The Ultimate Mexican Buñuelos Recipe (These Crispy Cookies are Dangerously Addictive 🤤)
Looking for an authentic Mexican buñuelos recipe that delivers those perfectly crispy, cinnamon-sugar-dusted Mexican fritters? This is it.
These traditional Mexican treats are essentially thin, crispy fried tortillas coated in cinnamon sugar and often drizzled with piloncillo syrup or honey.
They’re a must-have during the holiday season, especially around Christmas and New Year, but honestly they’re amazing year-round.
Light, crispy, and shatteringly delicious, Mexican buñuelos de rodilla (flat buñuelos) are the kind of dessert that disappears the moment you put them out.
Fair warning: You won’t be able to eat just one buñuelo (which is pronounced boon-you-ell-oh, in case you were wondering).
The Ingredients You Need for Our Authentic Mexican Buñuelos Recipe
⚠️ Note: What you see above are buñuelos de rodilla, but there are other types of Mexican buñuelos, like buñuelos de viento in a snowflake shape ❄️
Make sure to check out our buñuelos de viento recipe article here if you want to make those instead — and pick up this snowflake mold to shape them.
For the buñuelos dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon good-quality vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Vegetable or canola oil for frying
For the cinnamon sugar coating
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Optional toppings
- Anise syrup
- Piloncillo syrup
- Honey for drizzling
📝 Quick Buñuelos Recipe Notes
- Prep Time: 30 minutes (plus 30 minutes drying time)
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Servings: About 20 buñuelos
- Calories: About 120 calories per buñuelo
Step-by-Step Buñuelos Recipe Guide
1. Prepare the dry ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Mix well and set aside.
2. Heat the milk mixture
In a small saucepan, heat the milk, butter, and vanilla extract over medium heat until it just begins to boil. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
🇲🇽 Buñuelos Pro Tip: The milk mixture must be completely cool before adding the eggs, or you’ll scramble them.
3. Combine wet and dry ingredients
Once the milk mixture is cool, whisk in the beaten eggs. Pour this liquid mixture into the flour mixture and stir until a dough forms.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2-3 minutes until smooth and elastic.
4. Divide and rest the dough
Divide the dough into 20 equal pieces and roll each into a ball.
Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let rest for 10 minutes. This makes the dough easier to roll out.
5. Roll out the dough
Working with one ball at a time (keeping the others covered), roll each ball out as thin as possible on a lightly floured surface.
The dough should be almost translucent, so you should be able to see your hand through it. Aim for about 6-8 inches in diameter.
🇲🇽 Buñuelos Pro Tip: The thinner you roll them, the crispier they’ll be. Thick buñuelos will be chewy instead of crispy.
6. Dry the dough rounds
Lay the rolled-out rounds on clean kitchen towels in a single layer. Let them air dry for about 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
This drying step is crucial, as it removes moisture so the buñuelos fry up crispy and absorb less oil.
7. Make the cinnamon sugar
While the dough rounds are drying, mix together the sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon in a shallow bowl or plate. Set aside.
8. Heat the oil
Pour about 1 inch of oil into a large, deep skillet or cast iron frying pan like this one. Heat over medium-high heat to 350-375°F.
To test without a thermometer 🌡️ stick the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil, and if it bubbles vigorously around it, you’re ready to fry.
9. Fry the buñuelos
Carefully slide one dough round into the hot oil. It should immediately bubble and start to puff.
Fry for about 30-45 seconds on the first side, gently pressing down with a spatula or spoon to keep it submerged.
Flip and fry for another 30-45 seconds on the second side until golden and crispy.
10. Drain and coat
Remove the buñuelo from the oil and stand it vertically in a bowl lined with paper towels to drain.
While still hot, generously sprinkle both sides with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Repeat with remaining dough rounds.
11. Serve and Enjoy
Serve warm, optionally drizzled with honey or syrup, and alongside cafe de olla (Mexican coffee), atole, Mexican hot chocolate, or champurrado.
10 Important Tips When Making Buñuelos
1️⃣ Roll the dough paper-thin – This is the #1 secret to crispy buñuelos.
The dough should be so thin you can almost see through it. Thicker dough results in chewy, bread-like fritters instead of crispy ones.
2️⃣ Don’t skip the drying step – Letting the rolled-out dough dry for 30 minutes removes surface moisture, which helps them fry up crispier and prevents oil splattering.
Turn them over halfway through for even drying.
3️⃣ Keep your oil temperature consistent – The ideal temperature is 350-375°F.
If the oil is too cool, the buñuelos will absorb too much oil and be greasy. If it’s too hot, they’ll burn before cooking through.
For best results, you should use a thermometer like this one.
4️⃣ Work quickly when frying – Each buñuelo only takes about 60-90 seconds total to fry.
Watch them carefully and flip as soon as the first side turns golden. They go from perfectly golden to burnt very quickly.
5️⃣ Press down while frying – Use a spatula or large spoon to gently press the buñuelo down into the oil as it fries.
This ensures even cooking and creates that characteristic flat, crispy shape.
6️⃣ Drain them vertically – Standing the hot buñuelos vertically (rather than laying them flat) lets excess oil drip off more effectively, resulting in a less greasy final product.
7️⃣ Coat while hot – Apply the cinnamon sugar while the buñuelos are still hot from the fryer. The heat helps the sugar stick and creates that irresistible sweet crust.
8️⃣ Keep the unrolled dough covered – While you’re rolling and frying, keep the dough balls you’re not working with covered with a damp towel.
This prevents them from drying out and forming a crust.
9️⃣ Use a large enough skillet – Your skillet should be wide enough to accommodate a full buñuelo lying flat.
If you have to fold or crumple them to fit, they won’t fry properly.
🔟 Serve fresh – Buñuelos are best eaten the day they’re made. They’ll start to lose their crispness after a few hours, though they’re still delicious.
If you must store them, keep them loosely covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Buñuelos Mexicanos FAQ
What’s the difference between buñuelos and sopaipillas?
While both are fried dough treats, sopaipillas are thicker, puff up like pillows, and have a soft, bread-like interior.
Buñuelos are rolled paper-thin and fried until crispy all the way through; more like a crispy chip than a fluffy pastry.
Sopaipillas also typically have more leavening and egg, which makes them puff up. Mexican buñuelos de rodilla have minimal leavening and remain flat.
Are there different types of buñuelos?
Yes — This article covered Mexican buñuelos de rodilla (which literally means “knee fritters” because they’re disc-shaped like a knee), but there are other kinds.
Other types of buñuelos include Mexican buñuelos de viento (seen above).
These yummy, delicate cookies are snowflake shaped and made with a batter that’s similar to pâte à choux (French choux pastry).
Colombian buñuelos 🇨🇴 are savory, puffy, fried cheese balls, while Cuban buñuelos 🇨🇺 are made from cassava root (yuca) and often served with syrup.
Can I make buñuelos ahead of time?
You can prepare the dough balls up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate them, covered.
Let them come to room temperature before rolling out. However, buñuelos are really best fried and eaten the same day.
The rolled-out dough rounds can sit at room temperature for several hours while drying, which actually improves their texture.
Why are my buñuelos chewy instead of crispy?
This usually means: 1) the dough wasn’t rolled thin enough, 2) the oil temperature was too low, or 3) they didn’t dry enough before frying.
Make sure you’re rolling the dough almost translucent, the oil is at 350-375°F, and the rounds have dried for at least 30 minutes.
Another possibility is that your area has high humidity, which can make it harder to get that crispy texture.
Can I bake buñuelos instead of frying them?
While you can try baking them, they won’t have the same texture, as frying is really what makes buñuelos special.
Baked versions will be more like crackers or chips rather than the traditional crispy-fried texture.
If you want to try baking, brush them lightly with oil and bake at 375°F for about 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
What oil is best for frying buñuelos?
Vegetable oil, canola oil, or any neutral oil with a high smoke point works well.
Avoid olive oil (the flavor is too strong and it has a low smoke point), avocado oil (it may change the flavor too much) and butter (it burns too easily).
Some famous Mexican chefs and also home cooks swear by lard for the most authentic flavor, which you can definitely try if you have it.
Why did my buñuelos absorb so much oil?
This typically happens when the oil temperature is too low or the dough wasn’t dried long enough.
Make sure your oil is at the proper temperature (350-375°F) and that you’ve let the rolled-out rounds dry for the full 30 minutes before frying.
Also, draining them vertically (standing up) rather than flat helps excess oil drip off.
Can I add toppings other than cinnamon sugar?
Yes — Traditional toppings include piloncillo syrup (made from piloncillo Mexican brown sugar, seen in the image below), anise-flavored syrup, and honey.
Some people enjoy them with cajeta (Mexican caramel), chocolate sauce, or a sprinkle of powdered sugar instead of cinnamon sugar.
In New Mexico, sopaipillas (which are similar to Mexican buñuelos) often come topped with honey and are served alongside savory dishes.
How do I store leftover buñuelos?
Store them loosely covered (not in an airtight container, which makes them soggy) at room temperature for up to 2 days.
They’ll lose some crispness but are still tasty. You can try to re-crisp them in a 350°F oven for 3-5 minutes, but they’ll never be quite as good as fresh.
Honestly, these never last long enough in my house to worry about storage.
Looking for more holiday treats? See my roundup of traditional Mexican Christmas cookies.
🍪 Want more authentic Mexican cookie recipes? Check out our other favorites
- 💍 Traditional Mexican Wedding Cookies (seen above)
- 🍪 Hojarascas: Mexican Cinnamon Cookies
- 🐷 Marranitos: Mexican Gingerbread Pigs
- 💗 Polvorones Rosas: Viral Pink Mexican Cookies
- 🍪 Polvorones: Mexican Shortbread Cookies
- ❄️ Buñuelos de Viento: Mexican Snowflake Cookies
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