Colombian Buñuelos

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 20 servings

As happens with many different foods brought to the New World from Mother Spain, buñuelos are enjoyed in countless versions throughout Latin America. Depending on where they are made and what ingredients they include, buñuelos can be sweet, savory, or somewhere in between.

Colombian buñuelos are sweet, and they exist in two main forms: the roundish doughnut-like rendition explained below, and a larger, relatively flat version that is more similar to an American “elephant ear.” Both of these types of buñuelos are popular during the December holidays, and both can be eaten plain or covered in sugar or a light piloncillo syrup.

Buñuelos are an occasional holiday treat/comfort food, and their crunchy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside character can't be beaten. Enjoy them as dessert, a snack, or even a slightly decadent breakfast.

Bunuelos fried Mexican food recipe

​The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Ingredients

For the Topping:

  • 3 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Dough:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 3 tablespoons sugar

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil, or butter

  • 1 large egg

  • 1/4 cup milk

  • 1/2 cup masa harina

For Frying:

  • 1 cup vegetable oil, for frying

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for bunuelos
    ​The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
  2. Make the topping by combining sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish.

    Make topping
    ​The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
  3. Sift together the flour and baking powder.

    Sift together flour and baking powder
    ​The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
  4. In a separate bowl, cream the sugar and the oil or butter until smooth. Add the egg, milk, and masa harina.

    Cream the sugar and oil
    ​The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
  5. Gradually add the flour, mixing well after each addition, until a dough forms.

    Add flour
    ​The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
  6. Roll the dough into meatball-sized spheres, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. You can leave them round, or flatten them into cakes.

    Roll the dough
    ​The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
  7. Heat vegetable oil in a medium-sized saucepan until hot. Fry dough balls or cakes until golden brown, about 6 or 7 minutes, turning to brown all over.

    Heat vegetable oil
    ​The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
  8. Remove balls to the paper towel-covered plate to drain.

    Remove balls
    ​The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
  9. Using tongs, place each buñuelo onto the plate with the sugar and cinnamon mixture and shake until well coated, turning the piece over if necessary.

    Place each in sugar
    ​The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
  10. Serve your delicious buñuelos warm, with atole or hot chocolate, if you like.

    Serve warm
    ​The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Recipe Variations

  • Omit the granulated sugar and cinnamon and try these other topping possibilities:
  • Roll your buñuelos around in powdered instead of granulated sugar. The powdered sugar will “melt” and disappear, but leave a sweet glaze behind. If you like, roll them in the powdered sugar again once they have cooled down somewhat, or sprinkle some on them when serving.
  • Make a light syrup by dissolving some piloncillo (or dark brown sugar if you don’t have piloncillo) in a water. Add a little ground cinnamon and a healthy pinch of ground anise and/or cloves; mix thoroughly. Pour the syrup, warm or room temperature, over the buñuelos, or use it as a buñuelo “dip.”
  • Serve Mexican chocolate sauce as a dip for the buñuelos.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
153 Calories
11g Fat
13g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 20
Amount per serving
Calories 153
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 13%
Saturated Fat 1g 4%
Cholesterol 10mg 3%
Sodium 30mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 13g 5%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 25mg 2%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 26mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)