The Fasnachtschuechli are the iconic round fritters of Swiss tradition, typically prepared during the Carnival season and have roots in the Middle Ages.

The term comes from Fasnacht (Carnival) and Chuechli (small cake/fritter); Fasnachtskuechle is the singular term.

Historically, they were a “pantry consumption” dessert: before Lent, families had to finish perishable ingredients and fats like lard, eggs, and cream, which would be forbidden during fasting. For this reason, they have become the gastronomic symbol of the feast and abundance preceding penance.

My version is gluten-free and cooked in an air fryer.

While the concept of fried dough is universal, the shape and ingredients define national identities:

In Switzerland (Fasnachtschuechli): It stands out for the use of cream (Rahm) in the dough, replacing butter and milk. The dough is rolled so thin that it becomes almost transparent, jagged, and covered with a layer of powdered sugar.

In Germany (Kniekuechle): Typical of Bavaria and Swabia, they are famous because housewives would stretch them over their knees to achieve a very thin center and a high, fluffy edge. They are often topped with sugar and cinnamon.

In Austria (Faschingskrapfen): Unlike the Swiss and German “stretched” versions, Austria is home to the closed and puffy krapfen, usually filled with apricot jam, while sharing the same Carnival connection.

In Italy (Chiacchiere/Frappe/Bugie): The parallelism is evident due to the crunchiness, but ours are usually rectangular, use butter, and often a liqueur (like Marsala) to help with bubble formation, while in Switzerland, it is the cream that does all the work.

And in France….