Bomboloni Recipe (Vegan Cream Filled Italian Donuts)

Golden-brown, super light, and irresistibly fluffy Vegan Bomboloni – your ticket to Italian pastry perfection! These delightful dough balls, filled with vanilla bean speckled pastry creamy, are perfect for breakfast, brunch, childbirth, or while operating heavy machinery!

Instructions

Optional Pastry Cream (for filling):

In a saucepan, whisk together plant-based milk, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla powder (or vanilla extract), salt and a pinch of turmeric.
Gradually heat the mixture over medium heat until it's boiling, whisking regularly.
Once the mixture has thickened, remove it from the heat and stir in the vegan butter until it's fully melted and mixed in.
Allow the pastry cream to cool completely before filling the Bomboloni.

Bomboloni Dough:

In a small bowl, combine the active dry yeast, sugar, and lukewarm plant-based milk. Stir gently and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes, or until the yeast blooms and becomes frothy.
In a large mixing bowl, add flour, olive oil, lemon zest, vanilla powder (or vanilla extract), and salt. Pour the yeast mixture into the large mixing bowl with the dry ingredients.
Mix everything together until a sticky dough forms. Knead the dough on a floured surface or use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment for about 5-7 minutes, or until it becomes smooth and elastic.
Place the dough back into the mixing bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1-2 hours, or until it doubles in size.
Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down to remove excess air. Roll the dough into small balls, typically 2 inch (5 cm) in diameter, and place them on a baking sheet lined with lightly oiled parchment paper.
Cover the dough balls with a kitchen towel and allow them to rest for another 30 minutes to rise again slightly.

Frying and Finishing:

While the dough balls are rising, heat the canola oil, vegetable oil, or sunflower oil in a deep fryer or a large, heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F (175°C).
Gently place the risen dough balls into the hot oil, a few at a time, and fry until they turn golden brown on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side.
Remove the fried Bomboloni from the oil and drain them on a wire rack suspended over a pan to catch the grease (so you don’t make your countertops gross).
While they are still warm, roll the Bomboloni in sugar or powdered sugar.
To fill the Bomboloni with the pastry cream, or another filling of your preference, you can use a piping bag with a bismark tip to inject the filling into the centers.

Bomboloni Recipe (Vegan Cream Filled Italian Donuts)

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Pastry Cream (optional):

Bomboloni dough:

For Frying and Finishing:

Instructions

Optional Pastry Cream (for filling):

Bomboloni Dough:

Frying and Finishing:

Notes

Nutrition