🍩 Italian Bomboloni Donuts
Soft, fluffy, golden, and irresistibly filled, these classic Italian Bomboloni are the ultimate homemade doughnuts. Each pillowy doughnut is fried until beautifully golden, rolled in granulated sugar, and filled with silky pastry cream, Nutella, chocolate ganache, or your favorite jam.
Bomboloni are especially delicious while still slightly warm, when the exterior is crisp and sugary and the center is wonderfully soft.
⏱️ Recipe Information
Prep Time: 30 minutes
First Rise: 1–1½ hours
Second Rise: 30–45 minutes
Frying Time: 15–20 minutes
Total Time: About 2½–3 hours
Yield: 12–14 bomboloni
Difficulty: Intermediate
Method: Yeast Dough / Deep-Fried
🛒 Ingredients
For the Dough
- 3½ cups (440 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 2¼ teaspoons (1 packet / 7 g) instant yeast
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (120 ml) warm milk
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Vegetable or neutral oil, for frying
- Granulated sugar, for coating
For the Filling
Choose one or use a combination:
Vanilla Pastry Cream
- 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (24 g) cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Or Easy Filling Options
- Nutella or chocolate-hazelnut spread
- Strawberry or raspberry jam
- Lemon curd
- Chocolate pastry cream
- Dulce de leche
- Pistachio cream
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Activate the Dough Ingredients
Add the warm milk, sugar, and instant yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer.
Let it stand for about 5 minutes.
The milk should be warm but not hot. Excessively hot milk can damage the yeast.
2. Make the Dough
Add the eggs and vanilla to the milk mixture.
Add the flour and salt.
Using the dough hook, mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms.
Increase to medium-low speed and knead for approximately 5–7 minutes.
The dough should become smooth, soft, and elastic.
3. Add the Butter
Add the softened butter a little at a time while continuing to knead.
Allow each addition to become incorporated before adding more.
Continue kneading for another 5–8 minutes, until the dough is soft, smooth, and slightly tacky but not excessively sticky.
Tip: Resist adding too much flour. Bomboloni get their signature fluffy texture from a soft dough.
4. First Rise
Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel.
Place in a warm, draft-free area and let rise for 1–1½ hours, or until approximately doubled in size.
🍮 Make the Pastry Cream
5. Heat the Milk
While the dough rises, pour the milk into a saucepan.
Heat over medium heat until steaming and just beginning to simmer.
Do not bring it to a vigorous boil.
6. Whisk the Egg Mixture
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until smooth and pale.
7. Temper the Eggs
Slowly pour about ½ cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly.
Gradually whisk in the remaining hot milk.
This prevents the egg yolks from scrambling.
8. Cook the Pastry Cream
Return the mixture to the saucepan.
Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until thick and creamy.
This usually takes 3–5 minutes.
Once the mixture begins bubbling gently, continue cooking for about 30 seconds, then remove from the heat.
9. Finish the Pastry Cream
Stir in the vanilla and butter.
Transfer the pastry cream to a clean bowl.
Press plastic wrap directly against the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
Refrigerate until completely chilled.
🍩 Shape the Bomboloni
10. Roll Out the Dough
Once the dough has doubled in size, gently punch it down.
Transfer it to a lightly floured work surface.
Roll the dough to approximately ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick.
11. Cut the Dough
Using a 3-inch (7–8 cm) round cutter, cut out circles.
Place the dough rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between them.
Gather the scraps, gently reroll them once, and cut additional rounds.
Avoid repeatedly rerolling the dough, which can make the bomboloni tougher.
12. Second Rise
Cover the dough rounds loosely with a clean kitchen towel.
Allow them to rise for 30–45 minutes, until noticeably puffy.
They should look light and airy rather than dense.
🥄 Fry the Bomboloni
13. Heat the Oil
Pour approximately 2–3 inches of neutral oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed pot.
Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C).
Use a kitchen thermometer to maintain the temperature.
If the oil is too hot, the outside will brown before the centers cook.
If it’s too cool, the doughnuts will absorb excess oil.
14. Fry
Carefully lower 2–3 bomboloni into the hot oil at a time.
Fry for approximately 2–3 minutes per side, turning gently once or twice.
They should become evenly golden brown and puff beautifully.
Avoid overcrowding the pot.
15. Drain
Remove the bomboloni with a slotted spoon or spider strainer.
Transfer them to a wire rack lined underneath with paper towels.
Allow excess oil to drain for a few moments.
16. Coat in Sugar
While the bomboloni are still warm, roll them generously in granulated sugar.
Make sure all sides are coated.
Set aside to cool slightly before filling.
🍮 Fill the Bomboloni
17. Prepare the Filling
Whisk the chilled pastry cream briefly until smooth.
Transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle.
You can also use a piping bag filled with Nutella, jam, chocolate cream, or pistachio cream.
18. Fill the Doughnuts
Use a small knife or piping tip to make a small opening on the side of each bomboloni.
Insert the piping tip into the center.
Pipe approximately 1–2 tablespoons of filling into each doughnut.
Stop when the bomboloni feels plump but not so full that the filling bursts through the sides.
19. Serve
Arrange the filled bomboloni on a serving platter.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
For an extra-special presentation, dust lightly with powdered sugar or drizzle with melted chocolate.
⭐ Chef’s Tips
Use soft butter: Room-temperature butter incorporates much more easily into the dough.
Don’t add too much flour: A slightly tacky dough produces much softer bomboloni.
Watch the oil temperature: Keep it close to 350°F/175°C throughout frying.
Fry in small batches: Too many doughnuts at once can dramatically lower the oil temperature.
Coat while warm: Sugar sticks best when the bomboloni are still warm.
Don’t overfill: A generous amount of filling is wonderful, but too much can split the doughnut.
Use a thermometer: Consistent oil temperature is one of the biggest secrets to evenly cooked bomboloni.
🍫 Delicious Filling Ideas
Vanilla Custard
Classic Italian pastry cream makes the ultimate traditional filling.
Nutella Bomboloni
Fill with Nutella for a rich chocolate-hazelnut center.
Strawberry Bomboloni
Use smooth strawberry jam or strawberry pastry cream.
Pistachio Cream
Fill with Italian pistachio cream for an elegant variation.
Lemon Bomboloni
Use homemade lemon curd or lemon pastry cream.
Chocolate Cream
Fill with chocolate pastry cream and finish with powdered sugar.
Salted Caramel
Fill with thick caramel or dulce de leche and add a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt.
🍓 Serving Suggestions
Bomboloni are delicious served with:
- Espresso
- Cappuccino
- Hot chocolate
- Fresh berries
- Whipped cream
- Extra pastry cream
- Chocolate sauce
- Fresh fruit
They make a wonderful breakfast treat, afternoon snack, brunch dessert, or special occasion sweet.
🧊 Storage
Bomboloni are best enjoyed the day they are made.
Because the filling contains dairy and eggs, store filled bomboloni in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Allow them to sit at room temperature for about 15–20 minutes before serving.
For the best texture, fill them shortly before serving.
❄️ Freezing
For best results, freeze the unfilled fried doughnuts.
Allow them to cool completely, then place them in an airtight freezer-safe container.
Freeze for up to 1 month.
Thaw at room temperature, then warm briefly in a low oven before coating with fresh sugar and filling.
🇮🇹 Final Result
These Italian Bomboloni Donuts are soft, airy, golden, and beautifully pillowy, with a delicate sugary coating and a rich creamy center.
Whether filled with vanilla pastry cream, Nutella, jam, pistachio cream, or chocolate, every bite delivers that irresistible combination of fluffy fried dough and luscious filling.
Make them fresh, fill them generously, roll them in sugar, and enjoy a little taste of Italy at home. 🍩🇮🇹✨