First off – I’m sorry. I really am. I didn’t intend to start the new year by sharing a recipe for something deep fried. I should be sharing something healthy, a salad perhaps? Well, there is plenty of January left for you (and me) to enjoy salads, but these Gluten Free Portzelky are part of my family’s New Year tradition. Every New Year’s my Mom would fry up a big batch of these fritters, and we’d eat way too many of them. After all, they are always best fresh, and she only made them once a year. A few years ago I created a recipe for gluten free New Year’s cookies (as they are also known), but I’ve learned things along the way about gluten free flours, so I decided to re-work the recipe, making them easier to make, and even tastier than they were last time.

After I shared some pictures on Instagram and Facebook when I was making these Gluten Free Portzelky, a number of readers declared that I was making Oliebollen. I had never heard that word before, but when I did a quick search, I saw that these were in fact gluten free Oliebollen. Oliebollen are traditional Dutch doughnuts, often with raisins, currants, or some chopped apple in the batter. I love when I find out that a food is known by many nationalities, just by different names. No matter the name, we all know good food.

Yield: 45 cookies

Gluten Free Portzelky or Oliebollen

Name: Gluten Free Portzelky or Oliebollen
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 45 cookies
Ingredients: 2 cups (500 ml) warm milk; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) unsalted butter, softened; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) rapid rise yeast; 2 large eggs, room temperature; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract; 2 1/4 cups (360 g) brown rice flour; 3/4 cup (95 g) tapioca starch; 1/2 cup (85 g) potato starch; 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) dry milk powder, vanilla pudding mix, or almond meal; 2 teaspoons (10 ml) xanthan gum; 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt; 2 cups raisins, re-hydrated (soak raisins in hot water for 5 minutes before draining); oil for frying

Gluten Free Portzelky are like fritters that are traditionally made with raisins in the dough. Instead of raisins, you can use chopped apple, currants, or a mixture of all three.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Rising Time 30 minutes

Frying Time 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups (500 ml) warm milk
2 tablespoons (30 ml) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon (5 ml) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon (15 ml) rapid rise yeast
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups (360 g) brown rice flour
3/4 cup (95 g) tapioca starch
1/2 cup (85 g) potato starch
1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons (30 ml) dry milk powder, vanilla pudding mix, or almond meal
2 teaspoons (10 ml) xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
2 cups raisins, re-hydrated (soak raisins in hot water for 5 minutes before draining)
oil for frying

Instructions

Add the butter to the warm milk, and stir until the butter is melted. Add 1 teaspoon sugar and the yeast, stir, and let proof for 5 minutes, until it is frothy.
While the yeast is proofing, whisk together all the dry ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer.
Add the eggs, oil, and vanilla extract to the yeast mixture. Whisk to combine.
With the mixer on low speed, pour in the milk/egg mixture. Mix on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add in drained raisins, and stir until they are evenly distributed.
Place the bowl in a draft-free warm place, and let rise until double in size (about 30 minutes).
In an electric frying pan, or a thick-bottomed pot, heat oil to 350 degrees F (USE A THERMOMETER, PLEASE).
Carefully drop about 1-2 tablespoons of dough into the hot oil. I use 2 tablespoons to scoop and push the dough gently into the oil or my metal cookie scoop. You don't want the oil to splash.
Fry until golden brown on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side.
Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towel lined cookie sheet. You can eat them as is, or roll them in granulated sugar or confectioners' (icing) sugar.
Let the cookies sit for 10-15 minutes before eating, the texture improves. They are best eaten fresh and warm, but you can reheat them in a 300 degree F oven for 10 minutes.

Looking for more doughnut deliciousness?

Check out these baked doughnut recipes (click the picture for the recipe):

Gluten Free Baked Vanilla Doughnuts

Gluten Free Chocolate Baked Doughnuts

Gluten Free Baked Lemon Doughnuts

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Comments

Karen G says

January 3, 2015 at 11:46 am

These sound really good Jeanne! Who says you have to start the fitness diet on January 1st anyhow…LOL. I am always the rebel so I think I will try out some of your other “doughnut” type recipes! Happy New Year one more time…

Shirley @ gfe & All Gluten-Free Desserts says

January 3, 2015 at 12:00 pm

YUM!!! I could so go for these right now, Jeanine, fried or not. I’ll take mine with apple, please. 😉

Happy New Year!
Shirley

betty says

January 3, 2015 at 3:46 pm

Amazing job Jeanine! This is the diet that starts every mennonite’s new year:)

Kay says

January 3, 2015 at 4:05 pm

Hi Jeanine! Happy New Year! Before I make these portzelky, I need to ask – when I put the dough into the oil, does the oil have to cover the entire scoop of dough? I don’t deep fry anything, so I truly do not know how much oil to put into the pot or frypan. Thank you!

connie mag says

January 3, 2015 at 4:09 pm

Can I substitute eggs with an Ener-G replacement?

Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog says

January 5, 2015 at 1:42 pm

These look great! Who cares if it’s not healthy, all things in moderation, right?!

Carol says

January 6, 2015 at 10:28 am

Wow, these look wonderful! I’ll take 2, or maybe 3. 🙂 Hope your 2015 is getting off to a great start!

Becky says

January 10, 2015 at 8:47 am

Portzelky? Oliebollen? What about Danish ableskiver made in a special muck pan?

Sheena says

January 12, 2015 at 4:53 pm

I’d much rather be eating these than a kale smoothie or a salad, they look delicious!

Sarah says

December 9, 2015 at 2:35 pm

Why the dry milk powder, vanilla pudding mix, or almond meal? Would custard powder work?

- Jeanine says
  
  January 13, 2016 at 1:56 pm
  
  I haven’t tried it with custard powder, sorry! The other ingredients improve the texture of the dough.
  
Megan says

January 16, 2016 at 5:24 pm

I’m so excited to try this!! When I was very young my grandfather made olliebollen for Christmas. He doesn’t anymore now that’s he’s slowed down, and no one else knows the recipe. I had hoped if I could at least get the recipe I could convert it to gluten free. Now I can just make them!

Janet Selkee says

January 1, 2017 at 5:45 pm

Oh!! Jeanine, I made these today, and they are scrumptious! A keeper for sure. THANK YOU!!!

Ruth says

January 1, 2018 at 4:32 pm

Happy New Year Jeanine!
Thank you for posting this Portzelky recipe. Before being diagnosed with Celiac a year ago my favorite recipes came from the Mennonite Treasury cookbook and was sad that I would not be able to enjoy the food of our heritage, until now! The batch turned out great! I halved the recipe as my husband and I wouldn’t be able to eat so many. I did add the 2 eggs for half a recipe and the batter was so light and fluffy but better yet tasty! Thanks again for bringing our New Years tradition to life.

Ruth says

February 4, 2019 at 10:52 pm

Just made these to clebreate Chinese New Year with friends – a blending of traditions. Soooo good!!!!! Thank you! Can’t wait to try this with apricots and plums as fritters come summer!

- Jeanine says
  
  February 6, 2019 at 1:00 pm
  
  Mmm… those additions sound delicious, Ruth. Thanks for sharing!

Ingredients

Instructions

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