Ricotta Fritters (Ponchiki)

Ricotta fritters are like small donut holes, made with a ricotta batter that cooks up into beautiful golden and crisp rounds. They are so airy and fluffy on the inside. Dusted with powdered sugar, they are such a treat.

Ricotta fritters, which we called Ponchiki in my family, are a walk down memory lane for me. My Mom used to make them quite often when I was a little girl. In the Slavic culture, we made them with farmer's cheese, tvorog, but I have learned to also make them with ricotta cheese too. Golden and crunchy on the outside and fluffy and tender on the inside, these Ponchiki are absolutely perfect.

The ricotta cheese is the secret ingredient that makes these homemade donuts the best texture and flavor. You can use either ricotta cheese, farmer's cheese or even cottage cheese for this recipe (I'll explain how to adjust the recipe depending on what you use.) If you make homemade ricotta cheese, this is a great recipe to put it to good use. It's so easy to mix up the batter, all you need is a bowl and a whisk. You also don't need to wait for the dough to rise and it's also really easy to fry them too - no rolling or cutting involved, just drop the batter into the oil.

The whole family will gather round when these Ponchiki, Ricotta Fritters, are on the table, warm and dusted with powdered sugar. They are worth the effort to make from scratch - such a treat!

Ingredients

• ricotta cheese (farmer's cheese or cottage cheese can also be used)
  • I have a great recipe for how to make homemade ricotta cheese in your Instant Pot or the stovetop. It's so easy and delicious.
  • If you use farmer's cheese, it's usually a lot drier, so use ¼ cup less flour. However, if you want to use cottage cheese, drain it first through a fine mesh sieve to get rid of excess moisture. Use the same amount of flour as when using ricotta cheese.
• eggs
• sugar (granulated or raw sugar)
• vanilla extract
• salt
• all purpose flour
• baking powder
• oil, for frying
  • I use avocado oil for frying. It has a high smoke point, so it won't smoke when we're deep frying the donuts at high heat.
  • You can use other high smoke point oils, such as vegetable, peanut, grapeseed, canola, etc.
  • Do NOT use olive oil or extra virgin oil, since they have a low smoke point and will start smoking at a much lower heat, plus the flavor is much more pronounced.
• powdered sugar, to sprinkle on top of the donuts

How To Make Ricotta Fritters

1. Heat up the oil.
   • Pour the oil into a heavy bottomed pot/Dutch oven. Heat the oil to 370-375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Meanwhile, make the ricotta batter.
   • Mix the ricotta cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl with a whisk. (You can also use a hand mixer or a stand mixer.)
   • In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt, whisking to combine.
   • Add the flour mixture to the batter and mix to combine.
3. Fry the Ricotta Fritters in the hot oil.
   • Using 2 small teaspoons or a small portion scoop, scoop out the batter and place them carefully into the hot oil. If using two teaspoons, take a small scoop of batter in one spoon and use the other spoon to scrape it off the spoon and into the oil.
   • When you add the batter to the oil, the temperature will drop. Adjust the heat of your stove, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 325 and 350 degrees while frying.
   • Fry until fritters are deep golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes, flipping fritters halfway through frying.
4. Heat up the oil to 370-375 degrees Fahrenheit before adding more batter to the oil. Continue cooking until all the batter is used up.
5. Drain the Fritters on a paper towel or paper bag.

Make sure to keep the oil at the correct temperature.

If the oil drops in temperature too much, the Fritters will soak up too much oil and will be greasy. If the temperature is too high, the Fritters will brown too quickly on the outside and won't be cooked through on the inside.

This is one recipe where it's important to use a thermometer. I use an infrared thermometer. The one I have is discontinued, but this one is very similar: Infrared Thermometer * (affiliate link)

Dust the Ricotta Fritters with powdered sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature. They are best served the same day, but can still be enjoyed for 1-2 days after cooking them.

Video of How To Make Ricotta Fritters

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This recipe for Ricotta Fritters was originally published on April 7, 2014. I have updated the photos, clarified the instructions and added a short video to make it even better.