List of doughnut varieties facts for kids

Doughnuts are super popular treats made from fried dough. They come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and flavors! You might know the classic ring doughnut, but did you know there are many other kinds around the world? Some are filled with jam, others are savory, and some are even shaped like animals!

This article will take you on a tasty trip to discover some amazing doughnut and fried dough pastries from different countries. Get ready to learn about these delicious snacks!

Doughnut Delights from Around the World

Doughnuts have different names and recipes depending on where you are. Let's explore some of these delicious variations!

Argentina

In Argentina, you might find Sopaipilla, also called tortas fritas. These are fried pastries similar to a German doughnut called a Berliner. Bakeries also sell Facturas, which are popular baked doughnuts. Look out for berlinesas and bolas de fraile ("friar's balls") too!

Armenia

Armenia has Ponchik, a deep-fried dough ball filled with sweet jam. Tukalik are like doughnut holes. Armenian doughnuts are sometimes called chickies.

Australia

Australians enjoy the Kitchener bun, which is similar to a Berliner but has an open top with lots of cream and some jam. Warm jam doughnuts are also very common in bakeries.

Austria

Austrian doughnuts are called Krapfen. They look like the German Berliner. These are especially popular during carnival season, called Fasching. They are usually filled with apricot jam or vanilla cream. Krapfen are made from sweet yeast dough, fried, and often topped with powdered sugar.

Belgium

In Belgium, you'll find Smoutebollen or croustillons. These are similar to Dutch Oliebollen. They usually don't have fruit, but sometimes they include apple chunks. They are popular snacks at carnivals and fairs, dusted with powdered sugar.

Bolivia

Bolivia has Buñuelos, which are round, fried bread.

Brazil

Brazilians call their filled doughnuts sonho, meaning "dream." These are often filled with guava paste, cream, or chocolate. They are usually coated with sugar and cinnamon or powdered sugar.

Bulgaria

Bulgaria offers ponichki and mekitsas.

Cambodia

Cambodia's doughnut is called nom kong. Its name means "wheel" because of its shape. This sweet pastry is made from rice flour dough. It's shaped like a ring, deep-fried, and then drizzled with palm sugar toffee. Sesame seeds are sprinkled on top. The rice flour gives it a chewy texture.

Canada

Canada has many unique doughnut types! These include the beaver tail, a flat, fried dough pastry. You can also find crullers, dutchies, and tiny Timbits. Maple bars, which are doughnuts with maple syrup icing, are also popular.

Chile

Chile has a large German community, so round, fried doughnuts without holes are popular there. They are called Berlin (or Berlines). They can be filled with jam or manjar, which is like a Chilean caramel.

China

Chinese cuisine has its own fried dough pastries. Ngàuhleisōu (牛脷酥) is an oval-shaped pastry from Cantonese cooking. It means "ox-tongue pastry" because of its shape. Saa jung (沙翁) are fried round dough balls with sugar. A salty version is yóutiáo (油條), or "oil strips." These are often eaten with congee, a traditional rice porridge.

Colombia

Colombia offers buñuelos and roscas.

Croatia

Croatia has many fried dough treats like trijesce, primoštenske fritule, and fritule. You can also find kroštule and krafne, which are similar to the Berliner.

Czech Republic

In the Czech Republic, Koblihy or vdolky are doughnuts without a hole. They are usually filled with jam and dusted with sugar. Bavorský vdolek ("Bavarian doughnut") can be fried or baked. It often has jam and thick sour cream on top.

Denmark

Danish bakeries sell the "Berliner" without a hole, just like in Germany. Another treat is aebleskiver, which are small, round pancake-like balls. They are usually eaten with powdered sugar and jam.

Finland

Finland has Munkki (without a hole) and Berliininmunkki (no hole, sugar coating). Donitsi are doughnuts with a hole, and munkkirinkilä are ring-shaped.

France

Beignets are sometimes called French doughnuts. They are very popular in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the United States.

Germany

The Berliner is a famous German doughnut. It's made from sweet yeast dough, fried, and has no hole. Berliners are often filled with jams like apricot or plum. Other German varieties include Obstkrapfen and Faschingskrapfen.

Ghana

Ghana has Bofrot, a type of fried dough.

Greece

Greece offers Svingi, Thiples, and Loukoumades. Loukoumádes are doughnut-like snacks. They come in two types: a crispy one shaped like the number 8, and a larger, softer one shaped like a 0.

Hawaii

A popular doughnut in Hawaii is the Malasada. Portuguese workers brought them to the islands. They are small balls of yeast dough, deep-fried, and coated in sugar.

Hungary

Hungary has Fánk, a round doughnut without a hole, dusted with sugar. Lángos is a flat fried bread made from yeast dough. It's often served with sour cream and toppings like cheese or ham.

Iceland

Iceland has Kleinuhringir (doughnuts), Kleinur, Berlínarbollur, and Ástarpungar. Ástarpungar traditionally have raisins inside.

India

In India, Gulgula are soft, sweet, deep-fried round dough balls. Vadai are savory rings made from lentils, popular in South India. Sweet doughnut-like pastries include badushah or balushahi. These are fried and soaked in sugar syrup. Badushah doesn't have a hole. Another sweet is gulab jamun, which are ball-shaped pastries made from buffalo milk dough. They are fried and then soaked in sweet syrup flavored with rose water and cardamom.

Indonesia

Donat kentang (Potato Doughnut) is an Indonesian fried doughnut. It's ring-shaped and made from flour and mashed potatoes. It's usually coated in powdered sugar.

Iran

Zooloobiya is an Iranian doughnut that comes in different shapes and sizes. It's coated in a sticky, sweet syrup. The Razavi doughnut is ring-shaped with sugar.

Israel

Sufganiyah (סופגניה) are like the German Berliner or Polish pączki. They are deep-fried, filled with jelly, and topped with powdered sugar. They are a traditional Hanukkah food for Jewish people.

Italy

Italy has many fried pastries! Some examples include Struffoli, Pignolata, Zeppole, and Bomboloni. These often come in different shapes and can be filled with cream or jam.

Japan

Japan has Sata–andagi, which are deep-fried buns. An-doughnut (あんドーナッツ) is similar to Germany's Berliner but filled with sweet red bean paste. Deep-fried dough filled with Japanese curry, called curry bread, is also very popular.

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan has Baursaki, which are small, round, fried dough pieces.

Kenya

Kenya offers Mandazi, Mahamri, and Mandalas. These are sweet, triangular-shaped breakfast treats. They are made from flour and sugar and are often eaten with a coconut side dish.

Korea

Korea has Chapssal doughnut and twisted doughnut. Many bakeries offer doughnuts made from tteok, a traditional Korean rice dessert. These can be green, pink, or white and are often filled with sweet red bean paste.

Libya

Libya has Sfinz, a type of fried dough.

Lithuania

Spurgos are Lithuanian doughnuts filled with jam and coated in sugar. There's also a type made from cottage cheese dough, which has no filling.

Mexico

Mexico has Buñuelos, Churros, and Sopapillas. Mexican Donas are very similar to classic doughnuts. They are often coated with cinnamon sugar or dipped in chocolate. A pelona is like a Berliner, a doughnut without a hole. It's usually filled with vanilla dulce de leche (caramel) and raisins.

Mochi Donuts

Mochi donuts are a cool mix of American doughnuts and Japanese mochi. They have a unique chewy texture.

Netherlands

Oliebollen are a traditional Dutch food eaten on New Year's Eve and at fairs. They are round doughnuts without a hole, similar to "donut holes" in the US. They are a classic treat.

New Zealand

New Zealanders enjoy cream-filled doughnuts.

Nigeria

Nigeria has Puff-puff and Chin chin.

Norway

Norway offers Smultring and Fattigmann.

Peru

Peru has Dona and Picarones.

Philippines

The Philippines has many fried dough treats, including Binangkal, Buñuelos, Churro, Maruya, and Shakoy.

Poland

Pączki are round, jam-filled doughnuts that have been known in Poland for a very long time. They are known for being light, spongy, and springy.

Portugal

Portugal has fartura and filhós. These Portuguese-style doughnuts are often dipped in sugar and cinnamon.

Romania

Romania has gogoşi, which are similar to doughnuts.

Russia

In Russia, Ponchik (пончики) and pyshki (пышки) are deep-fried, sphere-shaped pieces of dough. They can have sweet fillings like jam or savory fillings like meat. Belyashi are also popular, which are savory fried pastries.

Serbia

Doughnuts similar to the Berliner are made in Serbia and Croatia. They are called Krofna, a name that comes from the Austrian Krapfen.

Slovakia

Slovakia has šišky (pronounced "shishky") and ceregi.

Slovenia

Slovenia offers krofi, fanke, and flancati.

South Africa

South Africa has Koeksisters, which are braided dough, fried, and soaked in cold syrup. Vetkoek is another variation, which is fried dough served with mince, syrup, or jam. Koe'sister is a spiced doughnut rolled in coconut.

Spain

Spain is famous for Churros, which are long, ridged fried dough. Other Spanish treats include Porras, Chimeneas, and various Roscos (ring-shaped pastries). Buñuelos are traditional Easter pastries. They are small balls without a hole and can be sweet or savory.

Sweden

Sweden has munk (doughnut), klenät, and flottyrring. A vaniljmunk looks like the German Berliner but is filled with vanilla custard.

Switzerland

Switzerland offers Ringli, Basler Krapfen, Chüechli, and Öhrli.

Taiwan

Taiwan has tian tian chuan, which means "sweet sweet ring."

Thailand

Thailand has Khanom wong and Khanom khai hong.

Tunisia

Tunisia has Ftair, Yous–yous, and Bambalouni.

Turkey

Turkey offers Hanim Göbeği, Tulumba tatlisi, and İzmir lokması.

Ukraine

Ukraine has pampushky (sweet or garlic flavored) and ponchyk (пончик). These are deep-fried, sphere-shaped pieces of dough.

United Kingdom

In the UK, doughnuts are traditionally topped with granulated sugar. Jam doughnuts are ball-shaped, coated in sugar, and filled with strawberry or raspberry jam (or vanilla custard). In Scotland, ring doughnuts are sometimes called doughrings. Glazed, twisted rope-shaped doughnuts are known as yum–yums.

United States

In the US, doughnuts come in many forms! You can find cake doughnuts, raised doughnuts, and piped varieties. Popular shapes include crullers (twisted bars), old-fashioned doughnuts, and Boston cream doughnuts. Other types include potato doughnuts, sour cream doughnuts, and cider doughnuts. Long Johns, especially maple bars with maple-flavored icing, are also common. Twisted doughnuts are braided and fried. Local varieties include Native American frybread and beignets from New Orleans.

Venezuela

Venezuela has Bomba, a type of doughnut.

Vietnam

Vietnam offers Bánh tiêu and giò cháo quẩy.

Yemen

Yemen has Zalabiyeh.

Zambia

Zambia has Vitumbuwa.

See also

• List of doughnut shops
• List of deep fried foods
• List of fried dough foods
• List of desserts