Sensational 12 Buñuelos: Light, Crispy Joy

There is just something about the smell of cinnamon and deep-fried dough that brings me right back to my childhood Christmases. If you’re looking for that perfect centerpiece dessert for your *posada* or just a snowy afternoon treat, you absolutely have to make Buñuelos. These aren’t heavy, cakey fritters; no way! My goal with this recipe is to get them as light and shatteringly crisp as the ones my grandmother used to make. Honestly, standing by the fryer and watching these thin disks puff up and turn golden is half the fun. Trust me, once you try rolling them paper-thin, you’ll have mastered the secret to achieving truly light, crispy Buñuelos every single time.

This recipe, much like my famous hot chocolate bombs, is a holiday staple in my house. You can find my favorite holiday treat recipe right here!

Why You Will Love These Crispy Mexican Buñuelos Recipe

I know you’re going to adore making these. They just feel like a celebration in a bite! Here’s why this Mexican buñuelos recipe has earned permanent spot on my holiday baking list:

• The Ultimate Crunch Factor: Seriously, these are light as air! When made correctly, these Buñuelos shatter when you bite into them. That delicate, crispy texture is irreplaceable.
• Simple Holiday Flavor: We keep the coating easy—just cinnamon and sugar. It perfectly complements the fried dough without being overly sweet, letting that warm spice really shine through.
• Perfectly Forgiving Dough: My recipe uses shortening, which makes the dough wonderfully pliable. Unlike fussy pastry, this dough rests nicely and is happy to be rolled out super thin, even if you get distracted making coffee first.
• A True Taste of Tradition: Making these is an event! If you are celebrating Christmas or New Year’s, serving these lets you share a beautiful, recognizable piece of Mexican Buñuelos tradition with your family and friends.

They make the kitchen smell incredible, and honestly, watching them fry up into those big, lacy disks is so much fun. It’s worth putting the effort into this rewarding holiday fritter dessert!

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Essential Ingredients for Perfect Buñuelos

When it comes to making something truly special like these Mexican buñuelos recipe classics, the ingredients matter! I’ve listed exactly what you need below. Don’t skip the details on the fat—that makes a world of difference in how thin and crunchy these turn out. We are using basic pantry stuff here to create something extraordinary.

For the Dough, you’ll want:

• About three cups of all-purpose flour.
• A little baking powder and salt to give the dough lift.
• A quarter cup of regular granulated sugar mixed right into the flour.
• The crucial item: a quarter cup of vegetable shortening that must be soft—room temperature is perfect!
• One large egg and about half a cup of water to bring it all together.

And for that amazing coating, simply whisk together half a cup of sugar and about two tablespoons of ground cinnamon in a wide, shallow dish. You will also need plenty of vegetable oil for frying, about two inches deep in your pot.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Buñuelos

Okay, let’s talk fats! My recipe calls for vegetable shortening because it keeps the dough super soft and easy to roll out thin, which is our number one goal for crispiness. My mother sometimes used lard when shortening wasn’t handy; that works great too, if you have it! Just make sure whatever you use is soft, not melted, when you mix it in; that room temperature quality helps it blend into those coarse crumbs without getting greasy.

If you decide you want a syrup coating instead of the dry cinnamon sugar mixture, you can easily swap that sugar out for some piloncillo syrup. But for staying power and that shatteringly crisp texture we are after? I stick to the dry mix almost every time. It makes these truly the best fried cinnamon sugar fritters imaginable!

Expert Tips for Making Light, Crispy Buñuelos

Getting that perfect crunch isn’t just about the ingredients; it’s all about patience and heat management! If you want these to be more than just fried dough and actually become those magnificent, airy fried cinnamon sugar fritters everyone remembers, listen to me on these three steps. First, after you mix the dough, you *must* let those little balls rest for 20 minutes. Seriously, don’t skip it! That rest allows the gluten to relax, which means you can roll the dough out unbelievably thin without it fighting you and snapping back.

Second, the oil temperature is non-negotiable. You need that oil steady at 350°F, maybe dipping down to 340°F as you add new dough, but no lower! If the oil isn’t hot enough, the dough just soaks it up instead of puffing—that’s how you get greasy rather than crispy Buñuelos. I always keep a thermometer nearby because standing by the stove watching them fry is a non-negotiable part of the holiday baking ritual.

Finally, roll them until you can almost see your hand through them. Thinness equals crunch! These tips ensure your Mexican buñuelos recipe turns out right every time. You can check out more of my tried-and-true kitchen wisdom over on my main blog page if you’re looking for other favorite weeknight fixes!

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Step-by-Step Instructions for Authentic Buñuelos

Now for the fun part! Making these Buñuelos is a rhythmic process, and if you follow these steps exactly, you’ll get that perfect, delicate texture. Remember, cooking is just like following directions for a short period, and then you can relax a bit—but stay focused near that hot oil, please!

Preparing the Buñuelos Dough

First things first, we mix the dry stuff. Whisk your flour, baking powder, salt, and that quarter cup of sugar really well in a big bowl. Next, you cut in the vegetable shortening. I use my fingers for this, rubbing the shortening into the flour until it looks like small, coarse crumbs. Don’t overdo it! Then, beat that egg and add it along with the water. Mix everything until a soft dough just starts to come together—add a tiny splash more water if it seems too dry. That’s it for mixing!

Turn the dough out, give it a quick, gentle knead for about a minute, and then divide it into 12 equal balls. Cover those balls up with a clean cloth and let them rest for a good 20 minutes. This rest is essential; believe me, it makes rolling them out so much easier later on!

Frying and Coating Your Buñuelos

Time to get the oil sorted! Heat about two inches of vegetable oil in a heavy pot until it hits exactly 350°F. Monitoring that heat is the key to non-greasy Buñuelos. Now, take one dough ball and roll it out as thin as you possibly can—think huge, irregular, thin disks, aiming for 10 to 12 inches across. You want it so thin it almost looks like a delicate, crispy sweet tortilla!

Gently slide one disk into the hot oil. It should puff immediately! Fry each side for only about a minute until it’s gorgeous and golden brown. I usually lift the edges or spoon a little hot oil right over the middle parts to make sure they cook evenly. Take them out quickly with tongs and put them right on a wire rack lined with paper towels to drain off the excess oil. While they are still very warm—not scorching hot, but definitely warm—drag each one through your cinnamon sugar mix. Serve them immediately, maybe with a side of comfort food leftovers after a long day!

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Serving Suggestions for Your Holiday Fritter Dessert

These holiday fritter dessert treats are honestly best served the second they come out of that cinnamon sugar! That’s when you get that perfect, satisfying shatter when you bite down. If you’re hosting a big party, though, and want something extra special, I highly recommend having a small pot of warm piloncillo syrup ready for drizzling. It adds a different kind of sweetness than the dry coating.

For a truly traditional setup, serve these right alongside a pitcher of warm Mexican hot chocolate—that combination is just unbeatable during the colder months. You can see my recipe for amazing holiday hot chocolate bombs here, which pairs perfectly!

Storage and Reheating Buñuelos

If you manage to have any leftovers—and sometimes I swear these disappear before they even cool down—the big question is, how do we keep that unbelievable crunch? Honestly, these fried cinnamon sugar fritters are at their peak right after they’ve cooled down enough to handle. That delicate texture doesn’t last forever!

If you coated them with the dry sugar mixture, keep them in a truly airtight container at room temperature. Please, make sure there’s no humidity sneaking in, or they will start to get soft fast. If you decided to go the piloncillo syrup route, you should know they will soften much quicker. If you plan on keeping them longer than a day, the dry sugar coating is definitely your best bet because the syrup introduces moisture.

Now, can you reheat them? Yes, you can bring some of that crispness back! Don’t even think about the microwave; that’s guaranteed sogginess. Instead, lay them out in a single layer on a baking sheet and pop them into a very low oven—say, around 300°F—for just about three or four minutes. Keep an eye on them! You just want to warm them through and drive off any surface moisture. They’ll crisp right up again so you can enjoy them almost like they were freshly made. It’s a nice little trick for these traditional delights!

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Frequently Asked Questions About Mexican Buñuelos

I know when you’re making a classic **Mexican buñuelos recipe**, you’re going to have a few questions about getting that perfect texture. I’ve answered a bunch of the ones I get asked the most down here. Let me know if you have more once you try them out; you can always reach me on my contact page!

Can I make a syrup instead of the cinnamon sugar coating for my Buñuelos?

You certainly can! While the dry coating is my favorite way to keep those Buñuelos crispy longer, a drizzle of piloncillo syrup is traditional for many regions. Piloncillo is just unrefined whole cane sugar—it’s sold in cones and melts down into a rich, molasses-like syrup. Just know that when moisture hits that fried dough, those beautiful, crunchy Buñuelos will soften much faster than if you stick to the dry cinnamon sugar. It’s a trade-off between ultimate crunch and sticky sweetness!

What is the secret to getting truly thin Buñuelos?

The secret is twofold: resting and persistence! First, you have to let that dough rest for the full 20 minutes after you ball it up. Otherwise, you fight the gluten every time you try to stretch it. Second, you have to keep rolling, even if it shrinks back a little. You want those disks rolled out until they are almost translucent—seriously, think tissue paper thin! Press them gently with your rolling pin until you hit that 10 to 12-inch mark. If you use a press, be gentle, but I find a good old-fashioned rolling pin gives you that irregular, rustic **holiday fritter dessert** shape!

Estimated Nutritional Information for Buñuelos

When we are cooking for the holidays, my goal is always flavor first, but it’s still helpful to know roughly what kind of treat we are serving up! Since these fried cinnamon sugar fritters are made by frying the dough and then coating them, the exact numbers can swing quite a bit based on how much oil your dough soaks up and precisely how much sugar sticks to the surface.

These numbers below are just estimates based on using the recipe amounts listed, so please take them with a grain of salt—much like you might want to skip adding salt to the dough if you’re watching sodium!

• Serving Size: 1 buñuelo
• Calories: Roughly 280 calories
• Total Fat: About 14 grams
• Carbohydrates: Around 35 grams
• Protein: About 4 grams
• Sugar Content: Around 18 grams (and this depends heavily on your cinnamon sugar coating!)

See? Not bad for a special occasion dessert! These are meant to be enjoyed fresh and warm, usually alongside some amazing coffee or hot chocolate. Don’t stress too much over the exact numbers, just enjoy the wonderful, crispy texture we worked so hard to achieve with that ultra-thin dough. The effort you put into getting those disks rolled thinly really pays off!

Share Your Crispy Buñuelos Experience

I truly hope making these traditional Buñuelos brings as much joy and memory-making to your kitchen as it does to mine! Once you try this Mexican buñuelos recipe, please hop back here and give it a star rating so I can see how you liked them.

I always love hearing your stories, so leave a comment below telling me who you shared these crispy wonders with! And if you snapped a photo of your beautifully coated, shatteringly crunch holiday fritter dessert treats, tag me on social media. I can’t wait to see your creations. Drop by anytime for more simple recipes for everyday meals!

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Crispy Mexican Buñuelos with Cinnamon Sugar

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Make light, crunchy Mexican buñuelos, a traditional fried fritter dessert perfect for holiday celebrations, coated in simple cinnamon sugar.

• Author: Carla Davis
• Prep Time: 30 min
• Cook Time: 20 min
• Total Time: 50 min
• Yield: 12 buñuelos 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Frying
• Cuisine: Mexican
• Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

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• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening, room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup water, plus more if needed
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar for coating
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon for coating

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Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/4 cup sugar.
2. Cut in the shortening using a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Beat the egg and add it to the flour mixture. Gradually add the water, mixing until a soft dough forms. You may need a little more water to bring it together.
4. Knead the dough briefly on a lightly floured surface, about 1 minute. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Cover the balls and let them rest for 20 minutes.
5. In a deep, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil to 350°F (175°C). Monitor the temperature closely; this is key for crispiness.
6. Working with one ball at a time, roll the dough out very thin, aiming for a large, irregular disk shape, about 10 to 12 inches across. If the dough shrinks back, let it rest for 5 minutes before rolling again.
7. Carefully place one thin dough disk into the hot oil. Fry for about 30 to 60 seconds per side, until golden brown and puffy. You may need to gently fold the edges or spoon hot oil over the center to help it cook evenly.
8. Remove the buñuelo with tongs and place it on a wire rack lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.
9. While the buñuelos are still warm, mix the 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons cinnamon in a shallow dish. Quickly dredge each buñuelo in the cinnamon sugar mixture, coating both sides.
10. Serve immediately or stack them carefully once cooled. If you are not serving right away, consider making a simple piloncillo syrup instead of dry sugar coating.

Notes

• To keep the buñuelos crispy longer, avoid soaking them in syrup; use the dry cinnamon sugar coating.
• If you are looking for quick weeknight meals instead of holiday baking, check out some best meal delivery services for inspiration.
• Roll the dough as thin as you can manage without tearing it; thinness equals crunch.
• Maintain the oil temperature between 340°F and 350°F for the best results.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 buñuelo
• Calories: 280
• Sugar: 18
• Sodium: 150
• Fat: 14
• Saturated Fat: 3
• Unsaturated Fat: 11
• Trans Fat: 0
• Carbohydrates: 35
• Fiber: 1
• Protein: 4
• Cholesterol: 25