Papanași
Romanian fried cheese doughnuts: a ring with a ball on top, under sour cream and sour cherry jam.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Rest
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 hr 15 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Papanași are doughnuts made from fresh cow's cheese, egg, a little flour and semolina, shaped into a thick ring with a small ball on top, deep-fried until golden, then buried in sour cream and sour cherry or blueberry jam. The cheese makes them tender and slightly tangy inside, closer to a cheesecake than a bread doughnut. Romanian brânză de vaci is a dry, crumbly curd cheese; well-drained ricotta or dry cottage cheese pressed through a sieve gets you close. The dough is soft and sticky. Flour your hands, work fast and do not overcrowd the oil. Serve hot; they go heavy as they cool.
What you'll need
13 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
- Ingredients
- To serve
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Ricotta, drained overnight in a sieve; or dry cottage cheese pushed through a sieve500 g
- Egg2
- Sugar44 ml
- Vanilla sugar15 ml
- Lemon, zest only1
- Semolina, fine50 g
- Wheat flour, plain, plus more for shaping150 g
- Baking soda2½ ml
- Salt1.2 ml
- Neutral oil, for deep-frying1 l
To serve
- Sour cream250 g
- Jam, sour cherry or blueberry200 g
- Icing sugar (optional)15 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Beat the drained cheese with the eggs, sugar, vanilla sugar, lemon zest and salt until smooth. Stir in the semolina and leave 15 minutes so it swells.
18 min
Step 2
Mix the flour with the bicarbonate and fold into the cheese to make a soft, slightly sticky dough. Rest 15 minutes in the fridge.
15 min
Tip: If it is unworkable, add flour a tablespoon at a time. Too much flour makes them bready.
Step 3
With floured hands divide into 6 large pieces and 6 small ones (about 120 g and 25 g). Roll the large pieces into balls, flatten to 2 cm thick and push a floured finger through the middle to make a ring. Roll the small pieces into balls.
10 min
Step 4
Heat the oil to 170°C in a deep pan. Fry the rings two at a time, 3 to 4 minutes a side, until deep golden. Fry the small balls for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper.
20 min170°C
Watch: Too hot and the outside browns before the cheese inside sets. Test with one ball first.
Step 5
Set each ring on a plate, spoon over sour cream, then jam, and sit a small ball on top. Dust with icing sugar if you like. Serve at once.
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 9.5 g
- Carbs
- 43.6 g
- Fat
- 28.8 g
- Saturated fat
- 8.1 g
- Fibre
- 2.8 g
- Sugar
- 13.4 g
- Sodium
- 153 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Milk
- Eggs
- Wheat
- Vegetarian
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.
Substitutions
Ricotta → Quark, drained
Quark is drier and closer to brânză de vaci. Use the same weight.
Tips
- Drain the cheese properly. Wet cheese is the reason papanași fall apart in the oil.
- The boiled version: shape into balls, poach 8 minutes in simmering water, roll in breadcrumbs fried in butter and sugar.
- Sour cherry jam is the Romanian default. Blueberry is the Transylvanian one.
History & culture
The dessert that ends a Romanian restaurant meal and the one visitors remember. Grandmothers make them for children on Sunday. There is also a boiled version, rolled in buttered breadcrumbs, that is older and lighter but less loved. One papanaș is a generous portion; two is a dare.
Fresh-cheese dumplings run through Austro-Hungarian and Moldavian cooking, and papanași sit in that family alongside Hungarian túrógombóc. The fried ring-and-ball shape with jam and cream seems to have fixed itself in Romanian restaurants during the 20th century.
Traditional — Ricotta stands in for Romanian brânză de vaci. Drain it overnight in a sieve or the dough will be too wet. Dry curd cottage cheese, sieved, is nearer the original texture.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Papanași take?
1 hr 15 min all in — 25 min prep, 20 min cook, 30 min rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 6 pieces. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Medium.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Milk, Eggs, Wheat. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Nut-free.
8 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Mixing bowl, Saucepan, Spider or strainer.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at ¼ tsp.
How much sugar?
3 tbsp of Sugar.
What can I use instead?
Ricotta → Quark, drained. Quark is drier and closer to brânză de vaci. Use the same weight.
What should I watch for?
Too hot and the outside browns before the cheese inside sets. Test with one ball first.
Any tips from this recipe?
Drain the cheese properly. Wet cheese is the reason papanași fall apart in the oil. The boiled version: shape into balls, poach 8 minutes in simmering water, roll in breadcrumbs fried in butter and sugar. Sour cherry jam is the Romanian default. Blueberry is the Transylvanian one.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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