Carnival Custard Ravioli are basically sweet ravioli filled with a luscious pastry cream, and let me say, they’re an absolute delight!
These little treats are the perfect indulgence for any occasion, but they really shine during carnival season and themed celebrations. What makes them so special is the contrast between the crispy outer shell and the velvety smooth filling inside. That pastry cream is infused with the warm, comforting flavors of vanilla and lemon zest, creating an explosion of flavors with each bite.
Whether you’re looking for a sweet bite to enjoy with coffee or tea, or a showstopping dessert for your next gathering, these Italian Carnival Ravioli are an absolute must-try. They’re easy to make, but taste like they came straight from an Italian Grandma’s kitchen. And in fact this recipe is taken from my grandmother’s recipe book, from which I took many recipes present in this blog!
This recipe is a must-try, not just during the Carnival season but throughout the year. So do yourself a favor and whip up a batch of these traditional carnival treats!
The Ingredients for Carnival Custard Ravioli
- 500 g pastry cream (2 cups) (recipe here)
- 300 g 00 flour or all-purpose flour (2½ cups)
- 60 g milk (¼ cup)
- 40 g sugar (3 tbsp plus 1 tsp)
- 1 egg
- 20 ml liqueur, of your choice (1 tbsp plus 1 tsp)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- A pinch of salt
- 1 L peanut seed oil (4 cups), or more if needed
- Icing sugar to taste
Making Carnival Custard Ravioli
Prepare the Custard
First prepare the custard and then let it cool completely. The custard we’ll use to fill these sweet ravioli is my super thick pastry cream — perfect for stuffing, since it won’t run out. Follow my recipe here; you’ll need around 500 g of pastry cream.
Prepare the Ravioli Dough
Sift the flour into a large bowl and add the liquor, salt, eggs, sugar, and milk. Begin kneading until all ingredients are combined. Continue kneading for at least 5–10 minutes until a soft dough forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
Shape Ravioli
Once the dough has rested for the necessary time, roll it out with a rolling pin or a pasta machine to a thickness of 2-3 cm, not too thin or the filling will leak out during frying. Using a pasta cutter, divide the dough into strips about 8-9 cm wide. Place small mounds made with a heaping teaspoon of pastry cream on the first pasta strip, spacing them 8-9 cm apart and leaving at least 1.5 cm from the edges of the ravioli (1).
At this point, it is essential to moisten the edges of the pasta strips if they have dried out slightly. Otherwise, the ravioli may open during cooking, causing the filling to leak into the oil and create a mess. Now, carefully place another strip of pasta dough on top (2). Press the dough around the filling to remove any air pockets, then use a fluted wheel cutter to cut out rectangular ravioli (3). Ensure the edges are well-sealed by pressing firmly with your fingers or a fork. Proceed in this manner until you have used up all the dough strips.
Fry or Bake
Heat a generous amount of peanut oil in a pan and fry the ravioli in small batches until lightly golden brown on both sides. Remove the fried ravioli with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels.
Let Ravioli cool, then dust with powdered sugar, and serve.
PRO TIPS — Fry the carnival custard ravioli in hot but not boiling oil, otherwise they will cook on the outside only, leaving the dough doughy and the pastry cream filling cold: heat the oil to 170-175 °C (338-347 °F). During this step, you can use a kitchen thermometer or one of the alternative methods to monitor the oil temperature. Replace the oil as soon as it begins to darken too much, as the pastries will then brown prematurely.
For baking, arrange the ravioli on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush them lightly with melted butter. Bake in a preheated 180 °C (356 °F) oven for 15–20 minutes until golden brown. Remove the sweet ravioli from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack before serving.
Once cooled, generously dust with powdered sugar.
Storing Carnival Custard Ravioli
For best quality, it’s recommended to consume fried carnival sweet ravioli immediately after frying. However, if you do have leftovers, place them in an airtight container or in a cool, dry location. They can be kept this way for up to 2 days maximum.
The Grandma’s Carnival Custard Ravioli Recipe You Can’t Miss This Year
Ingredients
- 500 g pastry cream recipe here
- 300 g 00 flour or all-purpose flour
- 60 g milk
- 40 g sugar
- 1 egg
- 20 ml liqueur of your choice
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- A pinch of salt
- 1 L peanut seed oil
- Icing sugar to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the custard and then let it cool completely.
- Meanwhile, sift the flour into a large bowl and add milk, sugar, egg, liqueur, baking powder and salt. Begin kneading until all ingredients are combined. Continue kneading for at least 5–10 minutes until a soft dough forms.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Once the dough has rested for the necessary time, roll it out with a rolling pin or a pasta machine to a thickness of 2-3 cm, not too thin or the filling will leak out during frying.
- Using a pasta cutter, divide the dough into strips about 8-9 cm wide.
- Place small mounds made with a heaping teaspoon of pastry cream on the first pasta strip, spacing them 8-9 cm apart and leaving at least 1.5 cm from the edges of the ravioli.
- At this point, it is essential to moisten the edges of the pasta strips if they have dried out slightly. Otherwise, the ravioli may open during cooking, causing the filling to leak into the oil and create a mess.
- Now, carefully place another strip of pasta dough on top. Press the dough around the filling to remove any air pockets, then use a fluted wheel cutter to cut out rectangular ravioli.
- Ensure the edges are well-sealed by pressing firmly with your fingers or a fork. Proceed in this manner until you have used up all the dough strips.
Deep-fried Cooking
- Heat a generous amount of peanut oil in a pan and fry the ravioli in small batches until lightly golden brown on both sides. Remove the fried ravioli with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels.
- Let Ravioli cool, then dust with powdered sugar, and serve.
Oven Cooking
- Arrange the ravioli on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush them lightly with melted butter. Bake in a preheated 180 °C (356 °F) oven for 15–20 minutes until golden brown. Remove the sweet ravioli from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack before serving.
- Once cooled, generously dust with powdered sugar.
