Pampukhy (Christmas doughnuts)

What it is

Pampukhy are round buns made from yeast dough, fried in oil until golden brown and sprinkled with powdered sugar. They are filled with jam, preserves, or berries; there are also pampukhy without filling. In the Carpathians and Galicia, this dish is associated with winter holidays.

Among the Boykos, pampukhy were a ritual dish: according to the book 'Boyko Cuisine', they, like kutya, were eaten twice a year. They varied in size and filling. One type was called 'utopelyky': the dough was first dipped in cold water and then fried in clay pampushnytsias, the hollows of which were greased with fragrant flax oil. Today, Boykos also fry pampukhy made from boiled potatoes and quick pampushky made from cheese.

In Bukovina, pampushky are part of the Holy Evening meal. Yevheniya Ipatiy, a hostess from the village of Berehomet in the Vyzhnytsia region, explains them as follows: kutya symbolizes prosperity, varenyky represent the moon, and round pampushky symbolize the sun. On Holy Evening, they are made without animal products.

In a Lemko family, whose memories are recorded on the 'Heritage' website, warm pampukhy with confiture were served by the mother at the end of Holy Evening — and the children looked forward to them the most.

History and name

The word 'pampukh', according to the etymological dictionary, is borrowed through Polish from German: Pfannkuchen — 'pancake, fritter'. Fried in oil or lard, these buns are known throughout Central Europe: Polish pączki, German Berliner, and in Jewish tradition — Hanukkah pampukhy.

In Lviv, pampukh has become a symbol of winter holidays: the city hosts an annual 'Pampukh Festival', attracting bakers from various corners of Ukraine.

Ingredients and allergens

Variant: yeast with jam (lemko style)

Wheat flour3 cupsFor the dough of varenyky, palačinky, bobalyok, and pasky.Contains allergens: gluten

Jam or fruit butterfor fillingThick jam, confiture, or berries from preserves are the filling for festive pampukh.

Milk1 cupCow's milk for the dough of palachyntsi, machanka, and porridge.Contains allergens: milk

Butter100 gButter is placed on slices of kulesha, used to grease riplianka, and to fry breadcrumbs for hombovtsi.Contains allergens: milk

Eggs4 yolksChicken eggs — for the dough of hombovtsi, palačint, pasky, and deruny.Contains allergens: eggs

Lemon (zest and juice)1 tbsp juice, optionalGrated zest is used to flavor cheese mass and strudel filling.

Also: spirit (vodka) (2 tbsp, optional), yeast (40 g), sugar (1 tbsp), salt (pinch), sunflower oil (for frying), powdered sugar (for dusting, to serve), cinnamon (0.5 tsp, optional)

Contains allergens: gluten, milk, eggs
Diet: vegetarian

Variant: boyko style, made from potato dough

wheat flour, potato, eggs, yeast, margarine, sugar, spirit (vodka), salt, jam or fruit butter, sunflower oil, powdered sugar

Contains allergens: gluten, eggs
Diet: vegetarian

Variant: quick, made from cheese

curd cheese (tvaroh), eggs, sugar, wheat flour, baking soda, vinegar, sunflower oil, powdered sugar

Contains allergens: gluten, milk, eggs
Diet: vegetarian

Ingredients of the traditional recipe; every cook and every place may do it differently — please ask when ordering. We cannot guarantee the absence of allergens or traces.

How it is traditionally made

• Wheat flour — 3 cups
• Yeast — 40 g
• Milk — 1 cup
• Butter — 100 g
• Eggs — 4 yolks
• Sugar — 1 tbsp
• Salt — pinch
• Cinnamon — 0.5 tsp
• Lemon (zest and juice) — 1 tbsp juice
• Spirit (vodka) — 2 tbsp
• Jam or fruit butter — for filling
• Sunflower oil — for frying
• Powdered sugar — for dusting

1. Dissolve the yeast in a cup of warm milk, mix in 2 cups of flour, and place the dough in a warm place.
2. When the dough rises, add melted butter, egg yolks mixed with sugar, a pinch of salt, another cup of flour; optionally — cinnamon, lemon juice, vanilla, and two tablespoons of strong alcohol. Knead and let it rest for an hour.
3. Divide the dough in half and roll out two thick rounds. Place dollops of jam on the first, cover with the second.
4. Cut out pampukhy with a glass so that the jam is inside. Cover and let rise.
5. Fry in a wide pot in heated oil on both sides until golden brown; in the Lemko recipe, a shot of vodka is added to the oil.
6. Place on paper to drain excess fat and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

How it is served

Warm, at the end of Holy Evening or on Christmas — with uzvar, tea, or milk.

Variants

Boykos prepare pampukhy with boiled potatoes, and quick pampushky made from cheese, eggs, and flour are fried without yeast. In Bukovina, Holy Evening pampushky are made without animal products: the dough is placed in warm water with sugar, flour, and yeast, cut into circles about 6 cm in diameter, and fried in oil.

The traditional method as described by our sources; every family does it its own way. We have not tested this recipe in a professional kitchen.

Where it is eaten

The area is approximate and based on the sources below. The dish is cooked outside it too, and ethnographic borders are blurred.

Boykivshchyna, Lemkivshchyna, Bukovina, and Galicia with Lviv; sweet pampukhy are fried throughout Ukraine, so their range is not limited to the mountains.

When it is eaten

Occasions: Christmas Eve · Christmas

In tradition

Pampukhy are a dish for Holy Evening and Christmas. In Bukovina, round pampushky on Holy Evening symbolize the sun; among the Boykos, they, like kutya, were eaten only twice a year; in the Lemko family we quote, they concluded Holy Evening. The traditions of Holy Evening in Ukraine have been included in the National Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage (No. 105, 106, and 107 of the ICH, 2025).

FAQ