You may know them as sopapillas or sopaipillas, but no matter what name you call them by, it doesn’t change how irresistible they are. Pillowy and puffy, you will not be able to get enough of these delicious fried dough bites! They are so easy to make with only a handful of ingredients so that you can whip these up any time of the week.
Sopapillas is a quick dough recipe that doesn’t require any yeast. You can cut them in any shape you’d like, but my go-to is the classic square. Different countries have their way of making sopapillas, but this method is how I grew up enjoying them and I’m excited to share that with you today. It might seem intimidating to deep fry at home, but it’s surprisingly easy. Once you’ve fried up some sopapillas, you can continue to refine your frying skills by making my homemade Churros, bunuelos recipe, or Funnel Cakes.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
Flour — you don’t need anything fancy to make sopapillas. All you need is regular all-purpose flour.
Vegetable shortening — the high-fat content in shortening is what makes these sopapillas so soft and fluffy.
Baking powder — make sure your baking powder is fresh as you want your dough to puff up in the oil. They won’t be light and fluffy if the leavening agent is stale.
HOW TO MAKE SOPAPILLAS
1. Add the flour, shortening, baking powder, honey, salt, and warm water in a large bowl.
2. Stir until combined and smooth.
3. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
4. Roll out the dough into a 12×18-inch rectangle (about 1/4-inch thickness) on a lightly floured surface.
5. Cut into 3-inch squares.
6. In a large Dutch oven, pour oil to a depth of 1 1/2-inches. Heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375F. Working in batches, carefully add dough squares to the oil.
7. Fry, turning as needed, until golden brown on both sides and puffed for about 1 to 2 minutes. If your dough isn’t puffing in the oil, gently tap them with your strainer to quickly submerge them in the hot oil. Doing so should encourage them to puff.
8. Let the sopapillas drain on the paper towels. Serve warm, drizzled with honey.
PRO TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE
- You can toss hot sopapillas in cinnamon sugar, if desired, before drizzling with honey.
- For a warmer fall flavor, you can dust with apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice.
- A thermometer is a great tool to help get the temperature of the oil right. If the oil is too hot, the exterior of the sopapillas will burn before the interior cooks.
- Avoid adding multiple pieces of dough into the oil at once, as it will cause the temperature of the oil to drop.
- A Dutch oven is ideal for frying. The cast iron will help the oil temperature from fluctuating too much and help keep the cooking even. If you do not have one, use a large heavy-bottomed pot with high sides to avoid splatter.
- You can reuse the frying oil at least one to two more times by allowing it to cool and straining it through a fine mesh sieve.
- Do not skip the rest time for the dough. Resting will help this sopapillas recipe puff up when fried.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do these taste?
This sopapillas recipe tastes similar to American donuts and are usually served with cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, or drizzled with honey.
What’s the difference between sopapillas and beignets?
Sopapillas look similar to French beignets. You make both by deep-frying dough, but beignets are more bread-like, whereas sopapillas are light, pillowy, and flaky.
What oil is best for frying?
Vegetable oil, canola oil, olive oil, peanut oil, and sunflower oil are great for deep frying. These oils are neutral in flavor and have a high smoke point. A high smoke point prevents the oil from burning as the fat breaks down, imparting an unpleasant taste to your dough.
Can I make them in advance?
You can make the sopapilla dough a day in advance and keep it covered in your fridge. Bring the dough to room temperature before rolling out the dough and cutting.
How do I store leftovers and reheat them?
Store sopapillas in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. When ready to enjoy, heat them in a single layer in a 300F oven until warmed through.
Can I freeze this?
The dough is freezer-friendly. Before rolling and cutting, you can wrap it up and freeze it for up to a month. Thaw the dough in the fridge and bring it to room temperature before rolling when ready to use. You can also freeze sopapillas after frying. Allow them to cool and freeze them in a single layer on a lined sheet pan before transferring them to a freezer-safe bag.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Sopapillas recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Sopapillas
Video
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting (480g)
- ¼ cup vegetable shortening (51g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon honey plus additional to serve
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups warm water (105-110F) (360mL)
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, shortening, baking powder, honey, and salt until combined. Stir in the warm water until fully combined and smooth. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 12x18-inch rectangle (about 1/4-inch thickness). Cut into 3-inch squares.
- In a large Dutch oven, pour oil to a depth of 1 1/2-inches. Heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375F.
- Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
- Working in batches, carefully add dough squares to the oil. (Don’t overcrowd the pot.) Fry, turning as needed, until golden brown on both sides and puffed for about 1 to 2 minutes. (If your dough isn’t puffing in the oil, gently tap them with your strainer to quickly submerge them in the hot oil. This should encourage them to puff.) Let drain on the paper towels. Serve warm, drizzled with honey.
Notes
- You can toss hot sopapillas in cinnamon sugar, if desired, before drizzling with honey.
- For a warmer fall flavor, you can dust with apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice.
- A thermometer is a great tool to help get the temperature of the oil right. If the oil is too hot, the exterior of the sopapilla will burn before the interior cooks.
- Avoid adding multiple pieces of dough into the oil at once, as it will cause the temperature of the oil to drop.
- A Dutch oven is ideal for frying. The cast iron will help the oil temperature from fluctuating too much and help keep the cooking even. If you do not have one, use a large heavy-bottomed pot with high sides to avoid splatter.
- You can reuse the frying oil at least one to two more times by allowing it to cool and straining it through a fine mesh sieve.
- Do not skip the rest time for the dough. Resting will help the sopapillas puff up when fried.
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