Lokma Dessert Recipe (2024)

Lokma is a traditional Turkish street food dessert and very popular in many countries in the Mediterranean and the Middle East region. Sweet dough balls balls deep-fried to a golden crispy perfection and dunked into simple sugar syrup.

Favorite fried sweet dumplings, one round ball that is, usually, dunked in simple syrup. Crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy inside. A widely popular golden nuggets street dessert.
Learn how to make Lokma with step by step photos and a quick video tutorial so you’ll master it in no time!

❤️ Why You'll Love It

• Simple ingredients make these delicious balls.
• Enjoyed by kids and adults as well.
• Can be served in a variety of ways, more on that below.

📝 Ingredients

Note: This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.

• All-purpose flour.
• Starch this helps crisp the balls from the outside.
• Yeast and sugar to activate the yeast.
• Full fat yogurt: adds flavor and moistness.
• Warm water to knead the dough.
• Sugar, honey, lemon juice, water, and flavors to make the simple syrup.
• Chocolate, corn syrup, heavy cream, and sugar for the chocolate syrup.
• Cinnamon and sugar to make cinnamon sugar.

🥄 Instructions

Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.

1. In the bowl of you mixer add all the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour in warm water and mix. Rest for 30 minutes then add yogurt and keep mixing for at least 3 minutes until the yogurt is completely incorporated. Your dough now will be very stretchy as seen above.
2. Cover and let it rise for an hour or now you can cover and refrigerate until next day.
3. Form dough balls using a small ice cream scoop. and fry in hot oil until golden brown,
4. Place the fried dough balls into a deep bowl of cooled syrup, other options are given below.
5. You can also dust with some powdered sugar or better make a chocolate syrup and drizzle above. Images 3 and 4.

👍 Amira's Tips

Dip the scoop into a small plate of oil when forming the balls so the batter will not stick and glide easily into the hot oil.

• If you do not have an ice cream scoop you can use ½ tablespoon measuring spoon.
• The tricky part of this recipe is frying, you'll notice that the balls will float and that's why this recipe is also called Awamat which means floaties in Arabic. To make the balls fry evenly it is better to keep stirring them and pushing them in the oil with a slotted spoon.
• If you can't get rounded lokma balls you can add about 3 Tablespoons of oil to the batter, this should take care of this problem.

⌛ Make Ahead

• You can actually make the batter ahead and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to fry, take the bowl out and let it come to room temperature. This might take from 30 minutes to 1 hour. You can also make the sugar syrup ahead of time, let it cool down as it needs to be room temperature as well.

👩‍🍳 Variations

• Traditional and most common way is doused in simple sugar syrup. Syrup can be flavored with cinnamon, cardamom, orange blossom, rose water or vanilla flavored. Honey is also common.
• Roll hot fried dough balls into cinnamon sugar.
• Dust with powdered sugar, not my favorite but very common.
• Chocolate covered. This has been very popular recently in Egypt. Make your own chocolate syrup or just use Nutella.
• I've seen people serve this as a savory dish too with some cheese sauce on the side. I haven't tried this yet though.
• Some people add saffron to the dough which gives it a more yellowish orange color.

• Qatayef is a popular Middle Eastern dessert that is often consumed during Ramadan. Fluffy small pancakes filled with cream then drizzled with syrup or honey. Here is another popular version of qatayef filled with nuts and then fried until golden brown.
• Galaktoboureko is a beloved Greek custard pie featuring buttery crisp phyllo sheets and creamy rich filling. All drizzled with fragrant sugar syrup. A must try beloved dessert.
• Revani is a classic Mediterranean semolina cake drenched in lemon infused simple syrup and topped with coconut flakes.
• From savory Iftar feasts bursting with flavor to sweet treats that end your fast on a delightful note, here are some Ramadan Recipes to inspire you for every meal.

More Dessert Ideas

• Tulumba is a popular street food throughout the Middle east. Tulumba pastries are fried to golden brown and dunked in cold syrup for an out-of-this-world crunchy yet so fluffy on-inside sweet fritters.
• Basbousa is a traditional Egyptian dessert made from semolina flour, coconut, yogurt and soaked in simple syrup. It’s delicious and easy to make!
• Kunafa is a traditional Middle Eastern dessert that is made with a layer of golden shredded phyllo dough, a creamy filling, and a sweet syrup. A popular dessert in many countries that is often served during special occasions and holidays.

🥣 Equipment

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• Ice Cream Scoop.
• Stand Mixer.

I hope you'll like this recipe and please if you make this recipe, snap a pic and hashtag it #amiraspantry— Ilove to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter!
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First published June 2018 . Last updated March 2, 2023 with important tips, clear step by step instructions and readability.

👩‍🏫 My Personal Experience

Everybody's favorite sweet dough balls, made at home! Shatteringly crisp and golden from outside, just like they should be, and pillowy from inside!

Loukoumades, Lokma or Zalabya, there are so many names and recipes for these simple fried balls. They are a far relative to the doughnut holes, the Indian Gulab Jamun, Italian Neapolitan Struffoli, and the Mongolian Boortsog. These were a favorite for my late father whenever he sees a shop or a street cart selling them, he had to order.

Once when I was in Egypt about 8 years ago, I wanted to make it for him so I did my batter, fried the balls, dunked them in syrup. They tasted great but looked weird and not uniform. I remember he laughed a lot about how they looked back then.

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