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Beignets -

These squares of deep-fried pastry dough are traditionally served hot and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Hailing from France, French settlers brought it to the Acadia region in Canada and New Orleans in the US.

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Picarones -

A staple of Peruvian street food, picarones are often referred to as the Peruvian donut. Shaped into a ring and fried in hot oil, they're then drizzled with a sweet cane syrup.

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Krapfen -

Krapfen was probably the first European-style donut, followed by similar varieties of other countries. Often filled with jam, vanilla, or chocolate custards, they're usually dusted with powdered sugar or drizzled with chocolate.

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Pastel with guava and cheese -

A pastel is a typical Brazilian fast-food dish, consisting of thin crust pies with a number of different fillings. A popular sweet version comes with a guava paste and cheese filling. Simply delicious!

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Cannoli -

A staple of Sicilian cuisine, who can say no to fried pastry dough filled with sweet, creamy ricotta?

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Churros -

Crispy, crunchy, and intensely fragrant, churros consist of deep-fried yeast dough encrusted with sugar and cinnamon. Oh, and it's accompanied by a cup of hot and thick chocolate. Thank you, Spain!

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Vdolky -

Vdolky are soft, tender Czech donuts, which are prepared with yeasted dough and occasionally flavored with lemon zest. Fried in oil until golden brown, they're enjoyed warm, with jam and whipped cream, or crumbled tvaroh cheese.

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Quarkbällchen -

Quarkbällchen, meaning quark balls, is a traditional German snack, which is deep-fried until golden brown, and is soft and fluffy on the inside. Once done, the fried balls are coated in powdered sugar, or a cinnamon-sugar mixture.

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Kokis -

Consisting of a batter made with coconut milk, eggs, and rice flour, kokis is a Sri Lankan dessert with Dutch origins. Coated around decorative molds, the batter is then deep-fried in coconut oil until crispy.

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Pastelitos criollos -

Typically star shaped, these crispy, deep-fried Argentinian pastries are filled with quince or sweet potato preserve. They can also be filled with dulce de leche and topped with colorful sprinkles.

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Pisang goreng -

Fried bananas, or plantains, are a common everyday snack in Indonesia. Available in numerous versions, the sliced banana pieces are often coated in batter before they're fried until golden.

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Bolinhos de chuva -

Roughly translated to "rain cakes," bolinhos de chuva are traditional Portuguese and Brazilian sweet fritters. Fried in vegetable oil until crispy and golden brown, they're then dusted in sugar and cinnamon.

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Fried ice cream -

An American classic, fried ice cream is made by coating a scoop of ice cream in crumbled cookies or cornflakes, then quickly deep frying it golden-brown.

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Zulbia -

Originally from Iran, zulbia or jalebi can be found in different variations throughout the Middle East and Asia. In its basic form, it's created by combining flour with yogurt or ghee, as well as baking soda or yeast to create a batter, which is then poured in circular patterns directly into the oil. Afterward the crispy treat is flavored with rosewater, saffron, honey, orange blossom water, or cardamom.

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Sachima -

Sachima is a Chinese sweet snack, which consists of a deep-fried combination of batter and sugar syrup. With numerous regional varieties, they're most often sprinkled with sesame seeds, desiccated coconut, watermelon seeds, or raisins.

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Aborrajado -

Aborrajado is a Colombian dish consisting of cheese-stuffed sweet plantain slices, which are battered and deep fried. Some people like to add slices of guava paste for some extra sweetness.

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Koeksister -

This sweet South African snack is sticky but oh so delicious! The braided dough strips are fried in oil, then dunked into a cold sugary syrup. They're also popularly topped with cinnamon or lemon juice before consumption.

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Faworki -

Polish faworki are crispy deep-fried pastries that are made with a thick dough consisting of egg yolks, flour, cream, and different flavorings. When fried, the pastry turns into a crispy treat, which is usually dusted with powdered sugar.

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Gulab jamun -

Originating in the Indian subcontinent, gulab jamun is a dessert based on milk solids that are shaped into balls, and deep fried in ghee. The balls are then soaked in a sugary concoction flavored with saffron, green cardamom, and rosewater. It's garnished with dried fruits when served.

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Fritule -

Fritule are traditional Croatian sweet and buttery fritters, which are usually enriched with strong vanilla and citrus flavors. Local fruit liquors or strong spirits can also be incorporated into the velvety dough.

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Leche frita -

This delicious Spanish dessert consists of a sweet and firm milk pudding, covered in a crunchy fried shell of eggs, flour, and cinnamon. Literately meaning "fried milk," it can be served hot or cold.

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Zeppole -

Found throughout southern Italy, zeppole is a fried dough that is typically topped with sugar and filled with custard, jelly, pastry cream, or a combination of honey and butter. It was popularized in the early 19th century by Neapolitan baker Pasquale Pintauro.

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Lokma -

A decadent and sugar-packed dessert, lokmas are deep fried and bathed in syrup or honey. While their origin is often debated, it's presumed that they first appeared in Mesopotamia, and later Greece and Turkey.

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Turon -

Turon is a famous Filipino treat made with plantains and jackfruit. The fruit is sliced lengthwise, dusted in brown sugar, enclosed in thin wheat wrappers, and then fried until crispy. It's commonly drizzled with caramel before serving.

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Pampoenkoekies -

Pampoenkoekie is a South African dessert consisting of fluffy pumpkin fritters. Made with pumpkin, flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs, milk, and salt, they're traditionally drizzled over with caramel syrup after being fried.

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Oliebol -

Oliebol is a traditional Dutch and Belgian snack that can be literally translated as "oily ball." The exterior is crunchy, while the interior is chewy and soft. Some varieties are filled with raisins or currants.

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Strauben -

Strauben is a traditional funnel cake from Austria. Once fried in hot oil, it's sprinkled with icing sugar and then served. It's also recommended to serve strauben with applesauce or fruit compotes.

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Graffe Napoletane -

Graffe are soft Neapolitan fried sweets that are traditionally prepared for Carnival. Their main characteristic is their softness, achieved by the addition of moist, cooked potatoes in the dough.

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Pestiños -

Pestiños are Spanish pastries fried in olive oil. Made with flour, yeast, sesame, and sometimes orange juice and cinnamon, they're then traditionally topped with honey or sugar.

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Gogoși -

Gogoși is a Romanian donut made with a flavored dough mixture of vanilla extract and grated lemon, or orange peel. The dough mixture is then added to hot oil in spoonfuls, creating donuts with different, irregular shapes.

Sources: (TasteAtlas) (Taste of Home) 

See also: Food origins—what most people get wrong

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