The Best Traditional Oliebollen (Dutch Doughnuts) (So Delicious)

Oliebollen aka Dutch Doughnuts are eaten at New Year's Eve. A real dutch tradition. They’re crispy on the outside and soft and juicy on the inside. Fill them with currants and apple or just let them be au naturel. And don't forget to sprinkle some icing sugar on them (it's a sweet tooth treat).

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In the Netherlands, we eat Dutch Donuts (also called oil balls or dutch oliebollen) and Apple Fritters on new year’s eve. You'll find them at every new year’s party. A tradition that goes back for many, many years.

In the last week of the year, you see food trucks everywhere where you can buy these delicious treats. And these oliebollen stands to sell a lot of oliebollen. We even got a best oliebollen competition. The Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad publicizes the top 10 every year in their paper.

These treats are about 5 cm balls (2 inches) and they're baked in hot oil until golden brown and some confectioner's sugar is sprinkled on top. You eat them when they're still hot.

The balls are airy, moist, and got an American doughnut flavor. The filling with currants and apple pieces (or without if you like that) gives a sweet and sour flavor. And if you don't have a dutch doughnut food truck nearby?

I'll share with you this easy recipe for a traditional oliebollen recipe (the Best I've ever had and I've read many dutch cookbooks).

History of the Dutch oliebol

The history of these treats goes way back to the beginning of the Christian Era. The Friesen and Bataven (germanic tribes) offered food to the gods to keep them satisfied. One Germanic goddess Perchta got food that was fried in oil and sprinkled with white flour. The belief was that the grease in the food would cause the sword of the goddess to slide off their bodies and remove the evil spirits.

In the middle ages, around the 17th century, it was poor man's food, which was given on November 11th (Sint Maarten) to the poor to wish them luck.

From the 19th century, it became a habit to eat these oliebollen (or oliekoeken (oil cookies)) on New Year's Eve. Probably because this fried dough is very nutritious, which is helpful in the cold winter period.

Do we eat these sweet treats for the rest of the year? Not very often, they contain much fat, but when there is a fair in town, you'll probably see some stands selling warm oliebollen. And a lot of Dutch families are buying them too!

Ingredients to prepare these traditional dougnuts

The full list of basic ingredients can be found at the bottom.

• Yeast, instant - This recipe uses 1 oz. (30 grams / 6 teaspoons) of instant yeast. If you prefer to use fresh yeast, you need 2 oz. (60 grams). If you use dry yeast, you need 1 oz. (30 grams). Note: with both fresh yeast and dry yeast, you must first dissolve the yeast in lukewarm milk before adding it.
• Beer - use pilsner or ipa. The beer gives the dough the airiness which makes the balls so good.
• Raisins and apples - both optional, give the oliebollen a sweet and sour flavor. When using raisins soak them in hot water before use, otherwise they will burn. Choose a sour apple, like a Goudreinette or Granny Smith.
• Oil - Use vegetable oil or peanut oil for deep frying.

How to prepare a basket of oliebollen 

You can find a recipe that you can easily print at the bottom of the blog.

1. Start by preparing the batter. Soak the raisins for the best result for at least one hour and pat them dry. Melt the butter on low heat in a saucepan. Take some warm milk and add the yeast. Let it stand for about 5 minutes. In a large bowl add the wheat flour, salt, and sugar and mix the eggs through the batter. Add the beer a dash at a time while mixing until all lumps are gone. Add the yeast-milk mixture, melted butter, and cinnamon. Mix. When preparing Dutch oliebollen with raisins and apples, now is the time to add them and mix them through the batter with a spatula.
2. Put a damp tea towel and a plastic wrap on top and let it stand at a warm place for about 1 hour. Then whisk the batter with a wooden spoon or spatula.
3. Preheat the deep fryer  to 350 °F or 180 °C. Take your batter and mix it through with a wooden spoon. Take an ice cream scoop and put small balls of the dough in the hot oil.
4. Let the oil cake bake for 3 minutes and then turn them around. Bake them for another three minutes. Take them out of the frying pan with a slotted spoon. Drain them on a paper towel and dust doughnuts with powdered sugar.

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