Bolinhos de Chuva – Brazilian Funnel Cake Balls
Crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, Brazilian Funnel Cake Balls are easy to make any special morning or afternoon. Bolinhos de Chuva, a type of a Brazilian donut, is a classic childhood favorite the whole family can enjoy!
Bolinhos de Chuva – Brazilian Funnel Cake Bites: A Classic Childhood Recipe
Oi Gente!!
Anything fried and covered in sugar has my name all over it!
This Brazilian childhood favorite, Bolinhos de Chuva (“rain balls,” if you are to translate this literally) are exactly what they look like: little bite sized fried dough, covered in a sugary cinnamon topping that’s to-die-for.
These mini funnel cakes are delicious just like this, but if you smudge some jelly or dulce de leche on them, they turn out even more amazing!!!
Why I love this recipe:
Not only do these Bolinhos de Chuva take me back to childhood, but they are easy to make, too!
When I was learning how to make these from my mom, she told me that a lot of Bolinhos de Chuva recipes seem similar, but they really aren’t.
Some use more eggs, some don’t use vanilla at all, some use too much flour and others not so much.
If you use the wrong combination of ingredients, you can end up with dense bolinhos that taste very doughy, taste very eggy, and sometimes taste like nothing at all – like umbrella handles, which are what my dad calls bad bolinhos. He swears that’s where the name must come from! LOL.
We’ve done all the work and have the best recipe for you!
This recipe is crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, and they taste delicious and light!!!
I recently reshot these with my mom (these are her hands you see in the photos), and we had so much fun reliving lots of memories.
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do and create some incredible memories while eating them, too!!
Beijinhos xoxo
Brazilian Funnel Cake Bites Ingredients
- All purpose flour — this is sometimes referred to as AP flour.
- Baking powder — this is the leavener for the bites. Make sure yours is fresh otherwise your bolinhos will be dense.
- Granulated sugar — for the dough and the sugar coating.
- Large egg — this provides structure to the funnel cake batter.
- Vanilla extract — the real deal kind adds awesome flavor.
- Whole milk — Do not substitute this with a lower fat milk.
- Oil for frying — a neutral oil is best for frying. We like to use vegetable oil, corn oil or canola oil.
- Ground cinnamon — you’ll need this for mini funnel cake topping. It adds such amazing flavor!
- Kosher Salt
Tools to make these Mini Funnel Cakes
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- Frying pan or a fryer
- Thermometer
- Mixing bowl
- Liquid measuring cup
How to make Bolinhos de Chuva
I start by mixing the sugar coating, just so I have it ready and out of my way. Just mix the sugar with the cinnamon in a medium bowl (or on a plate), and set it aside.
Then, mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. This is going to include the flour, baking powder, the rest of the sugar and salt. Give them a stir with a whisk to make sure they’re incorporated.
Mix the milk, egg and vanilla extract in another bowl or a liquid measuring cup. Make sure the egg is well incorporated.
PRO TIP: Be sure all your ingredients are at room temperature to avoid the dough from being cold, which can make your Brazilian Donut bolinhos stay raw in the middle when you fry them.
Then, slowly pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry, whisking gently until it forms a dough.
If you are using a fryer, make sure it is all set up now so that it begins to heat up.
If you are frying in a pan, just add the oil to the pan and leave it over low heat so it warms up, but not too hot to get to temperature too fast – I highly recommend you use a thermometer to help you maintain the temperature around 350F. The temperature of the oil will affect how these Brazilian donuts turn out!
Using a small ice cream scoop or two spoons, form little balls or dough drops (like a 2-bite donut hole) and drop directly into the hot oil.
Make sure your bolinhos aren’t too big, otherwise they can stay raw in the middle!! The dough balls you create should be no larger than two small bites.
Fry until golden brown and cooked through.
When they are nicely fried, scoop your bolinhos out of the oil with a slotted spoon.
Drop them onto a platter lined with paper towels for them to dry a little.
Brazilian Funnel Cake Bites Topping
While the bolinhos are still warm, drop them in the sugar-cinnamon mixture to coat evenly.
Use your fingers or a fork to help move the hot funnel cake bites around in coating before setting on a platter.
Enjoy immediately!
These Brazilian donut balls are great on any morning or afternoon, with some coffee or tea – plain or with some dulce de leche as a dipping sauce!
You could also sprinkle them with a little powdered sugar if you’re feeling extra decadent.
Make the batter into funnel cake fries
If you’d prefer to have fries instead of rounded balls, simply transfer the batter to a piping bag and create fries out of it instead.
To do this, simply drizzle the dough into a fry-shape directly into the oil before cooking.
When to serve this recipe:
This deep fried mini funnel cake bite recipe is excellent for any time of day.
Serve it as a special breakfast or an afternoon snack. They also make a delicious dessert!
Quick tips to making the best Bolinhos de Chuva
- All ingredients should be at room temperature before mixing the batter.
- Start with a couple to see how they fry.
- Don’t make the mini funnel cakes too big. They need to be no larger than two small bites. The larger they are, the more oil they can absorb. Also, you run the risk of the insides not being cooked through if they’re too large.
- If you feel your Brazilian donut bolinhos are the right size (like a 2-bite donut hole) and they are still not cooking through inside but look golden on the outside, your oil might be a little too hot.
- Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature of the oil if you’re frying them in a pan.
- The temperature of the oil will decrease every time you drop another donut into the oil. If you had to previously decrease your oil temperature to cook the bolinhos all the way through, you might notice yourself having to crank up the heat and then decrease it to ensure they are crisp outside and fully cooked on the inside.
More Sugary Sweet Recipes You’ll Love:
- Rabanada – Brazilian French Toasts
- Churro Cake
- Instant Pot Dulce de Leche
- Arroz Doce Cremoso – Brazilian Rice Pudding with Condensed Milk
- Banana Bread Cake – Bolo de Farinha de Rosca com Banana
- Brigadeiro Cake Recipe
- Easy Spice Cake Recipe
- Super Moist Apple Cake Recipe
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Brazilian Funnel Cake Bites
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 1 cup of all purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 1 whole large egg
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup of whole milk
- oil for frying
For the sugar coating:
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 1 Tbsp of cinnamon
Instructions
For the sugar coating:
- Mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a large plate and reserve.
For the dough:
- Prepare the oil for frying. Heat it up low and slow so it does not become too hot too fast.
- Add the flour, the baking powder, the baking soda, the sugar and the salt to a large bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, the vanilla and milk until combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk to combine.
- Using a small ice cream scoop (or two spoons), form little balls (like a 2 bite donut hole) and drop directly into the hot (350F) oil.
- Fry until golden brown and balls are cooked through.
- Place the fried funnel cake bites on a plate lined with paper towels for draining excess oil.
- Then drop them while still hot in the cinnamon-sugar mixture for coating.
Bom Apetite!!
Notes
- If you are using a frying pan, use a thermometer to ensure the temperature of the oil stays consistent throughout the cooking.
- Start with a couple bites first to see how they fry.
- If the bolinhos are too big, they will take longer to cook through, and will also absorb more oil, so keep an eye on the size and work quickly.
- If you feel the bolinhos are the right size (like a 2-bite donut hole) and they are still not cooking through inside, but look golden on the outside, your oil might be a little too hot.
- Please note that every time you add something to the fryer, the temperature of the oil will go down, so if you had to decrease your oil temperature to cook the bolinhos all the way through, you might notice yourself having to crank up the heat and then decrease it to ensure they are crisp outside and fully cooked on the inside.
