Name: Sopapillas
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 cups (282g) all-purpose flour; 1 Tablespoon baking powder; 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 Tablespoons vegetable shortening; 3/4 cup warm water; Canola oil, peanut oil, or vegetable oil (for frying); Powdered sugar & honey or cinnamon and sugar (for serving)

Crisp on the outside and soft and fluffy inside, then drizzled with honey for a touch of sweetness, Sopapillas are a quick and easy fried treat that can be made in under 30 minutes with just a handful of pantry ingredients!

An image of honey being drizzled over a stack of warm sopapillas on a plate.

Arizona and New Mexico are both famous for their sopapillas, which are like an easier, faster cousin of beignets. Since they are made with baking powder instead of yeast for leavening, you don’t need to wait for your dough to rise before frying. Instead it’s just a short 20-minute period to let the dough relax before rolling it out and cutting it into squares for frying.

Some folks like them with cinnamon & sugar sprinkled on top, but our favorite is to drizzle them with honey!

What You’ll Need Is In Your Pantry Already!

All-purpose Flour: You could use bread flour for a chewier texture, but all-purpose works great for nice and fluffy sopapillas.
Baking Powder: This is the leavening agent that helps the dough puff up in the hot oil.
Vegetable Shortening: Adds richness and keeps the dough moist. You can use butter instead in a pinch.
Sugar: To sweeten the dough just a touch.
Salt: Adds flavor so these don’t turn out bland.
Warm Water: Just enough to bring the dough together and help develop the gluten a bit.
Oil for frying: You can use vegetable oil, canola oil, or peanut oil to fry your sopapillas.
Honey: This is our favorite way to enjoy sopapillas but you can also dust them in a cinnamon-sugar mixture instead!

Ingredients for making homemade sopapillas.

Let’s Fry Up Some Sopapillas!

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the shortening in to the dry ingredients until they resemble small peas.
Stir in the warm water until the dough comes together in a shaggy ball. I like to knead this by hand for a minute or two to help develop the gluten. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.

Sopapilla dough resting in a bowl covered with a dishcloth.

Meanwhile, heat 1-2 inches of oil in a heavy bottom pan to 375℉ (191℃).
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until about 1/8-inch thick. Cut into 3-inch squares.

Sopapilla dough rolled out and cut into squares with a pizza cutter nearby.

Carefully drop a few of the sopapillas at a time into the hot oil. Fry for 15 to 30 seconds per side, flipping halfway through, until puffy and light golden brown (not too dark or they will be crispy instead of soft). Remove from the oil with a slotted spatula or tongs and place on a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain. You can keep them warm in a 200℉ oven for up to 1 hour if needed.

Sopapillas being fried in hot oil in a large skillet.

Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm with honey drizzled on top or sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar.

An overhead image of sopapillas on plates with honey nearby.

Warm sopapillas on a white plate next to a jar of honey.

Tips to Remember

Rolling these thinner actually helps them puff more because there is more surface area exposed to the hot oil so don’t be afraid to roll them thin.
Use a thermometer to monitor the oil temperature. When frying at too hot of a temp your dough can get too dark on the outside without cooking the inside all the way. If the oil is too cool, the dough soaks up more of the oil making for greasy sopapillas (no bueno).

More Like This

Ingredients

▢ 2 cups (282g) all-purpose flour
▢ 1 Tablespoon baking powder
▢ 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
▢ 1 teaspoon salt
▢ 2 Tablespoons vegetable shortening
▢ 3/4 cup warm water
▢ Canola oil, peanut oil, or vegetable oil for frying
▢ Powdered sugar & honey or cinnamon and sugar for serving

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the shortening in to the dry ingredients until they resemble small peas.
2 cups (282g) all-purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon baking powder, 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 Tablespoons vegetable shortening
Stir in the warm water until the dough comes together in a shaggy ball. I like to knead this by hand for a minute or two to help develop the gluten. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
¾ cup warm water
Meanwhile, heat 1-2 inches of oil in a heavy bottom pan to 375℉ (191℃).
Canola oil, peanut oil, or vegetable oil
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until about 1/8-inch thick. Cut into 3-inch squares.
Carefully drop a few of the sopapillas at a time into the hot oil. Fry for 15 to 30 seconds per side, flipping halfway through, until puffy and light golden brown (not too dark or they will be crispy instead of soft). Remove from the oil with a slotted spatula or tongs and place on a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain. You can keep them warm in a 200℉ oven for up to 1 hour if needed.
Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm with honey drizzled on top or sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar.
Powdered sugar & honey or cinnamon and sugar

Notes

Storage: Store any uneaten sopapillas in an airtight container on the counter at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. Reheat in an air fryer or a 300 degree F oven to 5-8 minutes until warm.
Air Fryer: You can cook these in the air fryer instead of frying them in oil. They won’t be quite the same, but still pretty good. Spray both sides of the sopapilla dough with cooking spray, then transfer to the air fryer in a single layer. Cook at 350 degrees F for 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown, then brush with melted butter before serving.
Make Ahead: You can make the dough up to 24 hours in advance and store in the fridge until ready to roll out and fry.
Freezing: You can roll out the dough, cut it into squares, then arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before frying.