Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- Fritule are a popular holiday treat in Croatia, similar to donut holes but with a lighter texture, often served during festive seasons.
- This yogurt-based recipe is faster than traditional yeast fritule, with no proofing time needed, and the rum helps prevent excess oil absorption.
- Fritule can be flavored with ingredients like citrus zest, raisins, or maraschino, and are best served warm with powdered sugar, chocolate sauce, or jam.
Fritule are one of the most beloved treats in Croatia, especially popular along the coast during the holiday and carnival seasons. There are many different versions of these fried dough balls, and this time I’m bringing you a recipe for Croatian fritule with yogurt that are done in no time!
What Are Fritule
Fritule (pronounced “free-too-leh”) have a special place in Croatian culture, particularly during the holiday season. These sweet fritters are often made for family gatherings, Christmas markets during Advent, and festive celebrations. Although they look like mini donut holes, it would be a bit wrong to call them like that because their batter is thinner; they cannot be shaped by hand into little balls. Rather than that, they are dropped directly into the hot oil using two teaspoons.
These dough balls puff up when fried, resulting in a light and airy texture with a slightly crispy exterior. Fritule are often dusted with powdered sugar and served warm, making them a perfect treat for any occasion.
This version of miny boozy fritters is made with yogurt, which is not as traditional as yeast versions of Croatian fritule. It became popular over the last few years. It’s very quick to make, there is no proofing time and the final result is really, really delicious!
Of course, there are many different Croatian recipes for fritule; the ones with potato puree and soaked raisins, grated apples, or just basic yeast ones. Next year I will definitely share a recipe for more traditional Croatian yeast fritule with you, but now, let’s see what ingredients you’ll need for these quick, sweet fried dough balls!
Ingredients For Croatian Fritule
- All-purpose flour – as always, I recommend sifting the flour.
- Baking powder—it will act as a leavening agent and make these bad boys puffy when dropped in hot oil.
- Sugar – to add sweetness to the Croatian fritule batter. I’m using a combination of granulated and bourbon vanilla sugar and you’ll also need some powdered sugar for serving.
- Eggs – for binding all ingredients.
- Yogurt – I’m using full-fat Greek yogurt in this recipe. You could replace it with sour cream with 12% fat content.
- Citrus zest – for me, orange and lemon zest are mandatory in this recipe! Always use the zest from organic fruit, if possible, freshly grated.
- Salt – for flavoring the batter.
- Rum – you need some alcohol in the batter for fritule so that they don’t soak too much oil during the frying process. Instead of rum, you could use rakija or Maraschino.
- Neutral oil – for frying the dough balls, neutral oils like sunflower oil or canola oil work best due to their high smoke points and mild flavors. Avoid using oils with strong flavors, such as olive oil, as they can alter their taste.
How to Make Croatian Fritule
Check out the recipe card at the end of this post. It has the exact amounts of ingredients and detailed recipe instructions!
STEP 1: Make the batter
Add dry ingredients into one bowl, and the rest of the ingredients into the second bowl. Gradually add the dry ingredients and stir until combined; cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
STEP 2: Fry fritule in hot oil
Heat oil in a pan to 180°C (356°F), then reduce heat to medium-low. Drop spoonfuls of batter into the oil, frying until golden on all sides. Don’t overcrowd the pan—fry in batches of 9-10 dough balls.
STEP 3: Serve warm
Transfer the fritule to a paper towel-lined tray to drain, then dust with powdered sugar while still warm. Optionally, drizzle with chocolate sauce, roll in flavored sugar, or serve with jam.
7 Tips For Making The Best Fritule Ever
- Let the batter for fritule rest for a short time, approx. 10-15 minutes. Use this time to preheat the oil.
- It’s good to add some alcohol to the batter for fritule because it will help the batter absorb less oil during frying.
- As with yeast donuts, the temperature of the oil in which we fry the sweet dough balls is very important: a temperature between 175°C and 180°C is ideal: lower than that, the fritters will fry more slowly and be greasy. Too high a frying temperature means that the outside of the fritters may darken too much, even burn, while the inside remains raw.
- Don’t fry a lot of dough balls at once so that the cooking oil does not cool down too quickly. Otherwise, one part of the fritters may turn out to be too greasy.
- A slotted or spider spoon is your friend when making fritule, be sure to have one on hand.
- After frying, place dough balls on a baking sheet lined with kitchen paper, as this will absorb the excess oil. It is best to stack them in one layer. Don’t close them with a lid, otherwise they could become soggy.
- To prevent the batter from sticking to the spoons, dip both teaspoons in the hot oil for a second and then take a piece of batter. You can also have a couple of extra teaspoons on hand in case the first two get sticky.
Serving Fritule
Fritule are best served warm when they are still slightly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. In Croatia, we like to serve them in a few ways:
- Dusted with powdered sugar: Dust fritule with a generous amount of powdered sugar for a simple, sweet finish.
- Drizzled with chocolate sauce: Drizzle warm fritule with melted chocolate, Nutella, or chocolate sauce for an indulgent treat. This is the most popular version among kids!
- With fruit jam: Serve fritule with a side of fruit jam (like rosehip, raspberry, or apricot) for a fruity contrast.
- Rolled in flavored sugar: Roll the fritule in flavored sugar, such as cinnamon sugar or vanilla sugar, for an extra burst of flavor.
FAQ
Fritule pairs well with coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. You can also enjoy them with a glass of red mulled wine for a festive touch.
Yes! You can add soaked raisins, or maraschino for additional flavor.
To make gluten-free fritule, substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend.
Store fritule in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. To reheat, warm them in the oven or microwave. I don’t recommend freezing the leftovers.
Have you ever made Croatian fritule before? If you’ve enjoyed this recipe post, check my post about the best Croatian recipes and leave your comment and rating under this post! If you try this recipe, don’t forget to tag @foodandmoodblog on Instagram.
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Croatian Fritule (Sweet Fried Dough Balls)
Ingredients
FOR BATTER
- 300 g all-purpose flour
- 12 g baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs (M size)
- 370 g Greek style yogurt
- 35 g granulated sugar
- 15 g bourbon vanilla sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange zest (freshly grated)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (freshly grated)
- 2 tablespoon rum (or rakija or Maraschino)
FOR FRYING
- 1-1,5 l sunflower oil (or canola oil)
FOR SERVING
- powdered sugar, chocolate sauce or jam of your choice
Instructions
- Sieve flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
- In a separate, larger bowl, mix Greek yogurt, eggs, granulated and bourbon vanilla sugar, rum and grated citrus zest.
- Gradually add the dry to the wet ingredients and combine everything with a whisk or silicone spatula. Let the mixture rest covered for about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oil in a heavy bottom pan to 180°C (356°F). There should be at least 3 cm (a bit more than 1 inch) of oil in the pan so the batter does not stick to the bottom of the pan. When oil is hot enough (test by dropping in a small piece of the batter), lower heat to medium-low.
- Take a dollop of batter using one teaspoon, and push the batter into hot oil with a second teaspoon. The batter will stick less to the spoon if you dip both of them in hot oil for a second before taking a batter.
- Fry each dough ball on all sides until golden. During frying, some fritule will turn on their own, and some will need your help to do that.Don’t overcrowd the frying pan. I usually don't fry more than 9-10 dough balls at once.
- Transfer these sweet dough balls to a paper towel-lined tray to drain excess oil.
- While still warm, dust the fritule with powdered sugar. You can also drizzle them with chocolate sauce, roll them in flavored sugar, or serve with a jam of choice.
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided is an estimate based on ingredients data and should be used for informational purposes only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on factors such as portion size, preparation methods and ingredients used.
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