The traditional Dutch New Year's Eve food made as fried dough balls is called oliebollen.
The name oliebollen literally means “oil balls,” referring to dough portions deep-fried in oil. The mixture commonly includes flour, yeast, eggs, milk, and sometimes raisins or currants. The finished fritters are usually dusted with powdered sugar and served warm during the winter holiday period.
Oliebollen are strongly associated with New Year's Eve in the Netherlands, where temporary street stalls and bakeries sell them during December and early January. Families may also make them at home. Their round shape and rich, warming ingredients make them especially suited to cold-weather celebrations.
They are sometimes compared with doughnuts, but oliebollen are generally irregularly shaped and may contain dried fruit. Another Dutch festive fritter, the appelbeignet, is made from battered apple slices and is distinct from an oliebol. The food is a seasonal custom rather than a required religious observance.