Sweet fried dough in honey traces directly to ancient Greek enkris (ἐγκρίς), recorded by Athenaeus in the 3rd century CE and attributed earlier to the Olympic Games (8th century BCE), where they were given to victors as 'honey tokens.' The modern yeasted batter version became standardized in 19th-century Athens cafés alongside Turkish-influenced sweets.
Olympia 776 BCE — Callimachus described 'honey tokens' awarded to athletes. Yeasted dough balls fried in olive oil, dunked in thyme-honey, dusted with cinnamon and crushed walnuts. Eat them hot or don't bother.
Walnut-sized fried dough balls, golden and hollow inside, dunked from the fryer straight into warm honey or honey-cinnamon syrup, then dusted with chopped walnuts and more cinnamon. Eaten hot with a small fork or fingers — the syrup runs as you bite. Cold ones go leathery within twenty minutes; this is a dish that exists in a narrow window.
The batter is wetter than donut dough — closer to a thick pancake batter — and is dropped from a wet hand or scoop into hot oil so it puffs hollow. Frying at 170–180°C is the sweet spot: hotter and they brown before cooking through; cooler and they soak oil. The honey must be warm so it coats; cold honey beads and slides off.
Variations
Cypriot loukoumades use rose water in the syrup; Turkish lokma is the same dough, syrup is sugar-lemon not honey; Egyptian zalabia and Indian gulab jamun share the same fried-dough-in-syrup logic.
On the Palate
Where Loukoumades sits in the Greek flavor cloud
Hold the oil at 170–180°C — hotter and the outside browns before the inside cooks, cooler and the dough drinks oil and turns greasy instead of puffing hollow.
Ingredients
How it's made
4 steps · 25 min active + 1 hour waiting
- 15 min
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, yeast, and a pinch of sugar. Gradually add warm water, stirring with a wooden spoon until a smooth batter forms. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size and foamy, about 1 hour.
Watch outBatter is ready when it has doubled and turned foamy with bubbles across the surface.
- 25 min
Heat oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat until it reaches 180°C (350°F). The oil should be deep enough for the loukoumades to float freely.
Watch outOil at 170–180°C — a test drop of batter should rise and sizzle at once, not sink or scorch.
- 312 min
Using a small spoon dipped in water, drop spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil. Fry in batches, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 3-4 minutes per batch.
Watch outFry until deep golden and crisp all over; the balls should feel light and sound hollow when tapped.
- 43 min
Remove the loukoumades with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Drizzle with warm honey and sprinkle with cinnamon and chopped walnuts before serving.
Watch outDrizzle with warm honey right away so it soaks the crust while still hot and crackly.
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