• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Mexican Food Journal logo
  • Recipe Index
    • Salsas & Sauces
    • Tacos
    • Enchiladas and Enmoladas
    • Soups
    • Desserts
    • Fish & Seafood
    • Chicken
    • Beverages
    • Pork
    • Beef
    • Tamales
    • Salads
    • Eggs
  • About
  • Contact
  • Join Community
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Salsas
  • Tacos
  • Enchiladas
  • Beef
  • Pork
  • Chicken
  • Eggs
  • Seafood
  • Soups
  • Drinks
  • Chiles
×
You are here: Home / Desserts / Buñuelos

Buñuelos

Lori Alcalá, This blog generates income via ads and affiliate links which earn us a small commission.

Traditional Buñuelos with Piloncillo Syrup

My first memories of Mexican buñuelos date back about 45 years to my Aunt Carmela’s house in Cuero, Texas. Originally from San Miguel de Allende in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico, I remember helping my aunt dust the buñuelos with sugar in her kitchen and thinking how sweet those flat disks of fried, crispy delight would taste when I bit into them.

Warm Mexican Buñuelos in About an Hour

In Mexico, buñuelos are typically eaten during celebrations or on holidays, but some markets sell them year round. The nice thing about this authentic Mexican dessert is that you can make it at home with just a few ingredients in about an hour.

Buñuelos with Piloncillo Syrup

What to Expect from This Recipe

This buñuelos recipe is made with flour, sugar, baking powder, butter and salt. The dough is shaped into balls, rolled out and fried in hot oil, giving you a light and crispy treat which looks like a fried tortilla. The warm buñuelos are dusted with a sugar and cinnamon topping and drizzled with a sweet syrup made from piloncillo and cinnamon stick. Piloncillo is a raw form of pure cane sugar and its caramel-like flavor adds a special sweet touch to this traditional Mexican dessert.

How the Recipe Is Structured

The recipe is broken down into the following sections:

  • Making the Syrup
  • Mixing the Topping
  • Making the Dough
  • Shaping the Dough
  • Rolling the Dough
  • Frying the Buñuelos
  • Serving and Eating

So light, crispy and sweet!

Stack of Buñuelos

Learn How to Make Buñuelos

Ingredients

For the Syrup

  • 1 piloncillo
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • Water

For the Topping

  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoon cinnamon (optional)

For the Dough

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon oil, butter or margarine, melted, room temperature
  • 2 pinches salt
  • Vegetable oil for frying

Buñuelos Ingredients

Make the Syrup

Pour water into a heavy-bottomed pot and add the cinnamon stick and piloncillo. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly.

Cinnamon Stick and Piloncillo

Continue stirring until the piloncillo has melted and the syrup thickens. Then set aside. You’ll pour the syrup over the buñuelos just before serving.

Piloncillo Syrup

Mix the Topping

Pour ½ cup of sugar into a plate and add 2 tablespoon cinnamon.

Cinnamon Sugar in Plate

Mix well and set aside. You’ll use this mixture to dust your buñuelos after frying.

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

Make the Dough

Melt the Butter

Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add the butter.

Butter in Pan

Swirl the pan while the butter melts, ensuring it doesn’t turn brown.

Melted Butter in Pan

Pour the melted butter into a small bowl and set aside.

Pouring Butter into Bowl

Mix the Dough

Pour the flour into a large mixing bowl.

Flour in Mixing Bowl

Add the baking powder, salt and sugar to the flour.

Buñuelo Dry Ingredients

Use a fork to combine.

Mixing Buñuelo Dough

Pour in the melted butter.

Pouring Melted Butter Buñuelos

Stir to combine.

Stirring Buñuelo Dough

Add a little water.

Adding Water to Buñuelo Dough

Stir the dough.

Making Buñuelo Dough

Repeat until the dough no longer sticks to your fingers. If it’s too wet, add a little more flour. If too dry, add a little more water. It might take you a few tries to get the dough just right. This dough looks perfect!

Perfect Buñuelo Dough

Shape the Dough

Turn the dough out onto a cutting board and shape into a ball.

Shaping Buñuelo Dough

Your dough should now be shaped into a nice, round ball.

Ball of Buñuelo Dough

Pinch off a chunk of the dough—slightly smaller than a ping pong ball.

Buñuelo Dough in Hand

Roll the dough into a small ball.

Rolling Buñuelo Dough

Repeat until you have about 10 balls of dough.

Buñuelo Dough Balls

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.

Buñuelo Dough Balls Covered

Roll the Dough

Dust a flat surface or cutting board with flour and roll out the balls of dough one at a time into a completely flat, almost transparent disk. Place each onto a dry cloth.

Rolling Buñuelos

Your buñuelos should be very thin and look like this. The edges will be a little rough. They don’t have to be perfectly rounded. Now you’re ready to fry!

Buñuelos for Frying

Fry the Buñuelos

Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Carefully slide the buñuelo into the pan with your hand. The oil might jump, so be sure to move your hand away quickly.

Placing Buñuelo in Frying Pan

Use a spatula to gently submerge the buñuelo into the oil and fry until the bottom is crispy. You’ll see bubbles form on the surface of the buñuelo when it’s time to flip.

Frying Buñuelos

Slide the spatula under the buñuelo, and use a pair of kitchen tongs to hold the buñuelo in place as you gently flip. Be sure to only flip one time.

Flipping Buñuelo in Pan

Fry the other side until crispy. When ready, both sides should look lightly toasted.

Buñuelo in Oil

Using kitchen tongs, remove the buñuelo from the pan.

Removing Buñuelo from Oil

Place vertically side by side in a mesh sieve to drain and repeat with the remaining buñuelos.

Buñuelos in Mesh Sieve

Serve and Eat!

While the buñuelos are warm, dust each with the cinnamon and sugar topping you made previously.

Dusting Buñuelos with Sugar

Stack the buñuelos in a serving plate. Mmmm!

Buñuelos Stacked

Serve each buñuelo in a plate and drizzle with the syrup just before eating.

Traditional Buñuelos

Crunch and enjoy!

Buñuelos with Piloncillo Syrup

Authentic Buñuelos
Print Pin
1.60 from 5 votes

Traditional Buñuelos

Buñuelos are a light, crispy treat dusted with sugar and cinnamon, and drizzled with a sweet syrup made from piloncillo and cinnamon stick.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 10
Author Lori Alcalá

Equipment

  • Mixing Bowls
  • Prep Plates
  • Sauce pan
  • Frying pan
  • fork
  • Spoon
  • Spatula
  • Kitchen Tongs
  • Rolling Pin
  • Mesh Sieve
  • Plastic Wrap
  • Kitchen Cloth

Ingredients

For the Syrup

  • 1 Piloncillo
  • 1 Cinammon Stick
  • Water

For the Topping

  • ½ cup Sugar
  • 2 tablespoon Cinnamon (Optional)

For the Dough

  • 1 cup Flour
  • 1 cup Water
  • ½ teaspoon Baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon Sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Oil, butter or margarine, melted (Room temperature)
  • 2 pinches Salt
  • Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

Make the Syrup

  • Pour water into a heavy-bottomed pot and add the cinnamon stick and piloncillo. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly.
  • Continue stirring until the piloncillo has melted and the syrup thickens. Then set aside. You’ll pour the syrup over the buñuelos just before serving.

Mix the Topping

  • Pour ½ cup of sugar into a plate and add 2 tablespoon cinnamon.
  • Mix well and set aside. You’ll use this mixture to dust your buñuelos after frying.

Make the Dough

  • Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add the butter.
  • Swirl the pan while the butter melts, ensuring it doesn’t turn brown.
  • Pour the melted butter into a small bowl and set aside.
  • Pour the flour into a large mixing bowl.
  • Add the baking powder, salt and sugar to the flour.
  • Use a fork to combine.
  • Pour in the melted butter and stir to combine.
  • Add a little water and stir.
  • Repeat until the dough no longer sticks to your fingers. If it’s too wet, add a little more flour. If too dry, add a little more water. It might take you a few tries to get the dough just right.

Shape the Dough

  • Turn the dough out onto a cutting board and shape into a ball.
  • Pinch off a chunk of the dough—slightly smaller than a ping pong ball.
  • Roll the dough into a small ball and put on a plate.
  • Repeat until you have about 10 balls of dough.
  • Cover the dough balls with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.

Roll the Dough

  • Dust a flat surface or cutting board with flour and roll out the balls of dough one at a time into a completely flat, almost transparent disk.
  • Place each onto a dry cloth. The edges will be a little rough. They don’t have to be perfectly rounded. Now you’re ready to fry!

Fry the Buñuelos

  • Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Carefully slide the buñuelo into the pan with your hand. The oil might jump, so be sure to move your hand away quickly.
  • Use a spatula to gently submerge the buñuelo into the oil and fry until the bottom is crispy. You’ll see bubbles form on the surface of the buñuelo when it’s time to flip.
  • Slide the spatula under the buñuelo, and use a pair of kitchen tongs to hold the buñuelo in place as you gently flip. Be sure to only flip one time.
  • Fry the other side until crispy. When ready, both sides should look lightly toasted.
  • Using kitchen tongs, remove the buñuelo from the pan.
  • Place vertically side by side in a mesh sieve to drain and repeat with the remaining buñuelos.

Serve and Eat!

  • While the buñuelos are warm, dust each with the cinnamon and sugar topping you made previously.
  • Stack the buñuelos in a serving plate. Mmmm!
  • Serve each buñuelo in a plate and drizzle with the syrup just before eating.
  • Crunch and enjoy!

More Authentic Mexican Desserts from the Blog

  • Traditional Mexican Flan
  • Tres Leches Cake
  • Arroz con Leche
  • Pan de Muerto

More Desserts

  • Pineapple Empanadas
  • Traditional Mexican Flan Napolitano
  • Tres Leches Cake
  • Pan de Muerto

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

D. Cullen Profile Picture

Hola, I am Douglas. Let me share my love of Mexican Cuisine with you that developed over 20+ years of living in Mexico.

More about me →


Most Popular Recipes

  • Classic Salsa Verde
  • Restaurant Style Salsa
  • Traditional Sopa de Fideo
  • Red Pork Pozole
  • Chicken Tinga
  • Agua de Jamaica
  • Tres Leches Cake
  • Beet Salad with Feta Cheese and Citrus Balsamic Viniagrette
  • Red Enchilada Sauce
  • Mole Poblano
D. Cullen Profile Picture

Hola, I am Douglas. Let me share my love of Mexican Cuisine with you that developed over 20+ years of living in Mexico.

More about me →


Most Popular Recipes

  • Classic Salsa Verde
  • Restaurant Style Salsa
  • Traditional Sopa de Fideo
  • Red Pork Pozole
  • Chicken Tinga
  • Agua de Jamaica
  • Tres Leches Cake
  • Beet Salad with Feta Cheese and Citrus Balsamic Viniagrette
  • Red Enchilada Sauce
  • Mole Poblano

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2021 Mexico Publishing LLC