The real sopapillas filled with honey are the top Mexican dessert that you must try! I didn’t realize how easy these are to make. Let’s join me, guys!
What are Real Sopapillas?
Before learning the real sopapillas recipe, I think you should know a little bit more about our delicious Mexican dessert today.
Sopapillas do not look very easy, but they cannot be any simpler. They are a type of fried puff pastry made of homely ingredients like flour, baking powder, and water.
In Spanish, sopapilla means “a little soup pillow”, which nicely describes its appearance. They have a very light and crunchy texture on the outside, but the most special and interesting part is the honey filling on the inside.
Why You’ll Love the Real Sopapillas
I would say it’s like donuts, churro, and funnel cake somehow make a baby, and that baby is a sopapilla. 3 amazing desserts compiled into 1. What’s more exciting than that?
However, there are actually more than one sopapillas recipe. The traditional sopapillas are a type of dessert, but nowadays, people have created a lot of different versions, from savory to sweet.
How Popular Are Sopapillas?
The real sopapillas recipe is originally from Mexico. However, they appear in many other Hispanic culinary cultures and gain popularity in many South American countries, such as Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay.
Everyone usually loves making this easy and yummy food on holidays or special occasions.
You can also see people selling this stuff randomly at the street vendor’s together with other Mexican desserts as well. Sometimes when I crave it so much, I will drive a few blocks around the Mexican neighborhood to see if I get lucky.
For more delectable food recipes, check out the list here:
- Italian Recipe for Creamy Polenta
- Perfect Prime Rib Recipe
- Delicious Fried Tortilla Chips
- The Best Canning Salsa
- Best Lasagna to Make at Home
Why Are The Real Sopapillas So Good?
I do not know about others, but personally, I think they are so addicting I just cannot stop eating. I easily finish 5 or 6 pieces in 1 sitting, no problem. If I see some of these lying around, I will throw a whole morning workout out the window. I do not care. And that’s how much I love this treat.
I have several Mexican friends who make bomb sopapillas. I mean the real sopapillas recipe, not some copycat versions, which are clearly not very authentic.
They have got the most legit homemade sopapillas recipes from their mothers and grandmothers, and I was lucky enough to taste a few of them. Needless to say, I became a big fan right after my first bite.
But if you’ve never tried the sopapillas before and you are so curious to learn how I will gladly help you find the most wonderful and real sopapillas recipes to test out. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
How To Master The Real Sopapillas?
Though this sopapillas recipe is really easy to make, there are a few notes I want to share with you to perfect your dessert.
Speaking from my experience, you may encounter several issues while making homemade sopapillas. You need a few attempts, but you will soon get the hang of it. Trust me, if I can do it, so can you.
If your sopapillas are not puffed up, the problem may be because the oil is not at the right temperature. It has to be around 350ºF to achieve the perfect pillow shape sopapillas.
It may also be because you add too many dough pieces to the drying pan at once. In that case, your sopapillas will be steamed instead of fried properly. Just put a maximum of 2 or 3, depending on the size of your pan. But you definitely do not want to crowd your pan.
When you take the puffs out, let them rest for a few minutes to cool down and hold the shape. If you touch and poke holes in them right after, they will be flattened or deformed.
Alright, it should be a difficult and frustrating sopapillas recipe. Let’s start having fun now, everybody!
The Real Sopapillas Recipe
If you are Mexican, you must feel super nostalgic whenever you have these little sweet puffy Mexican dessert pieces, right? Do not worry; even if you do not get the authentic recipe from your family, I got you covered.
This first real sopapillas recipe is the easiest, most straightforward dessert with only a few ingredients and steps to make. I highly recommend you cover the sopapillas with powdered sugar and cinnamon powder for extra deliciousness. They will definitely kick it up a notch.
Time to prep | 30 minutes | Servings | 4-6 |
Time to cook | 30 minutes | Skill Level | Easy |
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 cups (205g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 fl oz (118 ml) hot water
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 100-150ml honey
- Powdered sugar and cinnamon (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
- Add flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Mix well
- Mix hot water with cooking oil. Pour the mixture into the flour bowl and combine until it forms a dough ball.
- Dust the counter with some flour. Place the dough on top and start kneading until it’s smooth.
- Divide the dough into 4 portions, put it back into the bowl, and cover with a damp cloth. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
- Flatten a dough ball using a rolling pin and cut it into 4 equal triangular pieces. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the flattened dough into the oil and deep fry them until they puff up and light golden brown.
- Remove the sopapillas and place them on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
- Pour honey into a squeeze bottle. Use the tip to poke a hole in each sopapilla and fill the honey inside.
- Plate up and enjoy!
Sopapilla Cheesecake Recipe
Wow, this one sounds insanely good, doesn’t it? Sopapillas AND cheesecake in one? What kind of heavenly Mexican dessert is it? I gotta know, you gotta know, we gotta find out right now!
Time to prep | 20-30 minutes | Servings | 6-8 |
Time to cook | 30 minutes | Skill Level | Easy |
INGREDIENTS:
- 8 oz (227g) softened cream cheese
- 1/3 cup (43g) sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 oz can (227g) crescent roll dough
- 4 Tbsp (56g) melted salted butter
- 3 Tbsp (37.5g) sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF/176 ºC.
- Add cream cheese and sugar in a bowl. Mix until combined.
- Add vanilla extract, and mix until smooth. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine ground cinnamon and a pinch of salt (optional) with sugar.
- Spray oil in an 8×8-inch baking dish. Stretch and roll out the crescent roll dough and lay half of it on the bottom of the baking dish.
- Pour in the cream cheese mixture. And place the other half of the crescent roll dough on top.
- Pour melted butter all over and top with the sugar-cinnamon mixture to cover the whole surface.
- Put the dish in the oven and bake at 350ºF/176 ºC for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove the dish from the oven. Let it cool a bit, and cut it into smaller pieces. Serve warm, and enjoy!
Savory Stuffed Sopapillas Recipe with Chile Colorado
This is a very different sopapilla recipe which is not simply a Mexican dessert anymore. Real sopapillas can be more interesting, right? This is a new salty and savory version, and it’s going to have some extra steps in the cooking process.
Time to prep | 30 minutes | Servings | 4-6 |
Time to cook | 30 minutes | Skill Level | Easy |
INGREDIENTS:
SOPAPILLAS
- 2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 Tbsp shortening or lard
- 1/2 cups plus 2 Tbsp (148 ml) warm water
CHILE COLORADO
- 1.5 lbs (680 g) boneless pork shoulder, cut into small bite-size pieces.
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 small onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 2 dried bay leaves
CHILI PUREE
- 3 guajillo chiles (cleaned and softened)
- 1 ancho chile (cleaned and softened)
- 1 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon powder
- 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano
- 2 cups (473 ml) steeping liquid or water
TOPPINGS
- shredded cabbage
- salsa of choice
- cheese of choice
- Mexican sour cream
DIRECTIONS:
- Clean, remove the seeds, and boil the chilis with some water in a pot for 5 minutes. Turn off the hit, cover the lit, and let them sit for 20 minutes until they become pliable.
- Add the chilis in a blender and 2 cups of the steeping liquid. Add chicken bouillon powder and Mexican dried oregano. Puree well.
- Heat some oil in a big pot over high heat. Add pork, salt, and pepper into the pot and cook for about 10 minutes.
- Add onion and continue sautéing until the onion is translucent.
- Add chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, ground cumin, and minced garlic. Stir well for another minute.
- Strain and pour the chili purée into the pot. Add bay leaves. Lower the heat and let it simmer for about 30 minutes until the meat is tender.
- Make the sopapillas with the list of ingredients above. (Check the first recipe for reference)
- Cut the sopapillas open. Fill each one with queso fresco crumbles, shredded cabbage, Chile Colorado, green salsa, and Mexican sour cream.
- Plate up and serve warm. Enjoy!
Tips and Praise
Fred Abbott, “This looks exactly like the ones we used to get at a little Mexican restaurant we went to on a regular basis. That was over 50 years ago. Going to make this this weekend. Thank you for the recipe!”
Cassandra J, “I absolutely love sopapillas that’s puffy with honey , dusted with a little cinnamon and sugar.”
Angie Lester, “I tried this a few weeks ago.. except I omitted the cinnamon sugar and added a layer strawberry preserves to the cream cheese… it was heaven.”
Ana Flores, “I have never heard of stuffed sopapillas, and never savory, only sweet. Sounds delicious.”
Editor’s Note
I am totally stoked with all the incredible sopapillas recipes we have today. If you make the real sopapillas dessert, do not skimp on the honey. Make sure to fill it up inside and drizzle generously on the outside. Yummy! And if you choose to be more adventurous and make the savory one, do not hesitate to stuff as much filling as possible.
Let me know what your real sopapillas taste like, alright? Do not break the calorie bank and eat all of them. Save some to share with your family, friends, and neighbors. Good luck!