Authentic New Mexican Sopapillas Recipe – Sopapillas are a traditional dessert in the USA. These fried pastries are a tasty treat to end a meal. These are a fun treat to make with the kids, and are great for parties, especially in the summer when you don’t want to heat up the kitchen.
This article will show you how to make your own sopapillas at home. I personally love making sopapillas at home. Last time, I made a dozen and enjoyed the weekend with my family.
New Mexican Sopapillas Recipe
If you follow my recipes, you know I love to make them simple and easy to make whenever it’s possible. You also know that desserts can be trickier to make than most regular dishes, although I do plan to add some recipes that require a little more practice in the coming weeks.
However, when it comes to this New Mexican Sopapillas Recipe, it’s easy peasy to make, and the taste is out of this world!
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 5
Ingredients
-
2 cups all-purpose flour
-
½ Tbsp baking powder
-
½ tsp salt
-
½ Tbsp sugar
-
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
-
1 cup warm water (more as needed)
-
Oil, for frying
-
Honey, for serving
Instructions
-
Make the Dough:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
Add the vegetable oil and mix until evenly incorporated.
Pour in the warm water and stir with a spoon or dough hook until a dough forms. -
Knead:
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 2–3 minutes (by hand or with a dough hook) until the dough is soft, smooth, and only slightly tacky. If it’s sticky, add a sprinkle more flour. -
Rest:
Divide the dough in half and place each half in a zip-top bag or cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for at least 15 minutes while you heat the oil. -
Prep to Fry:
Fill a deep, heavy-bottomed pan with about 2 inches of oil. Heat to 350°F (175°C).
While the oil heats, prepare honey for serving so you can drizzle it on while sopapillas are hot. -
Shape the Dough:
Working with one half at a time, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about ⅛-inch thick.
Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut the dough into 3-inch squares (or triangles, if you like). -
Fry:
Fry a few dough pieces at a time in the hot oil. They should puff up in seconds—gently splash hot oil over the tops to help them puff fully.
Fry until both sides are golden brown, flipping once, about 1–2 minutes per side. -
Drain:
Transfer the fried sopapillas to a bowl lined with paper towels to drain. -
Serve:
Serve hot, drizzled generously with honey.
Tips:
-
Don’t let the dough dry out—cover unused pieces with a plastic sheet or kitchen towel.
-
For an extra treat, dust with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar after frying.
-
Best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers can be reheated in a warm oven.
Share the image below on your Pinterest board to save this Sopapillas recipe!
FAQs
Beignets VS Sopapillas. Are they the same?
They are not the same as Beignets, are deep-fried, and don’t puff up upon frying. The dough of beignets contains yeast, sugar, milk, butter, and eggs.
While, sopapillas puff up upon frying, and the dough is made from basic ingredients like flour, oil, salt, and yolks. Beignets are served only along with the icing sugar, while sopapillas are served with typically honey.
Fried Bread VS Sopapillas difference
There are two major differences. The dough for sopapillas is rolled out thick, and the size is 4 by 4. When they are fried, they puff up. Fried bread size is greater and the shape is like a pizza. It doesn’t puff upon frying and contains puffy spots.
Can I prepare the sopapilla dough ahead of time?
Yes, you can store the dough in the fridge. But, this will make you work more. As the dough starts oxidizing, the color will change. You may need to knead the dough again.
The sopapillas will also not puff as well. The taste may be good, but puffiness will be lost.
Freezing the sopapillas is not recommended.
Can I Reheat Sopapillas?
No. Sopapillas are best served right out of the pan. Reheated Sopapillas will not taste nearly as good as freshly cooked ones.
How to keep Sopapillas Fresh for a longer period of time?
To keep the Sopapillas fresh while you’re waiting for your guests to arrive, simply heat up the oven to 200 F and place them in. Although, don’t keep them there too long, a maximum of 15-20 minutes.
Cooking Tips & Variations for Sopapillas
If you prepared sopapillas in the past and were unable to enjoy good puffs, then follow the below-given tips on how to keep the temperature constant.
- There should be sufficient oil in the pan. At a minimum, there should be 1-inch deep oil. Defiant to what others think, if there is much oil in the pan, then the food is less oily. It is because the temp doesn’t vary, and food can be properly cooked before it starts absorbing oil.
- Use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature. It is not recommended to rely on an electric skillet’s temp controller. Invest in a thermometer and get accurate results every time. It is also easy to use.
- The frying oil should not be overloaded with sopapillas. Try 2 at a time. Take it the same as when you add ice to warm water, it cools the water around it. Similarly, adding too many sopapillas will change the temperature. If you are not using sufficient oil and then trying to add too many sopapillas, you are doing it wrong.
Let’s Sum Up
We are very excited to announce that we have added the Sopapillas recipe to our menu! Give them a try this weekend by following this recipe, and let us know how they turn out. These fried Mexican pastries are delicious side dish or dessert items. We hope you will come in to try them soon!
If you have any questions or concerns about our Sopapillas recipe, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us anytime. Thank you!
