Yield: 16 sopapillas
Sopapillas
These soft and puffy sopapillas are deep-fried until golden, sprinkled with sugar, and drizzled with honey for an extra sweet authentic Mexican treat.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup hot water
- Oil, for frying
Optional For Serving:
- Powdered sugar
- Cinnamon sugar
- Honey
Want to save this recipe?
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together. Stir in the butter until well combined.
- Make a well in the center and pour in the hot water little by little, working it in with your hands until a ball forms. Knead the dough for 4 to 5 minutes, until it forms a smooth, elastic dough.
- Place the dough ball back into the bowl and cover. Allow dough to rest for 20 minutes.
- Heat the oil to 375°F.
- While the oil is heating, roll the dough out into a long rectangular shape. Cut into squares. I prefer 16 smaller squares, but you can make 8 larger squares.
- Carefully add 2 or 3 dough pieces to the hot oil, making sure they don’t touch while they fry. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn them over and let them cook for another 2 minutes, until golden brown.
- Use a slotted spatula to remove the sopapillas from the hot oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Keep warm until you finish frying the remaining sopapillas.
- Roll the sopapillas in cinnamon sugar, or dust with powdered sugar, and serve with a drizzle of honey.
Notes
Storage: Sopapillas are best eaten fresh. However, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also refrigerate them for up to 5 days. Reheat leftover sopapillas in the oven at 350°F for 10 minutes, or in an air fryer at 375°F for 2 to 3 minutes, until crispy.
Hot Water: You need to use hot water for the dough, otherwise the fat won’t distribute evenly. It also helps the flour hydrate faster and makes a better dough.
Make Cinnamon Sugar: Combine ⅓ cup granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon until well combined. You can add less cinnamon if you don’t like it so cinnamon-y. Sprinkle it on your freshly made treats.
Test The Oil: Dip a piece of the dough into the oil and wait until it begins to sizzle to start frying. If it’s too cold, the sopapillas will be soggy and greasy. If it’s too hot, they’ll burn around the edges and turn out raw in the center. I highly recommend using a clip-on thermometer to ensure your oil stays around 375°F for best results!
Don’t Crowd: Do not try to fry too many sopapillas at once. If you do, they will not cook evenly and the oil will cool down quickly, leaving you with soggy, undercooked sopapillas.
Nutrition
Serving: 16, Calories: 71kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 4mg, Sodium: 113mg, Potassium: 17mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 0.3g, Vitamin A: 44IU, Calcium: 25mg, Iron: 1mg