PISTACHIO CREAM BOMBOLONI

A Little Piece of Heaven from Italy 🇮🇹

If there’s one pastry that brings pure joy to Italian mornings and cozy afternoons with Nonna, it’s the bombolone — the Italian cousin of the donut. Soft, airy, and golden-brown, these fluffy treats are fried to perfection and filled with luscious cream.

Today’s version is extra special: Pistachio Cream Bomboloni. Imagine biting into a warm, cloud-like donut that reveals a heart of smooth, nutty pistachio cream. It’s rich yet delicate, comforting yet sophisticated — and every bite takes you straight to a café in Sicily.

Whether for a Sunday brunch, a festive dessert, or simply to spoil yourself, these Italian donuts will steal your heart and make your kitchen smell like heaven. And yes, we’re making the pistachio cream from scratch — because nothing beats homemade.

Ingredients (Makes 10 Bomboloni)

For the dough:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour (500 g)

• ½ cup pistachio flour (50 g) or finely ground unsalted pistachios

• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (40 g)

• ⅔ cup warm water (160 g)

• ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) fresh yeast (15 g) or 1 packet (2¼ tsp) active dry yeast

• 2 large eggs (about 4 oz / 120 g)

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (40 g)

• 1 teaspoon fine salt (6 g)

For frying:

• Vegetable oil, for frying

For filling and decorating:

• 2 cups homemade pistachio cream (recipe below)

• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Homemade Pistachio Cream Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted shelled pistachios (about 130 g)

• ½ cup granulated sugar (100 g)

• ½ cup whole milk (120 ml)

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (15 g)

• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• Pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Blanch and peel the pistachios (optional but recommended):
   Bring a small pot of water to a boil, add the pistachios, and boil for 2 minutes. Drain and rub them with a clean towel to remove the skins. This gives your cream a vibrant green color.

2. Blend the nuts:
   Place the peeled pistachios in a food processor and blend until finely ground. Scrape down the sides as needed.

3. Make the base:
   In a small saucepan, heat the milk and sugar over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Do not boil.

4. Combine:
   Pour the warm milk mixture into the food processor with the pistachios. Add the butter, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth and creamy, about 3–5 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add a tablespoon of milk at a time until you reach a spreadable consistency.

5. Cool and store:
   Transfer the pistachio cream to a jar and refrigerate. It will thicken slightly as it cools. Keeps up to 1 week in the fridge.

💡 Tip: For an extra silky texture, blend the pistachio cream through a fine mesh strainer before chilling.

How to Make Pistachio Cream Bomboloni

Step 1: Make the dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the all-purpose flour, pistachio flour, and sugar. Add the salt and crumble in the fresh yeast (or add dry yeast). Pour in part of the warm water and begin kneading with the dough hook on low speed.

Step 2: Add eggs and butter

Gradually add the beaten eggs while mixing. Slowly pour in the remaining water until the dough comes together and starts pulling away from the bowl. Add the softened butter, one piece at a time, and knead until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky.

Step 3: First rise

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, cover with a bowl, and let rest for 5 minutes. Fold the dough a few times to strengthen it, shape it into a ball, and place it in a greased bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise for 2 hours at room temperature, or until doubled in size.

Step 4: Shape the bomboloni

Once risen, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll it out to about ½ inch (1 cm) thick. Using a 3½-inch (9 cm) round cutter, cut out 10 disks. Place each disk on a small square of parchment paper and cover lightly with plastic wrap. Let rise again for 30 minutes.

Step 5: Fry

Heat vegetable oil in a deep pot to 320–330°F (160–165°C). Fry 2–3 bomboloni at a time, gently lowering them into the oil with their parchment paper (which will detach after a few seconds). Fry until golden on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Step 6: Fill and finish

Allow the bomboloni to cool slightly. Using a piping bag fitted with a round tip, fill each one generously with homemade pistachio cream. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Storage

Best enjoyed fresh or within a few hours of frying. If you must store them, keep unfilled bomboloni in an airtight container for up to 1 day and fill them just before serving.

Tips & Tricks

• You can make pistachio flour by grinding shelled pistachios in a food processor until very fine.

• For a lighter version, bake at 350°F (180°C) for 15–18 minutes instead of frying.

• Try filling them with Nutella, pastry cream, or jam for fun variations!

Nutrition Facts (Per Piece)

Nutritional information provided by Edamam. These values are estimates based on standard ingredients and preparation methods.

PISTACHIO CREAM BOMBOLONI

Today’s version is extra special: Pistachio Cream Bomboloni. Imagine biting into a warm, cloud-like donut that reveals a heart of smooth, nutty pistachio cream

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

25 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Servings 10 bomboloni

Notes

Ingredients (Makes 10 Bomboloni)

For the dough:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour (500 g)
• ½ cup pistachio flour (50 g) or finely ground unsalted pistachios
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (40 g)
• ⅔ cup warm water (160 g)
• ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) fresh yeast (15 g) or 1 packet (2¼ tsp) active dry yeast
• 2 large eggs (about 4 oz / 120 g)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (40 g)
• 1 teaspoon fine salt (6 g)

For frying:

• Vegetable oil, for frying

For filling and decorating:

• 2 cups homemade pistachio cream (recipe below)
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

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Homemade Pistachio Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted shelled pistachios (about 130 g)
• ½ cup granulated sugar (100 g)
• ½ cup whole milk (120 ml)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (15 g)
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Blanch and peel (optional):
   Boil the pistachios for 2 minutes, drain, and rub them in a towel to remove skins for a brighter green color.
2. Blend:
   Process pistachios in a food processor until finely ground, scraping sides as needed.
3. Warm the milk:
   In a small saucepan, heat milk and sugar until sugar dissolves (do not boil).
4. Combine:
   Add the warm milk mixture, butter, vanilla, and salt to the processor. Blend for 3–5 minutes until creamy. Add a bit more milk if too thick.
5. Cool and store:
   Transfer to a jar and refrigerate up to 1 week. The cream will thicken slightly as it cools.

💡 Tip: For extra smooth texture, pass the cream through a fine sieve before chilling.

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How to Make Pistachio Cream Bomboloni

Step 1: Make the dough

In a stand mixer, combine the all-purpose flour, pistachio flour, and sugar. Add salt and crumble in the yeast. Pour in part of the warm water and start kneading with a dough hook on low speed.

Step 2: Add eggs and butter

Gradually add beaten eggs while mixing, followed by the rest of the water. Once the dough comes together and pulls from the bowl, add softened butter a little at a time. Knead until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky (about 10 minutes total mixing time).

Step 3: First rise (2 hours)

Shape the dough into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for about 2 hours at room temperature, or until doubled in size.

Step 4: Shape the bomboloni (30 minutes + 30 min rest)

Roll the dough to ½ inch (1 cm) thick. Cut out 10 circles using a 3½-inch (9 cm) cutter. Place each on parchment squares, cover, and let rise again for 30 minutes.

Step 5: Fry (2–3 minutes per side)

Heat vegetable oil to 320–330°F (160–165°C). Fry 2–3 bomboloni at a time, using the parchment to lower them into the oil (it will detach). Fry 2 minutes per side until golden. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Step 6: Fill and finish (10–15 minutes)

Cool slightly. Use a piping bag fitted with a round tip to fill each donut with pistachio cream. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm.