Homemade Deep Fried Mexican Sopapillas with Cinnamon Sugar
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How To Make Air Fryer Sopapillas

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Quick Answer

To make air fryer sopapillas, follow these steps:

  1. Preheat air fryer to 375ยฐF.
  2. Mix 1 1/4 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt.
  3. Add 1/2 cup hot water and 1 tbsp oil, then form a dough.
  4. Knead and rest dough for 20 minutes.
  5. Flatten and cut dough into pieces, spray with oil.
  6. Cook in air fryer for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Read on for more detail

Sopapillas are fried pastries with a puffy appearance and crispy exterior. They are cooked by deep-frying flattened dough โ€” this traps air inside the pastry, leavening it and making it deliciously flaky!

But can you mimic the same characteristics of sopapillas if you air fry them?

How do you make air fryer sopapillas? Air-fried sopapillas follow the same recipe as deep-fried sopapillas but are instead cooked and leavened using hot air, which can make a crispier and flakier pastry than deep-frying would. The only downside is that air-fried sopapillas might not puff up a lot compared to when you deep-fry them.

Read below to learn more about making sopapillas, how to air fry them, and how to make sure you get the puffiest pastries using nothing but hot air!

What Are Sopapillas?

Sopapillas isolated on a black background

Sopapillas can be thought of as a quick bread that is usually deep-fried until it is golden-brown and puffed.

This pastry is typically served with sweet condiments but can also be used in a lot of savory dishes too. 

In essence, a sopapilla is just a mixture of all-purpose flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, oil, and water. Do these ingredients sound familiar? 

Well, they should โ€” these are the same ingredients used in making bread! In fact, in many regions, sopapillas are considered to be a type of fried bread and an excellent breakfast item

The traditional way to make sopapillas is to first prepare the dough by mixing all the ingredients and then kneading the dough.

Once the dough is formed, it is then flattened using a rolling pin. The thin circular dough is further cut using a pizza cutter or knife and is divided into four equal parts.

Each part is then fried in hot oil until the pastries puff up and take on a golden-brown color. After cooking them, they are taken off the heat and then left to cool for about 2-3 minutes which gives them their signature crispy texture.

When ready, the sopapillas can then be eaten with a range of toppings like fruit, syrup, honey, and more!

Air Frying Sopapillas

Homemade Deep Fried Mexican Sopapillas with Cinnamon Sugar

Air frying these pastries is a great way to cut down on the extra calories and to make a healthier breakfast item than deep-fried sopapillas, but there are a few things to keep in mind!

The puffed-up shape of these pastries is due to the presence of baking powder and hot oil. When exposed to heat and oil, the baking powder reacts and releases carbon dioxide, which quickly expands the pastry from the inside out. 

The air trapped inside the pastry cooks it from within while the hot oil penetrates and cooks the exterior of the pastry.

This doubling-cooking effect gives sopapillas their signature flakiness and allows them to retain their shape for much longer, even when they are cool.

In the case of air fryers, the idea is to circulate hot air around the food to cook the pastries in a way that resembles deep-frying. This might seem like a challenge but trust us, it is easier and much more convenient than deep-frying!

Before we begin, letโ€™s clear up a misconception: most people believe that baking powder is only activated when food is exposed to hot liquids, like oil. This is incorrect!

Think about it โ€” baked goods that contain baking soda or baking powder puff up or rise equally, even though they arenโ€™t deep-fried. 

This is because baking powder is โ€œactivated,โ€ or rather, goes through a decomposition reaction when it is exposed to heat. 

The heat breaks down the baking powder into its residual components, one of which is carbon dioxide. This gas helps expand the pastry while the escaping moisture locks in the shape and makes it crispy

How To Make Air-Fried Sopapillas

Now that we’ve got your taste buds warmed up, here is a detailed step-by-step guide on how to make sopapillas in the air fryer.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cup to 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup of hot water
  • 1 tbsp of cooking oil
  • Desired toppings (ex. fruit, syrup, honey, etc.)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the air fryer to 375ยฐF to ensure that the sopapillas will fluff up optimally.
  2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Separately mix the hot water and cooking oil.
  3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in small increments. Make sure to keep mixing until a dough is formed.
  4. Working with your hands, pick up the dough and knead it for about 5 minutes. Then roll the dough into a large ball and divide the ball into 4 smaller balls. Put all the dough balls in a bowl and let them rest for 20 minutes.
  5. Take one small dough ball and, using a rolling pin, flatten out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Now divide the dough by cutting it vertically and horizontally โ€” you should be left with 4 equal pieces of the flattened dough. 
  6. Spray some cooking oil in the preheated air fryer basket with just a little bit on each side of the sopapilla as well. Remember, the oil will trap the heat and will help the pastry cook and expand better!
  7. Make sure the oven is heated to the temperature of 375ยฐF and cook the sopapillas for 3-4 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown โ€” thatโ€™s it! 
  8. Repeat the above steps for the rest of the dough balls and make as many sopapillas as you like. Just make sure that you donโ€™t overcrowd the air fryer basket when adding the raw dough!
Homemade Deep Fried Mexican Sopapillas with Cinnamon Sugar

Air Fryer Sopapillas

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 16 minutes
Total Time: 51 minutes

Sopapillas are fried pastries with a puffy appearance and crispy exterior. They are cooked by deep-frying (now air frying!) flattened dough which traps air inside the pastry, making it deliciously flaky and beautifully golden-brown.

Topย with a range of toppings like fruit, syrup, and honey, then enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cup to 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup of hot water
  • 1 tbsp of cooking oil
  • Desired toppings (ex. fruit, syrup, honey, etc.)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the air fryer to 375°F to ensure that the sopapillas will fluff up optimally.
  2. In a large bowl, mix 1 1/4 cup to 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt. Separately mix 1/2 cup of hot water and one tbsp of cooking oil. 
  3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in small increments. Make sure to keep mixing until a dough is formed.
  4. Working with your hands, pick up the dough and knead it for about 5 minutes. Then roll the dough into a large ball and divide the ball into 4 smaller balls. Put all the dough balls in a bowl and let them rest for 20 minutes.
  5. Take one small dough ball and, using a rolling pin, flatten out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Now divide the dough by cutting it vertically and horizontally — you should be left with 4 equal pieces of the flattened dough. 
  6. Spray some cooking oil in the preheated air fryer basket with just a little bit on each side of the sopapilla as well. Remember, the oil will trap the heat and will help the pastry cook and expand better!
  7. Make sure the oven is heated to the temperature of 375°F and cook the sopapillas for 3-4 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown — that’s it! 
  8. Repeat the above steps for the rest of the dough balls and make as many sopapillas as you like. Just make sure that you don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket when adding the raw dough!

Tips And Tricks

Here are some tips to make even better sopapillas in the air fryer:

  • Adding sugar to the above recipe can make even tastier sopapillas and may even help the pastries caramelize due to the presence of sugar. Add 1/2 tbsp of caster sugar (or as required) for a slightly sweeter and tastier sopapilla. 
  • While not required, add a light layer of oil using your finger on each side of the sopapillas to make them cook and expand better. You can also use pressurized oil like PAM, but regular oil will work better when applied equally to the sopapillas.
  • Manage your expectations when air frying sopapillas. Remember, you are using way less oil and convection cooking to cook the sopapillas instead of direct heat, like when deep-frying. You’re bound to run into some discrepancies between both types of pastries. 
  • If you do not have baking powder at home, you can use baking soda as a substitute. Just use 1/3 teaspoon of baking soda for every 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Using too much might make the sopapillas tear open or it may also not make them fully puff up.
  • You can cook the sopapillas at a higher temperature, but you will also have to keep an eye on the cooking time. A higher temperature may only cook the pastry from the outside and not give it enough time to cook via the steam on the inside. Do not cook the sopapillas for more than 2-3 minutes on each side at higher temperatures. 
  • Allow the sopapillas to rest for about 3-5 minutes after they come out of the air fryer. The sopapillas will crisp up as excess moisture is evaporated once they are cool.

Related Questions 

Air frying sopapillas is a wonderful way to get the best of both worlds. Not only can you enjoy this tasty and addicting pastry, but you can also consume it guilt-free since air frying will significantly cut down on the extra calories!

Now that you know how to cook sopapillas in air fryers, here are some related questions.

Can you fry multiple sopapillas in an air fryer?

The size of the air fryer will dictate how many sopapillas you can cook at a time. A larger air fryer may be able to fit 1-2 sopapillas at a time, while a smaller appliance may only fit just 1. 

Keep in mind that the sopapillas will expand as they are cooked โ€” if you overcrowd them, then they might not cook properly.

Furthermore, avoid piling the sopapillas as that would also lead to uncooked and unleavened pastries! 

Can you air fry frozen sopapillas?

Yes. While frozen sopapillas may take several more minutes to cook, you should allow the pastries to first thaw before adding them to the air fryer.

Frozen food generally takes longer to cook due to the added moisture, which can also affect the overall quality and texture of the food too.

Can you store air-fried sopapillas?

Air-fried sopapillas require the same storage protocols as fried sopapillas.

You can store leftover sopapillas in an airtight bag. Use a large bag so that you can fit the entire puffed sopapillas without compressing them. Store at 40ยฐF and consume within 48 hours for the best texture. 

You may also freeze sopapillas for later, but we don’t recommend this as it may ruin their texture and flavor.

In general, puffed light pastries like sopapillas are best served hot and crispy. Once they are exposed to air, they start to soften and will eventually lose all of their crispiness when stored in the fridge or freezer. 

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One Comment

  1. Jaron, I have a question within the same batch that I rolled out I have some that rose beautifully and other that are flat as tortilla chips. What did I do wrong? Thank you

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