Sonhos de Abóbora are traditional Portuguese sweet fritters made with pumpkin puree, eggs, sugar, flour, orange zest, and cinnamon powder. Sonhos are typically consumed at Christmastime and are deliciously addictive. On top of that they are really easy to make and can be appreciated as dessert or as a sweet treat with a cup of coffee. Keep reading to learn how to make these Authentic Portuguese Pumpkin Doughnuts from scratch!
Christmas ‘Dreams’ – Sweet Pumpkin Fritters from Portugal
No Portuguese Christmas recipe gets me more excited for the holidays like sonhos. Crispy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside, sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon, they are impossible to resist. No wonder they’re called sonhos – the Portuguese word for dreams.
Sonhos de Abóbora are a variation of the Classic Sonhos, which are made with a choux dough and flavoured with lemon peel. The pumpkin version is a tad more festive, made with pumpkin puree, orange zest, and port wine. The dough is slightly heavier and prepared differently, but still, it’s fluffy and dreamy, and the perfect Christmas treat!
Fritos – Deep Fried Treats for a Truly Portuguese Christmas
Fritos is one of my favourite Portuguese Christmas traditions. These are sweet fritters served at Christmas. They come in every shape and form and have one thing in common; they are sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon powder as soon as they’re pulled out of the hot oil. Serving at least one type of fritos is a must! And you have many recipes to choose from, filhós, azevias, sonhos, fatias douradas, to name just a few.
How to Make Authentic Sonhos de Abóbora
To make sonhos de abóbora you first need to make your pumpkin puree. My favourite types of pumpkin to use are Winter Pumpkin, or Butternut Squash which are both widely available in Portugal. Since we don’t want to add too much moisture to the pumpkin, the best ways to cook it are either steaming, or roasting wrapped in foil if you have a bit more time on your hands. If you boil your pumpkin, it will absorb too much water, and you will need to add much more flour to achieve the correct texture, which may result in doughy sonhos.
With your pumpkin fork tender, it’s time to mash it into a puree. For that you can use a potato masher or fork. We will need to let it cook for a couple of minutes before adding the eggs and sugar. We then whisk with a wire whisk for a couple of minutes to combine. The next step is to add in the zests and the juice of one orange, the port wine, and the vanilla paste. Carry on whisking to combine, but don’t over mix it. Now it’s time to add the flour bit by bit, mixing between additions, and finally the baking powder, whisking gently until it’s incorporated. The batter should be moist but not too runny, and when you scoop it into the hot oil it should retain its shape.
Add the vegetable oil in a pan that’s suitable for deep frying. Let it heat up slowly until it reaches about 180°C. Spoon little dollops of batter into the oil, cook on both sides until golden. Sometimes the sonhos will flip themselves automatically, but I like to turn them every so often to make sure they’re cooked evenly.
Transfer the sonhos to a plate lined with sugar and cinnamon powder, toss until they are fully coated. Enjoy with a cup of coffee or with a glass of port!
How to Make Authentic Sonhos de Abóbora – Portuguese Pumpkin Doughnuts
Sonhos de Abóbora – Authentic Portuguese Pumpkin Doughnuts
8
servings30
minutes30
minutes543
kcalSonhos de Abóbora are traditional Portuguese sweet pumpkin fritters typically served at Christmas.
Ingredients
750 g Butternut Squash
125 g Granulated Sugar
3 Eggs
1 Medium Sized Orange
1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
80 ml Port Wine
400 g All Purpose Flour
- Remaining Ingredients
1 l Vegetable Oil – for Frying
100 g Granulated Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon Powder
Directions
- Start by peeling and removing the seeds of your pumpkin, then cut into small chunks. Steam until fork tender, you can also cook it in the oven or air fryer wrapped in foil.
- Add the pumpkin to a large bowl. Puree it with a potato masher. Allow it to cool for about 10 minutes.
- Add in the sugar and the eggs. Whisk until it’s smooth and lightly foamy.
- Add in the zests and juice of an orange, the port wine, and the vanilla bean paste. Continue to whisk to combine.
- Add in the flour little by little, whisking gently between additions until the flour is fully incorporated. Gently fold in the baking powder.
- Place a pan suitable for frying over low to medium heat. Pour in the vegetable oil, allow it to heat slowly until it reaches around 180 °C.
- Use two spoons to scoop some blobs of batter into the oil. Cook on both sides until they’re light and golden brown. Sometimes the sonhos will flip themselves automatically, but I like to turn them every so often to make sure they’re cooked evenly.
- Add the remaining sugar and cinnamon powder to a bowl.
- Remove your sonhos from the oil with a slotted spoon. Transfer to the cinnamon and sugar plate. Toss to coat.
- Repeat the process until you run out of batter.
Recipe Video
Tips
- If you don’t have a thermometer, you can stick a wooden spoon handle tip into the hot oil. If lots of gentle bubbles form around it, the oil is good to go.
- Be careful as not to overcrowd the pan while frying the dough as it can reduce the temperature of the oil.
Have you tried this recipe? Let me know in the comments!