Sonhos de Abóbora Recipe – Sweet Pumpkin fritters

Pumpkin Fritters are a traditional Christmas treat in Portugal. The name of this sweet can vary by region and they are sometimes called “Sonhos de Abóbora“, “filhós de abóbora,” “bilharacos” (or “bilharecos”), and “belhoses.” This recipe is traditional to the Beira Litoral and Minho regions. However, since each region has its own version and name, it’s difficult to determine the exact origin.

There are many other variations of pumpkin fritters. The most common are simple ones, made with a basic dough and dusted with sugar and cinnamon. There are also fritters (or “filhós”) made with carrot or sweet potato. We use pumpkin and orange in our recipe, which makes them absolutely delicious.

We especially love this pumpkin fritter recipe because it brings back memories of Christmas and home, where my grandmother used to make them. Therefore, they are very special to us. Like many grandparent recipes, the quantities were not always precisely defined and were often estimated by eye. But, somehow, they always turned out well.

Nevertheless, we have tried to reproduce her pumpkin fritter recipe as faithfully as possible. (Thank you, Grandma Adelaide!)

Ingredients

• 1 kg (2.2 lbs) pumpkin (small or sugar pumpkin)
• 500 g (4 cups) all-purpose flour
• 8 g (1 tablespoon) active dry yeast or 25 g (0.9 oz) fresh yeast
• 500 ml (2 cups) milk
• 1 orange (juice and zest)
• 100 g (1/2 cup) sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 eggs
• 25 ml (1.7 tablespoons) of Port wine or aguardente (Portuguese pomace brandy)
• Sunflower oil for frying
• Sugar and cinnamon powder for dusting

Utensils Needed

• Medium saucepan
• Spatula
• Strainer
• Knife
• Large mixing bowl
• Cooking thermometer

Preparation

• Servings: 15 to 20
• Preparation time*: approx. 5 hours (includes 4 hours for dough rising); Ideally, start making the recipe the day before and let it rise overnight, then fry the pumpkin fritters the next day. * Total time, including preparation and dough rising.
• Difficulty level: Medium (not technically difficult, but involves some lengthy steps)

Step-by-Step Pumpkin fritters recipe

Cook the Pumpkin:

1. Peel the pumpkin and cut it into large pieces.
2. Place water in a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil. The amount of water should be just enough to cover the pumpkin pieces.
3. Once the water is boiling, add the pumpkin pieces, cover the saucepan, and reduce the heat to medium.
4. The pumpkin should be cooked after 15 to 20 minutes. Test for tenderness by piercing with a fork.
5. Remove the pumpkin and let it drain in a strainer or clean cloth, removing as much water as possible. You can let it drain for about an hour or, if using a cloth, press the pumpkin to eliminate excess water.

Making the Pumpkin Fritter Batter:

1. Heat the milk in the microwave with a bit of orange zest and a cinnamon stick until warm (note: the milk should not be too hot as it can deactivate the yeast). After heating, remove the cinnamon stick and orange zest.
2. Add the yeast (either active, dry, or fresh) and let it activate.
3. Beat the four eggs until well mixed.
4. Combine the pumpkin, beaten eggs, and milk in a large mixing bowl. Mix everything until well combined.
5. Add the flour and sugar, and mix until you get a smooth batter.
6. Grate the remaining orange zest and add it to the batter, along with the orange juice.

7. At this stage, you can also add a splash of Port wine or aguardente. If you prefer not to use it or don’t have any on hand, it won’t affect the recipe too much. Don’t worry, as the alcohol will evaporate during cooking.
8. If the batter is too runny, add a little more flour. The ideal consistency should be thick, not liquid.
9. Cover the bowl with the pumpkin fritter batter with plastic wrap or a cloth, and place it in a warm spot. Let the batter rest for at least 4 hours or overnight until it has doubled in volume.

Frying the Pumpkin Fritters:

1. Heat sunflower oil for frying. The amount of oil depends on the size of the saucepan; ideally, use a wide and deep pot. We typically use a medium-sized pot, as shown below. The oil should cover about 1/3 of the pot.

2. When the oil temperature reaches 350°F (180°C), add spoonfuls of the pumpkin batter. Do not overcrowd the pot, as it can cause the oil temperature to drop and the fritters to stick together.

3. When the fritters are golden on one side, flip them and let them fry on the other side.
4. Once they are golden on both sides, remove them from the pot and let them drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.

5. As you fry the fritters and they cool down, prepare a plate with sugar and cinnamon in a 2:1 ratio. The amount depends on the number of fritters; prepare it gradually and add more as needed.
6. When the fritters are still warm, toss them in the prepared sugar and cinnamon mixture.

Dica

We use a thermometer to measure the oil temperature, but it’s not mandatory. You can fry the pumpkin fritters without a thermometer if you ensure the oil stays hot. Check for bubbles forming around the patties. They should turn golden, not brown, indicating the oil is too hot.

Serving Suggestions

As mentioned earlier, these pumpkin fritters are a traditional Christmas dessert, served during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. However, they’re a great treat to enjoy throughout the year, although, in practice, almost no one does.

Pumpkin fritters are particularly delicious as a snack or breakfast paired with tea or coffee. In some regions, a special syrup is made to drizzle over the fritters after they’ve been fried and soaked in it. They’re also great this way. The syrup is usually made with water, sugar, or honey and can include nuts.

Pumpkin fritters also pair very well with a glass of Port wine or Licor Beirão.

Storage and Reuse

Pumpkin fritters are a dessert that improves over time as they absorb the flavors better, especially the orange flavor. That’s why you can make a large batch that lasts at least a week after Christmas.

The best way to store these fritters is at room temperature, covered with a cloth or plastic wrap. This helps maintain their texture and prevents them from becoming too moist, though they might dry out a little. This method is ideal for about 2 to 3 days.

If stored in the fridge, they will last longer—up to a week—but they may become moister, and the sugar and cinnamon coating tends to dissolve. For this reason, we recommend sprinkling them with more sugar and cinnamon just before serving.

If you soak the pumpkin fritters in syrup, they will preserve better in the fridge or at room temperature. Sugar is an excellent preservative.

We’ve never tried freezing the fritters, and we have doubts about the result, but that’s our opinion.

Final tips

• Most pumpkin fritter recipes use baking powder to prepare them. However, we use baker’s yeast because that’s how my grandmother made them, and this is her recipe. We think the fritters turn out airier and fluffier with baker’s yeast, although we might be biased. If you choose not to use baker’s yeast, there’s no need to let the dough rise; just mix the ingredients and fry.
• The size of the fritters can vary according to your preference. We prefer them to be the size of a tablespoon, but you can make them larger or smaller if you like. Remember that it will be harder to fry them evenly if they are too big.

Conclusion

This pumpkin fritter recipe may take some time to prepare, but the effort is well worth it. Moreover, making it at Christmas makes the holiday even more special. If possible, it’s a great recipe to prepare together with loved ones, creating shared memories. Who knows, it might even become your family recipe too. We’d love for that to happen.

Bom Apetite.

Pumpkin fritters

Jorge Bastos

Pumpkin fritters, Filhós or Bilharacos are a typical Christmas dessert in Portugal. They are fluffy with a pleasant pumpkin and orange flavor.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine portuguese

Servings 15 fritters

Equipment

• 1 Medium saucepan
• 1 Spatula
• 1 Strainer
• 1 Knife
• 1 Large mixing bowl
• 1 Cooking thermometer

Ingredients

  

• 1 kg Pumpkin (2.2 lbs)
• 500 gr All-purpose flour (4 cups)
• 8 g Active dry yeast or 25g fresh yeast
• 500 ml Milk (2 cups)
• 1 Orange (juice and zest)
• 100 g Sugar (1/2 cup)
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 4 Eggs
• 25 ml Port wine or aguardente (Portuguese pomace brandy) (1.5 tablespoons)
• Sunflower oil for frying as needed
• Sugar and cinnamon powder for dusting as needed

Instructions

 

Cooking the pumpkin

• Peel the pumpkin and cut it into large pieces.
• Bring water to a boil in a medium-sized pot.
• When the water is boiling, add the pumpkin pieces, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to medium.
• The pumpkin should be cooked after 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove the pumpkin and let it drain in a colander or on a clean cloth.

Making the Pumpkin Fritter Dough

• Heat the milk in the microwave with a bit of orange peel and a cinnamon stick until it is warm.
• Add the yeast, whether dry or fresh, and let it activate.
• Beat four eggs until well combined.
• Combine the pumpkin, beaten eggs, and milk in a large bowl. Mix everything together until well incorporated.
• Add the flour and sugar, and mix until you have a smooth dough.
• Grate the remaining orange peel and add it to the dough, along with the orange juice.
• Add a splash of Port wine or aguardente (optional).
• If the dough is too liquid, add a little more flour. The ideal consistency should be thick, not runny.
• Cover the bowl with the pumpkin dough with plastic wrap or a cloth, and place it in a warm spot. Let the dough rest for at least 4 hours or overnight, until it doubles in volume.

Frying the Pumpkin Fritters

• Heat sunflower oil for frying.
• When the oil reaches 350°F (180°C), add spoonfuls of the pumpkin dough.
• When the fritters are golden on one side, flip them and let them fry on the other side.
• Once they are golden on both sides, remove them from the pan and drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
• While frying and cooling the doughnuts, prepare a plate with sugar and cinnamon in a 2:1 ratio.
• When the doughnuts are warm, coat them in the prepared plate of sugar and cinnamon.

Keyword pumpkin fritters

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