How To Make Sopapillas {Easy Recipe} - The Tortilla Channel (2024)

Serve these sopapillas as a dessert or quick bread. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and dip in honey!

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This fried bread puffs up and is eaten hot with lots of honey. Once you know how it is made you will serve them again and again. So, are you ready to learn how to make sopapillas? Let’s get started!

What You Need For This Recipe

To make this sopapillas recipe you need several ingredients. Take a look at the ingredients below to see what you need:

  • Flour – make these with all-purpose flour
  • Milk – you can use regular milk or plant-based milk
  • Water
  • Butter – use room temperature butter you can also use plant-based butter
  • Sugar – granulated sugar
  • Baking powder – to help lift the sopapillas
  • Salt – to enhance the flavor of the other ingredients

Toppings:

  • Sugar – granulated sugar
  • Cinnamon – to combine into cinnamon sugar
  • Honey – to drizzle on top

Note that the full ingredients list, including measurements, can be found in the recipe card below.

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How To Make Sopapillas

  1. This is the easiest recipe for sopapillas. To make this recipe you can make the dough by hand or in a kitchen machine. I recommend a kitchen machine as it is super-fast.
  2. Add all the dry ingredients to the kitchen machine and pulse a couple of times to combine. Then add room temperature butter to the kitchen machine and let it run so you will get course dough.
  3. Now add the milk and water. Run the kitchen machine again and you will see the ingredients turn into a soft dough. Take it out of the kitchen machine and knead it by hand shortly.
  4. Cut the dough in half and shape it into a ball. Put on and put half of the dough on a lightly floured board. Roll with a rolling pin into a round shape a ½ inch thick.
  5. Cut the dough circle through the middle and then into 4 triangles or wedges so you will yield 8 wedges from one circle. Repeat for the second piece of dough so you have 16 triangles. Preheat a big pot with vegetable oil and fill it with about ⅓ of oil.
  6. Heat to 375℉/190℃ and fry 2 to 3 sopapillas at a time until golden brown. This will take 2-3 minutes. Turn the sopapilla and fry the other side.
  7. It will take about 1 minute.
  8. Take the sopapillas out of the pan with a slotted spoon and drain them on a paper towel. Cool slightly while you combine the cinnamon and sugar.
  9. Sprinkle the sopapillas with cinnamon sugar or drizzle them with lots of honey. Your sopapilla dessert is ready to serve.

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Sweet Sopapillas Recipe

Who doesn’t like fried food? We all know it isn’t good for us but oh it tastes so good and when you try these sopapillas you will have a new favorite.

A sweet doughy snack covered with cinnamon sugar. One bite and you will not be able to resist and eat the rest as well. They are cooked in oil and are similar to oliebollen.

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What Are Sopapillas?

Sopapillas are also known as sopaipilla, sopaipa, and cachanga and are fried pastry dough. It originates from Spain and is popular in countries that have a Spanish heritage.

There are several ways these are made. You can find sopaipilla squares in the shape of a pillow, circular, or the shape of a triangle.

In this recipe, they are first made in a circle and then cut into a triangle.

You can serve them as a dessert or snack which is what we will be doing. There are even countries that serve them alongside the main dish.

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Can You Make Sopapillas From Tortillas?

You can! As the base of the sopapillas is similar to a tortilla you can make these fried pastries from tortillas. They will be less doughy but that is no problem.

When you take small soft tortillas cut them into triangles. You can yield 4-6 wedges from a small tortilla. Fill a skillet or small pot with about 1-2 inches of oil and then you can follow the instructions.

Tortillas puff up when heated. This will go faster than with the dough version so stay close and turn the tortillas regularly.

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Can You Make Sopapillas Vegan?

The answer is yes and it is quite easy to make vegan sopapillas. As this recipe contains milk and butter you can easily substitute.

These regular dairy products can be substituted for:

  • Dairy-free milk
  • Almond milk
  • Soy milk
  • Rice milk
  • Vegetable butter
  • Coconut butter
  • Vegetable shortening

Keep following the recipe as described below and change to one of these products.

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Can You Make Sopapillas Ahead?

Yes, you can make sopapillas ahead. They taste their best when made fresh but they do hold up well when you prepare them in advance and serve them later.

You have several options to store them as well as reheat them.

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How To Store Sopapillas?

When you make sopapillas and you have leftovers or you prepared a big batch you have several ways to store them. If you are planning on saving some do not cover them with cinnamon sugar yet this will make reheating much easier.

You can sprinkle cinnamon sugar on them when you have reheated them. In all cases let them cool completely before storing them:

  • Refrigerator – if you plan on serving the leftover sopapillas you can store them for up to 3 days in the fridge. Put them in an airtight food container
  • Freezer – want to keep them longer store them in the freezer. Put them in a freezer-friendly food container and store them for up to 3 months

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How To Reheat Sopapillas?

When you want to reheat them, you have several ways:

  • Oven – you can reheat them in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400℉/200℃ put the sopapillas in an oven-safe dish and cover with foil. Heat for 7 minutes, then remove the foil and heat for 2 more minutes or until warm
  • Air Fryer – you can also reheat them in an Air Fryer. Preheat the Air Fryer to 375℉/190℃ for 3 minutes. Wrap the leftover sopapilla in aluminum foil and warm for 5 – 7 minutes or until warm
  • Microwave – put them in a microwave-safe dish and cover them with plastic wrap. Heat for 30 seconds and check to see if they are warm else extend for 30 more seconds. Be aware that in the microwave they will go soft
  • Deep fry – you can deep fry them to reheat but I would only reheat them if they are not sprinkled with cinnamon sugar as the sugar will dissolve in your oil when you reheat. Heat your deep fryer and put the sopapillas for 20 to 30 seconds or until hot

More Fried Recipes

If you love fried foods, you are in for a treat because we have got some nice recipes you can make:

  • Fried bread
  • Oliebollen
  • Bakabana
  • Chalupa
  • Fried cheese empanadas

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Pin Recipe Print Recipe

Sopapillas

Mireille

Serves: 16 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 16 minutes

Delicious sopapillas? Try these fried pastries that you can serve as dessert or a sweet snack. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or dip in honey!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ tablespoon real butter
  • ½ cup of water
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 1½ teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Toppings:
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • honey

Instructions

  1. Add all the dry ingredients in a kitchen machine and pulse
  2. Then add the butter and run the kitchen machine until you get a coarse dough
  3. Now add the milk and water and run the kitchen machine. In a matter of seconds, you get a soft dough
  4. Take the dough out of the kitchen machine. Knead by hand for a couple of seconds
  5. Cut the dough in half and put half of the dough on a lightly floured board. Roll with a rolling pin into a circle
  6. Cut the circle through the middle and then into 4 triangles. Repeat for the second piece of dough. You will yield 16 wedges
  7. Preheat a big pot to 375℉/190℃ with vegetable oil, filled about ⅓ of the pot
  8. Fry 2-3 sopapillas at a time until golden brown for about 2-3 minutes. Turn the sopapillas and fry the other side. This will take about 1 minute
  9. Take the sopapillas from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel
  10. Cool slightly while you combine the cinnamon and sugar
  11. Sprinkle the sopapillas with the cinnamon sugar or drizzle with honey

Notes

Use the milk at room temperature

Nutrition facts

Calories: 101; Fat: 4.2g; Carbs: 14.2g; Protein: 1.8g;

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How To Make Sopapillas {Easy Recipe} - The Tortilla Channel (2024)

FAQs

Why did my sopapillas not puff up? ›

Why Do My Sopapillas Not Puff Up? If your sopapillas aren't puffing up when cooking, it's very likely that the oil is not at the correct temperature.

What are Mexican sopapillas made of? ›

Sopapilla Ingredients

Flour: This sopapilla recipe starts with all-purpose flour. Shortening: Shortening, not butter, ensures perfectly soft and fluffy sopapillas. Baking powder: Baking powder acts as a leavener, which makes the dough rise. Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the overall flavor of the sopapillas.

What are some interesting facts about sopapillas? ›

It is thought to come from the Spanish word “sopaipa,” which is used to refer to sweetened fried dough, or from the word “xopaipa,” which means bread soaked in oil. Sopapillas are popular in Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. They can be eaten salty or sweet.

What makes the bread puff? ›

The carbon dioxide gas released by the process of fermentation gets trapped in the sticky, elastic dough, causing it to “puff up" or rise. This can take a while, though, which is why you need patience when you're baking bread! Likewise, the ethyl alcohol produced gives the bread its unique smell and taste.

What does sopapilla mean in Spanish to english? ›

A sopaipilla, sopapilla, sopaipa, or cachanga is a kind of fried pastry and a type of quick bread served in several regions with Spanish heritage in the Americas. The word sopaipilla is the diminutive of sopaipa, a word that entered Spanish from the Mozarabic language of Al-Andalus.

Are sopapillas Mexican or Native American? ›

Crispy, golden-brown pillows that are sweet or savory, sopapillas are a traditional New Mexican fried dough made with only five ingredients: flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and shortening. The dish is rooted in the American Southwest, where Hispanic, Spanish and Native American cultures converge.

What is Mexico's signature food? ›

Chile en nogada, maize, tamales, pozole, mezcal, pan de muerto, cóctel de camarón Mole sauce, which has dozens of varieties across the Republic, is seen as a symbol of Mexicanidad and is considered Mexico's national dish.

Who created Sopapillas? ›

History of Sopapillas

Sopapillas are made from a deep fried dough that was introduced to Mexico and South America by the Spanish during the Columbian exchange. Throughout Spain, the sopapilla recipe varies.

Are sopapillas a Texas thing? ›

Sopapillas are a Tex-Mex favorite. A staple at most Mexican restaurants, they come in all shapes and sizes. Fluffy dough fried golden and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.

Is sopapilla a churro? ›

Sopapilla is a Spanish Heritage fried sweet bread similar to a Churro. I discovered my love for Sopapilla when I would pick up fresh tortilla bread from my local bakery. Headed towards the pastries and they had Sopapilla Cheesecake! Imagine, flaky cinnamon sugar dough layered between a tangy, creamy cheesecake filling.

Why aren't my buns light and fluffy? ›

Too much flour, or not the right kind, could be to blame. Dough made only from flour with a high or even average amount of protein (like bread flour or all-purpose flour) can become tough from overmixing. Protein gives bread structure in the form of gluten—the more you mix and move the dough, the more gluten you get.

What stops puff pastry puffing? ›

If you want to keep the inside from rising as much as the edges, just use a paring knife to score a border. Don't cut the dough all the way though! Use a fork to prick the dough. The pastry will still be light and flaky with the edges puffed up and the center will stay down.

How is puffed pastry made to rise so high? ›

Follow this tip: As a rule of thumb, a higher oven temperature (400°F is ideal) results in puff pastry with a higher rise. The higher temperature produces steam, which is the crucial component that makes the puff pastry, well, puff.

What causes pastry to puff? ›

Puff pastry consists of dozens of paper-thin layers of dough separated by cold butter. As this pastry bakes, steam created from the water in the dough and butter makes the dough rise up and pull apart to create that flaky, many-layered crunch we all crave.

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