Mexican Bunuelos are a sweet, deep-fried treat that’s coated in cinnamon sugar before being drizzled with a 5-ingredient piloncillo syrup! Prep this tasty Mexican treat in just 35 minutes!
If you can’t get enough of Mexican-inspired desserts, then give my Homemade Churros or Sopapilla Cheesecake a try! You won’t be disappointed!
These Mexican Bunuelos are a fun, tasty fried dough treat that is deliciously crispy with a tender inside! Whip up a batch for an after-dinner dessert or as a weekend snack!
The Mexican Buñuelos history includes them being a popular Christmastime treat. However, they’re also a popular street food in Latin America.
I say they taste too good to only make them for the holidays! Therefore, make sure you soak up their delicious flavor several times a year and not just on Christmas!
About This Tasty Mexican Treat!
Taste: Biting into these Bunuelos sends your taste buds on an adventure! The lightly flavored dough is covered in sweet, cozy cinnamon sugar and then drizzled with homemade piloncillo syrup.
A sensational dessert that’s full of flavor yet easy to make!
Texture: This deep-fried treat is perfectly crunchy on the outside while remaining amazingly fluffy on the inside! Giving them an incredible texture that matches their mouthwatering flavor!
Homemade Piloncillo Syrup
Once the Bunuelos are fried they’re coated in cinnamon sugar and drizzled with homemade piloncillo syrup! Though the syrup takes just 15 minutes to make using only 5 ingredients it adds lots of dimensional flavor to this Mexican dessert!
The star ingredient is piloncillo (affiliate link) which is commonly known as Mexican brown sugar. However, it’s not like traditional brown sugar here in the US where molasses is added to refined white sugar to give it a deep flavor and color.
Instead, piloncillo is made in Mexico of unrefined pure can sugar that’s formed into cubes or cones to keep it fresh. It has a bit of a bitter yet sweet flavor, that’s rich and similar to molasses.
When the piloncillo is combined with the orange peel, cinnamon sticks, and star anise it creates a sweet, slightly savory flavor with a light citrus taste.
When searching for this ingredient you can check your local grocery store. But I tend to just grab it off of amazon instead of hunting it down!
A Closer Look At The Dough!
To make the dough, anise seeds and vanilla extract steep. The mixture is then strained before being added to the dough mixture.
This anise seed mixture infuses the dough wonderfully! Giving it lots of delicious flavors, making it the best Mexican buñuelos recipe.
Another ingredient that makes it the best, is using cake flour! Cake flour gives this Mexican treat its light, tender texture that makes them incredibly irresistible!
If you don’t have any on hand, you can easily make some by following this recipe to make homemade Cake Flour Substitute! It requires just 2 ingredients and less than 5 minutes of time!
Helpful Kitchen Tips When Making These Mexican Bunuelos
- Preparing The Dough – Allow the anise tea, water, and vanilla extract to steep for the full 15 minutes before straining it. This way the dough can take on its full flavor!
- Cooking The Syrup – The syrup gets its deep flavor from its cooking and simmering time. So be sure not to shortcut those timed steps!
- Forming Each Bunuelo – Using a rolling pin, roll the Mexican buñuelos balls out until they’re paper thin. The dough should almost be translucent.
- How To Fry Them – Once the oil reaches a temperature of 350 degrees, it takes only 30 seconds per side to cook the Mexican Bunuelos until golden brown. For even frying, make sure you don’t crowd the pot of oil. Sometimes during frying, the Bunuelos will form air bubbles. If that happens use two slotted spoons to sandwich the bubbled Bunuelos, pressing down to get rid of the air pockets.
- Cinnamon Sugar Coating – For mess-free cinnamon sugar-coating place the sugar mixture in a bowl. Then add the Bunuelos to the bowl one or two at a time, depending on your bowl size. Toss them gently to coat! You could also sprinkle both sides of the Bunuelos but found that way to be a bit messier. Whichever method you choose, be sure to coat them as soon as they come out of the oil so that the sugar coating will stick to them!
Delicious Mexican desserts like this and Tres Leches Cake are some of my favorites to make! Every winter our family also enjoys a mug or two of Creamy Mexican Hot Chocolate!
And though I love a good, sweet treat, my mouth also waters for classic Mexican meals as well! So, you can bet I also make lots of Slow Cooker Posole and Chicken Fajita Rice Dinners!
Storage Instructions
These Mexican Bunuelos have the best taste and texture when eaten as soon as they’re made. However, if you have any leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Can I Store Any Leftover Syrup From This Mexican Dessert Recipe?
Yes, if you have leftover syrup you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use up the leftover syrup within 3 weeks.
Where Do I Find Anise Seeds For The Bunuelo Dough?
Anise seeds are found in the spice section of your grocery store. If you’re unable to find them there, check Amazon!
If you can’t get your hands on any anise seeds you can just use warm water instead. Keep in mind this will alter the final flavor of this Mexican dessert, though they will still be absolutely delicious!
How Long Can I Keep The Dough In The Refrigerator?
You can keep the Bunuelo dough in the refrigerator for up to a week. It can also be frozen for up to a month.
What Else Can I Drizzle Onto These Mexican Bunuelos?
You could drizzle them with honey, maple syrup, or even Chocolate Ganache!
Why Did My Bunuelos Turn Out Soggy?
Soggy buñuelos are likely from the oil not being hot enough to fry them up to a crip. Be sure the temperature of your oil is 350 degrees before cooking them.
You can use a simple kitchen thermometer to track the temperature of the oil!
Let’s Connect!
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Mexican Buñuelos
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon anise seeds
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2½ cups cake flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 large egg whisked
- vegetable oil for frying
Syrup
- 12 ounces piloncillo
- 3 cups water
- 1 orange peel
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 3 star anise
Coating
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Add 1 cup of water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add the anise seeds and vanilla extract. Steep for 15 minutes then strain.1 cup water, 1 teaspoon anise seeds, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add the melted butter, whisked egg, and anise tea from step #1. Knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and rest for 15 minutes.2½ cups cake flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 large egg
- While the dough is resting, prepare the piloncillo syrup. Add piloncillo and water to a saucepan. Once the piloncillo has dissolved, add the orange peel, cinnamon sticks, and anise. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes then lower heat to a simmer for 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon, orange peel, and star anise.12 ounces piloncillo, 3 cups water, 1 orange peel, 3 cinnamon sticks, 3 star anise
- Fill a heavy-bottomed pot or deep frying pan with 2 inches of vegetable oil and heat to 350°F.vegetable oil
- Combine sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.¼ cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- Divide dough into 16 equal sections and roll each section into a ball.
- Then use a rolling pin to roll out until paper thin and almost translucent. Use a tortilla press if possible. In the traditional way to prepare Bunuelos, flip a (greased) bowl upside down and press the dough into the bowl until paper thin.
- Fry one at a time for 1 minute each, 30 seconds per side. If the dough starts to form an air bubble, press down on the dough with a slotted metal spoon. You may fry more than one at a time to save time, just be careful not to overcrowd the oil and be prepared with an extra metal slotted spoon if air bubbles happen to form in multiple Bunuelos.
- Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and immediately sprinkle both sides with cinnamon sugar, or for less mess, toss with cinnamon sugar in the bowl.
- Repeat until all of the dough is fried. The texture will be fluffy inside and crunchy on the outside.
- Serve with the piloncillo syrup.
Notes
- Storage Instructions: These Mexican Bunuelos have the best taste and texture when eaten as soon as they’re made. However, if you have any leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Can I Store Any Leftover Syrup From This Mexican Dessert Recipe? Yes, if you have leftover syrup you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use up the leftover syrup within 3 weeks.
- Where Do I Find Anise Seeds For The Bunuelo Dough? Anise seeds are found in the spice section of your grocery store. If you’re unable to find them there, check Amazon! If you can’t get your hands on any anise seeds you can just use warm water instead. Keep in mind this will alter the final flavor of this Mexican dessert, though they will still be absolutely delicious!
- How Long Can I Keep The Dough In The Refrigerator? You can keep the Bunuelo dough in the refrigerator for up to a week. It can also be frozen for up to a month.
- What Else Can I Drizzle Onto These Mexican Bunuelos? You could drizzle them with honey, maple syrup, or even Chocolate Ganache!
- Why Did My Bunuelos Turn Out Soggy? Soggy buñuelos are likely from the oil not being hot enough to fry them up to a crip. Be sure the temperature of your oil is 350 degrees before cooking them. You can use a simple kitchen thermometer to track the temperature of the oil!
Nutrition
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