How to make Mexican Buñuelos

This authentic recipe for Mexican buñuelos from scratch is delicious. A traditional winter dessert for Christmas, New Year’s Eve, or Candelaria Day. Check out my step-by-step recipe.

This recipe is also available in Spanish: Receta para hacer buñuelos

I shared this recipe in Spanish on December 24, 2010. Translated February 6, 2023.

WHAT ARE MEXICAN BUÑUELOS?

One of my favorite winter desserts is buñuelos, served with hot chocolate or better yet with champurrado atole.

Buñuelos are delicious Mexican fried dough with cinnamon and sugar in the form of a tortilla. I remember their smell in my kitchen during the winter season when my Grandma used to make them.

In some states of Mexico, they are made with orange or piloncillo syrup. This is my Grandma’s recipe, buñuelos as we made them in Monterrey and Tamaulipas.

How to make Mexican Buñuelos from scratch

Ingredients
(For 40 medium buñuelos)

1 kg of all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups of Sugar (1 cup for dusting)
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ lb or 250 gr of vegetable shortening
50 gr. ground cinnamon
3 cups of water
½ liter of vegetable oil or ¼ liter of lard

HOW TO MAKE THE DOUGH FOR BUÑUELOS

Mix the flour, ½ cup of sugar, salt, baking powder, and vegetable shortening.

Knead the dough and gradually add the water until the dough has an elastic consistency.

Shape the dough into a ball and let it rest for about half an hour.

HOW TO FORM THE BUÑUELOS

In another bowl, mix 1 cup of sugar and ground cinnamon, which will be used for sprinkling. Separate.

After half an hour, make small balls of dough (a little smaller than the size of your palm, or to your desired size).

Arrange the dough balls on a tray, spaced apart from each other.

Cover them with plastic and we take one, using a rolling pin to flatten it as if making a tortilla.

Repeat this step with all the dough balls.

Before frying, gently stretch the raw tortilla from the center and the edges, all around.

HOW TO FRY THE BUÑUELOS

Heat enough vegetable oil and lard in a pan to cover the buñuelos.

Place the tortilla in the oil, let it brown on the bottom, then flip it. When it’s slightly golden in color, use a spatula to remove it from the oil and place it on a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil.

While they’re still hot, sprinkle them with the mixture of sugar and cinnamon.

Enjoy!

Have you tried these Mexico-style buñuelos before?

I think you would love to check out this romantic churros recipe