• About Us
  • Readers Write
  • Our People
Carthage Magazine
  • Home
  • News
  • Food & Drinks
    • Taste Tunisia
  • People
    • Interviews
    • No Sugarcoating
    • Environment
  • Style & Travel
    • Attractions
    • Trip Planning
      • Travel Information
      • Hotels in Tunisia
      • Cost of Living
      • Tunisia’s Language
      • Tunisia’s Weather
      • Tunisia’s Currency
      • Tunisia’s Visa
    • Transport in Tunisia
      • Traveling Around
      • Local Transport
      • Flights to Tunisia
      • Ferries to Tunisia
      • Tunisia Overland
    • Things to Do
      • Leisure
  • Local History
    • Museums
    • Monuments
    • Heritage Sites
    • Historical Figures
  • Education
  • Tech & Startups
  • Editors’ Picks
Editors' PicksFood & DrinksVideos

Tunisia’s Traditional Mini Doughnuts: Kaa’k Yoyo5 min read

By Rahma Rekik February 16, 2021
Written by Rahma Rekik February 16, 2021
Tunisian Doughnuts Youyou

Who doesn’t like doughnuts? Even if you are not a fan of doughnuts, you’ll love these Tunisian delicacies.

Kaa’k Yoyo (also referred to as Youyou) is a traditional Tunisian sweet that is eaten with coffee of tea in the afternoon. It is also enjoyed a lot during the holy month of Ramadan. They are sweet, dense, mini doughnuts glazed in a simple syrup.

The original kaa’k is garnished with toasted sesame seeds, but within the last decade, Tunisians got creative and added ground pistachios, hazelnuts, or almonds as toppings. Some even use dried rose petals to add a pop of color.

Tunisian Doughnuts Yoyo
Tunisian Doughnuts Youyou made by Rahma Rekik – The Tunisian Dietitian. Photo provided for Carthage Magazine.

Tunisian Doughnuts Yoyo

The ingredients are simple: flour, eggs, milk, sugar, oil, and baking powder. The forming of the dough is also extremely easy, and it requires only 15 min to rest.

The tricky part is the glaze and the toppings. For the glaze, if you dip it in the syrup for too long, it will absorb the glaze making it so sweet (which isn’t bad if you LOVE sugar). Once you take it out, you need to add the toppings quickly or else they won’t stick. So for these two steps you need to be quick.

My advice: get organized. Set your space ahead of time; line up the fried Donuts next to the sauce pan with the syrup. Next comes the plate/tray with the toppings next to the dish where you will serve the Tunisian doughnuts Yoyo.

Tunisian Doughnuts Yoyo
Tunisian Doughnuts Yoyo made by Rahma Rekik – The Tunisian Dietitian. Photo provided for Carthage Magazine.

INGREDIENTS: (Makes 25-30 Yoyos)

  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 3 tbsp milk
  • 350 gr flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt

For the simple syrup:

  • 2 cups of sugar
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 tbsp orange blossom water

Tunisian Doughnuts Yoyo RECIPE:

How to Cook Tunisian Doughnuts Yoyo

  • In a bowl, crack the eggs, add the sugar and oil. Whisk well until the sugar dissolves. Add the milk and mix again. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine with a spatula and then use your hands. You don’t need to knead the dough. Just make sure it is combined and there are no streaks of dry flour. The dough should be wet and slightly sticky.
  • Let rest for 15 min. In the meantime, add the sugar, water, and orange blossom water in a saucepan and put on medium heat. Let it boil until you get a simple syrup (about 7-10 min). Turn off the heat.
  • Flour the surface very well and roll out the dough until about 1 cm thick. Using a small cookie cuter, cut out the mini doughnuts and then cut out the doughnut holes in the middle. I don’t have a cookie cuter so I used a tea cup and the cap of a perfume bottle.
  • Let the oil heat and then fry the individual doughnuts, flipping once until golden on all sides. If the oil it too hot, it will be golden on the outside but raw on the inside, so make sure the temperature is just right. Place the doughnuts in a colander for the excess oil to drip.
  • Once all doughnuts are fried, dunk each one in the simple syrup and then dunk it on a plate with the topping of your choice. Set aside. Once you have done all the Yoyos, let cool before storing in an airtight container.
  • Note: for freshness, if you are not going to eat all the Yoyos, I recommend you store them fried and only glaze the ones you will be eating.
  • Enjoy with a coffee or tea!

#TasteTunisia Initiative

This Tunisian Doughnuts Yoyo recipe is part of the #TasteTunisia initiative. In search of Tunisian cuisine, through a series of articles/videos, Carthage Magazine offers a window to the Tunisian food and recipes.

The Taste Tunisia initiative is supported by Carthage Magazine and led by international registered dietitians-nutritionists from Tunisia, making it the ultimate initiative that celebrates and promotes Tunisian cuisine.

#TasteTunisia Recipes:

  • The Best Authentic Tunisian Rice Dish — “Rouz Jerbi”
  • Tajine El Bey: Tunisia’s Finest Appetizer
  • Omek Houria: Tunisian Mashed Carrot Salad
  • Tunisian Mloukhiya, Your Grandma’s Favorite Dish
  • Tunisian Stuffed Peppers: “Felfel Mehchi”
  • Tunisia’s National Dish: COUSCOUS
  • The Famous “Khobz Ch3ir” — Tunisian Barley Bread
  • Octopus Barley Soup “Tchich” — Tunisia’s Favorite Ramadan Soup
  • Tunisia’s Seafood Pasta — A Tunisian Delicacy
  • Tunisian Masfouf — Tunisia’s Most Famous Sweet Version of Couscous
  • The Coziest Vegetable Stew — Tunisia’s Go-To Dish for the Cold Months
  • Lablebi: One of Tunisia’s Most Popular Street Foods
  • The Best Tunisian Grilled Salad — Salad Mechouia
  • Date & Walnut Bread — The Perfect Healthy Dessert
  • Slata Tounsia – Tunisia’s Summer Salad
  • Kafteji: a Healthy Version of your Favorite Tunisian Dish
  • A Unique Pizza with a Taste of Tunisia: Harissa Infused Veggie Pizza
  • Mom’s Orange Cake — Tunisia’s Winter Dessert
  • Assidat Zgougou — Tunisia’s Sweetness in a Bowl
  • Tunisia’s Octopus Salad: The Best Tunisian Seafood Salad
  • The Traditional, Most Authentic Tunisian Pumpkin Shakshuka
  • Delicious Tunisian-Style Lamb Borghol (Bulgur)
  • Tunisian Breakfast for Champions: “Zamit” with Pomegranate
  • Tunisia’s Lentil Soup – Your Favorite Winter Warmer Dish
  • Tunisian-Style Stuffed Dates — Tunisia’s Healthiest Sweet Appetizer
  • All Tunisian food recipes.

If you would like to comment on this article or anything else you have seen on Carthage Magazine, leave a comment below or head over to our Facebook page.

And if you liked this article, sign up for the monthly features newsletter. A handpicked selection of stories from Carthage Magazine, delivered to your inbox.

Taste Tunisia
0 comment
14
FacebookTwitterEmail
Rahma Rekik

Rahma is an international registered dietitian/nutritionist and a certified yoga instructor. She graduated from Cornell University in New York and finished her dietetic internship at the University of Virginia Medical Center. She is a food lover and has a deep passion for healthy living while being authentic to your heritage. She worked in many countries and loves to recreate traditional food with a healthy twist. She aims to inspire people to live balanced and healthy lives, both physically and mentally - basically the best version of yourself. She loves cooking (obviously), reading, yoga, chocolate, and watching movies.

previous post
Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions of El-Kef
next post
Lablabi, One of Tunisia’s Most Popular Street Foods

Related Articles

Tunisian Mloukhiya, Your Grandma’s Favorite Dish (& Likely...

April 2, 2025

Charmoula, Tunisia’s Authentic & Most Iconic Eid El-Fitr...

April 2, 2025

Tunisia’s Favorite Pastry: Kaak Warka — A Taste...

March 26, 2025

The Best Authentic Tunisian Rice Dish — “Rouz...

March 26, 2025

Chicken Mosli, One of Tunisia’s Most Common Dishes

March 26, 2025

10 Very Tunisian Proverbs to Live By

March 19, 2025

9 Things to Know about Ramadan in Tunisia

February 24, 2025

10 Delicious Tunisian Dishes for Ramadan

February 21, 2025

Olive Oil: Tunisia’s Gift to the World

January 21, 2025

What if Carthage Won the Punic Wars?

September 16, 2024

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Flavors of Tunisia

Taste-Tunisia-Tunisian-Cuisine-3

Want more top stories?

Carthage Magazine Newsletter

Sign up today and you’ll get our latest stories delivered straight to your inbox.

Just For You

  • 1

    Alcohol in Tunisia: What Visitors Need to Know

    August 2, 2021
  • 2

    El Jem Amphitheatre — The Greatest Roman Colosseum in North Africa

    January 19, 2024
  • 3

    Fruits From Tunisia: 15 Tunisian Fruits to Eat When Traveling

    August 20, 2023
  • 4

    The Great Mosque of Ez-Zitouna — Tunis’ Oldest & Most Significant Mosque

    June 2, 2023
  • 5

    The Great Mosque of Kairouan — Islam’s Fourth Most Holiest Site

    April 26, 2021

Latest

  • Tunisia Celebrates International Labor Day on May 1st

  • Former Tunisia President Fouad Mebazaa Dies at 91

  • April 9th, Tunisian Martyrs’ Day 🇹🇳

  • Tunisian Mloukhiya, Your Grandma’s Favorite Dish (& Likely Yours, Too!)

Sections

  • Editors' Picks
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Food & Drinks
  • Local History
  • News
  • No Sugarcoating
  • People
  • Quizzes
  • Style & Travel
  • Tech & Startups
  • Things to Do
  • Videos

E᙭ᑭᒪOᖇE

Carthage Magazine

We’re on a mission to create content that inspires people about experiences, places, products and people in Tunisia!

 

— About Us

— Adverstising

— Transparency

— Contact Us

Facebook Twitter Instagram Linkedin Youtube

ᗯᗩᑎT ᗰOᖇE TOᑭ ᔕTOᖇIEᔕ?

Carthage Magazine Newsletter

Sign up today and you’ll get our latest stories delivered straight to your inbox.

ᔕᑭᖇEᗩᗪ TᕼE ᗯOᖇᗪ

Spread the word

Our goal is to get these stories out in the public arena, and by doing this, keep promoting Tunisia and changing attitudes towards the MENA region.

 

— Ambassadors

— Readers Write

— What You Can Do to Help

EᗪITOᖇᔕ’ ᑭIᑕKᔕ

  • Tunisian Mloukhiya, Your Grandma’s Favorite Dish (& Likely Yours, Too!)

    April 2, 2025
  • Tunisia’s Favorite Pastry: Kaak Warka — A Taste of Heaven

    March 26, 2025
  • The Best Authentic Tunisian Rice Dish — “Rouz Jerbi”

    March 26, 2025

© 2019 - 2025 Carthage Magazine. Privacy Policy

Carthage Magazine
  • Home
  • News
  • Food & Drinks
    • Taste Tunisia
  • People
    • Interviews
    • No Sugarcoating
    • Environment
  • Style & Travel
    • Attractions
    • Trip Planning
      • Travel Information
      • Hotels in Tunisia
      • Cost of Living
      • Tunisia’s Language
      • Tunisia’s Weather
      • Tunisia’s Currency
      • Tunisia’s Visa
    • Transport in Tunisia
      • Traveling Around
      • Local Transport
      • Flights to Tunisia
      • Ferries to Tunisia
      • Tunisia Overland
    • Things to Do
      • Leisure
  • Local History
    • Museums
    • Monuments
    • Heritage Sites
    • Historical Figures
  • Education
  • Tech & Startups
  • Editors’ Picks
Carthage Magazine
  • Home
  • News
  • Food & Drinks
    • Taste Tunisia
  • People
    • Interviews
    • No Sugarcoating
    • Environment
  • Style & Travel
    • Attractions
    • Trip Planning
      • Travel Information
      • Hotels in Tunisia
      • Cost of Living
      • Tunisia’s Language
      • Tunisia’s Weather
      • Tunisia’s Currency
      • Tunisia’s Visa
    • Transport in Tunisia
      • Traveling Around
      • Local Transport
      • Flights to Tunisia
      • Ferries to Tunisia
      • Tunisia Overland
    • Things to Do
      • Leisure
  • Local History
    • Museums
    • Monuments
    • Heritage Sites
    • Historical Figures
  • Education
  • Tech & Startups
  • Editors’ Picks
© 2019 - 2025 Carthage Magazine. Privacy Policy

Read alsox

Olive Oil: Tunisia’s Gift to the World

January 21, 2025

10 Tunisian Road-Trip Snacks

March 16, 2020

10 Most Exciting ‘Live Like a Local’...

September 6, 2021