Go Back
+ servings
Stack of sopapillas.
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Sopapillas Recipe

Sopapillas are fried pastries sprinkled with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar and served with honey! This restaurant quality recipe is easy to make at home using items from your own pantry. 
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican, Tex Mex
Servings: 8
Author: Serene

Ingredients

Cinnamon Sugar

  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Topping

  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp honey

Instructions

  • In a medium size bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix together with fork. 
  • Add the oil to the warm water and pour into the dry ingredients, mix together with hands, dough will be sticky. Continue to work dough in the bowl until dough ball forms.
  • Lightly sprinkle flour onto a clean work surface, knead the dough for 3-4 minutes until smooth, if still sticky, sprinkle a small amount of flour on the dough. Divide the dough into two sections (this helps with rolling out later) and form the dough into a ball.
  • Place the dough balls into the bowl previously used, cover with a clean towel and let sit for 20-30 minutes. 
  • Remove the dough and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll out into a rectangular shape using a rolling pin to 1/4 inch thick.
  • After rolling, cut the dough into 2 inch squares (or preferred size). Let the dough rest another 10 minutes while preparing the oil. 
  • Pour the oil into a large cast iron skillet or large dutch oven (my preferred for frying, it cuts down on splatters and makes clean up easier.) should have about 2 inches of oil in the pan. 
  • Heat over medium-high heat until oil reaches 375℉. 
  • Prepare a large baking sheet with a cooling wire rack on top and set to the side, this is where you will place the sopapillas once fried.
  • Once oil is heated, carefully place 3 sopapillas into the oil and fry until golden on both sides. (Dough will sink briefly in the oil, then will rise to the top and puff up while frying, if this doesn’t happen, then the oil is not hot enough).
  • Remove the sopapillas from the oil and place on the cooling wire rack. Allow the oil to come back to temperature before adding more dough to continue frying.
  • Continue until all sopapillas have been fried. 
  • While the sopapillas are still warm, dip them into the bowl of cinnamon sugar to coat if desired.
  • Serve sopapillas warm, coated with cinnamon sugar OR sprinkle with powdered sugar and drizzle with honey. 

Video

Notes

  • Flour: All purpose flour is my go to and what I keep in my pantry. Use a 1:1 for a gluten free option.
  • Sugar: White granulated or organic cane sugar can be used.
  • Oil: Vegetable or avocado oil are great options. Coconut oil can be used if you don’t mind the coconut flavor that comes with it. Also lard or shortening can be used. 
  • Warm Water: this helps bring the dough together. Plus if you are using lard or shortening my favorite method would be to melt the lard into the warm water, this helps disperse it completely through the dough. 
  • Oil for Frying: Use any high heat oil. Vegetable oil or canola options are the least expensive options. 
Storing the dough:
  • Refrigerator: wrap the dough in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Bring back to room temperature before rolling out to cut the dough. 
  • Freezer: wrap with plastic wrap, place in a freezer bag and store in the freezer for 1-2 months. Let the dough thaw and come to room temperature before rolling and frying as instructed. 
Storing cooked Sopapillas:
  • Store cooked sopapillas in a sealed container at room temperature for 1-2 days. Or store in the refrigerator for 2-4 days. 
  • To reheat, place the sopapillas on a large baking sheet in a single layer. Bake at 300 degrees F for 5-7 minutes until warmed through.

Nutrition

Serving: 2sopapillas | Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 268mg | Potassium: 33mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 2mg