I am unsure how it would turn out, though I heard it would work okay.

      Reply
  12. Shirley says

    January 28, 2021 at 12:35 pm

    Thank you Lyuba. I will experiment making them both ways.

    P.S. Everything I’ve cooked in our air fryer so far has come out great!! Easy clean-up too!! I highly recommend, and there’s no need to spend a lot on one.

    Reply
  13. Cathy says

    February 6, 2021 at 5:18 pm

    Hi I wanting to make these today . My question is can I make this batter in advance then fry them later on same day ?

    Reply
  14. Sandra says

    April 30, 2021 at 12:08 am

    5 stars
    Made these yesterday. Absolutely easy and delicious. Winner at our house. Will definitely be making these often 😋

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      May 3, 2021 at 9:45 am

      Thanks, Sandra! I am so glad you liked them!

      Reply
  15. Gaelene says

    July 7, 2022 at 3:33 am

    5 stars
    So easy and so yummy they just hit the spot even reheated well in the microwave the next day

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      July 7, 2022 at 8:41 am

      So glad you enjoyed them!

      Reply
  16. Zita says

    September 12, 2022 at 11:59 am

    5 stars
    Unbelievably easy and fantastic!!!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      September 14, 2022 at 10:21 am

      Thank you, Zita! I am so pleased you liked the donuts!

      Reply
  17. Deanna Fine says

    December 24, 2022 at 2:43 pm

    5 stars
    I’m about to make them for the 2nd time – they’re delicious & the fact they’re so easy & quick to make is a winner.

    One question: can they be prepped & fried next day?

    Reply
  18. Maggie Pope says

    January 2, 2023 at 5:13 pm

    So very easy – and delicious!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      January 3, 2023 at 11:57 am

      Thanks, Maggie!

      Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Well, hey there!

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read More.

Soup Recipes

spooning some beef soup from a bowl

Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup

closeup of Italian wedding soup topped with shaved Parmesan

Italian Wedding Soup

closeup image of crab soup in a bowl centered in a photo

She Crab Soup

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Chicken Meatball Soup

closeup of top view of Cioppino in a bowl

Cioppino – Seafood Stew

A bowl of white bean soup is presented with a spoon on a countertop.

White Bean Soup

vegetable broth in two canning jars next to fresh carrots, garlic, and celery

Vegetable Stock

Our Popular Recipes

Classic Manicotti Recipe

tall photo of a chai latte in a glass mug

Chai Latte

closeup of truffle fries in a basket with aioli

Truffle Fries

The Ultimate Dry Rub

Potato Pancakes

Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup

Top Rated Recipes

The Best French Toast

Cauliflower Parmesan Crisps

Christmas Cheesecake (Cranberry Jam White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake)

Avocado Salmon Rice Bowl

round decorative bowl filled with apple pie bread pudding topped with ice cream and a fork leaning on the side of the bowl viewed close up.

Apple Pie Bread Pudding

Smores cheesecake on a wooden table

S'Mores Cheesecake Recipe

Sides

30 Min

Pasta

Salads

Breakfast

Drinks

Soups

Gluten Free

FEATURED ON:

featured on

[cp_popup display="inline" style_id="32674" step_id = "1"][/cp_popup]
Buffalo Chicken Wrap with Homemade Ranch

Buffalo Chicken Wrap with Homemade Ranch

January 30, 2023
Delicious,...
The Best Classic Tiramisu

The Best Classic Tiramisu

January 14, 2023
Tiramisu...
Baked Ham with Orange Honey Ham Glaze

Baked Ham with Orange Honey Ham Glaze

December 2, 2022
This...
Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata

August 11, 2022
Chicken...
Pad See Ew

Pad See Ew

August 10, 2022
Pad...
Chicken Meatballs

Chicken Meatballs

July 15, 2022
These...
Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush

July 1, 2022
Baba...
Painkiller

Painkiller

June 30, 2022
A...
Truffle Fries

Truffle Fries

June 28, 2022
Truffle...
Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

June 21, 2022
Thai...
Privacy Policy
©2023, Will Cook For Smiles. Design by Pixel Me Designs