This recipe, adapted from the one my dad’s mom used to make in the Azores, has a flood of memories attached to it. I would sleep over at her house many a Friday night and on Saturdays she’d make these for my cousins, Fatima and Joe, and me. Hot out of the sugar-cinnamon bowl is the only way to eat them. In the Azores, some cooks shape these over their knees until they’re practically the size of lunch plates, just like my grandmother used to do. Others stretch and flop them out in their hands. I’ve made these smaller so they’re easier to work with, and fiddled with the recipe a touch, but beyond that, welcome to my childhood.–David Leite

A pile of malassadas or Portuguese doughnuts with a pair of metal tongs
A child holding a malassadas, or Portuguese doughnut, in a paper napkin.

Malassadas | Portuguese Doughnuts

4.89 / 35 votes
These malassadas, or Portuguese doughnuts are an irresistible dessert made with fried dough that's coated in cinnamon sugar. They're a treat that harkens back to my childhood.
David Leite
CourseDessert
CuisinePortuguese
Servings24 malassadas
Calories131 kcal
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Resting Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 45 minutes

Equipment

  • Deep-fry or candy or instant-read thermometer

Ingredients 

For the doughnuts | malassadas

  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the bowl
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 package active dry yeast, (2 1/4 teaspoons or 1/4 ounce)
  • 1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons warm water, 110°F (43°C)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • Vegetable oil, for frying

For the cinnamon sugar

Instructions 

Make the doughnuts | malassadas

  • Heat the milk, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until it just begins to steam and form bubbles around the edges, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool until lukewarm.
  • Meanwhile, in a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in the warm water. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and the eggs on medium-high until thick and luscious looking, about 5 minutes.
  • Switch to the dough hook, add the milk mixture, the yeast mixture, and the flour, and mix on low speed until a soft dough forms, about 7 minutes, adding more flour if needed. The dough should be just slightly tacky but not sticky.
  • Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, shape into a ball, and place in a lightly buttered large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until double in size, about 2 hours.
  • Lightly coat a 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray and turn the dough onto the pan. Press and poke it with your fingers, much like making focaccia, to help stretch it until it's about 1/2 inch thick. Lightly coat the top of the dough with cooking spray, loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap, and let the dough rest at room temperature until double in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Make the cinnamon sugar

  • Mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl.

Fry the doughnuts | malassadas

  • Fill a medium saucepan with 3 inches of oil and heat over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F (177°C) on a deep-fry or candy or instant-read thermometer. Monitor the heat to keep a steady temperature.
  • Using scissors or your hands, cut or pull a 2-to-3-inch piece of dough from the baking sheet and stretch it into a 4-to-5-inch circle, then lower it into the oil and fry, turning frequently, just until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, 45 seconds to 1 1/2 minutes, depending on the size. Drain the doughnut on paper towels for 30 seconds and then toss in the cinnamon sugar. Repeat with the remaining dough. Devour warm.
The New Portuguese Table by

Adapted From

The New Portuguese Table

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 malassadaCalories: 131 kcalCarbohydrates: 25 gProtein: 3 gFat: 2 gSaturated Fat: 1 gMonounsaturated Fat: 1 gTrans Fat: 0.04 gCholesterol: 26 mgSodium: 84 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 11 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Mention @leitesculinaria or tag #leitesculinaria!
Recipe © 2009 David Leite. Photo © 2009 David Leite. All rights reserved.

Recipe Testers’ Reviews

I think I have a love for Portuguese desserts because I seem to try my hand at a different Portuguese recipe every Valentine’s Day. This year, I made these malassadas, and they did not disappoint!

The dough came together exactly as the instructions say. My dough was tacky to the touch. I made a mistake with the first rise and only let it go 1 1/4 hours…ooops! I guess I was overly anxious to get these in my tummy and I miscalculated the 2-hour rise. Regardless of that fact, my dough did continue to double on the second rise and these were a cinch to fry and coat with sugar. I bet if I let the first rise complete the full 2 hours, my malassadas would have been slightly more puffy and airy, but these were still really delicious and enjoyed by the family.

I used olive oil to fry these and they weren’t oily at all. I coated a half batch with plain sugar and a half batch with cinnamon sugar. They were both great.

I plan on making these again. Thanks to David for sharing his childhood recipe!




About David Leite

I count myself lucky to have received three James Beard Awards for my writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. My work has also appeared in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and more.


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117 Comments

  1. This is so wonderful, my Vovo used to make these great donuts and also sweet bread, I was never able to get the recipes. Everything was a secret, my vovo made everything by memory.

    Does anyone have a sweet bread recipe? Please post it, if possible.

    Thank you for this malassada recipe. I will be making it soon.

    Happy memories to all and good eating!!!!

  2. 5 stars
    These were the best! Tasted just like when I was a kid. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with the world! You rock!

    1. My grandmother (my dad’s mother) was from the Azores. she died before I was born. i always wanted Portuguese recipes. i’ve never eaten Portuguese food. thanks for the recipes. before she went to America, her last name was Silva. by the time she got to the USA, they changed it to Silver. i’ll love to find out more about my past, her name was Mary Silva (Mamie). thank you.

      1. Certainly hope you look into your family roots Cindy, it’s such an amazing feeling. So sad though that many felt the need to change their names, I can never understand the reasoning.

        The Malassada recipe looks great and seems easy, I will be trying it real soon.

      1. Have you ever been to Leonard’s in Oahu Hawaii ? They are famous for their Mallasadas! They look different though. They are round and puffy. They also fill them with different fillings. I would make this recipe however if I were to be successful, I would end up as big as a house! I can’t resist them!

        Ellen

        1. Ellen, I have. They’re delicious, but they’re not what I think of as Old World malassadas. I think the shape and fillings were created to appeal to the U.S. market. Nonetheless, The One and I downed them!