Sopapilla Recipe

Share this post

Move over doughnuts, this sopapilla recipe is going to become your new favorite dessert. Make these crispy, deep-fried treats for your next party!

Sopapillas

Sopapillas are a common dish in Hispanic culture and can be made either savory or sweet. I of course opted for the sweet route because I had a hankering for doughnuts, which these are super similar to. Needing only a handful of simple ingredients, these sopapillas come together really easily and make for a great dish to serve at a party, or as a dessert for a table full of hungry guests.

If you’re in the mood to go above and beyond, they go great with homemade caramel sauce or whipped cream (although store bought will do the trick, too). I hope you brought your appetite with you, because your sopapillas will be ready in about an hour and are best served warm.

Why You Will Love This Recipe //

  • This is a really quick recipe actually. The dough needs to rest, which adds some time, but the actual mixing and cooking are super quick with such a delicious result.
  • Sopapillas taste so much like a doughnut. They are so moreish, you will want to eat them all. 
  • This recipe makes plenty of sopapillas, so they are a great dish to make for a party.
  • You can top them however you like, so you can play around with different flavors.
  • They’re delicious as a sweet treat for dessert, or as a savory addition to dinner.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp coarse salt
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water
  • enough canola oil to fill 3 – 4 inches of the bottom of the pot

Optional toppings

  • chocolate sauce
  • chocolate crumble
  • honey
  • maple syrup
  • powdered sugar
  • cinnamon and sugar
Sopapillas ingredients

How to Make Sopapillas – The Steps

Step 1: In a large bowl, add your flour, baking powder, and salt and mix them together. Then add in the melted butter and warm water and mix until a smooth ball forms. Stop mixing as soon as a ball forms, so you don’t over-mix and work the gluten too much. 

Sopapillas step

Step 2: Allow the dough to rest for 20 – 30 minutes at room temperature.

Step 3: Flour a smooth surface and use a rolling pin to roll the dough to ¼ inch thick. Then using a sharp knife cut rectangles out of the dough. 

Sopapillas step

Step 4: Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat to 375° F. Test one sopapilla in the oil first. It should cook slowly, puffing up on the inside and getting brown and crispy on the outside. You can cook 4 – 6 sopapillas at a time, making sure you don’t overcrowd the pot. Once they are beautifully golden brown, take them out carefully and drain them on a paper towel.

Sopapillas step

Step 5: Dress them in your desired toppings.

Variations

You can do a lot with sopapillas. Coat them in honey, chocolate, caramel, or cinnamon and sugar, or try some of the below ideas.

  • Stuffed sopapillas: You can cut a pocket into your sopapillas after they’re fried and fill them with meat, cheese, or beans for a savory stuffed sopapilla, or fill them with fruit, cream cheese, or chocolate for a sweet stuffed sopapillas.
  • Sopapilla ice cream sandwiches: Stick some ice cream between two (cooled) sopapillas for a delicious take on an ice cream sandwich.
  • Sopapilla chips: Cut your dough into small triangles and fry them until they’re crispy like a chip. Then, dunk them into sweet dips or salsa.
  • Chocolate sopapillas: Add some cocoa powder to the dough and top the finished sopapillas with chocolate sauce for a super chocolatey dessert.

Serving Suggestions

Whether you’re making sweet or savory sopapillas, they go great with lots of different dishes. Serve them with salted cinnamon ice cream or with a tea if they’re sweet, or try dunking them in a butternut squash soup or a stew if you’re having them savory. Sopapillas are incredibly versatile, it’s just about finding what you like pairing them with best.

FAQs

Can I make these into a circle?

Yes, you can make these any shape you like. They are really nice as circles but you tend to have lots of offcuts. Luckily, you can always rework these. Remember, it’s not about how they look as much as how they taste!

Am I able to make these vegan?

Yes, you can, just use a vegetable shortening or coconut oil instead of the butter, and the rest of the ingredients are already vegan.

Why aren’t my sopapillas puffing up?

The first thing to check is how hot your oil is. If it is too hot, the sopapilla will crispy on the outside too quickly, not giving it time to puff up on the inside. If the oil is too cold they also won’t puff up and will harden all the way through. Additionally, try not to roll them too thin.

How to Store Sopapillas

Sopapillas are best when served fresh, but you can of course store any leftovers to eat later. Make sure they’ve completely cooled before placing them in a sealable plastic bag or airtight container, then keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze them, sealed tightly, for up to 3 months.

When reheating your sopapillas, place them in the oven on a lined baking try for a few minutes until they crisp back up. If you’re cooking from frozen, let the sopapillas sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before heating them.

Sopapillas

Baked Bree
No ratings yet
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course desserts
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 24
Calories 166 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp coarse salt
  • 1/4 cup butter melted
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water
  • enough canola oil to fill 3 – 4 inches of the bottom of the pot

Topping ideas

  • chocolate sauce
  • chocolate crumble
  • honey
  • maple syrup
  • powdered sugar
  • cinnamon and sugar

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, add your flour, baking powder, and salt and mix them together. Then add in the melted butter and warm water and mix together until a smooth ball forms. Stop mixing as soon as a ball forms so that you don’t over-mix and work the gluten too much. 
  • Allow the dough to rest for 20 – 30 minutes at room temperature.
  • Flour a smooth surface and use a rolling pin to roll the dough to ¼ inch thick. Then using a sharp knife cut rectangles out of the dough. 
  • Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat to 375° F. Test one sopapilla in the oil first. It should cook slowly, puffing up on the inside and getting brown and crispy on the outside. Cook 4 – 6 sopapillas at a time, making sure you don’t overcrowd the pot. Once they are beautifully golden brown take them out carefully and drain them on a paper towel.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 166kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 2gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 156mgFiber: 1gSugar: 13g
Keyword how to make sopapilla, sopapilla, sopapilla recipe
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating