Sopaipillas (2024)

Anytime is the right time to enjoy Sopaipillas, especially when they are so easy to make, with simple pantry ingredients!

Sopaipillas (1)

I love these sopapillas for the same reason I love homemade crepes, scones, and buttermilk biscuits. They can be enjoyed sweet or savory, for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack or dessert! The options are endless. They’re warm and comforting too!

Sopa….what?

Sopaipilla, sopapilla, sopaipa, or cachanga are all terms used to describe a fried pastry (similar to a donut or beignet) and are popular in Hispanic culture particularly in New Mexico and South America. A sopapilla is often served as dessert, topped with honey, powdered sugar, or cinnamon sugar, however, they can also be served savory style and stuffed with meats and cheeses.

Sopaipillas look really similar to French beignets and taste similar to American donuts. All three pastries are made from deep fried dough but beignets are made from a more bread-like yeast dough where sopapillas are a little more light and flaky.

How to Make Sopaipillas:

1. Make the dough: Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the shortening and cut it in with forks or a pastry blender. Gradually stir in water until the mixture comes together.

2. Knead and rest: Add some flour to your hands and knead the dough in the bowl for several minutes until it comes together in a nice smooth ball. Cover the bowl tightly and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, add about 1-2 inches of oil to a medium saucepan over medium heat.

3. Roll the dough into a square (doesn’t need to be perfect) about 1/8-inch thick. Cut three strips vertically and horizontally to make 9 pieces.

4. Fry. Once the oil is lightly bubbling, lay a square of dough very carefully onto the hot oil. It will sink to the bottom and then begin to float to the top of the oil. Once it floats to the top, lightly drizzle hot oil over the top of it as it cooks, which will help it to pillow-up. Cook for about 30 seconds and then flip to the other side and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.

Sopaipillas (2)5. Serve dusted with powdered sugar and a drizzle of honey or sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.

Sopaipillas (3)

Tips to ensure they “pillow” up:

  • Allow the dough to rest!
  • Drizzle a little oil over the top as they cook

Freezing Instructions:

  • To freeze the dough (recommended method): Make the dough (follow step 1-2 in the recipe card) and store the dough in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter until it comes to room temperature, then roll out the dough and fry as instructed.
  • To freeze fried sopapillas: the cooled pastries can be frozen for up to 2 months. To reheat, allow them to thaw completely and bake at 300°F for about 5-8 minutes (turning halfway through) until warm.

Sopaipillas (4)

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Recipe

Sopaipillas (5)

4.97 from 26 votes

Sopapillas

These Sopapillas are fluffy, lightly crispy, and absolutely delicious dusted with powdered sugar and a drizzle of honey. They are ready in just 30 minutes and you won't believe how easy they are to make!

Course Dessert, Main Course

Cuisine hispanic, south american

Servings 9 sopaipillas

Calories 63

Prep 10 minutes mins

Cook 2 minutes mins

Total 30 minutes mins

Save Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon Shortening
  • 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon warm water
  • oil for frying
  • Powdered sugar and honey OR cinnamon sugar , for serving

Instructions

  • Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the shortening and cut it in with forks or a pastry blender.

  • Gradually stir in water until the mixture comes together. Knead the dough in the bowl for a few minutes until smooth. Cover the bowl tightly and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.

  • Meanwhile, add about 1-2 inches of oil to a medium saucepan over medium heat.

  • Roll the dough into a square about 1/8-inch thick. Cut three strips vertically and horizontally to make 9 pieces.

  • Once the oil is lightly bubbling, lay a square of dough very carefully onto the hot oil. It will sink to the bottom and then begin to float to the top of the oil.

  • Once it floats to the top, lightly drizzle hot oil over the top of it as it cooks, which will help it to pillow-up. Cook for about 30 seconds and then flip to the other side and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.

  • Serve dusted with powdered sugar and a drizzle of honey, or sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.

  • Store leftover sopapillas at room temperature for 1-2 days.

Notes

*Recipe can easily be doubled to make more!

Freezing Dough(recommended method): Make the dough (follow step 1-2 in the recipe card) then store the dough in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter until it comes to room temperature, then roll out the dough and fry as instructed.

Freezing Fried Sopapillas:Cooled pastries can be frozen for up to 2 months.To reheat, allow them to thaw completely then bake at 300°F for about 5-8 minutes (turning halfway through) until warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 63kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 1gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gSodium: 200mgPotassium: 15mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 0.04gVitamin A: 0.3IUCalcium: 41mgIron: 1mg

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*Calories are calculated before frying.

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About The Author

Sopaipillas (10)

Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

Sopaipillas (2024)

FAQs

Why did my sopapillas not puff up? ›

Why Do My Sopapillas Not Puff Up? If your sopapillas aren't puffing up when cooking, it's very likely that the oil is not at the correct temperature.

What are sopaipillas for Day of the Dead? ›

Another dessert option, sopaipillas are a fried dough dish, in the same family as the beignet. The toppings are simple ingredients like honey, cinnamon, and chocolate sauce, not overpowering the warm, chewy bread. Sopaipillas have been around for centuries, though they likely originated in New Mexico.

Are sopapillas actually Mexican? ›

Sopapillas are thought to have originated in Albuquerque, New Mexico, more than 200 years ago. There are a few stories attributed to the name of the pastries.

What does sopapilla mean in Spanish? ›

A sopaipilla, sopapilla, sopaipa, or cachanga is a kind of fried pastry and a type of quick bread served in several regions with Spanish heritage in the Americas. The word sopaipilla is the diminutive of sopaipa, a word that entered Spanish from the Mozarabic language of Al-Andalus.

Why are my tortillas not puffing? ›

You need ample moisture that can react with the heat in order for it to ultimately convert to steam and puff. If your masa has too little moisture, the tortilla in development will dry out before it can ever puff. A proper mixing/kneading process is critical to ensuring well-distributed and even moisture.

Why did my cake not fluff up? ›

Correct oven temperature is necessary to allow the cake to rise before the structure sets. If the oven is too hot, the cake will set too fast before the air bubbles have formed. If the oven is not hot enough, the cake will rise too much, then fall in the center before it is set.

What do Mexicans eat and drink on the Day of the Dead? ›

Pan de Muertos

Found in bakeries and home kitchens in the weeks leading up to the holiday, pan de muertos is the most traditional Day of the Dead food and is central to its celebrations. This sweet, fluffy loaf is sprinkled with sugar and topped with small bone-shaped decorations to represent the deceased.

What food is the symbol of the Day of the Dead? ›

Pan de Muerto

(Bread of the Dead): It is one of most associated foods with Day of the Dead and can vary greatly from region to region. It is often placed on the altar but can also be consumed and dunked in coffee or hot chocolate.

Are beignets and sopapillas the same thing? ›

Sopaipillas look really similar to French beignets and taste similar to American donuts. All three pastries are made from deep fried dough but beignets are made from a more bread-like yeast dough where sopapillas are a little more light and flaky.

Is sopapilla a churro? ›

Sopapilla is a Spanish Heritage fried sweet bread similar to a Churro. I discovered my love for Sopapilla when I would pick up fresh tortilla bread from my local bakery. Headed towards the pastries and they had Sopapilla Cheesecake! Imagine, flaky cinnamon sugar dough layered between a tangy, creamy cheesecake filling.

Who created sopapillas? ›

History of Sopapillas

Sopapillas are made from a deep fried dough that was introduced to Mexico and South America by the Spanish during the Columbian exchange. Throughout Spain, the sopapilla recipe varies.

Are sopapillas a Texas thing? ›

Sopapillas are a Tex-Mex favorite. A staple at most Mexican restaurants, they come in all shapes and sizes. Fluffy dough fried golden and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.

What does Leche mean in Mexico? ›

leche noun, feminine (plural: leches f) milk n.

Are sopapillas Native American? ›

Crispy, golden-brown pillows that are sweet or savory, sopapillas are a traditional New Mexican fried dough made with only five ingredients: flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and shortening. The dish is rooted in the American Southwest, where Hispanic, Spanish and Native American cultures converge.

Why is my puff pastry not puffed? ›

There's a few things you can try….
  1. poke the pastry lightly with a fork. This will let steam escape while baking. After poking the holes, do your roll up.
  2. Try lowering the temperature of the oven, and baking the puff for a longer time.
  3. Make sure the puff pastry is COLD. Chill in the fridge at every stage.
Aug 4, 2016

Why did my cream puffs not rise? ›

Choux pastries (i.e. cream puffs, eclairs, etc.) won't rise if the oven temperature is too low. For the pastries to rise properly, the temperature needs to be really high at first so that the steam builds up inside of the dough and causes them to rise and hollow out.

Why didn't my bread puff up? ›

Yeast is too cold If the other ingredients are too cold, it could cause some of the yeast to die. Was the dough kneaded properly? Dough may not have been kneaded enough. Kneading 'exercises' the gluten in the bread and gives it the elasticity to hold in the air bubbles produced by the yeast.

Why does chapati sometimes not puff up? ›

If the dough isn't well kneaded or if the rotis are cooked on low heat, they'll most likely not puff well.

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