Buñuelos

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Buñuelos are a type of Mexican fritter sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Once fried, this golden-brown snack has a light and airy texture with just the right amount of crispiness. Serve it on its own or with hot chocolate for the perfect holiday treat!

❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe

• Customizable: From rounds and balls to snowflakes, buñuelos mexicanos can be formed into any shape using molds, cookie cutters, or your hands.
• Versatile: Whether you’re throwing a party or celebrating a special holiday like Christmas, these thinly fried treats are fitting for any occasion!
• Quick & simple: This simple buñuelos recipe takes less than an hour to make, but the end result is sweet, indulgent, and satisfying.

If you enjoy making (and eating) Mexican desserts, you definitely need to try our plátanos fritos, gorditas de piloncillo, and mueganos.

🍩 What are buñuelos?

Typically enjoyed during the Christmas season, buñuelos are found in many Latin American countries. They come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and flavors, ranging from sweet to savory.

A common preparation for Mexican-style buñuelos (buñuelos mexicanos) begins with thin, round fritters that are fried until golden brown and crispy. Each piece is then lightly dusted with sugar to give it a hint of sweetness

Our favorite way to eat buñuelos is with a cinnamon-sugar dusting (similar to churros), but there are endless flavors and toppings you can try!

📜 History

In every region of the world, similar versions of fritters have stemmed from ancient times. Some examples include youtiao, lokma, tulumba, and zalabiyeh.

The first records of buñuelos can be traced back to the Moorish people of Iberia, which is where Spain and Portugal are now located. Typically made from wheat dough, they were also sometimes flavored with anise and served with syrup.

During the colonial period, Spaniards brought these dough fritters to Latin America. From there, new shapes, flavors, and sauces formed, creating buñuelos mexicanos.

Like the Moorish versions, there are hollow buñuelos in Mexico (de viento), flat buñuelos (de rodillo), and snowflake-shaped buñuelos (de molde).

Fun fact: In the state of Oaxaca, buñuelos are served with clay bowls. Once finished, the bowl is supposed to be thrown while making a wish for good luck.

🌱 Are buñuelos vegan?

Many traditional buñuelos mexicanos recipes call for eggs and butter to make the dough. But with a few small tweaks, these fritters can definitely be made 100% plant-based.

Vegan buñuelos taste just as delicious and crispy without eggs or egg substitutes. Instead of adding butter to the dough, we use vegetable or coconut oil. Additionally, since a lot of sugar brands use bone char in the processing, we opt for cane sugar whenever possible.

🛒 Ingredients & substitutions

• Flour: We use all-purpose flour in this recipe, but you can try replacing it with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. One brand we suggest is King Arthur Baking Company, but Bob’s Red Mill would work too.
• Coconut oil: We prefer flavorless coconut oil so as not to overpower the other ingredients, but feel free to use regular coconut oil or any neutral vegetable oil.
• Baking powder: To create a light, fluffy, and airy buñuelo texture.
• Salt: Enhances the other flavors. Don’t skip the salt!
• Sugar: Most buñuelos mexicanos are dusted with sugar, which we think adds the perfect sweetness. Add more or less based on your preferences.
• Cinnamon: Provides another layer of sweet spice and warmth. Omit it if you’re not a big cinnamon fan, but make sure to use Ceylon cinnamon if you include it!

For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.

📝 How to make buñuelos

Step 1: Sift dry ingredients

Sift the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and whisk the dry ingredients together.

Step 2: Form the dough

Then, add the melted coconut oil and water to the dry ingredients and stir together. Remove the dough from your mixing bowl onto a lightly floured surface.

Step 3: Knead the dough

Begin kneading the dough to form a ball that’s sticky enough to stay together, but not coming off on your hands. Keep kneading for 10 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic.

Note: If the dough appears too crumbly, continue adding water a tablespoon at a time. If it’s too sticky, add a little flour while still kneading.

Step 4: Rest the dough

Cut the ball of dough into 8 smaller pieces, then roll each one and flatten it slightly between your palms. Cover with a towel to rest for 30 minutes.

Step 5: Prepare the coating

In the meantime, line a tray or plate with some paper towel, mix the cinnamon and sugar together, and add 1-2 inches of oil to a large stockpot for frying the buñuelos.

Step 6: Press the dough

Lightly flour each side of one dough disc and place it in the center of a tortilla press lined with 2 pieces of plastic. Close it down to form thin tortillas (they should be almost see-through).

Note: You can also roll them out on a floured surface and place a clean tea towel over your knee to finish stretching them out (hence the name buñuelos de rodilla!)

Step 7: Fry the buñuelos

Heat oil to 350-375°F in a large stockpot over medium, or until a piece of dough sizzles and floats to the top. Cook one buñuelo at a time for 30-45 seconds per side, or until golden.

Note: Make sure to push down on the buñuelo with a spoon or spatula to keep the bubbles from growing too big!

Step 8: Assemble

Transfer each buñuelo to the paper towel-lined plate or tray to absorb the excess oil. Sprinkle each side with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Repeat until all the buñuelos are cooked, then serve immediately. Happy eating!

If you have questions about making buñuelos, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!

☕ What to serve with buñuelos

Buñuelos mexicanos often accompany warm drinks like atole or hot chocolate as a sweet ending to a meal. Try any one of these plant-based versions:

• Champurrado: Mexican chocolate mixed with non-dairy milk, masa harina, and piloncillo.
• Atole de arroz: Creamy rice-infused drink with cinnamon and soy milk.
• Guava atole: Sweet and tropical guavas combined with a classic atole.
• Atole de elote: Fresh corn, cinnamon, and plant milk mixed together for a rich and flavorful drink.

Note: It’s common to serve buñuelos with piloncillo syrup. Try it out to see if you like it!

🌡️ Storage & reheating

After all that hard work, you are definitely going to want to keep your buñuelos crispy, delicious, and as fresh as possible. Here’s how:

• Room temperature: Cover with a tea towel or paper towel for up to 3-4 days. This is our preferred way to preserve their texture the longest.
• Fridge: If you’d rather store them in the fridge, do so in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days. Just remember, your fritters will lose some of their crispness.
• Freezer: Cover the dough with saran wrap and keep it in a freezer-safe bag or container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before working with it again.
• Make ahead: Prepare the dough 1-2 days in advance, cover it with saran wrap, and keep it in an airtight container or bag in the fridge or freezer. Let the dough warm to room temperature before rolling out the buñuelos.
• Reheating: Reheat your buñuelos in the oven for 5-10 minutes at 350 degrees F. It’s best to wrap them in foil so they don’t dry out. Alternatively, microwave them in 15-second intervals. Again, you won’t achieve the same level of crispiness, but they’re still delicious!

♻️ Variations

• Spices: A delicious addition to the dough is anise extract or even Sambuca.
• Vanilla: Add pure vanilla extract to the dough for a rich, complex, and creamy taste.
• Citrus: In some regions of Mexico, it’s common to add orange juice and zest or orange essence to the dough. Try it out for a sweet and zesty flavor!
• Buñuelos de molde: You can make pretty snowflakes or star-shaped buñuelos to really get into the holiday spirit.
• Coating: Instead of cinnamon and sugar, coat the buñuelos with sugar only. You can also mix the sugar with other spices like nutmeg, cardamom, or pumpkin spice.

🧑‍🍳 Top tips

• Dust with flour: To ensure the dough doesn’t stick to the rolling pin or tortilla press, make sure to lightly flour your working surface.
• Roll them thin: Remember to press, stretch, and roll your buñuelos as thin as possible to achieve the perfect crisp.
• Push down the air bubbles: The buñuelos form air bubbles while they cook, so make sure to apply pressure as they’re frying.
• Don’t wait to sprinkle: To help the cinnamon and sugar stick, don’t wait too long to sprinkle each fritter after frying them.
• Use a thermometer: To avoid burning your buñuelos, we recommend using a thermometer to keep the oil temperature consistent.

💬 FAQ

Note: We’ve updated this post to include new information and helpful tips about the recipe.