If you haven’t heard of them before, Sfingi are the most delicious fried ricotta doughnuts from Sicily. I find the Italians make the most amazing doughnuts and fried pastries and these are so good. These are much quicker and easier to make than traditional American doughnuts as there’s no yeast, no waiting for them to rise, and they’re light and fluffy from the ricotta. So good!
Sfingi are traditionally made for St Joseph's Day (known as La Festa di San Giuseppe in Italy). On this day, Italians also eat cannoli and zeppole but I find sfingi the most delicious, perfect bites to share with guests. Even though they are associated with St Joseph's Day, I find them so simple (and delicious) that I make them year-round. You just mix up the batter (as simple as a cake batter) and then drop teaspoons into hot oil. Fry and toss in sugar. Done! For more doughnuts, try my version of Dutch Apple Beignets are ready in just 30 minutes and perfect if you want a fruity doughnut-style treat. Or try my Applesauce Fritters too!
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Why you will love this recipe:
- They are so quick and easy - unlike other doughnut recipes that use yeast and have long rising times, these can be ready in around 30 minutes.
- Ideal for gatherings - this recipe makes about 20 little doughnuts making it the perfect sweet treat if you are cooking for a crowd.
- You can personalise the recipe by swapping the cinnamon in the sugar for vanilla or citrus zest - or keep them plain.
- They use accessible, affordable ingredients - most of which you probably already have in your cupboards and fridge.
Ingredients:
See recipe card at the bottom of the page for the exact recipe with a full list of ingredients and measurements
Ricotta - this is a delicious Italian cheese made from whey. It's thick and creamy with a mild flavour. It can be used in sweet or savoury recipes.
Caster sugar - I like the fineness of caster sugar as it coats the sfingi well. You also need a little in the batter too. Granulated sugar would also work here.
Eggs - use free-range large eggs if you can. I always recommend ones stamped with the British Lion.
Plain flour - also known as ‘all-purpose flour’.
Baking powder - this helps create a lovely light texture to the sfingi doughnuts.
Milk - opt for full-fat milk for the best results.
Sunflower oil - you want a flavourless oil when frying something like this - vegetable oil would also work.
Ground cinnamon - this is entirely optional but adds a delicious, subtly spiced, flavour.
Substitutions and Variations:
Sunflower oil: you need a flavourless oil with a high smoke point, vegetable or rapeseed (canola) oil would also work.
Caster sugar: you could swap the caster sugar for vanilla sugar for a delicious vanilla flavoured coating.
Cinnamon: Add mixed spice or some citrus zest (lemon or orange work well) to the sugar instead.
Here's how to make these simple Sfingi Doughnuts:
These are really simple to make, here is a step by step guide to show you the steps a little bit better. The full recipe is also at the bottom of the page.
ONE: Add the ricotta, eggs, vanilla to a bowl. Mix together.
TWO: Then add the flour, baking powder, salt and milk. Mix until smooth and thick like a cake batter almost.
THREE: Once the oil is hot, scoop a spoon of batter up with one spoon and use another spoon to very gently lower it into the oil. Don't hold the spoon high or the oil will splash onto you - very dangerous and a very sore burn.
FOUR: Once gently dropped into the batter, the oil will bubble and fizz. It will sink a little and float back up to the surface from all the air. The doughnut at the back of the above image shows what happens after a minute or so in the oil.
FIVE: Once the sfingi are golden and puffed, you know they are done. It will take around 4 minutes total. Transfer to a tray lined with kitchen roll to absorb excess oil.
SIX: Once the oil is absorbed but they are still warm, transfer to the bowl of cinnamon sugar and roll around. Yum!
Cooking Tips:
Deep frying: Be careful when you’re deep frying: never fill a pan more than ⅓ full with oil and always have a lid close to hand. If you have a deep fat fryer, this would be the perfect time to dust it off and use it! But if not, a large pan is more than okay. We have a whole post on how to dispose of cooking oil to reuse and recycle the oil.
Temperature: you must make sure that your oil is at the right temperature before adding the batter - too cold and you will end up with greasy sfingi, too hot and they will burn. You want them golden on the outside and cooked through to the middle. If the oil is too hot, the outside will colour too quickly and the inside will still be raw. The most accurate way to check is to use a digital thermometer - it should read around 170C. Alternatively, drop a little batter into the oil - if it sizzles and bubbles, but doesn’t burn, it is ready.
Ricotta: Make sure you drain the ricotta before you add it - just to get rid of the extra liquid it can sometimes come with. Too much extra liquid and the sfingi won’t be as light and fluffy!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Easy Italian fried ricotta doughnuts. Truly delicious, light, fried bites of dough rolled in sugar. By adding ricotta to the dough it means the Sfingi have a rich and creamy flavour and because they are so easy to make, you will be making these all the time!
They are both delicious Italian doughnuts and do taste rather similar. However, sfingi are from Sicily and made with flour, sugar, eggs and ricotta, whilst zeppole are from Naples and traditionally made using flour, yeast and water. Both are very popular and often served on St Joseph’s Day as well as other celebrations like Christmas and Easter.
Traditionally they are just rolled in sugar or served with a dusting of icing sugar. I love rolling them in caster sugar spiked with a generous pinch of cinnamon as it’s just such a good combination. To make them more of a dessert I love these with a good dollop of mascarpone and a pot of slightly warm jam for dipping.
Like most fried sweet treats and pastries, I find these sfingi doughnuts are best served fresh after making. So I wouldn't expressly make them in advance unless you freeze them (see below). However, if you pop them in an airtight container at room temp, they are still delicious the next day. If you like, you can reheat them in the oven or air fryer to heat through (try at 180c for 5 or so minutes - it'll depend on the size of the sfingi). You might find the sugar has melted so you may need to re-roll in a little more.
You can freeze these doughnuts once fried, but not rolled in sugar. Cool and transfer to a freezer bag, removing as much air as possible. Freeze for up to a month. Defrost at room temp when ready to eat and then I would pop in the oven at 180c (or air fryer) and reheat for 5-7 minutes. Roll in sugar when warm!
Other recipes you may enjoy:
My Apple Beignets, Ricotta Pancakes and Poffertjes are similar to this recipe and so good. For something a little different, my Tiramisu Cookies are perfect. Try my Pistachio Tiramisu, as well as an incredible Tiramisu Tres Leches Cake (trust me, it is the dessert you didn’t know you needed)...
Made this recipe and loved it?
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Sfingi Doughnuts
Ingredients
For the Sfingi:
- 250 g ricotta
- 50 g caster sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 250 g plain flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon flaky salt
- 230 ml full-fat milk
- Sunflower oil for frying
For the sugar coating: optional
- 4 tablespoon caster sugar
- ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with kitchen paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta, sugar and eggs until combined. Whisk in the milk.
- Sieve in the flour, baking powder and salt, then whisk again until combined.
- Pour about 5cm of oil in a deep, wide pan — make sure it is deep enough that the oil comes no more than ⅓ up the sides of the pan — and place over a medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot (it should sizzle if you add a little batter) start to add 1 tablespoon scoops of the batter to the oil - work in batches, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. They don’t have to be the perfect shape, they are supposed to look a little rustic.
- Fry for 2 minutes before carefully rolling them over using a spatula or slotted spoon. Continue to fry for another 2 minutes - or until golden brown. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and place on the prepared baking sheet to drain off any excess oil. Repeat until you have used all the remaining batter.
- Mix together the caster sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Add the still warm (but not too hot) sfingi and gently toss to coat.
- Place onto a serving plate and enjoy!
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Valerie Brunette says
I made these delicious little Sfingis, however my extra smooth ricotta left little flecks in the fried dough.
Not sure it’s supposed to be this way.
Kindly,
Valerie
Margie Nomura says
Hi Valerie, perhaps it wasn't mixed in well enough to the batter? Some flecks are natural so I wouldn't worry too much. I hope they were still delicious! Thanks for making.