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Fluffy Deep-Fried Quark Donut Balls, Super Easy

by Lisa

Trained pastry chef

Fluffy deep-fried quark donut balls rolled in sugar

4.7 (3)out of 5, 3 ratings

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Prep
5 min
Bake
6 min
Total
11 min
Makes
20 pieces

The first thing you learn in a pastry shop is that quark donut balls (known in Germany as Quarkbällchen) are no rocket science, but the texture of the dough decides whether they turn out airy or rubbery. That's exactly why I work with low-fat quark and ground almonds here. The almonds give the dough a light nutty note and a really lovely texture inside. The recipe is so straightforward that even beginners can make it without stress, without having to read through half a pastry apprenticeship first.

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You stir the liquids together with the quark, tip in the dry ingredients, and the whole thing goes into a piping bag. Only one thing really matters: don't overmix the dough once the dry ingredients are in, just stir until everything comes together. As soon as the dough turns tough, the frying suffers and the balls lose their fluffy center. Here is my recipe for really easy, airy deep-fried quark donut balls:

Ingredients

Makes 20 pieces

  • 1 cup240 glow-fat quark10% fat. Quark made from skimmed milk, firmer and tangier than the full-fat kind. In the US use nonfat Greek yogurt strained overnight, or plain skyr; in the UK, quark (most UK quark is already fat-free).
  • ¾ cup150 ggranulated sugar
  • 3150 glarge eggsabout 3 eggs
  • 1 ½ tbsp25 mlmilk
  • 2 cups240 gall-purpose flourIn German recipes plain flour means soft wheat flour Type 405 unless stated otherwise. In the US use all-purpose flour; in the UK, plain flour.
  • ¼ cup25 galmondsground
  • 1 ¼ tsp5 gbaking powderGerman baking powder is sold in 15 g packets, each meant for about 500 g (4 cups) of flour. In the US and the UK use baking powder, 1 tbsp plus ¾ tsp per 15 g packet.
  • 1 pinchsalt
  • 2 tspvanilla sugar1 packet = 2 tsp (8 g). Sugar flavored with real vanilla, sold in small packets of about 8 g. In the US use 1 tsp vanilla extract plus 2 tsp sugar for each 8 g packet; in the UK, vanilla sugar sachets from the baking aisle, or 1 tsp vanilla extract plus 2 tsp sugar per sachet.
  • sugar, for rolling
  • frying fat or oil, for deep-frying

Method

  1. Stir the flour, baking powder and almonds together with the salt.

  2. Stir the remaining ingredients together and add the dry ones. Mix everything briefly but thoroughly.

  3. Preheat the deep fryer to about 338°F (170°C). Fill the dough into a piping bag.

  4. As soon as the fat has reached temperature, carefully pipe the dough into the fat using the piping bag. Fry the balls in the hot fat for a few minutes, then transfer them to a kitchen towel to drain, but roll them in the sugar while they are still hot.

Questions and answers

Why do I use low-fat quark instead of full-fat quark?
I use low-fat quark because it releases less water into the fat, which keeps the dough more stable. Full-fat quark often makes the dough too soft, and the balls soak up fat while frying. Low-fat quark gives you the right consistency without making the quark donut balls heavy.
Why does my quark donut ball dough turn tough?
That almost always happens when you stir too long after adding the dry ingredients. As soon as the flour and baking powder go in, gluten starts to develop, and the longer you work it, the tougher the dough gets. Really only stir until everything just comes together, and your quark donut balls will be airy.
What oil temperature is ideal for quark donut balls?
For me, quark donut balls work best at 338°F (170°C). Any hotter and the outside browns too quickly while the inside is still doughy; any cooler and they soak up too much fat. A thermometer or a deep fryer with a temperature control really makes life easier here.
Can I make quark donut balls in the oven or air fryer?
You can make quark donut balls in the oven or in an air fryer, but the texture will be different. Classic quark donut balls are deep-fried, which gives them that typical crisp shell and fluffy inside. In the oven they turn out more like a small pastry. That's tasty too, but not quite the same.
How do I best store quark donut balls?
To be honest, quark donut balls usually aren't as good the next day: they lose their fluffiness and get drier. That's why I always make them fresh and enjoy them while they're still warm. If you have leftovers, leave them out in the air, not in a container, otherwise they get soggy.
Why do I use a piping bag instead of two spoons?
With a piping bag I can portion the dough really evenly into the hot fat and cut it off at the tip with a knife. That's faster than using two spoons, and the quark donut balls all come out about the same size, which matters for even frying.