Homemade Sopapilla Recipe (2024)

Published April 22, 2022.This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This delicious easy-to-make homemade sopapilla recipe is fried to perfection and topped off with a dusting of sugar, cinnamon, and warm honey. I know these will quickly become your new favorite go-to dessert once you try them.

I have a sweet tooth problem and love finishing off every meal with a tasty treat. If you’re similar to me, then you definitely have to try my tres leches cake or churros.

Sopapilla

A sopapilla, traditionally spelled sopaipilla, is a crisp, puffy, deep-fried pastry that resembles an air-filled pillow. It is said that the sopapilla originated in Albuquerque, New Mexico more than 200 years ago. However, they are most likely a descendent of sweet fried dough from Southern Spain which is known as sopaipa. It’s commonly served with warm honey and syrup that has been flavored with anise or cinnamon. In some countries, they are served as savory side dishes like beans.

While my recipe steers a little bit from the original, I believe with a few ingredients that have been swapped out and added, they make the softest most tender, and fluffy sopapillas out there.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Flour – I use all-purpose flour, but if you wanted to use bread flour, increase the liquid amount by 5% to 7%.
• Salt – This will help season up our sopapilla.
• Baking Powder – Use a good baking powder to help these puff up.
• Fat – Traditionally lard would be used, but you can also use shortening or softened unsalted butter.
• Eggs – I like to add a large, whisked egg to help provide structure and flavor.
• Liquid – I believe whole milk really helps in the flavor and texture department, but please feel free to use water. Make sure the liquid is between 110° and 115°.

How to Make a Sopapilla

Use these step-by-step procedures and images to make a delicious homemade sopapilla

Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder until combined.

Next, add in the fat and use your fingers to break it so that it is completely incorporated into the flour.

Make a well and add a whisked egg to it and then slowly start to mix in the flour.

Add some of the hot milk a 1/3 cup at a time while mixing the dough together until it is combined, and all the milk has been added.

Knead the dough for 5 to 7 minutes on a clean surface and then cover and let rest for 45 minutes.

Take a small amount of dough, about a golf ball size, and roll it out until it is about 6” in diameter and a ¼ thick.

Fry the dough in oil at 350° for 2 minutes per side or until browned and fluffy. See Chef Notes

Serve the sopapilla by dusting it with cinnamon, powdered sugar, and warm honey. See chef notes on other options.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: These are meant to be eaten within minutes of making them.

How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Be sure that they do not have any cinnamon, sugar, honey, or other sauces on them before storing. These do not freeze all that well, so I do not recommend doing so.

How to Reheat: Add the desired number of sopapillas to a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper and bake at 350° for 4-6 minutes or until hot and crispy. You can also simply heat it in the microwave.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are sopapillas and Buñuelos the same?

• While the dough is similar, Buñuelos are thinner and crispier more like a tortilla than a pastry.

More Dessert Recipes

• Carrot Cake
• Lava Cake
• Pecan Pie
• Blueberry Crostata
• Funnel Cake

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