Bomboloni Recipe (Italian Donuts with Cream Filling)
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This Bomboloni Recipe (Italian Donuts with Cream Filling) is what you find in Italian bakeries. They are super soft, light, rolled in sugar, and filled with smooth pastry cream.
These golden brown doughnuts can be filled with Italian Pastry Cream, Italian Pistachio Cream, Italian Chocolate Pastry Cream, Homemade Nutella, or jam. They are also delicious plain!
Quick Look: Bomboloni Recipe (Italian Donuts with Cream Filling)
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Resting Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: About 4 hours
- Servings: 10-12 donuts
- Method: Fried
- Technique: Activate the yeast, then mix with flour, eggs, sugar, butter, and flavorings to form a soft dough. Let the dough rise, then roll and cut into rounds and proof again. Fry, roll in sugar, and once slightly cooled, fill with pastry cream.
- Flavor and Texture: Rich and lightly sweet with a pillowy-soft interior and a delicate golden exterior.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I’ve had a lot of bombolini in my life straight from bakeries all across Italy. Everyone should make and taste the pillow-soft and crispy filled doughnuts with a heavenly cream filling at least once!
I used to feel intimidated to make donuts at home. That is why I created a step-by-step visual guide of all the steps so we can do it together! It is easy to follow and provides superior results.
These sweet treats remind me of my childhood in Italy. We walked to the bakery shop every morning, and Nonno got the newspaper while my cousin and I enjoyed freshly baked bomboloni or other delicious Italian pastries. It was our special treat!
Try my Zeppole and Cream Horns recipes next!
Made With Amore,
“Elena, thanks for this recipe. Your bomboloni with a touch of lemon zest are the best. Soft and SO tasty. We reheated some in our airfryer (minus the pastry cream) and they were still excellent next day.”
– Ha
Table of Contents
- Quick Look: Bomboloni Recipe (Italian Donuts with Cream Filling)
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients
- Variations & Substitutions
- How to Make Bomboloni (Italian Donuts with Cream Filling)
- Bomboloni Recipe (Italian Donuts with Cream Filling) FAQs
- Serving Suggestions
- Recipe Tips
- More Italian Dessert Recipes
- Bomboloni Recipe
Simple Ingredients
A super light and fluffy Italian treat made from simple ingredients you can quickly get from the grocery store or you probably already have in your pantry and refrigerator.
- Flour (00 or All-Purpose): The base of the dough, creating a soft yet structured texture
- Eggs: Add richness, color, and help create a tender, fluffy interior
- Butter: Brings richness and a soft, melt-in-your-mouth crumb
- Active Dry Yeast: Essential for creating the light, airy rise and classic pillowy texture
- Pastry Cream (Italian Crema Pasticciera): A smooth, luscious filling that makes these donuts irresistibly rich and indulgent
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
- Classic & Creamy Fillings: Fill with Italian Pastry Cream (Crema Pasticcera), Italian Pistachio Cream, or custard for a traditional, rich flavor.
- Chocolate Lovers: Use Italian Chocolate Pastry Cream or Homemade Nutella for a decadent twist
- Fruity & Sweet: Try jam fillings or enjoy them plain rolled in cinnamon sugar for a simple, sweet variation
- Baked Version: Instead of frying, bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 20 minutes, cool, then fill and dust with powdered sugar (air fryer works too!) Try my Easy Baked Italian Donuts.
How to Make Bomboloni (Italian Donuts with Cream Filling)
These bomboloni are irresistibly soft, pillowy Italian donuts filled with luscious cream and coated in sugar for the ultimate bakery-style treat you can make at home. Follow the step-by step photos and see the recipe card at the bottom for a printable version.
Make the Bomboloni Donut Dough
- In a small bowl, add the warm milk and sprinkle the yeast on top; let it sit for five minutes, then mix. If the yeast does not bubble after 5 minutes- try with new yeast.
- Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine.
- Add the milk and yeast mixture, beaten eggs, orange zest, and vanilla. Attach a dough hook attachment to the mixer and knead until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Scatter butter cubes over the dough mixture so it’s evenly distributed, then knead on a low speed for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, the dough will be smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky.
- With greased hands, shape the dough into a smooth ball by kneading it 2-3 times on a clean cutting board or work surface (do not add extra flour here).
- Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap.
- Let the dough rest for the first rise in a warm place without drafts for 2-3 hours or until at least doubled in size but for the best results wait until tripled in size.
- Make the pastry cream, let it cool, fill the pastry bag, and store it in the refrigerator until ready.
Shape the Bomboloni Dough
- After the dough rises, transfer it onto a lightly floured and clean work surface, punch down once, and knead it a few times back into a smooth ball.
- Flatten the dough with your hands, then roll it out with a rolling pin into a rectangle- about ½ inch thick.
- Use a round cookie cutter or glass to cut out round doughnuts about 3.5 inches in diameter.
- TIP: Save the scraps for frying or re-knead them and roll them out again to cut out more doughnuts.
- Place the cut-out doughnuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment
- Cover them loosely with plastic wrap or a clean towel. Let the dough proof for the second rise for 1 to 1.5 hours or until it triples in size.
Fry the Bomboloni
- Cut the parchment paper into squares so that each doughnut is on an individual square of parchment. Try not to touch the donuts, or they might deflate after rising.
- When ready to fry, heat a large deep pan or dutch oven pot with oil until it reaches 170-175°C/340-350°F. Test with a frying thermometer. Set out a baking sheet lined with paper towels for laying the fried donuts. Prepare a bowl of sugar for rolling the donuts.
- Carefully drop the doughnuts into the oil and quickly remove the parchment paper with tongs and discard.
- Fry the doughnuts in batches, and don’t overcrowd the pan so they can fry evenly.
- Fry the doughnuts for about 2 minutes on each side.
- Remove the donuts from the oil with a slotted spoon.
- Drain on paper towels for a few minutes to absorb excess oil.
- Roll the doughnuts in the bowl with sugar. Leave to cool before filling.
Fill the Bomboloni Donuts
- To fill the bomboloni, insert a small knife into the side of a doughnut.
- Move it around to make a small incision.
- Fill a piping bag with the pastry cream or desired filling option and pipe it into the hole in the donut.
- Make a small swirl at the top. Serve immediately for best results or store in plastic containers for 1-2 days if the donuts are filled with cream, store them in the refrigerator.
Bomboloni Recipe (Italian Donuts with Cream Filling) FAQs
The Italian word Bomboloni translates as ‘big bombs.’ This is a perfect name for the big round-shaped doughnuts with an irresistible creamy filling! They are popular in the Emilia Romagna Region of Italy- but you can find them at your local baker or coffee bars in different parts of Italy. In the United States, they are compared to American donuts or jelly donuts.
Sunflower oil works well for frying since it is lightly flavored and has a high burning point. Vegetable oil, peanut oil, or canola oil are great choices. Do not use an oil with a strong flavor or low burning point, such as olive oil.
Keep them unfilled in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days.
If filled, store the cream donuts in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Freezing the donuts is not recommended. The best way to reheat Italian donuts is by wrapping them in aluminum foil and warming them in the oven. Place them on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Serving Suggestions
I love serving these bomboloni after enjoying dishes like Cacio e Pepe, Chicken Cacciatore, or Italian Meatloaf. They’re also perfect for a sweet brunch spread alongside cappuccino or espresso for that authentic Italian feel. If you want to serve another treat with your meal, try pairing them with Struffoli or Italian Chocolate Cake for an extra indulgent dessert table!
My Pro Tips
Recipe Tips
- Use room temperature eggs and butter. This will help the dough rise faster and be more elastic.
- Activate the yeast. Ensure the milk is warm enough to activate the yeast but not so warm that it kills it—a temperature of around 110°F.
- Maintain the oil temperature at around 350°F. You can lower or raise the heat to keep a stable temperature. Too low of a temperature and the doughnuts will absorb too much oil; too high and they will brown faster on the outside and stay raw in the middle. Make sure you have enough oil- about 3 inches for best results.
- Work in batches and often stir for proper cooking. Overcrowding the pot with the bomboloni can lower the oil temperature and cause them to stick together and not brown properly.
- Roll bomboloni in sugar while still warm. If you don’t do this when the doughnuts are warm, the sugar won’t stick. Wait until the bomboloni are cooled before filling them.
More Italian Dessert Recipes
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Bomboloni Recipe
Ingredients
Donuts (Bomboloni)
- 4 cups 00 flour or all-purpose flour, 480 gr
- 3 large eggs, beaten at room temperature
- 6 tablespoon butter, softened and cut into cubes
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup whole milk, warmed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 small pinch salt
- Zest of 1 orange or lemon, optional, but traditional to Italian donuts
- ½ cup granulated sugar or confectioners sugar for rolling doughnuts
- Sunflower or vegetable oil for frying
Pastry Cream
- 1 recipe Classic Italian Pastry Cream
Instructions
Make the Pastry Cream
- Make the pastry cream first and store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Make the Donut Dough
- In a small bowl, add the warm milk and sprinkle the yeast on top; let it sit for five minutes, then mix. If the yeast does not bubble after 5 minutes- try with new yeast.
- Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine.
- Add the milk and yeast mixture, beaten eggs, orange zest, and vanilla. Attach a dough hook attachment to the mixer and knead until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Scatter butter cubes over the dough mixture so it’s evenly distributed, then knead on a low speed for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, the dough will be smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky. With greased hands, shape the dough into a smooth ball by kneading it 2-3 times on a clean cutting board or work surface (do not add extra flour here).
- Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for the first rise in a warm place without drafts for 2-3 hours or until triple in size.
Shape the Donuts
- After the dough rises, transfer it onto a lightly floured and clean work surface, punch down once, and knead it a few times back into a smooth ball.
- Flatten the dough with your hands, then roll it out with a rolling pin into a rectangle- about ½ inch thick.
- Use a round cookie cutter or glass to cut out round doughnuts about 3.5 inches in diameter. TIP: save the scraps for frying or re-knead them and roll them out again to cut out more doughnuts.
- Place the cut-out doughnuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment and cover them loosely with plastic wrap or a clean towel. Let the dough proof for the second rise for 1 to 1.5 hours or until it triples in size.
Fry the Donuts
- When ready to fry, heat a large deep pan or dutch oven pot with oil until it reaches 170-175°C/340-350°F. Test with a frying thermometer. Set out a baking sheet lined with paper towels for laying the fried donuts. Prepare a bowl of sugar for rolling the donuts.
- Cut the parchment paper into squares so that each doughnut is on an individual square of parchment. Try not to touch the donuts, or they might deflate after rising.
- Carefully drop the doughnuts into the oil and quickly remove the parchment paper with tongs and discard. Fry the doughnuts in batches and don’t overcrowd the pan so they can fry evenly.
- Fry the doughnuts for about 2 minutes on each side.
- Remove the donuts from the oil with a slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels for a few minutes to absorb excess oil, then roll the doughnuts in the bowl with sugar. Leave to cool before filling.
Assemble
- Once the pastry cream is cooled and the donuts are rolled in sugar and cooled slightly, fill the donuts.
- To fill the bomboloni, insert a small knife into the side of a doughnut and move it around to make a small incision.
- Fill a piping bag with the pastry cream or desired filling option and pipe it into the hole in the donut.
- Serve immediately for best results or store in plastic containers for 1-2 days.
Notes
- Use room temperature eggs and butter. This will help the dough rise faster and be more elastic.
- Activate the yeast. Ensure the milk is warm enough to activate the yeast but not so warm that it kills it—a temperature of around 110°F.
- Maintain the oil temperature at around 350°F. You can lower or raise the heat to keep a stable temperature. Too low of a temperature and the doughnuts will absorb too much oil; too high and they will brown faster on the outside and stay raw in the middle. Make sure you have enough oil- about 3 inches for best results.
- Work in batches and often stir for proper cooking. Overcrowding the pot with the bomboloni can lower the oil temperature and cause them to stick together and not brown properly.
- Roll bomboloni in sugar while still warm. If you don’t do this when the doughnuts are warm, the sugar won’t stick. Wait until the bomboloni are cooled before filling them.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi! I was planning to make these but wanted to get your thoughts on adding ricotta to do a lemon ricotta flavor. Would you sub out another ingredient to add the ricotta or just add it and keep the other ingredients exactly the same? Thanks!
Hi! Yes, you can do this. I recommend using my cannoli dip as the filing- just leave out the chocolate chips. Enjoy and let me know after you try it this way- I would love to hear back from you!
Question: Can I make the dough the day before and put it in the fridge overnight?
Hi! Yes, let it come to room temperature before using!
AWESOME
I’m the kind of baker who searches & studies several versions of a recipe before trying it. I’m glad I chose Elena version. I opted to divide the dough by 12 (~78g) and that was the perfect size for my pot. I won’t be searching for a recipe to beat this one. I will be posting pictures on IG because I’m so pleased with the results. Oh, I made her Italian cream for the filling & it’s great too. Thank you Elena. Glad I found your website “Nonna”
YAY! I am so happy you loved this recipe. I worked hard to create the most authentic version of this Italian favorite. I am in Italy and I had one fresh from the bakery. It tastes like my recipe. Maybe homemade is even better 🙂
Well I gave them a go, came out like hard rolls, with sprinkle sugar. I can’t fry because of dietary restrictions so I baked them. And they didn’t rise very well. My yeast was fresh, I used OO FLOUR and European butter. I think I will try again but have to rethink when. I bake every day, and make my own bread so I’m at a loss for what went wrong
Hi Debby, I am sorry they didn’t turn out for you. Maybe try to let them rise a bit longer in the second rise? It’s hard to tell since I didn’t see how you made them. They are delicious and I hope you try again. Yes, baking will yield to very different results with this recipe!
My dough was very thick and didn’t rise. Maybe the milk was not warm enough?Maybe I didn’t put in enough milk? Was it 1/2 cup of milk?
Hi! Check the leaving agent. This is the biggest culprit for dough not rising properly. I hope you can try again. It is an amazing recipe!
I like your recipe, personally I prefer the Krapfen (not Kraffen) from Südtirol and north of there because of the marmalade filling.
Happy you like the recipe. You can certainly fill it with jam, as suggested in the variation. Enjoy the way you prefer.
Elena, thanks for this recipe. Your bomboloni with a touch of lemon zest are the best. Soft and SO tasty. We reheated some in our airfryer (minus the pastry cream) and they were still excellent next day.
You are welcome! There is nothing like fried dough 🙂
Honestly, they are the best cream-filled homemade donuts you can make at home. I highly recommend this foolproof recipe!