Tulumbakia are a sweet and delicious confection that is popular in Greece, Turkey, and the Middle East. The dough is made with a handful of basic ingredients, fried, and then soaked in an aromatic syrup. It’s the perfect dessert to serve a crowd as it is economical and makes a big batch.

Kitchen Equipment needed to make Tulumbakia
In order to get the decorative edges on the tulumbakia you will need a pastry bag that is fitted with a large star tip. The more edges on the tip, the more decorative the tulumbakia will be. I didn’t have the other tip with the many edges and they still look pretty. I will give you both options down below. Disclaimer: some of them will be affiliate links. Purchases made through these links help support this blog without any additional cost to you. Thank you!
- A deep fry candy thermometer: This is a great tool to have to make sure that the oil’s temperature is correct. The ideal temperature is between 350 °F – 360 °F. If the oil is too hot, the tulumbakia will not fully cook through eating a doughy center. If the temperature is too low the tulumbakia will absorb the oil.
- A reusable pastry bag: These are great to have on hand for this dessert, for making whipped cream, and decorating other desserts.
- A star pastry tip: This is necessary for creating the decorative edges. I highly recommend the French star tip. I used the open star tip.
- Spider Strainers: make lifting the tulumbakia out of the hot oil easy and having an extra strainer on hand for dunking the pastries in syrup is also very helpful.
- A Greek Coffee Pot: because a hot cup of Greek coffee is the perfect accompaniment for these pastries 😊
- Ground Greek Coffee
- A scissor to cut the dough.

Serve the tulumbakia in a large bowl or on a cake pedestal. It’s up to you!

My favorite accompaniment with these sweet tulumbakia is a steaming hot cup of Greek coffee.



Watch the Video Tutorial

Tulumbakia: Greek Churros
Ingredients
For the Syrup:
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
The Dough:
- 1 and 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 oz unsalted butter, in cubes
- 1 and 3/4 cup (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
Make the Syrup: Combine the water, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Mix and bring to a boil. Once the sugar has melted, remove the pan from the heat and add the honey and vanilla extract. Mix and set aside to cool completely.
Make the Dough:
In a saucepan, add the water, sugar, salt,a nd butter. Cook over medium heat until the butter has melted.
Add the flour and mix until a dough has formed. Cook it over medium heat for a minute so taht it gets toasted.
REmove the oan from the heat and transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer that has been fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on medium-low and beat for a minute so that the dough begins to reease the steam.
Add the eggs one at a time and beat until each one is incorporated.
Heat the vegeatble oil in a pan until it reaches 350 °F, 180 °C.
Fill a pastry bag that has been fitted with a large star attachment halfway with the dough.
Pipe 3-inch strips of the dough into the hot oil. Cut each strip with a scissor that has been dipped in the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pan so that the temperature remains at 350 °F.
Fry the tulumbakia for 3-5 minutes, turning them often, or until golden all around.
Lift the tulumbakia out of the oil using a spider strainer and allow the excess oil to drain back into the frying pan.
Dip the tulumbakia in the syrup for a few seconds.
Transfer the tulumbakia into a serving plate/bowl.
You may sprinkle them with ground cinnamon.
Serve with Greek coffee or tea.
Notes
Leftovers may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Recommended Products
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Ateco 869 Pastry Tube - French Star - Size 9
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Ateco Plastic Coated Pastry Bag 16 Inch
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Stainless Steel Spider Strainer Skimmer Ladle, Set of 3 Sizes Kitchen Strainer for Cooking and Frying, Pasta Strainer, Food Preparation, Pasta Strainer
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Taylor Precision Products RA17724 5983Candy & Deep Fry Stainless Steel Paddle Thermometer, 12 inches, 1 EA, Multicolor
Hi Dimitra, greetings from Belgium in lockdown. Sad I won’t be able to travel to sunny Greece for the second year. At least once or twice a week I cook Greek dishes. I have a question about a certain veggie side dish. We eat green beans in Greece it’s Okra or Bamis, don’t you have a tasty recipe for making Bamis so tomates?
ys Patrick