Mexican

Serving

Buñuelos

Name: Buñuelos
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 250g (2 cups) all-purpose flour; 1 large egg and 120ml (1/2 cup) warm milk; 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, and a pinch of salt; 2 tbsp butter, melted; Vegetable oil for frying; Cinnamon sugar, for coating

Crispy fried dough discs dusted with cinnamon sugar — a festive Mexican treat.

40 minutes

Serves 2

Dessert

14 min prep

22 min cook

Contains common allergens

Egg Dairy Wheat

In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.

Good to know

Crispy

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: crispy recipes

Instructions

6 steps

1
Make the Dough: Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, then add the egg, warm milk, and melted butter to form a soft dough.
2
Rest: Knead briefly, cover, and rest for 20 minutes.
3
Roll Thin: Divide into balls and roll each into a very thin round.
4
Heat the Oil: Heat the frying oil to 180°C (360°F).
5
Fry: Fry each disc until golden and crisp, about 1 minute per side, then drain.
6
Coat and Serve: While warm, dust both sides generously with cinnamon sugar and serve.

Buñuelos — plated and served — Serving moment. How Buñuelos looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

68/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 70

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 54

Budget-friendly 86

Great leftovers 65

Pantry-friendly 90

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

605

Calories

13 g

Protein

108 g

Carbs

13 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Bunuelos are a Mexican fried dough, rolled thin and fried until crisp and blistered, then dusted with cinnamon sugar, and they show up most often around Christmas and New Year celebrations. Some regional versions soak the fried rounds briefly in a piloncillo syrup instead of, or in addition to, the cinnamon-sugar coating.

Listahan note

This version rolls the dough as thin as it will go before frying, since a thicker round stays doughy at the center instead of crisping evenly all the way through.

Technique cues

Resting the dough after kneading relaxes the gluten, which makes it easier to stretch or roll thin without it springing back.
Rolling each portion out until it's nearly translucent gives the finished bunuelo its characteristic thin, blistered crispness once fried.
Frying in oil at a steady medium-high temperature browns the dough quickly and evenly before it can absorb excess oil.
Coating the fried rounds in cinnamon sugar while they're still warm helps the sugar adhere better than sprinkling it on cooled pieces.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: While Buñuelos is in the oven, measure out any garnish or topping — like the Vegetable oil for frying — so it's ready the moment the bake finishes cooling.
Make-ahead: Buñuelos's dough or batter (built around Vegetable oil for frying) can usually be made a day ahead and refrigerated, then baked fresh — many doughs actually improve with an overnight rest.
Leftover move: Leftover Buñuelos freezes well — wrap individual portions tightly and thaw at room temperature, or crumble it over ice cream for a quick second life. This one leans on the Vegetable oil for frying. Plan around the fry; that's the slow part.
Cleanup rhythm: Soak the mixing bowl and beaters for Buñuelos right away — sugar and butter residue hardens fast once it cools. This one leans on the Vegetable oil for frying. Everything else is quick — the fry is the one step that takes real time.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

250g all-purpose flour

Structural base

Purpose: g all-purpose flour defines the shape and texture of the dish.

Handling: Measure before heating and break up clumps so the mix distributes evenly.

Adaptation: Use a certified gluten-free alternative when needed and expect a small texture change.

1 large egg and 120ml warm milk

Main protein or body

Purpose: large egg and 120ml warm milk gives Buñuelos its main substance and carries the seasoning.

Handling: Prep before heat is high so the cooking step can move without rushing.

Adaptation: Use unsweetened dairy-free alternatives only where they still provide enough fat and body.

2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, and a pinch of salt

Sweetness and aroma

Purpose: tbsp sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, and a pinch of salt adds aroma, sweetness, or warmth without needing extra garnish.

Handling: Measure before heating and break up clumps so the mix distributes evenly.

Adaptation: Use the closest fresh equivalent and expect a modest shift in flavor or texture.

2 tbsp butter, melted

Richness and texture

Purpose: tbsp butter, melted rounds the texture and helps the dish feel complete.

Handling: Prep before heat is high so the cooking step can move without rushing.

Adaptation: Use unsweetened dairy-free alternatives only where they still provide enough fat and body.

Vegetable oil for frying

Richness and texture

Purpose: Vegetable oil for frying rounds the texture and helps the dish feel complete.

Handling: Wash, trim, and cut evenly so the pieces cook at the same pace.

Adaptation: Use the closest fresh equivalent and expect a modest shift in flavor or texture.

Technique notes

Fry one piece at a time or in small batches, since overcrowding the oil drops its temperature and leads to greasy, unevenly cooked bunuelos.
Drain on a wire rack rather than paper towels alone, so steam escapes and the underside doesn't turn soft.
Serve the same day they're fried, since bunuelos lose their crispness quickly once they sit.

Ingredient swaps

Gluten-free direction: Replace the all-purpose flour with a certified gluten-free 1:1 flour blend or gluten-free noodles/breadcrumbs — check that any other packaged ingredients here are labeled gluten-free too. Budget about 40 minutes for this one — it serves 2. This one is rooted in Mexican cooking. It runs 6 ingredients start to finish.
Dairy-free direction: Swap the butter for a neutral dairy-free butter and a full-fat plant milk (oat or coconut give the closest richness) — the texture shifts slightly but the dish holds together. Clock it at close to 40 minutes to feed 2. It belongs squarely to the Mexican table. Just 6 ingredients get this one to the table.
Egg-aware direction: Replace the egg and 120ml warm milk with a flax or chia egg (1 tbsp ground seed + 3 tbsp water, rested 5 minutes) for binding, best when eggs are there for binding rather than structure or rise.
Lower-sodium direction: Season lighter on salt than the recipe calls for, then adjust right before serving — it's easier to add more than to fix an oversalted batch. This one's done in around 40 minutes, plated for 2. It's a Mexican dish through and through. The ingredient list here is 6 items long.

Serve alongside

Fresh berries
Citrus fruit salad
Mint leaves
Black coffee
Hot tea
Sparkling water with lemon

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Store covered for 3 to 4 days, refrigerated when dairy, eggs, custard, or fresh fruit are involved.
Reheat gently only when warmth improves the texture.
Freeze sturdy baked portions up to 2 months; avoid freezing delicate fresh toppings.

Equipment

Mixing bowls
Baking dish or pan
Cooling rack

Make this household-aware

Listahan Pro checks this recipe against your household's allergens, finds pantry-aware swaps, builds the shopping list, and helps you plan the week around it.

Get the app