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Prepare to fall in love with this perfectly crispy and pillowy Mexican donut!!

A pile of sopapillas on a white serving dish.

We Love Sopapillas!

My mom has been making these Mexican donuts for us for years. We love to whip up a classic Mexican treat with our best-loved Mexican dinner ideas! My kids are always requesting sopapilla for dessert (no surprise they’re called the “doughnuts of the Southwest”).

These are similar in consistency to Indian Fry Bread and are typically served as a dessert for many Mexican meals.

Why we love them

  • Quick and easy. They are made in minutes with pantry staples!
  • Delicious. They’re usually dusted in sugar, powdered sugar, or cinnamon sugar, and then drizzled with honey (similar to a classic Donut recipe).
  • Versatile. Most often a dessert, easily fill these with sweet or savory ingredients after being fried. 
A measuring cup filled with flour.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour creates the base of the dough, be sure to measure the flour correctly for the best texture
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder helps the dough rise into a fluffy pillow
  • 1 teaspoon salt not only adds flavor but helps with the texture of the dough
  • 4 tablespoons shortening – or lard. I don’t recommend butter as it has a different melting point and the results may vary.
  • 1ยฝ cups warm water the warm water helps bind all the ingredients together 
  • 2 quarts oil for frying use melted lard, shortening, vegetable oil, canola oil, or peanut oil
  • honey – honey is traditional but Strawberry Jam or Honey Butter also tastes great

How to Make SopapillaS

  1. DOUGH. In a large bowl, whisk 4 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cut in 4 tablespoons shortening using a pastry blender or two knives, until the pieces are no bigger than pea-sized.
    • Pour in 1ยฝ cups warm water and mix to form a dough.
    • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for twenty minutes.
  2. PREP. While the dough rests, heat 2 quarts oil in a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed pan until the oil temperature is 375ยฐF.
    • If your oil is hot enough (375ยฐF), it should only take about 15 seconds per side to fry. 
  3. FRY. Roll the dough out to ยผ inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into 3-inch squares. Fry each square in hot vegetable oil until it puffs up and turns golden brown on both sides.
    • Take each batch out of the hot oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
  4. SERVE. Serve the sopapillas warm, and drizzle with honey.

Air Fryer Directions

Keep in mind air fried sopapillas won’t puff up as much as traditional ones.

  • Spray the basket with oil, place the dough inside, and cook at 350ยฐF for 8 minutes. Flip each one and cook for another 4 minutes.
  • Once they’re golden brown, remove from the air fryer and brush with melted butter.
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5 from 61 votes

Sopapilla Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
A puffy and pillowy sopapilla is fried to perfection and topped with honey for a simple and delicious Mexican dessert.
Servings: 16
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
rest: 20 minutes
Total: 40 minutes

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • In a large bowl, whisk 4 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cut in 4 tablespoons shortening using a pastry blender or two knives, until the pieces are no bigger than pea-sized.
  • Pour in 1ยฝย cups warm water and mix to form a dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for twenty minutes.
  • While the dough rests, heat 2 quarts oil in a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed pan until the oil temperature is 375ยฐF.
  • Roll the dough out to ยผ inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into 3-inch squares.
  • Fry each square in hot vegetable oil until it puffs up and turns golden brown on both sides. Take each batch out of the hot oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
  • If your oil is hot enough (375ยฐF), it should only take about 15 seconds per side to fry.ย 
  • Serve the sopapillas warm, and drizzle with honey.

Video

Notes

  • Make ahead of time. Keep the dough in the fridge for up to 24 hours. To freeze, place the dough in a freezer Ziploc and wrap that with aluminum foil. Label and freeze for 1-2 months. Thaw the dough, roll, and fry as directed.ย 
  • STORE. Fry these up and keep them warm in a 200ยฐF oven for up to one hour. Store at room temperature for 1-2 days or in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-4 days.
  • FREEZE for up to 2 months.
  • To reheat.ย Set the oven to 300ยฐF. Place homemade sopapillas in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until just warm (about 5 minutes). Do not over heat them or they will dry out and harden.ย 

Nutrition

Calories: 1188kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 122g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Sodium: 148mg, Potassium: 84mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Calcium: 27mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Recipe FAQ

  • Sopapillas (or sopaipillas) are dough that puff up when fried and they have a hollow center. They are a type of quick bread served in several regions with Hispanic heritage (Wikipedia).
  • We prefer to serve these little pillows of goodness sweet, like many Tex-Mex restaurants. Having said that, they’re also served savory like they do in Northern New Mexico.
  • Set the oven to 200ยฐF and place a baking tray inside. As the sopapillas come out of the oil, let them drain on a paper towel for 1-2 minutes, then place them in the oven to keep warm for up to one hour.
  • Keep the dough covered in the fridge for up to 24 hours. To freeze, place the dough in a freezer Ziploc and wrap that with aluminum foil. Label and freeze for 1-2 months. Thaw the dough, roll, and fry as directed. 
  • Store cooked sopapillas at room temperature for 1-2 days or in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-4 days.
  • Place the cooled sopaillas in a freezer Ziploc and freeze for up to 2 months.
  • Set the oven to 300ยฐF. Place homemade sopapillas in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until just warm (about 5 minutes). Do not overheat them or they will dry out and harden.

For More Mexican Desserts:

About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and Iโ€™m the mom of SIX stinkinโ€™ cute kids and the wife to my smokinโ€™ hot hubby, Lo. My momโ€™s maiden name is Luna, and Iโ€™m one of the many crafty โ€œLilโ€™ Lunasโ€ in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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5 from 61 votes (48 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




27 Comments

  1. Terri Cashin says:

    I tried making these. I cut the recipe in half. I am not sure what I did wrong. My sopapillas did not fluff up. It was horrible. I rolled them 1/4″ thick and cut them into 3″ square. What would have them so dense that they would not fluff up? Thank you.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Sorry to hear your sopapillas didn’t fluff up. Sometimes if the baking powder isn’t fresh/new or if the flour isn’t measured correctly, that could result in more dense sopapillas. Thanks for giving the recipe a try though!!

  2. Judy Shay-Virden says:

    5 stars
    My Apache picky eater said these are the best frybreads ever!!

  3. Steve says:

    If it werenโ€™t for the half dozen or so pop-up ads, maybe I could see the recipe. I make it a point to never buy from products that use them. Iโ€™m using my phone so itโ€™s TERRIBLE. Iโ€™ve been interrupted 3 times just trying to write this.

  4. MARIE says:

    Can you use this sopapilla recipe to stuff them with meat & deep fry

  5. Kim says:

    5 stars
    Great, simple recipe. I didn’t have any shortening at home, so I substituted with butter and it worked great. This recipe made about 40 sopapillas. I served with lots of drizzles of honey. My family of 6 ate half of them and I packed the rest in containers for the kids to take for school snack with some packets of honey. They’re still yummy at room temp. I would definitely make this recipe again and hopefully remember to get shortening for next time.

  6. Jen Pharis says:

    5 stars
    I’ve watched my mom and grandma make these for many years but never tried to do it myself. These were great for my first attempt even tho I made them a bit too thin. Oh well, that gives me a reason to try them again ๐Ÿ˜

    I will definitely keep this recipe!

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      That makes us so happy to hear!! Way to give them a try! I’m glad you enjoyed the sopapillas.

  7. Terry Whiteside says:

    5 stars
    Very, very good. Thank you for sharing the recipe.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      You’re welcome!

  8. Minnie says:

    5 stars
    Looks delicious. Thank you

  9. Monica says:

    What kind of oil did you use?

  10. kayla says:

    5 stars
    I love these puffy sopapillas more than the flat and crispy ones! thank you so much for sharing this recipe!