Sopapillas are a fried dough often served as dessert in Tex-Mex restaurants and are very beloved in New Mexico. They can be coated in cinnamon sugar, as ours are, or dusted with confectioners’ sugar. Where I grew up in Oklahoma, the best Tex-Mex restaurants would give them out for free after your meal and serve them with honey to drizzle over. There’s always one spot in a sopapilla that puffs up the highest, and the absolute best method for eating a sopapilla is to poke a hole in that part to fill the hollow inside with honey. These are some of the easiest fried doughs to make at home: They aren't yeasted, so they require very little resting time, unlike donuts or beignets. The sweetness was always the perfect end after spicy enchiladas or chiles rellenos. Endless chips and salsa are all that’s needed to complete this meal!
Why didn’t my dough puff up?Sopapillas always have a big spot in the middle that puffs up when frying. If yours aren’t rising like that, your dough most likely needs to rest more. After making the dough, allow it to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. This not only relaxes the dough, but helps hydrate it as well. The steam will cause the dough to puff and rise as it fries.
Can I make these ahead of time?Like most fried desserts, sopapillas are best served warm right after being made. If you’re making a big batch and want to keep them warm to serve all of them at the same time, keep these in a 200° oven until ready to serve.
If you love these, try making your own churros or sopapilla cheesecake next!
Did you make this? Let us know how it went in the comments.
Yields: 18 servings
Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 45 mins
(360 g.) all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
baking powder
kosher salt
lard or shortening
(150 g.) granulated sugar
ground cinnamon
Vegetable oil, for frying
Honey, for serving