Making these perfectly-imperfect donuts at home; also known as Croatian fritule, is a family tradition in our house. And you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone that doesn’t enjoy freshly made fritule!
Making Croatian Fritule at Home
I call them “perfectly-imperfect” only because each donut is so uniquely shaped and sized. It’s part of the beauty of these donuts that each one is so different from the other and so much of the enjoyment is in picking and choosing which fritule to eat. It’s actually fun to watch people as they grab their perfect fritule from a bowful of them.
The outer crust is crispy and golden yellow with a sweet sugary coating while the inside is soft and moist. And as soon as these donuts are dipped in sugar; while still warm, is personally my favorite time to devour them. Also, they don’t last long especially when there are little kiddos around!
Ingredients Needed:
- 1-1 3/4 cup warm milk, divided
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp yeast, quick rise
- 1 tsp salt
- 5 cups flour
- 2 packages vanilla sugar (or 3 tbsp vanilla extract)
- 2 tbsp brandy or rum (keeps donuts from being greasy)
- 5 tbsp melted butter
- ½-¾ warm milk
- 1 egg
How to Make Croatian Fritule
Mix together yeast mixture (1 cup warm milk, granulated sugar, yeast and salt) and let rise.
In the meantime, place flour and vanilla sugar in a large mixing bowl and then add the butter and brandy and mix all the ingredients together on medium setting using the hook attachment.
Add ½ cup of warm milk and continue to mix. It needs to be a softer consistency of dough so if it feels too stiff, add another ¼ cup of warm milk and continue to mix.
Keep mixing 10 minutes.
When well mixed, find a larger bowl and sprinkle with flour. Place the dough inside to rise about double its size.
Fill kitchen sink with warm water about ½ way full and then place the bowl with dough inside in to the sink to keep dough warm while it rises.
Place vegetable oil inside large pot and heat. There needs to be enough oil for the donuts to be fully submerged. To check if the oil is ready, add a small amount of dough and if it sizzles, then the oil is ready.
Using a heat resistant spoon, take 1 tbsp full of dough and lower it gently into the hot oil. Continue adding more spoonfuls of dough into the hot oil. Leave them to cook and once they turn golden, flip them to cook the other side.
Remove when ready and place on paper towel. While still warm, dip the donuts in a mixture of granulated and vanilla sugar.
Serve the delicious fritule while still warm.
More Traditional Croatian Dessert Recipes:
For more classic Croatian dessert recipes, check out these tasty options:
- Croatian kiflice
- Chocolate and coconut coated mini cakes
- Croatian skoljkice shell cookies
- Classic crepe batter recipe: palačinke rolls
Jam Filled Crescent Cookies 
Chocolate & Coconut Heart Cakes 
Croatian Skoljkice Shell Cookies 
Classic Palačinke
Croatian Fritule Recipe
Equipment
- Stand mixer
Ingredients
- 1-1 3/4 cup warm milk divided
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp yeast quick rise
- 1 tsp salt
- 5 cups flour
- 2 packages vanilla sugar 3 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp brandy or rum
- 5 tbsp melted butter
- 1 egg
Sugar Coating
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tbsp vanillar sugar
Instructions
- Mix together yeast mixture (1 cup warm milk, granulated sugar, yeast and salt) and let rise.
- In the meantime, place flour with vanilla sugar in a mixing bowl.
- Add wet ingredients (egg, butter, brandy or rum) to the flour mixture and mix together.
- Add the yeast mixture and keep mixing until combined.
- Add ½ cup warm milk.
- Needs to be a softer consistency of dough. If it feels too stiff, add another ¼ cup warm milk.
- Continue mixing 10 minutes with hook attachment.
- When well mixed, find a larger bowl and sprinkle with flour. Place the dough inside to rise about double its size.
- Fill kitchen sink with warm water about ½ full.
- Place bowl with dough inside the sink to keep dough warm while it rises. Do not add water to the dough mixture.
- Place vegetable oil inside large pot. There needs to be enough oil so that the donuts are fully submerged.
- Heat up the oil on med to high heat. Add a small amount of dough to see if oil is at the correct temperature. If the dough sizzles, then the oil is ready.
- Take 1 tbsp full of dough and place inside oil. Leave it too cook, once it turns golden in color turn to cook the other side.
- Remove when ready and place on paper towel.
- While still warm, dip the donut in a mixture of granulated and vanilla sugar for coating.
- Serve while warm.
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